(Offered as POSC 218 & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence.
What does it mean to be “Chinese,” when the term stands at once as a marker of nationality, ethnicity, language and culture? Through the lens of literature and film, this course looks into the rich histories and cultural diversities of Chinese communities beyond the borders of the People’s Republic of China and in different parts of the world. The stories and films the course features are grouped around three geographical foci: Hong Kong and Taiwan, Southeast Asia (in particular, Singapore and Malaysia), and the United States.
Preparation of a thesis or completion of a studio project which may be submitted to the Department for consideration for Honors.
Open to seniors with consent of the Department. Fall and Spring semester. The Department.
How to handle overenrollment: null
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Not applicable
Independent reading course. A full course.
Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
How to handle overenrollment: null
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Not applicable.
(Offered as ARHA 444 and FAMS 412) Essay filmmaking is a dynamic form with many commonly cited attributes—the presence of an authorial voice, an emphasis on broad themes, an eclectic approach to genre, and the tendency to digress or draw unexpected connections. Yet, true to its nature, the precise definition of the essay film is in constant flux. It can be both personal and political, individual and collective, noble and mischievous. Essay filmmakers themselves are equally diverse, ranging from established film auteurs to Third Cinema activists and contemporary video artists.
(Offered as ARHA 417, ARCH 417, and ASLC 417) Founded in 1526 by a Muslim prince from Central Asia, the Mughal dynasty dominated the political landscape of South Asia (including present-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh) until the middle of the nineteenth century. The influence of the Mughal Empire also extended well beyond South Asia, making it one of the most important players in the premodern global arena.
What would it mean to consider the life of a work of art? Does it have a body? How does it move through the world? Is it preserved for eternity or subject to deterioration? In what ways is it an extension of the artist and in what ways does it take on new lives when encountered by the public? Is it an inert object or does it have a life of its own? Beginning with case studies from the 1950s and reaching the present day, this course will explore the variable durabilities, ephemeralities, and queer existences of works of art, ranging from sculptures to performances to NFTs.
In this studio course, we will explore different skills and approaches towards creating solo performance. We will examine examples of historical and contemporary solo performances in theater, dance, video, music, radio plays, street, stand up and in political/social arenas to inform and ask what makes these effective (or not). We will use what we learn from these examples to inspire our own solo material. We will also develop additional techniques (through improvisational trial and error) that enliven and engage our different voices, stories, imaginations and emotions.
(Offered as ARHA 333 and ARCH 333) This studio course will explore our evolving relationship with land and climate through wide-ranging approaches to drawing. We will examine how our connection to landscape as an artistic genre is being reshaped by urgent environmental changes, positioning drawing as a tool to reflect, trace, and map these shifts. Through studio assignments, site visits, readings, and discussions, we will explore themes of representation, ownership, ecology, and environmental crises that reckon with loss but also generate sites of hope and imagination toward the future.
This course offers students knowledgeable in the basic principles and skills of painting and drawing an opportunity to investigate personal directions in painting. Assignments will be collectively as well as individually directed. Discussions of the course work will assume the form of group as well as individual critiques.
Requisite: ARHA 215 or consent of the instructor. Limited to 12 students. Spring 2025: Senior Resident Artist Gloman.
How to handle overenrollment: Priority given to ARHA and ARCH majors. Others admitted to balance by class year and major.
