Eddie Chambers

This class will begin with considerations of African Diaspora identity formations and how such formations and histories relate to the broad subject of the class ¿ African Diaspora art history. We will consider the work of a number of leading artists of the African Diaspora, located throughout the world in geographic regions such as the Americas, Europe and artists emerging out of the continent of Africa itself. With African Diaspora art history being such a relatively recent addition to the canon of art history, pretty much all of the artists we look at in this class will be reflective of the modern and contemporary art history periods.

Artists include Keith Piper, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, Sonia Boyce, Isaac Julien and others whose work can be seen as emerging from a confluence of factors including migration, diaspora, history and identity. The class will use a variety of texts, most frequently catalogue essays relating to artists of the African Diaspora, many of whom are now established figures in exhibitions and biennales. Readings will also include texts by art historians and curators who have worked with, or written about, such artists. The texts will demonstrate the extent to which African Diaspora identity formations are often central to nuanced readings of these artists¿ practices.

Students are required to submit one short `reaction¿ paper each week, plus a short research paper at the end of the semester. The main emphasis of the seminar will be on active class participation and discussion of the artists and their work.

This class will begin with considerations of African Diaspora identity formations and how such formations and histories relate to the broad subject of the class ¿ African Diaspora art history. We will consider the work of a number of leading artists of the African Diaspora, located throughout the world in geographic regions such as the Americas, Europe and artists emerging out of the continent of Africa itself. With African Diaspora art history being such a relatively recent addition to the canon of art history, pretty much all of the artists we look at in this class will be reflective of the modern and contemporary art history periods.

Artists include Keith Piper, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, Sonia Boyce, Isaac Julien and others whose work can be seen as emerging from a confluence of factors including migration, diaspora, history and identity. The class will use a variety of texts, most frequently catalogue essays relating to artists of the African Diaspora, many of whom are now established figures in exhibitions and biennales. Readings will also include texts by art historians and curators who have worked with, or written about, such artists. The texts will demonstrate the extent to which African Diaspora identity formations are often central to nuanced readings of these artists¿ practices.

Students are required to submit one short `reaction¿ paper each week, plus a short research paper at the end of the semester. The main emphasis of the seminar will be on active class participation and discussion of the artists and their work.

Beginning in the late 18th century and continuing into the 21st century, artists have attempted to create images that represent enslavement and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This seminar begins with a consideration of the infamous 'plan of a slave ship' by an uncredited British artist and continues through a history of frequently compelling, troubling and engaging images, right up to the present-day. The seminar considers engravings, paintings, sculptures made in different parts of the world and also references images in popular culture, and representations of enslavement in postage stamps, on book covers and so on, with a focus on the work of modern and contemporary artists.
The seminar will use a variety of texts, most frequently catalogue essays relating to artists such as Kara Walker, Godfried Donkor, Keith Piper and others who have taken various aspects of enslavement as subject matter for their work. We will watch extracts of representations of enslavement on television, and film works such as Steve McQueen's '12 Years a Slave' and Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained'. Our readings will also include texts by art historians such as Marcus Wood and academics such as Catherine Hall. The texts will demonstrate the extent to which enslavement has always been, and remains, a gripping though uncomfortable subject.
Students are required to submit one short 'reaction' paper each week, plus a longer 12-15 page research paper at the end of the semester. The main emphasis of the seminar will be on active class participation.