AD 3440: Latin american Art in the Twentieth-Century

Course Resources:

Link to Omeka Sites

Modern and Contemporary Art

Course Information

This course is intended to provide you with a comprehensive yet critical understanding of the creative achievements of Latin American artists in the 20th century art. Starting our discussion in the 1920s, we will study major currents in the visual arts of Latin American countries - particularly Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico -, focusing on artists whose works and examples left a vivid mark on the history of art. We will consider each movement and artist in both their specific socio-cultural context and in a larger art historical perspective. We will discuss, for instance, the creation of a national Mexican artistic identity in the wake of the Mexican Revolution, as well as the Brazilian and Argentinian artists’ use of conceptual art as subversive strategy during the military dictatorships of the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout the semester, we will continuously raise the questions of whether it is possible to identify a specifically “Latin American” style or imagery, and of what terminology might be used to talk about art made by artists from that region. Finally we will examine the role and position of Latin American artists within the international art scene.
In addition to building your knowledge and understanding of Latin American art, you will also develop your analytical and writing skills through weekly writing exercises. 
This course fulfills the CLA Core Curriculum Requirement for “Other Culture”