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3theme is covered from a wonderful variety of perspectives
selection of work and artists
artists from different cultures
Contemporary Art Trends
COURSE OVERVIEW:
This course focuses on:
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thematic approach to recent art history, Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual
Art after 1980, Third Edition, focuses on eight central ideas recurring in art
over the past few decades: identity, the body, time, memory, place, language,
science, and spirituality.
a survey of and materials on contemporary art including consideration of
issues of representation in contemporary art and culture;
explore the role of autobiography, social identity, and self-expression in
current visual production.
Since the 1960s, many artists have abandoned the modernist notion of selfexpression for a concept of identity that involves an exploration of the
dynamics between self and society. With a new critical eye developed
through the lenses of feminism, civil-rights, the sexual revolution, and
globalization, they examine identity as a socially constructed representation of
self. Often their art not only describes this condition in contemporary culture,
but also tries to formulate strategies to break out of these confining
representations of self. Many of the representational strategies artists use to
do this come out of recent philosophies in cultural studies, sociology,
philosophy, psychology, and semiotics. In this class we will learn how artists
use these critical tools to negotiate new representations of self and how those
same tools can be used to formulate our own visual expression. As the
course moves from the 1970s forward, and as we explore our own
backgrounds and motivations, we will see that we can come to understand
identity not as a confining social “label,” but as a flexible, mobile, and openended questioning and de-limiting of the self coming from our continual
engagement with culture.
ART120 introduces you to the reoccurring themes and practices in the visual
arts. Moving beyond medium-based categories, the course surveys a diverse
range of issues that motivate artists and create content in contemporary art,
visual art of the present. During lectures and discussion sessions we will
examine the importance and implications of the visual arts in the larger
context of visual culture. We will consider how cultural, social, economical and
technological changes have impacted the field of contemporary arts and how
artists have responded to these changes. The emphasis of the course is on
providing you with tools to engage contemporary art on discursive, critical,
and intellectual levels. Weekly thematic lectures provide an overview of
significant art movements, ideas, and artists related to the selected topics
within the theme. The lectures create a contextual framework for the
information and assignments presented. In addition, guest artists and other
art professionals are invited to speak about their own work and art making
process.
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Assigned readings, site visits, and other research projects provide an
opportunity to engage with ideas in a more focused way, as well as to create a
starting point for in-class discussions. Course website:
http://courses.washington.edu/art120
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A weekly list of required readings is available in the Schedule and online so
that you can do them in advance to the lectures. You will need to complete
these readings in order to participate in class discussions and succeed in the
homework assignments.
Supplemental readings are there to provide additional examples or original
texts by artists, art critics, philosophers, and art historians.
This course is divided into a series of topics that offer different frameworks for
addressing the issue of contemporary identity in art. For each topic, I have included a
list of relevant artists. If you are in charge of presenting a case study for this topic, you
can choose an artist from this list (if you would like to present an artist not listed,
please consult with me first.) Everyone is responsible for doing the reading listed under
each topic and writing a response before our first class meeting on that topic. In
addition, I have included “Artist Project Further Readings” for those who are presenting
on that topic or those who would like to pursue the topic on their own.
Global Awareness:
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Utilize the making of art in its capacity as a form of communication and tool for
thinking to demonstrate an awareness of the interrelatedness of local, global,
international and intercultural issues, trends and systems from an historical and
contemporary context.
Global Perspective:
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Be able to place the content of their own work within the context of their
community, the global community, and the international art world with an
understanding of intercultural perspectives.
Global Engagement:
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Demonstrate a willingness to engage in philanthropic activities and analytical
activities pertaining to current affairs that have application in local, global,
international and intercultural problem solving.2
This course is intended to develop visual thinking and conceptual development
skills by introducing students to a definition of art and studio practice
motivated by deeper awareness and ideas rather than by media and
technique.
Students will be exposed to interviews, exhibitions, screenings and slide
presentations where concepts in contemporary art theory and international
and intercultural art practice are proposed and discussed. The course looks at
contemporary artists from around the globe, consider issues of hybridization
and multiculturalism, displacement, the contemporary artist nomad,
belonging and audience definition, cultural identity and cultural influences.
Assigned projects in studio art and research will explore the fundamental
rigors of international art theory and practice while honing students’
conceptual and presentation skills. As a result, students will broaden their
visual thinking and perceptual literacy to the point where they can easily
transcend national and cultural media barriers.
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Our ultimate goal in Visual Thinking 1 is to begin the process of producing art
motivated by an awareness of the content: subject, form, material, technique,
local or global sources, socio-historical context, and to differentiate this from
artistic practices that simply manipulate media.
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Faculty from Art & Art History will engage students with video, audio, and
slideshows of artistic works, controversial/ethical discussion topics, and
analysis through class discussion, readings and out-of-class assignments.
Additionally, this class will benefit from visits to local art venues including the
Frost, Design District, and Wynwood, to see for themselves artist’s work, not
only global but those who live and work in the rapidly evolving multi-cultural
South Florida.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES:
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In this writing intensive course students are expected to demonstrate their
ability to:
Recognize and understand critical and theoretical social frameworks of
identity construction.
Use these frameworks to examine and interpret contemporary art practices.
To apply these frameworks to an understanding of the student’s own
representational practices.
These outcomes will be expressed and evaluated in the form of personal
writing responses, presentation outlines, and research papers.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
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Beginning with the colonization of the "New World" or the "European invasion" as
some scholars refer to it and ending with thoughts and dreams for the 21st
century, in this course we will explore and examine America's diverse cultural
heritage through the voices and visions of the multicultural peoples of the United
States: Native-American, African-American, and Euro-American voices and visions
will be explored in depth, but we will also look at other specific ethnic groups such
as Jewish-, Irish-, Asian-, Latino-Americans and more recent immigrant groups. This
is an interdisciplinary course which will incorporate history, art, literature, and
music [when possible] as the means through which our country's rich diversity can
be understood. We will present the arts as an integral and essential voice in an
ongoing conversation about values and meanings of our diverse cultural heritage
and the components of our human and national identities. We will try to define
identity and diversity historically and aesthetically and we will link contemporary
multicultural experiences with historical roots and cultural contributions. We also
want you to be able to understand and recognize how identity and nation-building
are linked with nationalisms, and from that exposure we hope that you will be able
to critically analyze the world in which we live today so that our contributions to
the future might be better informed and therefore more significant.
EXPECTED COURSE OUTCOMES:
The following are the expected learning outcomes for this course
 To understand and appreciate the multiplicity of cultures, perspectives, and
experiences in America;
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 To read, discuss and ponder the visions and voices of various Americans past and
present;
 To link contemporary multi-cultural experiences with historical roots and
contributions;
 To explore connections between concepts such as identity, ethnicity, culture, and
nation;
 To realize some of the complexities, key issues, and rewards of studying art,
culture, folklore, literature, history, and music;
 To appreciate such human expressions as windows into the human experience;
 To foster critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Student learning will be assessed primarily through written responses, but also through
oral responses, and objective tests.
Assessment will be based on the following criteria:
 Factual feedback will agree with the information in the readings and lectures;
 Synthesizing feedback will respond to the assigned topic in the specified way;
 It will be presented in clear, correct English;
 It will fulfill the expectations of effective rhetoric: in its focus on a clear thesis, in its
coherent and logical development, and in its concrete textual support;
 Group projects should reflect originality, engagement with course material and
creativity
 There will be NO MAKEUP EXAMS OR ASSIGNMENTS without prior
permission. Computer problems and/or network outages are not acceptable
excuses for late work or missing deadlines
TERMS TO KNOW & USE
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Ideology: the ideas or manner of thinking characteristic of an individual or group;
especially, the ideas and objectives that influence a whole group or national
culture, shaping especially their political and social relations; ideology also means
false consciousness - in other words, ideology is a representation of the imaginary
relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence: things aren't really
what you think they are.
Hegemonic: domination of leadership; dominant social class or ideology of the
dominant social class; especially, the preponderant influence or authority over
others. (Hegemony is the noun).
Empowerment: to enable; to allow or permit.
Relations of Power: By relations of power what is meant is that we are all
subjected to different types of "power over" whether through peers, parents,
professors, churches, clubs, organizations, or even silences from people we love or
care about. The real message behind all these so-called "power-over" moments is a
lack of compassion, is it not? If people just tried to understand and empathize with
others' situations then perhaps we would not have so many moments of "powerover." True freedom, after all, is being free to ourselves and not being coerced
overtly or covertly. For instance, when a friend or boyfriend or girlfriend responds
to something you might say in anger or even not in anger with a dead silence or
when someone turns and walks away that is a covert [not obvious] form of power
and coercion. Instead of talking it out or trying to understand your position, a
power play is pulled. Now this, I know, is very different from the relations of power
in the stories we read, but they stem from the same roots --often threatening
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consequences or fear of something different-changes. Power relations are
different from moods in that moods do not usually entail the subjugation of
another.
 Kitsch: Refers to the low-art artifacts of everyday life. It encompasses lamps in the
shape of the Eiffel Tower, paintings of Elvis Presley on velvet, plastic pink
flamingoes, coffee mugs/umbrellas etc. of Mona Lisa or other famous images, and
the lurid illustrations on the covers of romance novels. The term is thought to
derive from the German verb verkitschen which means to make cheap. Kitsch is a
by-product of the industrial age’s astonishing capacity for mass production and its
creation of disposable income (Atkins 94).
 Installation art: came into prominence in the 1970s; uses sculptural materials and
other media to modify the way a particular space is experienced. Installation art is
not necessarily confined to gallery spaces and can be any material intervention in
everyday public or private spaces. Installation art incorporates almost any media to
create an experience in a particular environment. Materials used in contemporary
installation art range from everyday and natural materials to new media such as
video, sound, performance, computers and the internet. Some installations are
site-specific in that they are designed to only exist in the space for which they were
created. James Luna & Kara Walker are installation artists.
 Imperialist Nostalgia: a yearning for that which one has directly or indirectly
participated in destroying; preserving that which is being destroyed. This can be
seen in the way the US government documented Native Americans.
 Canon: an established standard for judgment; criterion.
 Ethnocentrism: is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective
of one's own culture. Ethnocentrism often entails the belief that one's own race or
ethnic group is the most important and/or that some or all aspects of its culture
are superior to those of other groups. Within this ideology, individuals will judge
other groups in relation to their own particular ethnic group or culture, especially
with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion. These ethnic
distinctions and sub-divisions serve to define each ethnicity's unique cultural
identity.
 Eurocentrism: is the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing emphasis on
European (and, generally, Western) concerns, culture and values at the expense of
those of other cultures. It is an instance of ethnocentrism.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
ASSIGNMENTS
Personal Responses to Reading:
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Over the course of the semester you need to write a total of 4 - 2 page
responses to the reading and discussion, as they relate to your evolving
understanding of “identity” and your own process of self-expression. You
might also want to keep a “glossary,” with a reference of new terms and ideas
you are learning as you do the reading. I expect you to read everything
thoroughly, perhaps even twice and to have google image and wikipedia
running while you read so that you can research references mentioned in the
articles to help you with context. The responses will be due on the meeting
after we discuss the readings in class and will be graded with a check, +,-,
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system. I will skim all of them, but will also randomly select some each time to
which I will respond more carefully.
Face to Face – Identity and Identification Project
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Choose an artist to research (I’ve suggested artists under each topic, but you
can propose others). As you research the artist over the course of the
semester, you will do a preliminary presentation of their work, develop a
thesis about their work in relation to identity theories and your own
understanding of your identity, and then write a final paper that explores that
thesis.
Part I -- Presentation. After you choose an artist, I will assign a time for you to
present your artist in the context of a particular topic. The aim is to integrate
your understanding of the artist’s work with the theoretical insights of the
readings we are doing for that class period. Present your artist as a case study
in which we can explore and test the readings. Your presentations should
include a very short (10 minutes at the most!) introduction of the artist’s work
in general. This should be followed by some questions or larger discussion
points that you would like to propose to the class. These questions should
generate discussion in terms of how, why, and with what tools the artist is
