Active Outline
General Information
- Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
- INTLD022.
- Course Title (CB02)
- History of Art: Arts of Africa, Oceania and Native North America
- Course Credit Status
- Credit - Degree Applicable
- Effective Term
- Fall 2023
- Course Description
- This course is a general introduction to some of the many indigenous art traditions around the world, with emphasis placed upon traditional arts created for use in small-scale communities from the Americas, South Pacific region, and Africa. Diverse art forms covered will include sculpture, painting, performance, ceramics, textiles, and architecture from antiquity through the colonial period to the present. Topics addressing the religious, cultural, social, economic, and political contexts of the art, as well as the impact of colonialism and representations of indigenous arts in museums, will be explored. The course facilitates the comparison of arts from indigenous peoples to other world art traditions and assesses the contributions of indigenous arts in a global context.
- Faculty Requirements
- Course Family
- Not Applicable
Course Justification
This course is a major preparation requirement in the disciplines of Art History and Art Studio for at least one CSU or UC. This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSU GE, and IGETC. It belongs on the Art History AA degree. This course provides a global perspective on the history of art, covering parts of the world such as Africa and Oceania.
Foothill Equivalency
- Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
- No
- Foothill Course ID
Formerly Statement
Course Development Options
- Basic Skill Status (CB08)
- Course is not a basic skills course.
- Grade Options
- Letter Grade
- Pass/No Pass
- Repeat Limit
- 0
Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options
- Transferability
- Transferable to both UC and CSU
| °®¶¹´«Ã½ GE | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2GC1 | °®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area C1 - Arts | Approved |
| CSU GE | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| CGC1 | CSU GE Area C1 - Arts | Approved |
| IGETC | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| IG3A | IGETC Area 3A - Arts | Approved |
| C-ID | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARTH | Art History | Approved | C-ID ARTH 140 |
Units and Hours
Summary
- Minimum Credit Units
- 4.0
- Maximum Credit Units
- 4.0
Weekly Student Hours
| Type | In Class | Out of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture Hours | 4.0 | 8.0 |
| Laboratory Hours | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Course Student Hours
- Course Duration (Weeks)
- 12.0
- Hours per unit divisor
- 36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
- Lecture
- 48.0
- Laboratory
- 0.0
- Total
- 48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
- Lecture
- 96.0
- Laboratory
- 0.0
- NA
- 0.0
- Total
- 96.0
Prerequisite(s)
Corequisite(s)
Advisory(ies)
EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.
Limitation(s) on Enrollment
(Not open to students with credit in the cross-listed course(s).)
(Also listed as ARTS D02J.)
Entrance Skill(s)
General Course Statement(s)
(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)
Methods of Instruction
Discussion of assigned readings
In-class essays
In-class exploration of Internet sites
Homework and extended projects
Museum fieldtrips
Collaborative learning and small group exercises
Assignments
- Reading assignments
- Assigned readings in textbook and/or online articles necessary for class discussions and exams.
- Reading of sources necessary to write the assigned paper.
- Written assignments
- A visual analysis paper requiring analysis of original works of art in a museum setting.
- A research paper or project requiring a bibliography of at least six sources.
- Collaborative group work
- Group discussions of readings and brief primary sources
- Group interaction via discussion topics
Methods of Evaluation
- In-class participation where student contributions are evaluated in terms of critical thinking, accuracy, and a demonstrated understanding of relevant issues essential to mastery of the discipline.
- A visual analysis paper for which the student will visit a specified museum in the Bay area and critically analyze works of art on the basis of cultural, political, or social function and visual appearance (style). Assessment is made of the student’s ability to apply critical thinking when discussing exhibition design. The visual analysis paper will be four to five pages in length.
- A research paper or project in which the student will be evaluated on her or his ability to analyze, evaluate and synthesize primary and secondary sources. The paper or project will be six to eight pages in length and will include appropriate documentation. The instructor will provide guidance throughout the research and writing process.
- Two exams, including a final exam, using the following formats: objective questions identifying works of art, geographic region and culture, historical period, dates, and media; definition of terms; additional questions in "short answer" format which require knowledge of the cultural, political, social contexts as well as issues of patronage, collection history, and archaeology; and written essays comparing and evaluating works of art from different cultures or periods on the basis of context as well as visual analysis.
Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities
Essential Student Materials
- None
- None
Examples of Primary Texts and References
| Author | Title | Publisher | Date/Edition | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blier, Suzanne Preston | "The Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of Form" | London: Laurence King | 2nd edition, 2012 | |
| Kaeppler, Adrienne | "The Pacific Arts of Polynesia and Micronesia" | Oxford: Oxford University Press | 2008 | |
| Berlo, Janet C. and Ruth B. Phillips | "Native North American Art" | Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press | 2nd edition, 2014 |
Examples of Supporting Texts and References
None.
