230577 Latino Art in the United States (S) (WiSe 2008/2009)

We will be investigating the Mexican tradition and its influences on the American art scene. The course will focus on three major areas:

1) Historical background- (including a brief history of Mexico, of which the southwest states were once a part), and the influx of Mexican painters in the U.S. (Rivera, Siqueiros, Martinez, Orozco, etc.)

2) Influences of the Mexican painters on artwork in the U.S., particularly mural painting and graffiti art

3) The impact of the art on the Latino psyche in the U.S. (in some places about 35% of the population)

Beginning with the Mexican Muralists, Diego Rivieras, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Alfredo Martinez and Jose Orozco, we will trace the origins of the mural art form and its impact on the emerging Latino identity. Political issues will be discussed and there will be some practice with painting analysis.

This class requires active participation in all aspects, researching, presenting, and discussing. We will be using excerpts and online searching. Participants will research class topics and make a group presentation. Each class member will make contact with a "Chicana/o" artist. This contact will be documented and each student will give a report on "their" artist and his/her artwork. There will be a final examination.