Fall 2011 Material Culture Classes (re-posted from April 11th with additions)

AH/CLAS 330/700: The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece (Cahill)

TR 8:25-9:40am, L140 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

Explores the art and archaeology of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period.

AH/LCA 379: Cities of Asia (Chopra)

TR 1:00-2:15pm, 104 Van Hise Hall

Historical overview of the built environment of cities of Asia from antiquity to the present; architectural and urban legacy in its social and historical context; exploration of common themes that thread through the diverse geographical regions and cultures of Asia. 

AH 430: The Art of Natural History (Foutch)

T&TR 9:30-10:45pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

This course will examine the intertwined notions of art and science from the early modern period to the present: cabinets of curiosities, taxidermy and dioramas, botanical and anatomical models, natural history illustrations, expeditions, and more! At the end of the semester we'll turn to contemporary artists who engage with traditions of natural history or aesthetics usually associated with science, from artists whose work is informed by natural history illustration and field guides (Walton Ford, Fred Tomaselli), incorporates taxidermy or natural history museum display tactics (Damien Hirst, Mark Dion), or "bio-art" (Laura Splan, Marc Quinn). Field trips will include sessions held at the UW Zoological Museum, the Geology Museum, the State Herbarium, and the UW Botanic Gardens & Greenhouses.

AH 463: American Suburbs (Andrezejewski)

MWF 12:05-12:55pm, L150 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

This course examines the landscape and material culture of American suburbs, particularly of the twentieth century, for what it can tell us about suburban cultures in the United States. The class will include a historical examination of suburban architecture and landscapes from the nineteenth century through the present, but will also focus on topics related to suburbia that include considerations of race, class, gender and region, as well as how suburban life has been represented in print and visual culture. Students will work on research projects related to Madison area suburbs as well.

AH/DS/HIST 464: Dimensions of Material Culture (Andrzejewski and Gordon)

W 2:25-4:55pm, 1310 Sterling Hall

Approaches to the interdisciplinary study of the material world in order to analyze broader social and cultural issues. Guest speakers explore private and public objects and spaces from historic, ethnographic, and aesthetic perspectives.

AH 479: Art and History in Africa (Drewal)

MW 1:05-2:20pm, L150 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

Selected African art traditions in their historical and cultural settings.

AH 563: Factory Craft: Art, Skill, and the Industrial Age  (Lasser)

R 2:00-4:00pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

This seminar investigates the changing relationship between art and industry.  How have artists responded to the factory and engaged with industrial production in their work?  How are artists today responding to our present post-industrial era?  What is the difference between studio skill and factory skill?  What separates the solitary labor of the mythical garreted artist from the collaborative labor of the assembly line  This course will assist in the development of a Milwaukee Art Museum exhibition.  In addition to historical issues, matters of curatorial practice will be addressed.

AH 579: Exhibiting Africa in a Museum (Drewal; Honors Seminar!)

M 6:00-8:00pm, L170 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

No description available.

AH 805: Seminar-Ancient Art and Architecture (Cahill)

R 400-6:00pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

No description available.

AH865: US Modernism and the Culture of Things (Kroiz)

M 4:00-6:00pm, L166 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building

This seminar will introduce students to the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of “thing” theory to examine the relationships of objects, subjects and things. We will consider the materiality and agency of inanimate objects themselves, as well as the role of objects in establishing and mediating social relationships. In addition to our theoretical focus on things, we will also focus historically to consider U.S. modernism as a phenomenon formulated within a culture of proliferating consumer goods. We will draw on methodologies from art history and material culture studies, as well as literature studies, anthropology, and political science. We will also examine primary source materials from the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century.

ANTH 354: Archaeology of Wisconsin. (Schroeder; fulfills ethnic studies req.)

T 6:00-8:30pm, 6102 Sewell Social Sciences

Introduces students to the archaeological evidence for the diverse Native American cultures of Wisconsin over the past 12,000 years.
 

ANTH 690: Things and Lifeworlds: Theoretical and Ethnographic Perspectives. (George)

F Location and Time: TBD

A Social Theoretical Compass for the study of Things and Lifeworlds.

CLAS 430: Troy: Myth and Reality (Aylward)

TR 8:25-9:40am, 114 Van Hise Hall

Explores topics in the archaeology of ancient Greece and Rome, such as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the archaeology of Greek and Roman religion, or Late Antique Palaces.

DS 430: History of Textiles  (Gordon)

TR 2:30-3:45pm, 1335 Sterling Hall

Designs and meanings and interrelationships of textiles in selected cultures and time periods.

DS 501: History of Interiors  (Boyd)

TR 2:30-3:45pm, Location: TBD

The course will delve into the designers who gave form to interiors during the Twentieth Century. The careers of these individuals will be viewed within the broader international design community during the period.

DS 642: Taste (Chopra)

T 4:00-6:30pm, 399 Van Hise Hall

Exploration of the idea of taste - both "good" and "bad", in "popular" and "high" culture. Cross-cultural readings from theoretical and historical perspectives, relating to architecture, landscape, public space, art, and clothing.