Meets together with RCHUMS 357.001 (Home Dept) and ISLAM 390.001

How has art developed in Palestine since the formation of the state of Israel? How do artists produce work under occupation? How has a notion of Palestinian art developed in a society that lacks statehood and is divided geographically both regionally and in diaspora? This course aims to explore these and related questions through an examination of Palestinian art production from 1948 to the present. Beginning with an overview of Palestinian art prior to 1948, the course then traces Palestinian art production within historic Palestine (present-day Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza) and the diaspora. We will look both chronologically and thematically at how artists have addressed issues such as exile, occupation, diaspora, and resistance over the last 70 years. Students will develop skills in visual analysis, critical thinking, and academic writing. These skills will be honed and demonstrated through group work, in-class participation, serving as discussion lead for one class, an in-class presentation, and two writing assignments (an analysis of one work, and an argumentative paper about a topic in Palestinian art of the student’s choice). No prior knowledge of art history or Palestinian history required.

HISTART Concentration Distributions: Middle East, Modern & Contemporary