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Humanities 110

East Meets West

Instructor: Mrs. Flora CarterOffice: Art Bldg, Room 122

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East Meets West• Mrs. Flora Carter, Instructor• Voice Mail: (209) 575-6000-8-6802• E-mail; carterf@yosemite.cc.ca.us

(Arts and Humanities Division Office:Auditorium Bldg, Rom 106, Phone: 575-

6081).

INTRODUCTION TO COURSE

-Who is this class for?

-What is/are the humanities?

-Course description

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Who is this class for?

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What is the humanities?

What are the humanities?

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What is the humanities?

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A Full Life What are your current views toward what it means to live a full life?

What specific things does one have to achieve and work for to live as full as life as possible?

--> In what ways have people answered these questions over time? In different places or circumstances?

The Humanities: a discipline, which studies the creative and intellectual achievements of humanity.

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For example, a philosophy question:

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Perspectives

Expectations

Unfamiliar

Ourselves,Our relationships

What does “East” and “West” mean?

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1. Cultural Interaction in the world.

America, a culture? Heritage: disconnections, links.

2. Creative and intellectual achievements as culture.

Meaning/quality of (my) life?

3. General Education

Liberal ArtsWhy do I work?

Culture in Society, in Humanities

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How will we study the humanities in “EAST MEETS WEST”?

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PREREQUISITES.

REQUIRED TEXTS (all paperback. Handouts and material on reserve as necessary).

-- Handout: Excerpt from Art with a Difference.

-- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Anchor, 1959.

-- Chuang Tzu, Basic Writings. trans. by Burton Watson. Columbia UP, 1964.

-- Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, compiled by Paul Reps, Tuttle Publishing, 1998. -- Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee. Fawcett Crest, 1989.

Humanities 110 East Meets West

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Grading Scale:COURSE REQUIREMENTS. % 90-100 = A-Responses, exercises 40 80-89 = B -Short reports, essays 30 70-79 = C-Museum visit and report 20 60-69 = D-Final essay 10 below 60 = F

Grades are based on points earned and generally follow standard proportions and percentages.

COURSE DESCRIPTION. Thematic and comparative approach.

OBJECTIVES. Introduction to issues, ideas, art forms, themes, symbols. Skill-building in cross-cultural analysis and critical appreciation.

CLASS FORMAT. Lecture/discussion/presentations. Cultural events.

Humanities 110 East Meets West

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2. EXPERIENCE OF SEEING

Lenses:PracticalEmotionalAestheticIntellectual/formalCritical

3. MEANING

Affected by several factors:textcontextsubtext

1. “ORIENTATION.” How do we make sense of what is unfamiliar? Chaotic?

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CONCEPT OF “WESTERN”

Historical:

Origin and spread of Classical ideas and formsAncient Greece/Rome -> Colonies

European Revivals -> Colonies Renaissance NeoClassical Period

TransitionRomantic PeriodModern PeriodPost-Modern Period

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Spread of ideas via: Waves:

Trade, colonization, war . . . BCE 300 into CE 21st cent.

Americas, Africa, Far East CE 1500- 1800s

EAST impacts WEST WEST impacts EAST

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6. Concept of “East” or “Non-West”: are projections.

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Experiencing a “foreign” culture

a tour

tourist experience

Exercise for next time: Write about your most notable experience with a “foreign” culture. Instructions on the bottom of Exercise I questionnaire. Write on the back.

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•Attendance, preparation and participation

- quality of class, experience. -->Bring the book(s) we are working with to class.

Academic Integrity•Reference: http://mhhe.com/fiero•click on “mhhe.com/fiero Student Center” for refresher on

» Summary» Paraphrasing» Avoiding Plagiarism

–Credit and cite all sources, including »Web Sources

East Meets West

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Assignments: Format

(Handwritten and Typewritten).

Carter/Hum 105 TTh [Date due]______[Student Name]______________

[Assignment:] Response, Art/DiffGrade/Credit: _____ [Type Topic pages]

[Begin the body of your essay about here . . .]

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2. EXERCISES.A. Typed CRITICAL RESPONSES

B. OTHER EXERCISES

3. SHORT REPORTS. CULTURAL EVENTS Reports

MINI-REPORT and PRESENTATION

4. MUSEUM VISIT--TERM PROJECT

Field Trip: Stanford U., Cantor Center for the Visual Arts.

East Meets West

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East Meets West

6. CLASS PARTICIPATION CREDIT

7. RESOURCES

8. SERVICES

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EAST Meets WEST: SCHEDULE and TOPICS (Subject to adjustment as necessary)

1. Introduction to Course: A Humanities a Tool kit.

2. “Western Art + Other Cultures: Encountering Difference,” Responses.Handout: from Art With A Difference by Diepeveen + van Laar.Ch. 2.

Local Gallery/Museum visitand Short Report.

3. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Narrative and Novel. Colonialism.Part I, pp. 3-125 Part II, p. 129-167 Part III, p. 171-209. Responses.

4. West Meets East. Philosophies and Culture: Overview. Issues. Field Trip Museum Visit Museum Report.

5. Mysticism, Pantheism and Trade. Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings. “Butterfly philosopher,” Taoism; parable, anecdote, allegory, paradox. China: calligraphy, poetry, landscape. The Silk Road.

Responses. 6. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

Writings on immanent experience from 4000 years ago to now. Responses.Attend Performance and Report

7. Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee: Coping with Change. Tradition, Colonialism. Film. India to USA.Syncretism, Cultural Dynamism Final Exam.

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• IMPORTANT DATES:

• Regional Gallery visit Short Gallery Report: M Sep 27.

• Presentations: East/West Encounters/Comparisons:

Presentation w Outline + Assessment• Cluster I China/Japan and the West M/W Oct 11/13 • Cluster II Silk Road/Middle East & the West M/W Nov 1/3 • Cluster III India/SE Asia and the West M/W Nov 29/Dec 1

• Class Bay area Field Trip: Museum Visit: Sat. Oct 29 Field Trip Report: M Nov 15

• Performance Event Report (and last day for XC) Mon, Nov. 29.

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East Meets West

• STUDY TIPS.

• WRITTEN RESPONSES– Personal Response– Critical Response – Common Goals– Things to try

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•EXERCISES, RESPONSES

•SHORT REPORTS.

- CULTURAL EVENTS REPORTS(range: mini, midi to maxi: from 1 to 6-8 pages)

- PRESENTATION with Outline East/West Encounters/Comparisons

- (Class Field Trip) and REPORT

•CLASS PARTICIPATION CREDIT

•RESOURCES Commodore Perry's Black Ships and the 150th Anniversary of US-Japan Relations, inaugurated in 1853.

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LOCAL and AREA VENUES:

VISUAL ARTS

MUSIC

THEATER

Valley events, check Friday’s Modesto Bee, “Scene” section on Fridays (or: www.modbee.com/life/scene).

For the Bay Area and surroundings, check the San Francisco Chronicle “Datebook,” published every Sunday (or www.sfgate/eguide).

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East Meets West3-Level Analysis and Interpretation Model

1. