James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2003

VA3230:04

East Meet West: An Exploration of Artistic Synergies

Townsville HECS Band 1

26 hours lectures, 26 hours tutorials. Full year.

Staff: Assoc. Professor A Silver.

This subject will focus, through a series of slide lectures and discussion, firstly on the Renaissance and the period immediately prior to it, making connections with other world civilisations such as India, China and influences of Islam. There will be an emphasis on relationships between cultural meaning and visual form. Finally there will be an introductory overview of contemporary art of the Asia-Pacific region, which will allow for the discussion of contemporary cultural issues in art.

Learning Objectives:

  1. to gain insight into various aspects of Renaissance and late medieval thinking, art and architecture;
  2. to become acquainted with some aspects of major non-western art and cultures;
  3. to gain an insight in contemporary arts and cultural issues in the Asia-Pacific region;
  4. to realise the importance of having an awareness of other cultural traditions;
  5. to develop research skills to have informed and reflective insights in the subject matter discussed.

Assessment by two sets of interlocking research reports (30% each semester) (60%); tutorial presentation (20%); research (20%).