University of North Carolina, Asheville
ARTH 381: ART IN LATIN AMERICA
Fall 2000
Professor: Cynthia Canejo
Office hours: after class or by appointment in Owen 212
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on the strength and diversity of art and architecture produced in Latin American from the
earliest manifestations of indigenous art and visual culture through the European conquest to the
present. Artworks will be examined in the cultural contexts (e.g., social, political, and economic) in
which they were produced.
A range of topics will be explored: religious and secular art and architecture, colonial introductions, hybridization
of indigenous and imported styles, castes and casta paintings, national styles after independence,
Mexican muralism, women artists, African art in the Diaspora, and Latin American modernism.
Issues to be emphasized include preconceptions of Latin American art; the political role of art; the shifting
political role of art; the power of display in art institutions; appropriation and adaptation; miscegenation
(mixture of races) and syncretism (combining of two dissimilar ideas, beliefs, etc.); the formation of
national identity; hegemony of Europe vs. the US, the question of modernity; questions of gender,
religious orientation, or sexual preference; the appropriateness of introducing current
European/American art theory and methods in Latin America; the intersection of national and
international movements in Modern art; and art as a means of revolution and revolt.
In general, the course will follow the layout of relevant chapters in Mary Ellen Miller’s The Art of Mesoamerica;
Art in Latin America, edited by Dawn Ades; and John Charles Chasteen’s Born in Blood & Fire: A
Concise History of Latin America. However, current issues will be integrated through additional essays
on the MOODLE website.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
Through an investigation and discussion of critical questions related to Latin American culture and art, students
not only obtain knowledge of artists and cultures outside of their own but are also able to understand
and articulate issues of diversity.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
EXAMS
Exam #1 (10%)
Exam #2 (15%)
Exam #3 (15%)
PAPER
ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION
SHORT WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
FINAL SHORT DIVERSITY PAPER
40%
25%
10%
15%
10%
REQUIRED TEXTS
Mary Ellen Miller, The Art of Mesoamerica: From Olmec to Aztec, Thames & Hudson.
Dawn Ades, Art in Latin America: The Modern Era, 1820-1980, Yale U P.
John Charles Chasteen, Born in Blood & Fire: A Concise History of Latin America.
Texts on MOODLE website.
Diversity Intensive: ARTH 381 is a Diversity Intensive course; thus, lectures, discussion, and written
assignments are geared toward an understanding of the development of art forms in Latin America in
relation to cultural ideologies and socio-political dynamics. Use of primary sources (including
manifestos) and texts by scholars from Latin America is emphasized in order to access the variety of
“voices” within each country. Touching on issues of race, class, and gender, discussions will illuminate
the complexity of the formation of national, regional, or individual identities.
Classroom Practice: The classroom should be a place where you feel comfortable talking about issues of
diversity. It is essential that each person listen, have respect for their colleague’s ideas, think before
speaking, and consider their own biases and baggage (self-reflection).
Attendance: Attendance is required. You will be allowed two excused absences before your grade will be
lowered. Exams will include material presented in lecture that is not in the text. If you miss a class,
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arrange to exchange notes with another student. Your overall grade for the course will be lowered for
every day missed beyond the 2. Non-attendance of 8 classes will result in failure of the course.
Research Paper: The papers should be typed, stapled, paginated, and double-spaced using a 12-point font
(preferably Times). A handout will be distributed with specifics of this assignment.
IMPORTANT: All assignments must be completed in order to pass the course.
In-Class Participation: Each student should come to lecture prepared to make comments or ask questions
that will contribute to the class discussion. Your In-Class Participation grade will depend on your
attendance. Option: If you miss a class or cannot participate in class discussions, you may fulfill the InClass Participation requirement by email or by keeping a journal. In the former, you must send the
Instructor an email each week specifically asking for that week’s discussion question. For the latter, you
should write up your thoughts for each course in a journal and submit it to the Instructor periodically.
Short Written Assignments: Short summaries or critiques of the readings will be submitted as required (one
typed page). Be concise. Do not use quotes or write in the first person (unless specifically asked). A
question will be given in advance. If you submit an assignment late, drop it in my office or bring it to the
next class (no emailed assignments will be accepted).
