ARTH 4161

Visual Cultures of the Andes

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

This seminar focuses on visual and performative cultures of the Andes from the Inca empire (ca. 1438-1534) to the present day. It traces the modalities of culture, power, and representation in the framing of Andean pasts and presents by tracing the social lives of images in Andean South America, which encompasses parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. We will analyze a range of visual material, including textiles, paintings, photographs, and even tourist brochures to understand the dynamics of image-making and image consumption in the Andes. Given the seminar's broad temporal scope, we will embark on a series of case studies that serve to contextualize each historical moment of artistic production, from the Inca and colonial periods to the postcolonial period spanning the 19th century to the present. The final section of the course focuses on the politics of marketing "Andeanness" to contemporary audiences through museum displays, folkloric performances, and tourism. Readings will be drawn from an array of disciplines, including art history/visual culture studies, and anthropology.

When Offered Fall.

Breadth Requirement (GHB)
Distribution Category (CA-AS)

Comments Co-meets with ARTH 6161/LATA 6161.

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