Course Description
01:595:230 Latinx Art
- Instructor: Tatiana Flores, Ph.D.
- Description:
Fulfills “Culture and Creative Expressions” Distribution for LCS Major and Elective for LCS Minor
Latinx Art refers to the artistic production of Latinas and Latinos in the diaspora. This course will examine the visual arts created by diaspora communities across the continental United States, from the second half of the twentieth century into the present. As this is an emerging field of inquiry within Art History, many of the readings will be drawn from cultural studies and literature, giving the course a strong interdisciplinary
component. The material follows a thematic structure driven by critical issues, specific communities, and artistic genres. It emphasizes themes pertaining to the immigrant experience, including identity formation, visibility, community, marginalization, and isolation. Race, gender, and sexuality are topics that are embedded over the entire semester and also treated within discrete units. The course addresses communities with a multigenerational presence in this country, such as Mexican-Americans, Central Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Haitians, as well as newer arrivals. It treats works of art in multiple media, from painting and sculpture to installation, performance, and social practice. No prior coursework in Art History or Latino Studies is required. Lectures by at least one visual artist and a field trip to an exhibition will be planned. - Learning Goals:
Upon completion of the course, students will:
- understand the complexities around the terms “Latino,” “Latinx,” and “Latin American”
- gain awareness of the particularities between different communities of Latinos in the United States
- identify the social, political, and historical contexts impacting U.S. Latinx art production
- discuss how the major concerns animating Latinx artists are manifested in visual form
- appreciate how cultural difference and social inequality contribute to the marginalization of artists of color in Art History, the art world, and society at large
- Required Reading:
Readings and other materials are in Canvas.
- Evaluation:
- In-Class Exam = 20%
- Class Participation/Oral Presentation = 15%
- Reaction Paper (2-3 pages) = 15% (Exhibition review or response to artist lecture)
- Analysis Paper (4-6 pages) = 25%
- Final Exam (Take-Home Essay) = 25%
Students are expected to maintain active class participation, read assigned texts in advance of class, attend every class session and field trip, orally present readings and other assignments, and turn in writing assignments by their deadline.
- Credits: 3
- SAS Core Certified: CCD
- Disclaimer: The information in this course description is subject to change. For up-to-date course information, please refer to the syllabus on your course site (e.g. Canvas).
