ART 386 - Revolutionary Art and Global Politics in the 1930s

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

What is revolutionary art? The question resounded in the 1930s in the wake of a global depression and the rise of fascism. This seminar explores the internationalism and intersectionality of socially-conscious art in the 1930s through the lens of exhibition design. Drawing on the collection of the Loeb Art Center, the course highlights radical art across the globe (from muralism in Mexico to Soviet socialist realism) while inviting students to imagine a related exhibition that would present the material to a general audience. We broach questions from the 1930s that remain relevant today: What are the artist’s obligations, if any, to participating in the events of the day? What is the relationship between revolutionary form and content? How can art advance positive social change? Can it? Should it? John Murphy.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

One 2-hour period.

Course Format: CLS