exploring identity. What are the questions you need to answer about identity
in order to interpret the artist’s work? After you present the artist briefly, then
we will use your questions and discussion points to lead conversation about
the reading for the rest of the class period. Your job is to help me guide the
conversation so that it can be as productive as possible.
Prepare a powerpoint presentation and notes: Limit yourself to 4 images for
your artist overview. Then include your questions and discussion points in the
presentation. Usually an in depth analysis of one or two works is best.
Discussion prompts are most productive when paired with an image to guide
us in analysis. You can either upload your presentation to laulima or bring it to
class on a flash drive. Your presentations will be graded on the content of the
powerpoint itself and your notes, not on your speaking ability. So RELAX and
let your work and research do the talking! …..I will help you lead discussion. In
the powerpoints and notes, I am looking to see evidence of the depth of
research you have done to understand the artist’s approach to identity, the
clarity and precision with which you synthesize this understanding into a very
short presentation of your artist, your ability to organize this information for
people that do not know this artist, and most of all the level of critical
engagement you have with the overarching theoretical material as it relates to
your understanding of the artist’s approach. This will be evident to me in the
insightfulness of your questions and discussion points paired with the artist’s
images.
Part II - Paper: 15 pages. Based on your presentation, you will make an outline
and write a research paper analyzing the intersubjective dimension between
your identification with your artist’s exploration of identity construction. Use
at least 4 of the texts we have read and your own research to help you
elaborate. We will discuss specifics of the project over the course of the
semester.
Final Writing Assignment
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The Final requires you to synthesize concepts from the various topics
discussed throughout the quarter.
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It will be introduced during the lecture and there will be plenty of
opportunities for consultation on your plans and research during the last two
weeks of the quarter.
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Evaluation of the projects will be based on the strength of the concept, overall
content, project development, and presentation.
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For detailed information, see link to "Final Assignment" on top of the page.
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Finals week: Presentation of selected blogs and books: Thursday, March 15,
2012 Classroom: SMI 304
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This is our last class meeting. You'll be able to pick up your book project at this
time.
Site visits
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As assigned, you are responsible to visit a “site” such as a museum, gallery,
public art, or other venues. Sites are selected in correspondence to the week’s
topics, focusing on some form of visual art currently on view. It is most
important to do the site visits in order to experience art in person (as it was
intended to be experienced) and to explore the various local art venues. Site
visits are an excellent resource and reference to be used in the homework
assignments.
Peer-review
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An essential part of this course is the peer-review of weekly writing
assignments. For detailed information, see link to "Preparation" on top of the
page.
Quizzes
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There will be vocabulary quizzes occurring in class every week on the previous
week's vocabulary terms. The current vocabulary list is available on the
website and each term will be discussed during the lectures and/or in the
readings in detail. However, there will be no one-sentence definitions given
for memorization. This means that part of your research is to explain/define
the term in a meaningful and concise way, in your own words. It is a good idea
to write your definition on a flashcard, compare and practice regularly with
your colleagues. If you are unsure of the meaning of certain terms, please seek
help during office hours.
Homework assignments
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There is a homework assignment every week. Homework assignments should
be completed in a timely manner and submitted through your DROPBOX
No other file formats will be accepted unless otherwise specified in the
assignment description. Please make sure that you are saving your document
in the correct format. If you have Microsoft Word 2007 or newer, the default
file format is docx. Take care to save your file as a PDF before you upload it to
Catalyst.
The system will log your file with the time and day of submission. Please be
aware that unless otherwise noted the DROPBOX will not accept late
submissions. Even if you are a minute late, you no longer will be able to
upload your assignment.
The homework assignment is not optional; it is the most significant
demonstration of your keeping pace with what’s being discussed in class.
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Homework will be assessed regularly, with written feedback from the
instructor, TA, and your peers.
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Make sure to save the same file on your computer in folder dedicated to this
class.
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Print a hard copy of each writing assignment and bring it to lecture on Monday
for peer-review.
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Download useful handouts for essay writing: UNDERSTANDING
ASSIGNMENT; INTRODUCTION; DICUSSION; CONCLUSION; CITATIONS;
TEXT & OTHER RESOURCES
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For this course, you will need dependable Internet access. You are responsible
for consulting online materials on a regular basis. A copy of this syllabus and
all other critical course materials, readings, and links to video assignments are
posted there. It is your responsibility to obtain Internet access to do so.
Additionally, the course instructor will make announcements in class and by
e-mail.
Current readings will be disseminated through PDF, email, Internet links,
periodicals, handouts and required text purchases. (Variable semester to
semester.)
Primary:
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Jean Robertson and Craig McDaniel: THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART Visual Art
after 1980 2nd Edition Oxford University Press 2009
Selected Readings:
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Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education, S. Cahan and Z. Kocur, editors,
(Routledge: NY, 1996)
TALKING and WRITING ABOUT ART:A short guide to writing about art, Sylvian
Barnet, 9th edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008
The critique handbook, Kendall Buster & Paula Crawford, Pearson/Prentice
Hall, 2007
Criticizing Art, Terry Barrett, Mayfield Publishing Co, Mountain View,
California, London, Toronto, 2000
STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS
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Participate in all lectures
You are to take notes during lectures. In the case of absence you are required
to get the notes from a classmate so liaisons should be nurtured in advance.
Lectures, study guides and other forms of written dissemination of the
lectures will not be provided due to the discussion aspect of the class. Links to
videos and audio will be provided if available.
Complete weekly reading assignments and occasional site visits as assigned
Complete weekly homework assignments as assigned (writing assignments: 1
single spaced page; other types of assignments: please consult online weekly
assignment schedule for requirements) Unless otherwise announced,
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assignments must be submitted through your "COLLECTIT" DROPBOX
in CATALYST WEB TOOLS by Sunday at 11pm.
Complete peer-reviews
This is an intense course that requires you to engage in regular activities of
research, reading, writing, and visiting selected exhibition venues on a weekly
basis. The workload is intensive; you should expect to spend 2 hours out of
class for every hour you spend in class. In fact, the more time and energy you
put into the course, the more you will get out of it. You are responsible for
your own progress; the instructor and the TA are there to guide and aid your
progress along the way of exploring contemporary art. Keeping your eyes,
ears, and mind open for the many forms of art, even if they appear contrary to
your preferences or preconceived notions, is essential. You’ll find this process
of discovery engaging and intellectually rewarding. You are encouraged to
participate actively, develop innovative ideas and critical thinking, and test the
boundaries of art and your own understanding of what art can be; a process
that will result in an extremely valuable learning experience.
CITATION AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES:
Learning to cite sources is an important component to any art history course, but
something that each student should take as their personal responsibility to learn. It is
not something I can “teach” you, but rather a set of very explicit rules that I can give
you and that you must learn to consistently follow. Either MLA or Chicago Style
citations are acceptable. Look at how published sources write their footnotes and
bibliography. THEY ARE ALL CONSISTENT! Learn to follow this consistency. Use the
Library’s online resources: log in to the library website, click “quick facts,” and then
“writing and research resources”. One of the more helpful links provided on the
library’s site is this one: http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c10_s1.html
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SCHEDULE:
WEEK 2: CONTROVERSIAL ART AND THE CLASSROOM
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Discussion of Mapplethorpe work and article.
Presentation of teaching philosophies in class.
Assigned reading:
“Twelve High School Students, a Teacher, a Professor and Robert
Mapplepthorpe’s Photographs: Exploring Cultural Difference Through
Controversial Art,” by Terry Barrett and Sharon Rab, from the Journal of
Multicultural Education (n.d.).
WEEK 3 : CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, IMAGES AND WORDS
Assigned reading:
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“Artist’s Voices,” pp. 107-165, from Cahan and Kocur, eds., Contemporary Art
and Multicultural Education
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WEEK 10: COMPLICATING IDENTITY, “MY AMERICA”
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Exploration of the multitude of Asian American identities.
Film screening of “My America” by Renee Tajima
Assigned reading:
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Renee Tajima, “Site-Seeing through Asian America, Chapter 17 in Mapping
Multiculturalism,
Avery Gordon and Christopher Newfield, eds. (Univ. of Minn. Press: Minneapolis,
1996), pp. 263-294.
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WEEK 11: ISSUES OF REPRESENTATION
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Focus on deconstructing monolithic group identities.
Assigned reading:
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“The Body in Question,” by Lisa Kennedy, in Black Popular Culture, pp. 106-11.
“Ghost in the Machine” by Paul Chaat Smith, in Strong Hearts: Native
American Visions and Voices, (Aperture, 1990), pp. 6-9.
“Photography’s Next Era” by Rick Hill in exhibition catalog for Silver Drum: Five
Native Photographers (Native Indian/Inuit Photographers’ Association:
Hamilton, Ontario, 1986), pp. 20-23.
“Nationalism and Latinos, North and South: A Dialogue,” with Coco Fusco and
Guillermo Gomez-Peña, in English is Broken Here, pp. 159-168.
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WEEK 13:
EXPLORE THE ROLE OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY, SOCIAL IDENTITY, AND SELFEXPRESSION IN CURRENT VISUAL PRODUCTION.
Building Interdisciplinary and Multicultural Art-Based Connections
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Since the 1960s, many artists have abandoned the modernist notion of selfexpression for a concept of identity that involves an exploration of the
dynamics between self and society. With a new critical eye developed
through the lenses of feminism, civil-rights, the sexual revolution, and
globalization, they examine identity as a socially constructed representation of
self. Often their art not only describes this condition in contemporary culture,
but also tries to formulate strategies to break out of these confining
representations of self. Many of the representational strategies artists use to
do this come out of recent philosophies in cultural studies, sociology,
philosophy, psychology, and semiotics. In this class we will learn how artists
use these critical tools to negotiate new representations of self and how those
same tools can be used to formulate our own visual expression. As the
course moves from the 1970s forward, and as we explore our own
backgrounds and motivations, we will see that we can come to understand
identity not as a confining social “label,” but as a flexible, mobile, and openended questioning and de-limiting of the self coming from our continual
engagement with culture.
Examples:
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Cindy Sherman, Untitled #96, 1981
Below: Yasumasa Morimura, To My Little Sister For Cindy Sherman,
Assigned reading:
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WEEK 1:
COURSE OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY ART (1 CLASS)
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Discussion of course objectives, materials and texts.
Discussion of definitions of contemporary art.
“lecture” and discussion on contemporary art.
SELF-DISCLOSURES / SOCIAL CONTRACTS (1 CLASS)
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intro to syllabus and parameters for discussion
guidelines for talking about and listening to difficult and personal issues and art.
pick a theme and choose an artist that you would like to learn about by next week.
WEEK 2:
INTRODUCING CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF IDENTITY (2-3 CLASS)
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What is Identity?
Developing Thesis Questions on Contemporary Artists
Reading:
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Dunn, selection from Identifying Consumption
Appiah, The Ethics of Identity, 1-61.
Further Reading: Zygmunt Bauman, “From Pilgrim to Tourist – or a Short
History of Identity”
Stephen Mitchell, “True Selves, False Selves, and the Ambiguity of
Authenticity”; Michel Foucault, “Discourse on Language,” Key excerpts;
Bethan Benwell and Elizabeth Stokoe, “Introduction 1- 35” in Discourse and
Identity;
Stuart Hall, “Who Needs Identity?”
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WEEK 3: THE BODY AND IDENTITY -- PERFORMING THE SELF (2 CLASS)
Artists
Gilbert and George
Eleanor Antin
Chris Burden
Cindy Sherman
Nikki S. Lee
Cang Xin
Rebecca Horn
Gary Hill
Rashaad Newsome
Hannah Wilke
Marina Abramovic and Ulay
Vito Acconci
Jenny Saville
Zhang Huan
Pope L.
Mariko Mori
Tim Hawkenson
Kate Gilmore
Carolee Schneemann
Orlan
Viennese Actionists
Yasumasu Morimura
Song Dong
Laurie Anderson
Rosemary Trockle
Patty Chang
What is Identification?
Reading:
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Robertson and McDaniel, Themes in Contemporary Art, “The Body”
Further Reading:
o Erving Goffman, from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Jones,
The Artist’s Body, (Phaidon Themes Series);
o Christine Ross, “Fantasy and Distraction: An Interview with Pipilotti
Rist,” Afterimage, (Nov. 2000);
o Donna Haraway, “The Cyborg Manifesto”;
o Stellarc, “Beyond the Body”;
o Judith Butler, Gender Trouble;
o Henry Sayre, The Object of Performance;
o Moser, Immersed in Technology;
o Dunn, Identifying Consumption
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WEEK 4: WRITING CLASS: AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND ART (1 CLASS)
Autobiography and Intersubjectivity
Reading:
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Barthes, from Camera Lucida
Sylvan Barnet, “What is an Interpretation?” & “Critical Studies,” especially the
sections on Biographical Studies and Psychoanalytic Studies, from Short Guide
to Writing about Art
Assignment: (Rough draft Due in 4 – 5 weeks)
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Based on these writings, develop a visual autobiography that responds to a
work by the artist that you have chosen for your artist project.
With an emphasis on singular image describe how it affects you, encapsulates
or challenges certain things about your identity, identifications, personality,
emotional attributes etc. Use the externalized image to describe your interior
life.
At least 2-3 pages. This can be used to develop your final thesis.
A rough draft is due in 4 weeks
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WEEK 5/6:
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IDENTITY POLITICS -- THE 80S AND 90S (4-6 CLASSES)
Artists:

