Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only.

African art is a rich and varied field of study encompassing visual arts and architecture of ancient cultures, regional artistic traditions of diverse peoples in more recent precolonial and colonial times, and contemporary artists, both self-taught and formally trained. The principal goals of this course are to help students to appreciate the scope of this field while also gaining in-depth understanding of particular African artistic traditions, artists, and artworks within specific historical and cultural contexts. Topics to be considered include persistant misconceptions about African art; indigenous African aesthetics; semiotics of African visual signs and sign systems; roles of "traditional artists" in African societies; gender issues in art production, representation, and performance; historical contacts and cultural interaction; spiritual, therapeutic, and political uses of art; and interrelations of visual art with verbal and kinesthetic expression.