Japanese art history is a dynamic and innovative field, exemplary compared to other regional art histories. Its intellectual excellence can be attributed to synergies between two main fields of Art history and Area studies, combining visual and regional expertise. In particular, through its strong relation to area studies, the art history of Japan is drawn to interdisciplinary cooperation and dialogue. This course invites students to explore Japanese art in a global context and to identify research subjects that appeal to the broader academic audiences. Focusing on art history's connections with other research fields, from gender studies to socio-political studies, this class is based on a series of case studies from modern and contemporary Japanese art, with each session dedicated to art history's relation to a specific discipline. This integrated approach encourages interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations to interpret visual materials in a new and innovative way. Moreover, this course emphasizes a decentering approach, challenging the existing framework of Japanese modern/contemporary art history. This course utilizes the collection of the University of Michigan Art Museum and brings together the academic resources from the University of Colorado, Boulder (CU Boulder). Students will learn and collaborate with their peers from CU Boulder through interactive joint learning sessions (total 6 sessions on Mondays). By the end of the semester, you will be able to critically analyze Japanese art and understand Japanese art history using interdisciplinary and decentering approaches.

HISTART Concentration Distributions: Modern and Contemporary & Asia

Image: Yuken Teruya (1973 - ) You-I You-I (2022), banana fiber, woven, dyed, 169 x 148 cm.