Learning Outcomes and Objectives
Course Objectives
- Develop and use interpretive skills to analyze diverse art forms and architecture through an integration of the disciplines of art history, archaeology, anthropology, museology and history.
- Examine major artistic traditions from representative cultures in light of religious, cultural, social, economic and political contexts.
- Develop research and writing skills, analyzing representative examples of indigenous art forms from diverse cultures of the world.
- Explore the origin and history of representative artistic traditions, examining stylistic characteristics through visual analysis and determining how historical and cultural changes are reflected by style and technique.
- Assess the impact of European contact and colonialism upon indigenous cultures and both the maintenance and change in artistic traditions after European contact.
- Compare and contrast indigenous arts to other world art and architectural traditions, acknowledging contributions and cultural exchanges.
- Evaluate ethical issues regarding the collecting and exhibiting of indigenous arts, the role of the international art market, the impact of tourism and the appropriation of indigenous arts by artists from outside of their respective traditions.
- Evaluate various approaches to the study of gender in the production and use of indigenous arts.
CSLOs
- Investigate and validate the artistic contributions of indigenous cultures from around the world, critically comparing these contributions from diverse indigenous peoples.
- Develop an increased awareness and appreciation for diverse worldviews and artistic expressions, while critiquing misconceptions and stereotypes and assessing the relevancy of traditional indigenous art forms in a current global context.
- Analyze and evaluate critically diverse scholarly perspectives used to address indigenous arts and cultures.
- Analyze artworks on the basis of social, cultural, political, economic and/or ethnic contexts and issues relevant to gender studies.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and visual literacy skills through written communication.
- Demonstrate research skills through analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of primary and secondary sources.
Outline
- Develop and use interpretive skills to analyze diverse art forms and architecture through an integration of the disciplines of art history, archaeology, anthropology, museology, and history.
- Critically evaluate key terms used in studying indigenous arts such as "indigenous", "aboriginal" and "Native", "traditional" (in comparison to contemporary expressions), "art" and "artifact", and "tribal" when referring to small-scale societies. Briefly introduce the history of the term "Primitive art" and "Primitivism".
- Introduce art historical methods, such as approaches to iconography and iconology.
- Assess some of the major contributions of and changes in archaeology as it pertains to indigenous arts and antiquities from the nineteenth century to contemporary times.
- Investigate how anthropologists, historians, and geographers have described arts and cultures from diverse points of view including the importance of linguistic and demographic studies.
- Analyze the history of museum collecting and exhibiting indigenous art and cultures and critically assess how this history has changed and how it reflects changing attitudes non-indigenous scholars and collectors have towards indigenous peoples.
- Investigate potential problems of cross-cultural translation as it pertains to the study and presentation of indigenous arts, recognizing the multiplicity of meanings art can have in varying contexts. Explore contributions of indigenous scholars in the study of art.
- Examine major artistic traditions from representative cultures in light of religious, cultural, social, economic, and political contexts.
- Analyze the role of indigenous arts within traditional religious and ceremonial contexts and question the definition of "art" as applied to ephemeral art such as altars or cumulative arts used in ritual as in Navajo sandpainting.
- Compare ways indigenous arts have been used as expressions of social status or political power, such as Hawaiian feather arts used to show position as a high-ranking Ali'i. Include arts used in social or cultural identification such as textiles, dress, body decoration and scarification.
- Assess the value of visual arts in maintaining oral history, geneaology and in communicating social values, such as the use of the Hei Tiki in Maori culture to recount family heritage and history.
- Compare the social position of artists and contrast the role of the individual artist in diverse cultures. Introduce examples of scholarly literature recognizing the individual artist in small-scale Native societies and evaluate possible problems with such an approach as well as the problem of anonymity (not recognizing the artist) in past scholarship.
- Recognize the role indigenous arts play in maintaining social relationships such as art used in Melanesian or West African age-grade societies.
- Place traditional indigenous arts and sculpture within the larger context of performance or ceremony and analyze the social context of masquerades.
- Recognize the importance of nomadic arts and cultures such as Native American arts from the Plains or Subarctic regions, and the importance of body arts and adornment.
- Briefly introduce architectural history through important archaeological sites, such as heiau and marae sites in Polynesia or the Mississippian mound sites such Cahokia in the Americas.
- Compare ways indigenous arts can be used in economic and cultural exchanges, such as marriages or divorces, and the importance of economic resources and exchange in the creation of art. For example, the use of tapa or bark-cloth as important gifts in Oceanic cultures or art created for the Potlatch, a major gift-giving event or social institution in Native Northwest Coast cultures.