Anna Mendieta
Valie Export
Guerrilla Girls
Mary Kelly
Alison Saar
Dorothy Cross
Faith Ringgold
Adrian Piper
David Hammons
Coco Fusco
Cathy Opie
Warhol
Iké Udé
Pepon Osorio
Robert Mapplethorpe
Kerry James Marshall
Judy Chicago
Martha Rosler
Barbara Kruger Janine Antoni
Pipilotti Rist
Romare Bearden
Andres Serrano Lorna Simpson
James Luna
Michael Ray Charles
Nicole Eisenmann
Paul McCarthy Nan Goldin
Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Guillermo Gomez-Pena
Reading:











Robertson and McDaniel, Themes in Contemporary Art, “Identity”
Appiah, The Ethics of Identity, Chapter 3
Griselda Pollock, Rethinking the artist in the woman, the woman in the artist,
and that old chestnut, the gaze,” in Women Artist at the Millennium
Piper, “Triple Negation of Black Women Artists”
Further Reading: Selection from the Introduction to Art and Feminism; “Postfeminism” from Understanding Contemporary Society: Theories of the
Present;
Heywood, L., A fifteen-year history of third-wave feminism;
Cornel West, Race Matters; Coco Fusco, “Passionate Irreverence: The Cultural
Politics of Identity”
Martin Berger, Sight Unseen: Whiteness and American Visual Culture in
Reader Coco Fusco and Russell Ferguson,
Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self ; Griselda Pollock,
“Trouble in the Archives” (from Looking Back Toward the Future);
Cary Levine, "Manly Crafts: Mike Kelley's (Oxy)Moronic Gender Bending," Art
Journal, vol. 69, no. 1, Spring 2010 ;
Martin Berger, Introduction, Sight Unseen: Whiteness and American Visual
Culture
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WEEK 7: BEYOND IDENTITY POLITICS (2-3 CLASSES)
Artists:

Felix Gonzalez Torres
Matthew Barney
Isaac Julien
Ghada Amer
Gabriel Orozco
Michael Arcega
Mark Bradford
Phil Collins
Erwin Wurm
Steve McQueen
Jiri Kovanda
Paul Pfeiffe
Glenn Ligon
Cai Guo-Qiang
Mike Kelley
Vanessa Beecroft
Beatrice Searle
Elizabeth Peyton
Tino Seghal
Jason Rhoades
Jimmie Durham
Blake Simpson
Laylah Ali
Ann Hamilton
Kiki Smith
Rineki Dijkstra
Peggy Chan
Mika Rottenburg
Juan Munoz
Reading:




Appiah, Ethics of Identity, Chapter 4
Susette Min, “The Last Asian American Exhibition in the Whole Entire World”
from One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now
Suzi Gablik, “Connective Aesthetics, Art after Individualism”
Further Reading:
o Armstrong and deZegher, Women Artist at the Millenium;
o Russell Furgeson, “Invisible Center” from Out There: Marginalization
and Contemporary Culture
o Carolyn D’Cruz, “What Matter Who’s Speaking?: Authenticity and
Identity in Discourses of Aboriginal Australia”;
o Homi Bhabha, Location of Culture;
o Olu Oguibe, The Culture Game; Freestyle exhibition catalog;
o Toon Van Meijl and Jelle Miedema, Introduction to Shifting Images of
Identity in the Pacific.
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WEEK 8: FEB. 28 - MARCH 6: NARRATIVE, MEMORY, AND IDENTITY
Artists:

Eric Fischl
Kara Walker
Jane Alexander
Trenton Doyle Hancock
Amelia Mesa-Bains
Dinh Q Lê
Peter Doig
Amy Cutler
Anselm Keifer
Walton Ford
Doris Salcedo
On Kawara
Raymond Pettibon
Zoe Leonard
Neo Rauch
Doris Salcedo
Carrie Mae Weems
William Kentridge
Tracy Moffatt
Ilya Kabokov
Roger Shimomura
Omer Fast
Louise Bourgeois
Lorrain O’Grady
Reading:




Robertson and McDaniel, Themes of Contemporary art, “Time and Art”
James Hannahan, “Kara Walker” (from New Histories)
Alcoff, L., “The Problem of Speaking for Others”
Further Reading: Jill Bennett, Emphatic Vision: Trauma, Affect, and Contemporary
Art, re/righting history: counter narratives; Stephen Heath, Questions of Cinema;
Image and Narrative (Journal)
Reading:


Bloom, from The Anxiety of Influence
Sylvan Barnet, “How to Write an Effective Essay,” “Style in Writing,” “Quotations
and Quotation Marks,” “Acknowledging Sources,” and “Citation” from A Short
Guide to Writing About Art in Reader
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
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WEEK 9: MARCH 8 - 20: PLACE, SPACE, AND IDENTITY

Helio Oiticica
Wodiczko
Fred Wilson
Maria Campos-Pons
Shahzia Sikander
Georges Adegbo
Lorraine O Grady
Renate Lucas
Cildo Merieles
Tehching Hsieh
Mona Hatoum
Anselm Keifer
Tseng Kwong Chi
Gillian Wearing
Wodiczko
Joseph Beuys
Rachel Whiteread
Christian Boltanski
Do Ho-Suh
Mthethwa
Mark Bradford
Rikrit Tiravanija
Reading:




Robertson and McDaniel, Themes in Contemporary Art, “Place”
Foucault, “Of Other Spaces”
Frazer Ward, “Alien Duration: Tehching Hsieh, 1978-99”
Further Reading: Irene Winter, “Fred Wilson” (from New Histories) ; Vilsoni
Hereniko and Rob Wilson, Introduction to Inside Out: Literature, Cultural Politics
and Identity in the New Pacific; Introduction to Flow exhibition; BW E. Balibar and
I. Wallerstein, 1991. Race, Nation, Class: Ambiguous Identities, London: Verso.
Margo Machida, “Out of Asia: Negotiating Asian Idenitities in America,” in
Asia/America: Identities in Contemporary Asian American Art; Bhabha, “Beyond
the Pale: Art in the Age of Multicultural Translation”; Sarup, “Imperialism and
Culture”; Nicholas Thomas, “The Dream of Joseph: Practices of Identity in Pacific
Art”
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WEEK 10: MARCH 22 AND APRIL 5: SOUL SEARCHING

Shirit Neshat
Mona Hatoum
Wolfgang Liab
Anish Kapoor
John Feodorov
Shahzia Sikander
Pierre Huyghe
Douglas Gordon
Joseph Beuys
Bruce Conner
Doug Aitkins
Center for Tactical Magic
Willy Tjungurrayi (Pintupi)
Bill Viola
Mel Chin
James Turrell
Sigmar Polke
Paul Chan
1 page Outlines for Final Papers Due on April 5
Reading:



Appiah, Ethics of Identity, chapter 5
Robertson and McDaniel, Themes of Contemporary Art, “Spirituality and Art”
Further Reading: Weintraub, “Andreas Serrano”; Paul Chan, 7 Lights,
http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/20 ; Richard Francis, “Negotiating
Rapture: an Introduction,” from Negotiating Rapture: The Power of Art; Centre
Pompidou, Traces of the Sacred, 2008, Ecstasy: In and About Altered States (La
MOMA), Kay Larson, “Keeping the Faith,” ARTnews, v. 105, v.2 (Feb. 2006): 98-101;
Ackland Art Museum, Five Artists, Five Faiths: Spirituality in Contemporary Art ;
Nevill Drury and Anna Voigt, Fire & Shadow: Spirituality in Contemporary
Australian Art; Evans, Tim, “Nature as Teacher: The art of Manabu Ikeda,” ART
AsiaPacific, n.44.
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WEEK 11: APRIL 10 - 17: ROOTED COSMOPOLITANISM – THE
MILLENNIAL IDENTITY

Shilpa Gupta
Jenny Saville
Shaun Gladwell
Sylvia Fleury
Christian Marclay Xu
Walid Raad
Julie Mehretu
Surasi Kusolwang
Corey Archangel
Abdel Adbessemad
Daniel Guzman
Andrea Zittel
Bing (Wenda Gu,)
Emily Jacir
Marcel van Eeden
Creative Time
Kahinda Wiley
Natlaie Durjberg
Takashi Murakami
Andreas Gursky
Yinka Shonibare
Nikki S. Lee
Aneta Greszykowska
Reading:





Appiah, Ethics of Identity, chapter 6
Paul Bains, “Subjectless Subjectivities”
Younger Tan Jesus Catalog – Cornell, “New Age Thinking” and Massimiliano Gioni,
“We are Too Many”
Further Reading: Homi Bhabha, Culture’s In-Between” Questions of Cultural
Identity
Nikos Papastergiadis, “Limits of Cultural Translation”; “Now in Moving Pictures:
The Multitudes of Nikki S. Lee”; Masao Miyoshi, “A Borderless World?”; John
Storey, from Cultural Consumption and Everyday Life From The Cultures of
Globalization (Post-Contemporary Interventions) by Fredric Jameson (Editor),
Masao Miyoshi (Editor)] Noi Sawaragi, “On the Battlefield of ‘Superflat’: Subculture
and Art in Postwar Japan” Gao Minglu, “Extensionality and Intentionality in a
Transnational Cultural System” April 19-26: Collectivity Jorge and Lucy Orta,
Critical Art Ensemble, Political Art Documentation/Distribution, REPOhistory; The
Land, The Center for Land Use Interpretation, Temporary Services, Las Agencias,
Center for Tactical Magic, Radical Software Group, Institute for Applied Autonomy,
Yes Men, ®Rtmark, Knitta Collective
Reading:



Maria Lind, from The Collaborative Turn
Claire Bishop, “The Social turn: Collaboration and its Discontents,” in Right About
Now
Artist Project Further Reading: Gregory Sholette, “Activist Art and the CounterPublic Sphere,” Gregory Sholette, The Interventionists: Users’ Manual for the
Creative Disruption of Everyday Life; Stimson and Sholette, Collectivism after
Modernism: The Art of Social Imagination after 1945, n]
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April 26: First Drafts II- Analysis Due
May 1: Peer Reading Groups
Final Papers Due May 9th
"Ethnic identity is not fixed, but is constantly shaped by time and
experience. We must learn to see ourselves and others as more
than our ethnicities." -- Takaki
"History is not the past. History is a story about the past, told in the
present, and designed to be useful in constructing the future."
Henry Glassie
"The highest result of education is tolerance." -- Helen Keller / "We
go to college to overcome our little mindedness." --Mark Twain
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread
within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things
are bound together. All things connect." --Chief Seattle
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UNIT 1. CONTENT
Reading Sources:
 What is Art For? Ellen Dissanayake, University of Washington Press,
Seattle, London, 1988 What is Art? Pg 34-42
 The Abuse of Beauty, Arthur Danto, Open Court, Carus Publishing Co.
Chicago, 2003 Arts Transformative Power pg. 130-135
 Criticizing Art, Terry Barrett, Mayfield Publishing Co, Mountain View,
California, London, Toronto, 2000 Describing Art pg. 63-67;
 Principles of Interpretation pg. 113-120
 The Abuse of Beauty, Arthur Danto, Open Court, Carus Publishing Co.
Chicago, 2003 The Asthetics of Brillo Boxes pg. 1-15
Week One: INTRODUCTION



W Introduction to the course: Syllabus, requirements, grading
F What is Contemporary Art?
Homework:
o Familiarize yourself with course materials and online tools,
including, e-reserves and Dropbox.
o Download, print and read full syllabus, schedule, and student
info packet from course web site.
Note important dates and deadlines
Required Reading
o Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 3-7
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UNIT 1. CONTENT
Week Two: WHAT IS ART