Grading: Papers will be graded on observation, content, writing style/skills (including grammar and spelling),
organization, and clarity. Borderline grades may be adjusted up or down based on the required reading
analyses, participation in discussion sessions, and attendance. Completion of Extra Credit assignments
will be taken into consideration for borderline grades.
Exams: Please make sure that you are able to attend all exams. The three exams could include: slide
identifications (architect/artist, title, date, culture, period, and location [if pertinent]); definitions of terms;
a map to identify locations; diagrams to label; short answer questions; single slide analysis essays; and
comparison (2 slides) essays.
Website: Images and course materials will be posted on the MOODLE website. An email will be sent to your
UNCA email account containing login instructions for MOODLE including your username (same as your
email/OnePort username) and your initial password. If you haven’t received or have lost your password,
click on the Lost Password? (for other problems, email John Myers jmyers@unca.edu). (NOTE: I do
not respond to emails sent through MOODLE. Please send emails to address above, thanks).
DISABILITY PROCEDURE: Students with special needs or disabilities should speak to the Instructor at the
beginning of the course.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS: available on the MOODLE homepage.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES: links will be available on the MOODLE homepage.
ACADEMIC HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
“As a community of scholars dedicated to learning and the pursuit of knowledge, UNC Asheville relies on the
honesty and academic integrity of all the members of its community. Any act of plagiarism or cheating is academic
dishonesty. A person who knowingly assists another in cheating is likewise guilty of cheating. According to the
instructor’s view of the gravity of the offense, a student may be punished by a failing grade or a grade of zero for
the assignment or test, or a failing grade in the course. If it seems warranted, the instructor may also recommend to
the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs dismissal or other serious university sanction.”1
“Plagiarism is academic theft. It refers to the use of another’s ideas or words without proper attribution or credit.
An author’s work is his/her property and should be respected by documentation. Credit must be given:
1. For every direct quotation.
2. When a work is paraphrased or summarized in whole or in part in your own words.
3. For information which is not common knowledge. (It appears in several sources about the subject). UC
History Professor Sears McGee advises: ‘Generally, if a student writes while looking at a source or while
looking at notes taken from a source, a footnote should be given.’” 2
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UNCA Catalog 2009-2010, Volume 44, 29.
Pamphlet from the Office of the Dean of Students, The Academic Dishonesty Question: A Guide to an Answer through Education, Prevention,
Adjudication, and Obligation, n.d.
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We will attempt to adhere as closely as possible to this syllabus but details are subject to change.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
WEEK 1, MONDAY, Aug 17: INTRODUCTION
WEEK 1, WEDNESDAY, Aug 19: Discuss Diversitydefine
WEEK 2, MONDAY, Aug 24: Ancient/Pre-Columbian Art: Andean (Peru) civilizations: Pre-Inca and Inca
READINGS:
1. Carolyn Dean, “The Inka Married the Earth: Integrated Outcrops and the Making of Place,” Art
Bulletin, 2007.
2. CHASTEEN: Introduction
WEEK 2, WEDNESDAY, Aug 26:
Advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica
READINGS:
1. MILLER: relevant portions of Chapters 1 and 2 (Olmec); Chapter 4 (Teotihuacán)
DISCUSSION: Read the article by Jack D. Forbes and comment on the importance of the title, “The Use of Racial
and Ethnic Terms in America: Management by Manipulation,” 1995.
WEEK 3, MONDAY, Aug 31: Ancient/Pre-Columbian Art (cont’d)
READINGS:
1. MILLER: relevant portions of Chapter 6-7 (Maya); Chapter 8 (Toltec); and Chapter 9 (Aztec)
WEEK 3, WEDNESDAY, Sept 2: Advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica (cont’d)
Brazilian temporary settlements
DISCUSSION: What were some of the problems or misconceptions apparent in previous exhibitions of Latin
American art according to Mari Carmen Ramirez in “Beyond the Fantastic,” Art Journal, 1992.
WEEK 4, MONDAY, Sept 7: ***NO CLASS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, Labor Day***
WEEK 4, WEDNESDAY, Sept 9: The Encounter: Spain and Portugal in the New World
Codices: The Codex Mendoza
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapter 3ii
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 1, Encounter, 24-39, 44-53.Chapter 2, Colonial Crucible
DISCUSSION: Discuss the paper and distribute the handout.
How does the Codex Mendoza illuminate the Aztec world as well as colonial aspects?
See Frances F. Berdan and Patricia Rieff Anawait’s The Essential Codex Mendoza (read the “Introduction”
and “Folio 2R—The Founding of Tenochtitlán” found under “Part 1—The History Year to Year.”
RECOMMENDED READING (not required):
Gauvin Alexander Bailey, Art of Colonial Latin America, Chapter 1.
WEEK 5, MONDAY, SEPT 14: The Impact of The Spanish Conquest and Portuguese Colonization
Modifications of European Conventions: The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception
WEEK 5, WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16: The Virgin of Guadalupe and the Virgin of the Andes
Baroque Architecture, Retablos, African and Indigenous Art
READINGS:
1. Rebecca Parker Brienen, “Albert Eckhout and Frans Post: Two Dutch Artists in Colonial Brazil”
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 1, 32, 39-44.
DISCUSSION: Write a short paragraph answering the following: How does Jeanette Peterson in “The Virgin of
Guadalupe: Symbol of Conquest or Liberation?” suggest that the adaptation of the Virgin Mary in Mexico is
political? Note at least 3 cases where the image of the Virgin was used for different purposes (give the
date/period of each).
RECOMMENDED READING (not required):
Tania Costa Tribe, “The Mulatto as Artist and Image in Colonial Brazil”
Gauvin Alexander Bailey, Art of Colonial Latin America, Chapter 2.
Carol Damian, “The Virgin of the Andes”
Myriam Andrade Ribeiro de Oliveira, “Aleijadinho, Creator of Devotional Sculptures”
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***MONDAY: PAPER PROPOSAL DUE***
WEEK 6, MONDAY, SEPT 21: Colonial Adaptations and the Advances toward Independence
1. ADES: Chapter 1, “Independence and its Heroes”
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 3, Independence
WEEK 6, WEDNESDAY, SEPT 23: Popular or Folk Art
READINGS:
1. Gloria Giffords, “The Mexican Ex-voto Painting”
2. “Ex-Votos and Mastheads” [Milagros]
DISCUSSION: Magali M. Carrera’s “The Faces and Bodies of Eighteenth-Century Metropolitan Mexico”
WEEK 7, MONDAY, SEPT 28: ***MONDAY: EXAM #1***
WEEK 7, WEDNESDAY, SEPT 30: THE ACADEMY & Traveler-Reporter Artists: Europe/US (19th Century)
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapter 2 “Academies and History Painting” and Chapter 3i
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 4, Postcolonial Blues
DISCUSSION: According to Stacie Widdifield in “Resurrecting the Past: The Embodiment of the Authentic and the
Figure of the Indian,” how were Obregón and Cordero able to shape or construct nationalist or regionalist
identity in their academic or realist works of art in the mid-19th century?
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): Rafael Cardoso Denis, “Academicism, Imperialism and National
Identity: The Case of Brazil’s Ácademia Imperial de Belas Artes”
WEEK 8, MONDAY, OCT 5: Workshop with Helen Wykle (at the library)
WEEK 8, WEDNESDAY, OCT 7: Mexican Art during the Porfiriato (1877-1911)
Non-Academic Art (late 19th century)
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapters 4 and 5 (Posada)
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 5, Progress, 148-158, 170-75, 193-98, 190, 201
NO DISCUSSION READING
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): Octavio Paz, “I, a Painter, an Indian from this Village…”
WEEK 9, MONDAY, OCT 12: ***Fall Break: NO CLASS Monday, OCT 13***
WEEK 9, WEDNESDAY, OCT 14: Rupture from the Academy & Early Modernist Trends (early 20th century)
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapter 6, “Modernism and the Search for Roots” + Manifestos 6.3, 6.4, 6.5
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 7, Nationalism, 217-229.
DISCUSSION: Carol Damian, “Tarsila do Amaral: Art and Environmental Concerns of a Brazilian Modernist,”
Women’s Art Journal, 1999.
