ARTH 4155 - Topics in Latin American Art

(crosslisted) LATA 4155 , VISST 4155  
(GHB) (CA-AS)      

In this seminar students will explore the intersections between politics and artistic practice in Latin America in a selection of works ranging from the colonial period to the 21st century. How can we conceive of aesthetics as political praxis in Latin America under a variety of historical regimes, including Spanish colonial rule, revolutionary governments, military dictatorships, and the contemporary neo-liberal state? What methods might be appropriate to study these practices? How does regional visual culture intersect with international artistic and political discourses? This course also investigates the political valences of visual and performative works that traditionally are not classified as “political art,” including abstract art, performance, theater, installation, new media and site-specific work. In this way the seminar interrogates stereotypes of Latin American art, which prevail despite a long history of diverse artistic production in the region.