Anthropology of art 1

The Anthropology of Art overlaps with art history, aesthetics, material culture studies, and visual anthropology. On this introductory course we shall critically explore the role and meaning of masks, paintings, photography, museums, tourist and street art, and the human body. Some of the questions we discuss are “Is there a universal concept of beauty or an indigenous aesthetic? Why do different cultures decorate their walls and floors on different ways? Is the human body increasingly seen as a visual canvas? What is the role of museums and ethnographic collections”. We address how an anthropological approach to art is distinguished by a global and local understanding, and the social relationships involved in the making of art objects. How does a culture produce different art styles and to what extent does the value of art change when transported cross culturally? On a practical level students will additionally analyse the form and function of objects and the status of artists in the community through role play and handling visual material. This course concludes with a museum visit.