Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

AH 235 Contemporary Art: 1945 to the Present


This course traces themes in visual art from World War II to the present.  These seventy-five years have seen dramatic shifts in the form, site, and function of art.  Many artists have abandoned traditional fine art media (such as painting and sculpture) or modified them beyond recognition through the use of vernacular materials and new technologies.  Their experiments have pushed artworks out of the gallery into non-art venues (such as the street, the wilderness, and the internet) where they demand new modes of viewer engagement.  We will examine not only how art has changed in this period but also why it has done so.  What political, social, and cultural developments have artists responded to our hopes to affect?  Our investigation will focus mainly on the United States and Europe, with excursions to other countries and continents.

Prerequisite: AH 111  or permission of the instructor.