Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0278 - History Mexican Art 10 Objects

This course looks at ten iconic Mexican and Chicano objects with profound cultural, social, and historical implications. Objects from Mexica to muralismo, modernismo to globalization, span ancient times to present day, high art to popular culture, in what is now known as Mexico and the United States. The objects will be experienced in person, through virtual site visits, and in slides. Defying a culture constantly propagating the rushed assimilation of images, we engage in slow and meaningful looking allowing consideration of materiality and technique. We consider the context surrounding objects - ephemerality and disappearance, private and institutional patronage, repatriation, authenticity and originality, museum pedagogy, archeological ethics, transnational discourses - as well as their historical contexts and curatorial uses. Through exercises in close looking, exploration of various methodologies, and readings deepening historic and cultural context, the course tries out various approaches to understanding what objects do and do not tell us. While foreign language skills, particularly Spanish and Portuguese, are welcome, no previous linguistic, cultural, nor historical knowledge is required.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research In this course, students are expected to spend 8-10 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.