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): Jacinto Quirarte, “Saturnino Herrán: Our Gods Mural Project”
WEEK 10, MONDAY, OCT 19: The Mexican Muralists (Los Tres Grandes) 1920s/30s
WEEK 10, WEDNESDAY, OCT 21:
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapter 7, “Mexican Mural Movement” + Manifestos 7.1, 7.2, 7.3
2. CHASTEEN: Chapter 7, nationalism, 216, 229-242.
DISCUSSION: How could the view of the five races of José Vasconcelos (Minister of Education and advocate of
Indian rights), in “The Cosmic Race,” be considered racist? How might we see his intentions in a positive
light?
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): “Rockefellers Ban Lenin in RCA Mural and Dismiss Rivera”
WEEK 11, MONDAY, OCT 26: The Mexican Muralists (Los Tres Grandes) 1920s/30s
WEEK 11, WEDNESDAY, OCT 28:
READINGS:
1. Juan Rulfo, “They Gave Us the Land,” 1948
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): David Siqueiros, “Toward a Transformation of the Plastic Arts”
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WEEK 12, MONDAY, NOV 2: ***MONDAY: EXAM #2***
WEEK 12, WEDNESDAY, NOV 4: Nationalism and International Developments 1920s+
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapter 10, “Private Worlds and Public Myths”
2. Jorge Luis Borges, “The Circular Ruins,” 1956
DISCUSSION: Write a short paragraph discussing the significance of the title of the article, “Fashioning National
Identity: Frida Kahlo in ‘Gringolandia,’” 1999, by Rebecca Block and Lynda Hoffman-Jeep.
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): Kátua Canton, “Maria Martins: The Woman Has Lost Her Shadow”
Jacqueline Barnitz, “Functionalism, Integration of the Arts, and the Post-War Architectural Boom”
WEEK 13, MONDAY, NOV 9: African Diaspora and Themes of African Culture/Religion
Constructivism: Avoidance or Confrontation in Abstract Art (Late 50s/60s)
READINGS:
1. Carlos Fuentes, “Chac-Mool,” 1973
WEEK 13, WEDNESDAY, NOV 11: Beyond Constructivism
READINGS:
1. ADES: Chapter 11, “Arte Madi/Arte Concreto Invención”; Chapter 12, Brett, “A Radical Leap”
+ Manifestos 11.1, 11.3, 11.4, 12.3 + Manifesto 12.1
2. Julio Cortázar, “Axolotl,” 1968
DISCUSSION: Read Luciano Figueiredo’s “The Other Malady” and write a paragraph summarizing the difficulty in
exhibiting Oiticica’s work after his death. Add one sentence giving your opinion on this subject.
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): Gerardo Mosquera, “Africa in the Art of Latin America”
Selden Rodman, “A Visit with Hector Hippolite”
David H. Brown “Thrones of the Orichas: Afro-Cuban Altars in New Jersey, New York, and Havana,” African Arts
WEEK 14, MONDAY, NOV 16: GUEST LECTURER
WEEK 14, WEDNESDAY, NOV 18: Beyond Constructivism: Appropriation for a Socio-Political Purpose
Politics and Resistance: Uses of Conceptual Art
READINGS:
1. ADES: Art in Latin America, Chapter 12, Guy Brett, “A Radical Leap” + Manifestos 12.1
Chapter 13, “History and Identity”
2. Guimaraes Rosas, “Third Bank of the River,” 1962
3. CHASTEEN: Chapter 9, Reaction, 279-292, and 10, Neoliberalism.
DISCUSSION: Eduardo de Jesús Douglas, “The Colonial Self: Homosexuality and Mestizaje in the Art of
Nahum B. Zenil,” 1998.
RECOMMENDED READING (not required): Fernando Cocchiarale, “Barrio: Art in Transit”
WEEK 15, MONDAY, NOV 23: GUEST LECTURER
WEEK 15, WEDNESDAY, NOV 25: ***NO CLASS Wednesday, Nov. 26, Thanksgiving Break***
NO DISCUSSION READING
WEEK 16, MONDAY, NOV 30: Review for exam
WEEK 16, WEDNESDAY, DEC 2: Exam #3
FINAL EXAM: FINAL SHORT DIVERSITY PAPER due and read in class: Monday, Dec. 7, 11:30-2
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