M January 9 Why is that ART? What is ART for? PDF
W January 11 Looking at art: Description and Interpretation PDF; Looking
at Art handout PDF
F January 13 writing tutorial: citations and referencing PDF; Chicago style
handout PDF
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 2
 Contemporary Art
Modern art (modernism)
 Behavioral theory of art
Instrumental theory of art
 Institutional definition of art (George Dickie)
 Aesthetics
Description
 Interpretation
Medium/media
 Form / Formal elements / Elements of composition
 Context
Content
 Concept
Subject
 Subject matter
Homework Writing Assignment:
 Consider a definition for ART. Due: in one week via dropbox
 Create a set of criteria ART must have that distinguishes it from other
things and activities. Be sure to consider your set of criteria from both the
point of view of the maker/artist, as well as that of the audience/receiver.
Your definition should look more like a checklist of clear, concise
sentences. Think about it as if you were to write an outline for a larger
paper on what art is. Important!: Make your set of criteria well-rounded.
Include examples from lectures, readings, where possible. Be careful to
reference sources correctly.
Site visit:
 View the following two TED talks online:
 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Flow
http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html
 JR on Use Art to turn the world inside out
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jr_s_ted_prize_wish_use_art_to_turn
_the_world_inside_out.html
Required Reading:
 Describing Art, Terry Barrett, Criticizing Art, Mayfield Publishing 2000
 Principles of Interpretation, Terry Barrett, Criticizing Art, Mayfield
Publishing 2000
Supplemental Reading:
 Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 9-35
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UNIT 2.
PARADIGM CHANGE: STRATEGIES, MATERIALS, PLAY & PROCESS
Week Three: PARADIGM CHANGE: STRATEGIES, MATERIALS AND
PROCESSES IN CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ART



M -y
W Interpreting art. See pdf for take home exercise. PDF
F
Homework Writing Assignment:
o .
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 3
 Content
Concept
Context
Required Reading
o Adrian Searle: Untitled 1993, excerpt, Tom Friedman, Phaidon press,
2001
o Bruce Hainley: Self-portrait as Untitled, excerpt, Tom Friedman,
Phaidon press, 2001
o Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 9-35
Supplemental Reading:
o Marcel Duchamp: The Richard Mutt Case, The Creative Act, Apropos
of Readymades
Supplemental Research:
o watch artist, Oliver Herring, create work "Spitting Food Dye..." on
art21-YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/art21org#play/uploads/28/0mbtV83ZhhM
Reading Sources:
o
o
o
Tom Friedman, Phaidon press, 2001 Adrian Searle: Untitled 1993,
pg 88-95; Bruce Hainley: Self-portrait as Untitled, excerpt, Pg. 6266
Craft in Art, Art as Craft, Donal Kuspit, New Art Examiner, April
1996
Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, Kristine Stiles,
David Selz editors, University of California Press, Berkeley,
London, Los Angeles, 1996 Marcel Duchamp, The Richard Mutt
Case, The Creative Act, Apropos of Readymades pg. 817-820
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UNIT 3. IDENTITY
Week Seven: IDENTITY & the BODY



M Identity as a construct; Situational & performing identity Bring a hard copy
of last week's homework assignment for peer review today!!!
PDF: Identity
W Hybridity, Essentialism, Personalizing history, The BODY:Performing bodies
PDF: THE BODY
F Materials and forms, Gaze
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 7
o Identity as a construct (constructed identity)
o Cindy Sherman
o Lynn Hershman Leeson: Roberta Breitmore
o Essentialism
o Activist Art / Guerrilla Girls
o Kerry James Marshall
o Kara Walker
o Figurative art
o Body Art (as an art movement)
o Gaze
o Zhang Huan
o Mona Hatoum
o Janine Antoni
o Marina Abramovic
o Stelarc
Homework Writing Assignment: DEBATE on THE BODY
o Imagine two artists, Stelarc and Janine Antoni, having a debate about
the contemporary role of the body, with the help of a moderator,
you. What would they discuss?
o As a moderator, design 3 questions around which each of these artist
could build their arguments. What points would each make?
o What artworks of their own would they use as examples to support
their points? Where would they agree? Where would they disagree
with each other?
o Warning: Before you create a hypothetical dialog between the artists,
examine both artists’ works and ideas in depth. See lecture, site visit,
and supplemental reading. As preparation, compare and contrast the
strategies used by each to present the body both as a physical,
biological entity and as a metaphor.
o As a moderator, you are to introduce both artists, and frame the
debate (introduction); pose the questions (discussion/debate), and
conclude the debate (conclusion). The format is a one page transcript
of the debate. Bring a hard copy of last week's homework assignment
for peer review on Wednesday, Feb 22!!! DUE: Sunday, February
19th, 11pm
Site visit: Online Research
 http://lynnhershman.com/ for Roberta Breitmore (under
Performances/Installations)
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
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http://www.pbs.org/art21/index.html for Kara Walker, Kerry James
Marshall, Do-Ho Suh, Cindy Sherman (videos, interviews, slideshows)
Required Reading:
 Themes of Contemporary Art, on Identity: pp 37-39 (end of J. Luna), 42-46
(until Diversity), 50-52, 54-55, 65-69; on The Body: pp 73-87 (until sexual
bodies), 90-93 (Gaze only), 95-101, 102-107.
Supplemental Reading:
 Roberta Breitmore, The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson, edited by
Meredith Tromble, U. of California Press 2005
 Mona Hatoum interviewed by Janine Antoni, Mona Hatoum: Domestic
Disturbance, Laura Steward editor, Mass MOCA and SITE Santa Fe 2001
Reading Sources:




The art and films of Lynn Hershman Leeson, edited by Meredith Tromble,
U. of California Press, Berkeley, LA, London, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle
2005 Roberta Breitmore pg 25-34
Biennial Exhibition 1993, Whitney Museum of American Art in association
with Harry Abrams Inc. Publishers, NY 1993 Homi K. Bhabha, Beyond the
Pale: Art in the Age of Multicultural Translation pg. 62-73;
Coco Fusco, Passionate Irreverence: The Cultural Politics of Identity pg.
74-85
Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, Kristine Stiles, David Selz
editors, University of California Press, Berkeley, London, Los Angeles, 1996
Judi Chicago, The Dinner party: A Symbol of Our Heritage pg. 358-362
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UNIT 4. PLACE
Week Four: SPACES / PLACES



M Paradigm change: Duchamp. Art / Craft; Process / Product Bring a hard copy
of last week's homework assignment for peer review today!!! PDF
W Objects in space, Site specificity, The monument Quiz#1 PDF
F Review of description and interpretation; Writing workshop: Essay basics
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 5
 Appropriation
 Marcel Duchamp
 Tom Friedman
 Sculpture
 Tableau (e.g.Ed Kienholz)
 Site specificity / Site specific
 Mel Chin: Revival Field
 Brian Tolle
 Richard Long
Erwin Wurm: One minute sculptures
Readymade
Oliver Herring: Task
Diorama (e.g.Mark Dion)
Installation
Earthworks / Land Art
Maya Lin (Vietnam Memorial)
Do Ho Suh
Mel Chin: Revival Field
Homework Writing Assignment:
o OBJECT?SUBJECT? Attention!. Pick a One Minute Sculpture from the
video you'll be analyzing for the purpose of this paper. Do it yourself,
and to document it, take a picture/video of yourself doing it. (You'll
need a friend to help you with this part).
o In the essay, - consider this work formally (how do you
understand/describe the object as a 3D construction?) - and interpret
it (what is the artwork about? what does it do? how does it function?
How does it fit in with a certain tradition in recent art? What's the
role of the viewer/artist? Who is the viewer/maker?). In your
interpretation, be sure to use information from this week's lectures.
o 1 page essay in PDF format
 documentation: Photograph: 1 JPG (less than 2MB)
uploaded to dropbox as a separate file or Video: low res
Quicktime format only (max. 60 seconds) uploaded to
dropbox as a separate file or URL link to the same on
Youtube or Vimeo.in the Dropbox
 Bring a hard copy for peer review on
Required Reading:
 See readings from last week + Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 151-173
 Watch video of artist, Maya Lin discussing her work "Wave
Field" http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/11/07/arts/design/1194832
296918/maya-lins-wave-field.html
Supplemental Reading:
 Revival Field, Mel Chin, Land and Environmental Art, Jeffrey Kastner
editor, Phaidon Press 1998
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Reading Sources:





Art in Theory 1900-1990, Charles Harrison, Paul Wood editors, Blackwell
Publishers Ltd. Oxford, Cambridge 1992 Richard Serra, from the Yale
Lecture pg. 1124-1127
Arguing About Art, Alex Neill, Aaron Ridley editors, Routledge, London,
NY, 2002 Transcript of a Hearing to decide the future of Tilted Arc pg. 429435
Critical Space, Andrea Zittel, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, New
Museum of Contemporary Art, NY, Prestel Verlag, Munich, Berlin, London,
NY, 2005 New Deeds: A Frontier Practice by Robert Cook pg. 31-35
Land and Environmental Art, Jeffrey Kastner editor, Phaidon press,
London, NY 1998 Mel Chin, Revival Field pg. 264-265
The Writings of Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt editor, New York University
Press, NY 1979 Earth pg. 160-167
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UNIT 5. NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY
Reading Sources:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
But is it art?, Cynthia Freeland, Oxford University Press, NY, 2001
Digitizing and Disseminating pg. 177-205
Art in Theory 1900-1990, Charles Harrison, Paul Wood editors,
Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Oxford, Cambridge 1992 Walter
Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical
reproduction pg. 512-520;
Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media, excerpts pg. 738-741;
Jean Baudrillard, The Hyper-realism of Simulation pg. 1049-1051
Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, Kristine Stiles,
David Selz editors, University of California Press, Berkeley,
London, Los Angeles, 1996 Myron Krueger, Response is the
Medium excerpt from Responsive Environments pg. 481-482
Art In the Age of Spiritual Machines, G.H. Hovagimyan, appeared
in Leonardo Vol 34 No 5 pp.453-458 2001
On the future of art; essays by Arnold J. Toynbee [and others]
Introd. by Edward F. Fry, Viking Press, NY, 1970 Burnham, J. W.
“The Aesthetics of Intelligent Systems.” pg. 95-122.
Art @ Science, C. Sommerer and L. Mignonneau editors,
Springer, Wien, NY 1998 Peter Weibel, The Unreasonable
Effectiveness of the Methodological Convergence of Art and
Science pg. 174-178
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UNIT 6. TIME
Week Five: TIME / NARRATIVE



