CSP 18 The Art of Revolution and Resistance in Twentieth-Century Mexico and the United States

This CSP is structured as a team-taught, interdisciplinary course that examines the art of revolution and resistance in 20th-century Mexico and the United States, with a particular focus on the ways in which artists, writers, and intellectuals participated in the social and cultural programs of the Mexican Revolution, and how those practices were translated, reframed and engaged by artists, writers and intellectuals in the United States. The course will begin by exploring artists' and intellectuals' participation in the social and cultural programs of the Mexican Revolution. The course will examine major themes that have shaped contemporary Mexico, including modernism, indigenismo, "primitivism" and "racial art," national and personal identities, feminism, patriarchy, gender, sexuality, and immigration. Special attention will be paid to transnational artistic collaborations and dialogues across borders among artists, writers, and critics who sought to create a more equitable world. The course will also explore the vibrant connections between Mexican and U.S.-based artists, and spend significant time considering the definitions of art, artist, community, and political engagement in both the U.S. and Mexico. The class will make several field trips to local arts and cultural institutions to see exhibits and attend performances. Students will use a variety of written texts and visual sources as the basis of their essays, including historical documents, writings of artists and intellectuals, photography, mural painting, sculpture, architecture, performance, installation, and film.