ART 277-8 - Topic: Modern Mexican Art (1)

This seminar will explore, through the selection of a limited number of works of art, the rich artistic traditions of some of the major movements, styles, and artists of Mexico from 1920-1968. Many of these artists were attempting to define, and even to shape, a Mexican national identity with the works they made during this period. We will explore in depth the concept of Mexicanidad and how conceptions of it have shifted over time. Defining national identity often means to define oneself in opposition to another or others. For Mexico in the early 20th century, that other was often the United States. Yet although few remember the period today, during these decades there was a steady stream of American artists studying, working, and living in Mexico. So we will consider the idea of Mexican vs. foreign artists, what each contributed and took away from an exchange of the two. By the end of this class, students will be able to recognize some of the major works of art (artist, title, and approximate date) from this time period, and be able to make informed statements even about works of art they have not seen before from this same context. No S/U option. [AH] HOOBLER
(Humanities)