AHT 318 - Arts of Africa and the Pacific

This course will introduce the rich, diverse artistic traditions of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Easter Island, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Fiji, and Hawaii. We will explore how arts in various media serve as markers of identity that communicate gender, age, beauty, power, status, wealth, leadership, and social control. Art was often not intended for display, but to be used and to be viewed in motion, as in multi-media masquerades and rituals. Masks, ceramics, architecture, textiles, and body arts all play significant roles in daily life, and express cultural philosophies, hierarchies, and spiritualities. Museum visits will provide opportunities to experience works first-hand, as we consider aesthetic qualities, as well as meaning and context. Students will broaden their contextual knowledge by participating in cultural exchanges with local communities associated with African and Pacific cultures. AHT210 (3 Credits)