M Earthworks hard copy of last week's homework for peer review today
W Time embodied PDF
F Time represented PDF
Writing workshop:Essay PDF
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 5
o Subjective time (time experienced) / Objective time (time measured)
o Embodied time
Represented time
o Kinetic art
Process art
o Performance art
David Weiss & Peter Fischli: The Way Things Go
o William Kentridge
Andy Goldsworthy
o Matthew Barney: Drawing restraint
Homework Writing Assignment:
o Time-based experience
o Create a subjective map of the Olympic Sculpture Park that
describes/embodies, in some way, the time-based nature of your visit
in the park. This can be done through, for example, focusing on a type
of sensory perception; on the subjective experience of the passage of
time; recording of changes in atmospheric effects during your visit;
interactions with the landscape or with fellow visitors; or whichever
other way you devise and conceptualize this project.
o You are to submit two things:
o a documentation of the project (visual: jpg only! or video / sound:
small Quicktime file only)
o a reflective essay, in which you describe the project you did; interpret
what happened, what was created, what was the time-based
element; and how what you've done fits in with contemporary uses
of time in art.
o Make sure that your essay gives a complete picture of your project to
someone who was not there or cannot see the documentation. In a
way, the essay will thus become your documentation of the project.
Peer review on Monday. Sunday night before in the Dropbox
Required Reading:
o Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 111-139
o (YouTube) William Kentridge: Felix in
Exile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF5cngcXqSs;
o (YouTube) Automatic
Writing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmvK7A84dlk&playnext
=1&list=PLBC73455ABECD703E&index=13
Supplemental Reading:
Additional Sources: (DVD’s):
o Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides
o Fischli & Weiss: The Way Things Go
o William Kentridge
o Matthew Barney: Drawing Restraint
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Additional Sources: (Books):
o graphic novels and comic books (Megan Kelso: Squirrel Mother,
Artichoke Tales; Art Spiegelman)
o Megan Kelso: selected stories from Squirrel Mother on e-reserves
Reading Sources:


Unnatural Wonders, Arthur Danto, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, NY 2005 The
World as a Warehouse: Fluxus and Philosophy pg 333-341
Monumental Achievement, by Robert F Howe in Smithsonian, November
2002 pg 91-99
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UNIT 7. BODY
Reading Sources:





Mona Hatoum Domestic Disturbance, Laura Steward editor, Mass MOCA
and SITE Santa Fe 2001 Mona Hatoum interviewed by Jenine Antoni pg
19-32
Corporal Politics exhibition catalog, MIT List Visual Arts Center 1993
Thomas Laqueur: Clio Looks at Corporal politics pg 14-21;
Helaine Posner: Separation Anxiety pg 22-30
The Artists Body, Tracey Warr and Amelia Jones editors, Phaidn Press,
London, 2000 RoseLee Goldberg, Here and Now pg 246
Space, Time, and Perversion, Elizabeth Grosz, Routledge, Ny, London,
1995 Bodies-Cities pg 103-110
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UNIT 8. LANGUAGE




Jenny Holzer, Michael Auping, Universe Publ. 1992 pg 17-40
Jenny Holzer, Diane Waldman, Guggenheim Fund, with Harry N. Abrams
Inc. NY 1989 Diane Waldman, The Language of Signs pg 9-14
Leave any information at the signal: Ed Ruscha, Edited by Alexandra
Schwartz, MIT press, Cambridge, London, 2002
Patricia Failing: Ed Ruscha, Young Artist pg 225-237
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UNIT 9. SPIRITUALITY
Week Six: SPIRITUALITY



