Description
African-American art forms an important and integral but overlooked piece of our cultural heritage. This interdisciplinary course traces and investigates the role of African-American women in art, as both the objects and makers of representation, from their roots in slavery to the present-day. We will examine painting, sculpture, pottery, woodcarving, architecture, photography, and filmmaking from the colonial era through the nineteenth century, the Harlem
movement of the early twentieth century, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, and the contemporary art scene. Themes for discussion are the objectification of the black female body, the gendered portrayal of African-American women in art, the devaluation of the African-American woman’s artistic contribution, and the role of this art in political struggles. Prerequisite: one history of art course or POI. Offered upon rotation.