Ways Of Seeing Exploring Visual Culture

AY2018/2019 Semester 1

What are the differences in the pictorial strategies adopted to picture space and time in European and East Asian painting? You will be shown a range of representations of the landscape, both natural and man-made to analyse the different approaches to picturing space and time. What are the differences in the approaches adopted to represent the human body and face in European, South and East Asian art? You will learn the different conceptions of the human body in European, South and East Asian thought, and how they impact the representation of the human body and face. Who are some the most important historians of European art and what do their writings suggest about the way(s) they see, represent and interpret the visible world? You will be initiated to the writings of the most prominent art historians from the Western world: Winckelmann, Panofsky, Gombrich, Belting, etc. What are some the most important texts on art in South and East Asia and in what way(s) can they expand the way(s) in which we see, represent and interpret the visible world? You will be invited to reflect on the potential of South and East Asian texts for the revision of prevailing art historical frameworks and narratives. Class assignments The Oral Presentation is an exercise on the analysis of an artwork's formal and iconographic qualities, intrinsic meanings and art historical significance, as well as its effective communication. The Written Assignment demands that they compare and contrast, and engage with a wider range of issues. The Visual Memory Exercise trains you in visual memory skills which are vital for the study of art.