- Explore some of the continuities and changes that have taken place in recent art created by indigenous artists. In addition to discussing the maintenance of traditions, recognize current issues such as environmental problems, the impact of globalization, life on and off reservations, sovereignty movements, and/or other issues relevant to the postcolonial experience.
- Develop research and writing skills, analyzing representative examples of indigenous art forms from diverse cultures of the world.
- Explore diverse primary sources used in researching indigenous arts such as archaeological site plans, historic photographs and drawings, colonial documents, and journals.
- Use examples of artworks and analyze methods of exhibiting art from a museum visit in researching and writing paper assignments.
- Explore the origin and history of representative artistic traditions, examining stylistic characteristics through visual analysis and determining how historical and cultural changes are reflected by style and technique.
- Evaluate different theories and interpretations of the origin of certain artistic traditions, use of subject matter (iconography), materials, and the development of techniques.
- Recognize the early development of indigenous arts including examples from Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures, such as the rock art of Aboriginal Australia.
- Apply skills in visual analysis to recognize stylistic characteristics of specific cultures, time periods, and regions.
- Analyze ways style or visual detail can reveal insight into historic and cultural change as well as the cultural diversity of Oceania, the Americas, and Africa.
- Explore the relationship between two-dimensional and three-dimensional design in indigenous arts.
- Assess the impact of European contact and colonialism upon indigenous cultures and both the maintenance and change in artistic traditions after European contact.
- Critically evaluate the impact of colonialism, especially the destruction of artwork and cultural resources, upon each region. Analyze the destructive changes in demographics, labor and land exploitation, indigenous religious practice resulting from missionary activity after European contact.
- Explore how art changed during the Colonial period, the definition and value of the term "syncretism" (blending of artistic traditions or cultures), and how some aspects of culture were maintained despite formidable odds.
- Acknowledge new traditions and creative innovation after contact with Europeans. Recognize indigenous cultures are active and dynamic art producers today.
- Analyze photographs from the Colonial era and their value as historic and art historical documents.
- Compare and contrast indigenous arts to other world art and architectural traditions, acknowledging contributions and cultural exchanges.
- Examine patterns of cultural exchange and compare and contrast similarities and differences in materials and techniques, function including ceremonial and social context, position, gender and status of the artist and relationship of artist to patron between areas within Polynesia and Melanesia, parts of the Americas, and/or Africa.
- Recognize contributions of indigenous architectural styles and construction methods to world architecture.
- Briefly introduce the many ways indigenous artistic traditions have influenced American art, architecture, and popular culture.
- Explore ways indigenous artists have contributed to and have been affected by the contemporary international art world.
- Evaluate ethical issues regarding the collecting and exhibiting of indigenous arts, the role of the international art market, the impact of tourism and the appropriation of indigenous arts by artists from outside of their respective traditions.
- Introduce a brief history of how indigenous arts were collected by Europeans under colonialism, origin of major museum acquisitions, evaluate question of repatriation (return of objects taken during colonial period), introduce examples of repatriation. Compare examples from indigenous Americas, South Pacific and Africa.
- Evaluate how diverse audiences have responded to exhibitions of indigenous arts, including popular appeal of "primitivism" and "lost" civilizations and the appropriation of indigenous art forms by European and American artists.Explore these stereotypes in popular culture and media.
- Assess the role of the international art market in the ethics of removing cultural artifacts and art from countries of origin and the role of UNESCO in preservation of archaeological monuments, such as the ancient city of D'Jenne, Mali. Critically evaluate the history of looting and destruction of cultural patrimony for case studies from the Americas, Oceania and Africa, such as the destruction of Polynesian sculpture by early Christian missionaries.
- Explore the impact of tourism on indigenous arts, looking at how tourism affects archaeological studies and sites, contemporary artists and their artistic production, and how modern nations use indigenous arts and cultures to expand and enhance the tourist industry. Specific case studies will be explored, such as the development of Hawaiian heiau sites and hula performances for tourism and the resulting effects upon maintenance of tradition and the study of indigenous arts.
- Evaluate various approaches to the study of gender in the production and use of indigenous arts.
- Gender roles in the production of various traditional arts and social position of the artist, such as the importance of tapa (bark-cloth) production among Polynesian and Melanesian women.
- Gender roles in ceremony and performance. For example, assess the value of both men and women in African masked dances, such as Gelede performance of the Yoruba, Nigeria, where women's roles may be overlooked.
- Critical discussion of how gender roles by both men and women are being questioned or are changing today, such as the increasing involvement of men in Native American pottery or basketry arts.
