Art History: Global Avant Garde

Advanced seminar for Art History majors. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisites: Six hours of 2000-level Art History, including three hours in the area of the seminar; minimum Junior standing.

Prereqs: 6 hrs. of 2000-level Art History including 3 hours in the area of the seminar, minimum Jr. standing; PACE students by permission and override.

The course delves into the realm of global modern and contemporary art through the avant-garde perspective. We will chart the lineage of the avant-garde in the Western world, its global dissemination, and finally its adaptations in South Korea. By tracing the origins of avant-garde art from the early 19th century to the post-war period, the class will explore various forms of modern and contemporary art created and distributed across diverse parts of the world. Following the midterm exam, the focus of the class will shift to East Asian, as well as South Korean art collectives that embraced avant-garde expressions in art, music, performance, and literature to advance their cultural and political critiques against the military regimes. We will analyze the various artistic strategies and tactics employed by these dissidents to promote democratic reforms. A group of young South Korean artists united in art collectives to obscure their dissident stance and resistance by recontextualizing Western avant-garde art concepts. The intricate relationship between art and politics will be examined by scrutinizing various manifestations of political and social criticism by South Korean artists and intellectuals within the realm of art and visual culture, as well as by artists from other parts of the world. During the post-WWII years, South Korea was predominantly governed by military-oriented authoritarian regimes that adhered to a Cold War ideology following the Korean War (1950-1953) until 1993. During this period, while the country experienced rapid economic development with its American alliance and a seemingly democratic political system, the negative consequences of the economic boom included severe restrictions on human rights and political dissent. Communist witch hunts were as prevalent in South Korea as they were in the United States during the McCarthy era. The South Korean interpretations of the avant-garde will be discussed in comparison to their European, American, Japanese, Chinese, Latin American, African, and Middle Eastern counterparts. In addition to addressing various topics related to South Korean and global avant-garde, this course will also explore postcolonial theories relevant to South Korean and non-Western cultures, along with the histories and theories of protest and activism in art. Furthermore, it will include a comparative critique of various global avant-garde art forms.

Attendance and Courtesy Policy: Consistent attendance in each class is imperative for your learning experience. I provide my students with insights, tips, and strategies for impending assignments and exam deadlines at the start of each class. Thus, arriving on time is the easiest and most crucial way for you to succeed in this course. Regular absences, late arrivals, or early departures will have a negative impact on your participation, exam/assignment performance, and final grade. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Being in the classroom before the designated class time will earn you extra attendance points. To receive a passing grade, only three unexcused absences are permissible. Nevertheless, to ensure fairness to students who never miss class, each unexcused absence will result in a 2% reduction of the final grade, and each unexcused instance of lateness will result in a 1% reduction of your final grade. Leaving the classroom early will be considered lateness and is only acceptable in emergencies and with the instructor’s permission. I'm confident you wouldn't want to miss our class, considering how much you'll enjoy it! Make sure to be present and engaged in class discussions. Please make regular checks of your UVM school email and Class Brightspace, as I will use them for important announcements, class assignments, and resource sharing.

Assignment and Evaluations: This is first and foremost a course where students will be asked to think, question, and respond to texts and visual images. While weekly readings will be discussed in class, students are also expected to contribute their responses to the readings through class participation, weekly reading responses, and presentations alongside mid-term and final take-home exams, and a final essay. Class lecture slides will be uploaded to the class Brightspace after each class. Attendance/Participation (10 %) ONE written and oral reading responses (No more than 2 single-spaced pages, a 5-minute talk in class, 10 %, a total of 20 %) -Introduce the author and the reading in the contemporary context before your discussion/questions on the reading itself (Detailed guidelines are on page 6) Take Home Midterm Exam Essays (20%) Take Home Final Exam Essays (20%) Final Paper Presentation (10%, a 5-10-minute talk on the final paper topic) Final paper (20%) (5 doubled spaced pages response papers on avant-garde artwork(s) or exhibition(s) on view, incorporating the readings in the course) Optional Extra Credit Essay (5%) on That Sugar Film on Brightspace) *All written assignments should be typed in a standard (such as Times New Roman), 11 or 12-size font with 1-inch margins on all four sides of the pages and submitted as a PDF to Brightspace.