ARTH 190 American Indian Art History: Contemporary Issues

This course provides a thematic introduction to Native North American Indian Art drawing from historic (pre and postcontact) precedents. Class discussion and lectures are generated from the conceptual themes of contact conflict exchange appropriation and re-appropriation of American Indian imagery materials and ideas rather than from the more descriptive categories such as Southwest painting or Plains beadwork. A concern with the social production of art in specific episodic contexts serves as a means of critically examining the circulation and appreciation of American Indian arts and material culture as fine art commodity political critique social marker religious icon and physical landmark.