ART 260 - Material, Meaning, and Making: Buddhist Devotional Art

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as ASIA 260) Buddhism teaches that the physical world is illusory, impermanent, and fleeting. And yet, Buddhists have produced architectural and artistic masterworks for millenia in a variety of media. How do we reconcile the contradiction between a doctrine that teaches detachment from physical objects and the tangible, material artefacts produced in the name of these teachings? Through close study of major sites and monuments from South, Central, and East Asia, we will explore how the objects of Buddhist devotion were produced with careful consideration of both Buddhist doctrine and the materials of artistic production. Opportunities for hands-on exploration of historical production techniques are being explored.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS