Section A26: Asian-American Visual Culture
What can we learn about the broader history and culture of the United States by studying the cultural production of Asian-American artists, architects and communities? In this course we will study thematically and chronologically the cultural landscapes and artistic production of the diverse communities formed and influenced by the Asian diaspora in the United States. Although "Asian-American art" has become the subject of an increasing number of museum exhibitions and popular publications, the impossibility of defining a unitary cultural identity for such a diverse population continues to stir controversy.
We will explore a range of media and cultural landscapes in this course, ranging from painting, prints, photography, collage and film, to the layout and functioning of ethnic enclaves in the urban and rural United States. We will explore common thematic and experiential concerns of Asian-American artists and architects. On a broader scale, we will seek to illuminate neglected aspects of American cultural history while simultaneously questioning the validity of unitary notions of cultural identity based upon ethnic, linguistic or national boundaries.