ASCL 80.10 Asian Art Herstory: Gender, Culture, and Politics
This course looks closely at women as subjects and creators in the realm of art from the pre-modern period to contemporary times in Asia. The class will initially examine how Confucian ideology defined the social roles and values of women and how women and their activities were depicted visually and confined architecturally. Then, through study of the global women’s rights and feminist art movements in the context of world economic and political history, the class will scrutinize the rise of Asian “New Women” and “Modern Girls” (the Asian counterparts of American “flappers” and French garc\\u0327onnes) in the 1920s and 1930s, and look at individual and groups of women artists who expressed their social and political agendas through their art. Extensive attention will be given to the creation, modification, and persistence of certain images throughout history, in relation to various social, political, psychological, and intellectual conditions. The class will also see how modern women artists have developed new and diverse media, including textiles, films and photography, installation and performance, and other hybrid materials, in reaction to a long patriarchy in fine art, male-gazed artistic rendering, and traditional cultural and social norms.
This course does not require prior knowledge or experience in Asian history or languages, but it is designed for students interested in interdisciplinary approaches to art and culture. As a senior advanced seminar, it involves extensive reading, class discussions, and research presentations. The course is primarily offered to ARTH majors, who are expected to have a strong foundation in art history, though no prior knowledge of Asian history is necessary. It is also available to ASCL majors, who are not required to have taken an ARTH course but should demonstrate some pan-Asian expertise.
Department-Specific Course Categories
Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages