ARTS 370 Racism and Art: Critiquing Visual Representation

This art history, upper division course explores the work of artists of color and how their work critically examines the social construction of racial representation in the United States. Art and Art History have crucial roles to play in the construction of identity, stereotypes, and cultural constructs. By critically examining modern and contemporary visual art, students will gain knowledge that can begin to deconstruct systemic racism found in our visual landscapes. Utilizing art historical methodologies such as formalist and contextual readings, art criticism, critical theory, postcolonialism, and semiotics as well as art movements such as Modernism/post-modernism, feminism, Black/Latinx/Asian/Indigenous arts movements, and contemporary practice, students will learn to critically analyze social messages found in racial representations. Looking at Black, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous artists, students will examine themes such as resistance and anti-racism, community and celebration, collaboration, politics and media/popular culture, and the visual landscape.