M Spirituality, Vanitas PDF Bring a hard copy of last week's homework
assignment for peer review today!!!
W The sublime, Iconography; Manipulating meanings;
F Writing workshop: Descriptive art review PDF: Basic Questions to cover
when writing about art; PDF: Petah Coyne; PDF: Danto;
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 6
 Iconography
 The Sublime
 Bill Viola
 Wolfgang Laib
 Shahzia Sikander
Vanitas
Ritualistic (artwork and practice)
Félix González-Torres
Kiki Smith
Homework Writing Assignment:
 You have a choice this week:
Either choose an artwork/project by guest speaker,
or choose Wolgang Laib’s Pollen from Hazelnut .
 You are to write an art review for Art in America on the chosen artwork.
Be sure to describe the artwork, analyze it formally, and interpret it to
your readers. In your interpretation, take the following concepts from this
week into account: iconography, ritual/ritualistic practice, vanitas and the
sublime. As an art critic, you are responsible for broadening your readers
view by drawing comparison between this artwork / artist’s practice and
those of the relevant artworks / artists studied in class
Peer review on Monday. Sunday night before in the Dropbox
Site visit:
 ..
Required Reading:
 Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 273-297, 302-306
Supplemental Reading:
o Wolfgang Laib's Mystical Revolution in Idiosyncratic Identities,
Donald Kuspit, Cambrindge University Press, NY 1996
o Modest Propositions by Margit Rowell in Wolfgang Laib A
Retrospective, Klaus Ottman, American federation of Arts and
Hatje Cantz Publishers 2000
o The Art of Having a Lofty Perspective, Michael Kimmelman, The
Accidental Masterpiece, Penguin Press 2005
Reading Sources:
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The Accidental Masterpiece, Michael Kimmelman, Penguin Press, NY 2005
The Art of Having a Lofty Perspective Theories and Documents of
Contemporary Art, Kristine Stiles, David Selz editors, University of
California Press, Berkeley, London, Los Angeles, 1996 Jesse Helms,
Senator Helms Protests pg. 273-274;
Andres Serrano, Letter to the NEA pg. 280-281
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But is it art?, Cynthia Freeland, Oxford University Press, NY, 2001
Defending Serrano pg. 18-21
Wolfgang Laib A Retrospective, Klaus Ottman, American federation of Arts
and Hatje Cantz Publishers 2000 Modest Propositions, Margit Rowell pg.
25-39
Idiosyncratic Identities, Donald Kuspit, Cambrindge University Press, NY
1996 Wolfgang laib’s Mystical revolution pg. 147-152
Bill Viola, exhibition catalog, Whitney Museum in association with
Flammarion Paris, NY, 1998 Conversation, excerpt, Lewis Hyde and Bill
Viola pg 143-150
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UNIT 10. CONTEXT
Week Eight: PUBLIC / PRIVATE
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M ….
W Final Project is being presented Bring a hard copy of last week's homework
assignment for peer review today!!!
F Art in the public space PDF
VOCABULARY LIST -Week 8
o Janet Cardiff: Walks
o Richard Serra: Tilted Arc
o Barbara Kruger
o Jenny Holzer
o Krzysztof Wodiczko
Homework Writing Assignment:
o Final Project REVISION & SAMPLE PAGE DRAFT - PDF handout:
preparation for the final project
o To do:
 #1. Revise, re-write and expand the homework assignment
with the lowest points (1 1/2 - 2 pages in lenght)
 #2. Create a sample page for final presentation. Sample page
must include fully developed revised essay, images, image
credits, and writing (essay)
 #3. Start developing a plan for the overall structure and
content for your blog/booklet. Possible formats may include:
a collection of essays with an introduction and a closing
essay; a graphic novel/comic book complete with essays, a
textbook, an interactive book, a blog, etc... Make the format
creative but also fitting your content. Prepare to present
layout of your final format by drawings & notes, mock-up
layout, etc. If your format is a blog, you must set up the blog
and provide the URL.
o For examples on formats, see information posted on the bottom of
the Final Assignment page.
o DUE: Sunday, in the Dropbox Submit #1-2 only. You'll be bringing#3
to your consultation next week.
Required Reading:
o Themes of Contemporary Art, pp 173-176, 179-187
o Richard Serra, from the Yale Lecture, Art in Theory 1900-1990,
Charles Harrison, Paul Wood editors, Blackwell Publishers 1992
o Transcript of a Hearing to decide the future of Tilted Arc, Arguing
About Art, Alex Neill, Aaron Ridley editors, Routledge 2002
Supplemental Research:
o Janet Cardiff Walks
o Iinstallations in the Unilever Series at the Tate Modern
o Interview with Krzysztof Wodiczko at the PBS ART21:
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/wodiczko/clip2.html
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Reading Sources:
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But is it art?, Cynthia Freeland, Oxford University Press, NY, 2001
Money Markets, Museums pg. 90-121
Air Guitar, Dave Hickey, Art issues. Press ; New York : Distributed
by D.A.P. (Distributed Art Publishers), 1997 Dealing pg 102-113
Criticizing Art, Terry Barrett, Mayfield Publishing Co, Mountain
View, California, London, Toronto, 2000 Theory and Art Criticism
pg. 29-62
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UNIT 11. MUSEUMS
Week Nine: INSTITUTIONS OF CONTEMPORARY ART, ART MUSEUMS
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M February 27 Curatorial Issues. Museums and exhibitions. Guest speaker:
Robin Held, Frye Art Museum
W February 29 Consultations GROUP #1 Atherton - Kravik (Bring 4 copies of
sample chapter + notes, sketches and/or mock-up for final product)
F March 2 Consultations GROUP #2 Lam - Yu(Bring 4 copies of sample chapter
+ notes, sketches and/or mock-up for final product)
VOCABULARY LIST-week 9
o Cabinets of curiosities (Wunderkammer)
o encyclopedic museum
o salon style exhibition
Homework Writing Assignment:
o This week you are working in compiling, revising, expanding on and
connecting each of the assignments to form a comprehensive whole.
For the final format you need to consider a general introduction
chapter/entry and another one for closing thoughts/conclusion.
These are to be at least 1/2 page (250-300 words) in length. You can
submit it as a single pdf or one pdf for each part.
o In the intro: Present what this collection of essays is set out to
accomplish. Why is this interesting? For whom? What is
contemporary art?
o In the closing: Summarize what you've learned about contemporary
art. Did it change your view of art? How? Why should the reader care
about contemporary art? How does it fit into our lives and
contemporary culture?
o You may use HW2 (essay version of the definition of art) for either
the intro or for the closing. Of course, you'll need to expand and
revise it to fit the way you are using it.
o This assignment is not going to be graded. However, it must be
submitted on time in order to get credit for it. DUE: Sunday.
o The dropbox is staying open for the rest of the quarter so that you
may continue uploading revised essays for review in advance of your
consultation session. Due: Sunday,
Required Reading
o Donna De salvo: Notes on Curating pg46-48; Robert Storr: ICI Questions an Answers pg164-166
o Thelma Golden: Mama said... pg72-74; Robert Storr: Show and Tell
pg23-26;
o Ingrid Schaffner: Wall Text pg164-167, What makes a Great
Exhibition?, Reaktion Books, 2007
Supplemental Reading:
o Money, Markets, Museums, Cynthia Freeland, But is it art? Oxford
University Press 2001
o Lee Rosenbaum: The SAM: A Work in Progress, The Wall Street
Journal, July 18, 2007
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Reading Sources:
o
o
Money, Markets, Museums, Cynthia Freeland, But is it art?
Oxford University Press 2001 Pg. 90-121
Lee Rosenbaum: The SAM: A Work in Progress, The Wall Street
Journal, July 18, 2007
9/6 . Artist video: Doris Salcedo(Columbian)
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Artist video: Hiroshi Sugimoto(Japanese)
Artist video: Mark Bradford(African
American)
Artist video: Oliver Herring(German)
Fill in questionnaire
Discussion of subject content
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Artist video: William Kentridge(South African)
Artist video: JR(French)
Artist video: Vic Muniz(Brazilian)
Artist video: Fazal Sheikh(American)
Fill in questionnaire
9/8
9/13 Artist videos
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Fill in questionnaire
Discussion
9/15 #1 Critique – Manipulation Project
9/20 Artist videos
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Fill in questionnaire
Discussion
9/22 Artist videos
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Fill in questionnaire
Discussion
9/27 #2 Critique – Obsession
9/29 Artist videos
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Discussion
Read for class: In the Making ;Preface and Michal Rovner PDF
10/4 Artist videos
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Fill in questionnaire
Discussion
10/6 Artist videos
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Fill in questionnaire
Discussion
10/11 #3 Critique - Journey Project 10/13 Artist videos
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Fill in questionnaire
Discussion
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10/18 Book reports due
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Discussion : The Courage to Create
10/25 #4 Critique
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Self as Source 10/27 Read for class Grandma’s Story by Trinh T Minh-Ha from
Blasted Allegories PDF
SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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Weintraub, L. (2003). In the Making: Creative Options for Contemporary Art. New
York: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers.
Texts
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Green Library Reserves Desk - 2nd Fl. -- N6512.W3873 2003 PDF available through
professor. Students will read the following sections:
Introduction, pgs. 16-17; Communicating with the Audience; Implicit MeaningsMetaphor and Symbol; Michal Rovner, Tel Aviv, Israel, pgs. 44-51;Explicit
Meanings: Instructional Maps, Notes, and Diagrams; Matthew Richie, London,
England, pgs. 52-62.
Sourcing Inspiration; Introduction, pgs. 122-124; The Kaleidoscope of Black
Experience, Chris Ofili, Manchester, England, pgs. 166-173; Apartheid and
Redemption; William Kentridge, Johannesburg, South, Africa, pgs. 156-164.
Crafting an Artistic “Self”; Introduction, pgs.194-195; Transcending BiographyWoman of Allah, Resident of Chinatown, Shirin Neshat, born Iran, pgs.214-221.
Choosing a Mission; Introduction, pgs. 282-283; Fostering International
Reconciliation, Wenda Gu, Shanghai, China, pgs.294-303.
Wallis, B. (1987). Blasted Allegories: An Anthology of Writings by Contemporary
Artists. New York: New Museum of Contemporary Art. Grandma’s Story, Trinh T.
Minh-Ha, pgs.2-317
Krzysztof Wodiczko; Peace 3:25 http://youtu.be/UIoVkbPEyuo YouTube
Doris Salcedo: Istanbul 1:46 http://youtu.be/ZjYuDKFvsjY YouTube
Meet JR: Video interview and FAQ about the 2011 TED Prize winner
http://blog.ted.com/2010/10/20/meet-jr/
The Atomic Artists, “Art Cannot Be Powerless,” Japan’s New Nuclear Generation;
PRI’s The World, 2011 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-atomicartists/
Dissident Creates by Remote Control, The New York Times, Melena Ryzik
Published: October 12, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/arts/design/aiweiweis-photo-shoot-from-china.html?_r=2&ref=arts#
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
INTRODUCTION
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Themes of Contemporary Art: What, Why, and How
Format of the Book
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER ONE: THE ART WORLD EXPANDS
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Overview of History and Art History: 1980-2008
Old Media Thrive, New Media Make Waves
The Art World Goes Global
Theory Waxes and Wanes
Art Meets Contemporary Culture
Post Studio Art Practice
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER TWO: TIME
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Time and Art History
o Representing time
o Embodying time
Changing Views of Time
Changing Views of the Past
Exhibits about Time
Exploring the Structure of Time
o Fracturing time
o Real time
o Changing rhythm
o Exploring endlessness
Revisiting the Past
o Recovering history
o Reshuffling the past
o Reframing the present
Commemorating the Past
Profile #1: Brian Tolle
Profile #2: Cornelia Parker
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER THREE: PLACE
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Places Have Meanings
Places Have Value
Exhibits about Place
History's Influence
o (Most) places exist in space
o The work of art exists in a place
Looking at Places
Looking Out For Places
Constructing (and Deconstructing) Artificial Places
Placeless Spaces
What's Public? What's Private?
In-Between Places
Profile #1: Janet Cardiff
Profile #2: Unilever Series at Tate Modern
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER FOUR: IDENTITY
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Identity in Art History
Identity is Communal or Relational
o Social and cultural identities
o Identity politics
o Identity is Constructed
Essentialism
Difference
Identity is Not Fixed
Sexual Identity is Diverse
Hybridity
Reinventing Identities
Profile #1: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith
Profile #2: Shirin Neshat
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER FIVE: THE BODY
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Past Figurative Art
A New Spin on the Body
o The body is a battleground
o The body is a sign
o People are bodies
The Body Beautiful
Different bodies
Body parts
Mortal Bodies
Sexual Bodies
o The gaze
o Sexual pleasure and desire
o Sex and violence
Post-Human Bodies
Profile #1: Ren�e Cox
Profile #2: Zhang Huan
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER SIX: LANGUAGE
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Words with Art: A History
Art with Words: A History
Recent Theories of Language
Reasons for Using Language
Exhibitions and Publications Concerning Language in Art
Language Makes Meaning
Language Takes Form
o Transparency and translucency
o Spatiality and physicality
o Books made by artists
o Art made with books
Wielding the Power of Language
Confronting the Challenge of Translation
Using Text in the Information Age
Profile #1: Ken Aptekar
Profile #2: Nina Katchadourian
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER SEVEN: SCIENCE
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What is Science?
o The Scientific Impulse
