University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs
AAA S 335
(GA;IL)
(ART H 335)
African Art (3) Introduction to the visual arts of Africa, including contemporary African art and the influence of African art outside Africa.
AAA S (ART H) 335 African Art (3)
(GA;IL)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
The course will examine the arts of various African peoples in historical, religious, sociological and geographic contexts, providing an introduction to the many visual art forms of Africa including masquerade, costume, and indigenous architecture. While the vast majority of documented art objects in this field of study are sculpture from West Africa, the course will also include materials from South and East Africa as well as Nubia. Contemporary African art, the influence of African art on European art and African-American art are important topics that will conclude this to course. In addition to the traditional format of a geographic organization of the material, students will explore thematic approaches. Literature, in the form of the novel, Arrow of God by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe which includes a character who is a traditional sculptor, may also be used to provide a cultural backdrop for the mid-term examination. Each of the topic assignments requires completion of essays which draw upon the multiple course texts and readings. Museum visits to collections in New York or Washington DC may also be part of the requirements. Exams include slide identification and short essays. As ART H/AAA S 335 will be regularly offered as a Distance Education course, a packet of illustrations will substitute for slide presentations and the actual examination of pieces owned by the instructor.