Crosslisted ASIAN 582.001

Join a group of adventurous students for a semester to learn about how art and nature are intertwined in the Himalayas, one of the most beautiful and diverse mountain ranges in the world. Together, we will go on a series of virtual backpacking expeditions along trails trod by traders, conquerors, and pilgrims to the sources of South Asia's sacred rivers, pausing at temple towns crowded with ancient monuments. At these sites, we will read ancient inscriptions, uncover forgotten settlements, and enter fresco-crowded shrines crowded with glimmering statuary. Then, will traverse through alpine meadows and glaciers to witness how development pressures and climate change are transforming ecologically fragile landscapes and diverse cultures. Thereafter, we will cross high passes and briefly enter adjacent lands including war-torn Afghanistan to see how the region's cultural heritage is being preserved and Tibetan Plateau to survey how ethnically Tibetan artists are responding to Chinese occupation. The course includes a virtual spring break when students will be assisted in making their own plans for armchair travels to other parts of the Himalayas including picturesque Kashmir, Kathmandu Valley with its masked performances, and Tiger's Nest, a cliffside monastery in Bhutan.

All students will also be able to participate in engaging classroom discussions on questions whose ramifications go beyond the classroom's confines: How is nature transformed into art? How do words, images, and edifices operate? Can images and edifices claim legitimacy that words may not and vice-versa? What do makers owe their readers/viewers? Additionally, students will have a chance to examine banners, ritual implements, and manuscript paintings in the reserve collections of the U-M Anthropology Museum, Art Museum, and in the Special Collections Library. Graduate students will be encouraged to conduct original research and to write their term papers on topics that can be readily developed into conference presentations and public-facing scholarship.

HISTART Concentration Distributions: Asia, Europe and the U.S., Ancient, Modern and Contemporary.

Estimated Cost of Materials: Less than $50

Textbook: none. All readings will be made available on Canvas.