o The Scientific Method
Artists as Amateur Scientists
Artists Adopt Scientific Methods and Materials
o Creole Technologies
o BioArt
Science and Art: Intertwined Through History
The Ideology of Science
Is Science Running Amok? Activist Art Responds
Recent Exhibits about science and art
The Visual Culture of Science
o Scientific imaging and art
o Deconstructing the visual culture of science
o Scientific displays and archives
o Science in popular culture
Classifying Humans in the Genomic Age
Is Nature Natural?
Marveling at the Universe
Profile #1: Patricia Piccinini
Profile #2: Eduardo Kac
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THEMES OF CONTEMPORARY ART
CHAPTER EIGHT: SPIRITUALITY
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A Short History
A Few Strategies
o Manipulating forms, materials, and processes
o Manipulating meanings and minds
Finding Faith and Harboring Doubt
Expressing Religious Identities
Facing Death, Doom, and Destruction
Mingling the Sacred and the Secular
Profile #1: Jos� Bedia
Profile #2: Bill Viola
Join this survey course to discover the main trajectories of contemporary
art in different parts of the world! We will examine the intersections of
contemporary art with everyday life, politics, technology, mass-media
and architecture.
Course topics will include: Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Land
Art, performance art, installation art, new media, art and transnational
politics, art and global concerns (ecology, affect, socio-political
affiliations).
Prerequisites: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Art Now offers students an introduction to the theories and practices of contemporary
art with a focus on artwork since 1980. This course will approach contemporary art as a
global phenomenon and will consider material from many different regions of the
world.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
While it is impossible to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary global art
practices, this course aims to introduce students to a broad variety of artwork,
including that from outside of the United States and Europe. By the end of the
semester, students should be able to recognize major themes in contemporary art,
critically examine a wide range of artworks, and discuss/write about artworks in an
informed way.
TEACHING METHODS AND CLASS REQUIREMENTS
The format of this course includes both lecture and in-class discussion. Students are
expected to have completed any assigned reading prior to coming to class. Active and
informed participation in class discussions is required.
REQUIRED TEXT
Terry Smith, Contemporary Art: World Currents, Prentice Hall, 2011.
EVALUATION METHODS AND CRITERIA
Grade Breakdown
Class participation, attendance, quizzes:
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40%
Formal Analysis:
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20%
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Comparative Analysis: :
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20%
Final:
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20%:
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Quizzes
To ensure completion of readings there will be unannounced in-class quizzes. The
quizzes will cover material from both lectures and reading assignments.
Written Assignments:
Students are required to write two papers during the course of the semester. The first
paper will be a formal analysis of 500-600 words analyzing the elements of a single
work. The second paper will be a comparative analysis of 700-800 words comparing
and contrasting two individual works. Papers must be written in 12-point Times New
Roman font, with 1-inch margins, and must be stapled. All papers must be submitted at
the BEGINNING of the class period they are due. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE
ACCEPTED.
Final
The final exam will consist of several short answer essay questions.
Accommodation policy
This course includes material that some may find offensive. No content
accommodations will be made for this course. It is your obligation to determine, before
the last day to drop courses without penalty, whether the requirements of this course
conflict with your core beliefs. If there is such a conflict, you should consider dropping
the class
CLASS SCHEDULE
BECOMING CONTEMPORARY
Week 1 (1.7-1.9): Introduction
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Readings:
Paul Wood, “Art of the Twentieth Century,” 16-32, beginning at subsection
“Modernity and modernism” until “Toward postmodernism”
Week 2 (1.14-1.16): Modernism and After
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Readings:
Jean Robertson, “The Art World Expands”
Week 3 (1.21-1.23): Formal Analysis
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1.21 NO CLASS – Martin Luther King Day
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Readings:
Sylvan Barnett, “Formal Analysis and Style”
Sylvan Barnett, “Visual Analysis: Some Things to Consider”
Week 4 (1.28-1.30):
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 2: “The Contemporary Art Boom”
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GLOBAL CURRENTS
Week 5 (2.4-2.6):
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Formal Analysis due 2.4
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 3: “Russia and the (East of) Europe”
Week 6 (2.11-2.13):
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2.13 NO CLASS – instructor away at conference
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 5: “China and East Asia”
Week 7 (2.18-2.20):
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1.18 NO CLASS – President’s Day
In-class screening – In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai
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Readings:
CANVAS: Giuliana Bruno, “Surface, Fabric, Weave: The Fashioned World of
Wong Kar-wai”
Week 8 (2.25-2.27):
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 4: “South and Central America, the Caribbean”
Week 9 (3.4-3.6):
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 8: “Africa”
Week 10 (3.11-3.13): NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
Week 11 (3.18-3.20):
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Comparative Analysis due 3.18
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 9: “West Asia”
In-class screening – Ten by Abbas Kiarostami
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CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS
Week 12 (3.25-3.27): Art and Contemporary Politics
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Readings:
Reading TBA
Week 13 (4.1-4.3): Architecture Now
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Guest lecture - Spenser Goar
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Readings:
Reading TBA
Week 14 (4.8-4.10): Art and Ecology
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Readings:
Smith, Ch. 11 “Climate Change: Art and Ecology”
Week 15 (4.15-4.17): Contemporary Art and its Institutions
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Visit to UMFA - Salt 7: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
Week 16 (4.22-4.24): Review
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Terry Smith,ISBN-10: 0205789714 • ISBN13: 9780205789719
©2012 • Pearson • Paper, 304 pp
Published 07/01/2011
is the first comprehensive worldwide survey of contemporary art from the 1980s to
the present day.
Author Terry Smith argues that, in recent decades, a global shift from modern to
contemporary art has occurred: artists everywhere have embraced the contemporary
world’s teeming multiplicity, its proliferating differences and its challenging
complexities and new technologies. Alongside more than 350 carefully selected color
images of key works, Terry Smith offers the first account of these changes, from their
historical beginnings to the present day. Exploring key works by both well known
and little-known artists, the author shows how contemporary art achieved definitive
force in the markets and museums of the major art centres during the 1980s and then
became a global phenomenon as artworlds everywhere began to connect more closely:
new communicative technologies and expanding social media are now shaping the
future of art.
Contemporary Art: World Currents breaks new ground in tracing how modern,
traditional and indigenous art became contemporary in each cultural region of the
world, ranging across Western, East and Central Europe, North and South America and
the Caribbean, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. Terry Smith lays the groundwork
for a new comparative approach to contemporary art, emphasizing its relationships to
all aspects of contemporary life. He argues that it is cultural diversity and individual
artistic inventiveness, not a convergence towards sameness, which makes today’s art
contemporary.
Contemporary Art: World Currents brings the subject right up-todate, highlighting the
concerns of contemporary artists while giving the reader an invaluable insight to art
today.
Teaching and Learning Experience
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Improve Critical Thinking- Explore how contemporary art has become a global,
connected phenomenon
Engage Students- Looks at the work of contemporary artists from across the world.
BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Part I Becoming Contemporary in Euroamerica
Chapter 1: Late Modern Art Becomes Contemporary 16
Chapter 2: The Contemporary Art Boom 44
Part II The Transnational Transition
Introduction 82
Chapter 3 Russia and (East of) Europe 84
Chapter 4 South and Central America, The Caribbean 116
Chapter 5: China and East Asia 150
Chapter 6 India, South and Southeast Asia174
Chapter 7 Oceania 196
Chapter 8: Africa 214
Chapter 9: West Asia 236
Part III Contemporary Concerns
Introduction 256
Chapter 10: World Pictures: Making Art Politically 258
Chapter 11: Climate Change: Art and Ecology 274
Chapter 12: Social Media: Affects fo Time 296
Chapter 13: Coda: Permanent Transition 316
Notes 327
Select Bibliography 334
A Directory of Selected Contemporary
Art Websites 340
Index 342
Picture Credits 346
Note of Thanks 348
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Contemporary Art: World Currents
General Introduction:
Contemporary Art in Transition: From Late Modern Art to Now 8
PART I BECOMING CONTEMPORARY IN EUROAMERICA
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 1:
Late Modern Art Becomes Contemporary 16
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Transformations in Late modern Art: Its Contemporary Aspects 19
Situationism, Gutai, Happenings: Art into Life/Life into Art 19
Pop: The Social Mirror, Refracted 24
The Object Materialized: Minimalism 27
Earthworks: Extending Sculpture’s Field 29
Conceptualism: Reconceiving Art Political Interventions: Direct Democracy,
Body, Self, Sexuality 36
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 2:
The Contemporary Art Boom 44
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The Postmodern Return to Figuration 46
The Two Germanys 46
Trauma of the Victimized 53
The Italian Transavantgarde 53
The American Scene Again 55
British Schools 56
Critical Postmodernism 58
Retro- Sensationalist Art 65
Remodernism in Sculpture and Photography 66
Big Photography 70
Spectacle Architecture as Contemporary Art 75
Contemporary Art Becomes a Style 79
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PART II THE TRANSNATIONAL TRANSITION
Introduction 82
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 3:
Russia and (East of) Europe 84
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Russia 85
Art under Late Socialism 86
Russian Art Becomes Contemporary 89
Late Cold War Modern Art Elsewhere (East of) Europe 91
Parodies of Official Imagery 93
Performance Art Tests the Limits 97
Czechoslovakia 100
Hungary 100
The Baltic Nations 103
After the Fall: Post-Communist Art? 105
Romania 106
The Breakup of Yugoslavia 110
Beyond "Eastern" and "Central" Versus "Western" Europe 113
Translating the European Ideal 114
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 4:
South and Central America, The Caribbean 116
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South America 116
Argentina 121
Brazil 125
Colombia 135
Chile 137
Mexico 139
Cuba 139
Elsewhere in the Caribbean 144
Seeing the World's Currentsv149
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 5:
China and East Asia 150
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China 150
Modern Chinese Art 151
Contemporary Chinese Art 152
Taiwan 169
Japan 169
Experimental Art in the 1950s to 1970s 169
Contemporary Art 169
Korea 171
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 6:
India, South and Southeast Asia174
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India 174
Pakistan 180
Thailand 185
Indonesia 188
The Philipines 191
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Chapter 7 Oceania 196
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Papua New Guinea 196
Aotearoa/New Zealand 199
Australia 203
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 8:
Africa 214
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Modern Art in Africa 215
South Africa Under Apartheid 216
Popular Painting and Sculpture in Central Africa 221
Commercial to Art Photography 227
South Africa After Apartheid 228
African Art Enters the International Circuit 235
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 9:
West Asia 236
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Iraq 237
Jordan 238
Iran 241
Palestine 245
israel 249
From Hurufiyah to Contemporary Cosmopolitanism 253
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PART III CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS
Introduction 256
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 10: World Pictures: Making Art Politically 258
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One World 259
Global Networks 260
Intervening Critically 264
Profiles in Shadowland 269
Bare labor 271
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 11: Climate Change: Art and Ecology 274
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Art and Enviromentalism 275
Crisis and Catastrophe 279
Collective Actions, Sustainable Solutions 282
Designs for Living 285
Experimental Geography 287
Imaging the Future Dystopia 290
Eco-Chic, Greenwashing, Spectacle 292
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 12: Social Media: Affects fo Time 296
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Mediation, Immersion, Intervention, Agency 297
To be With Time is All We Ask 309
Contemporary Art: World Currents
Chapter 13: Coda: Permanent Transition 316
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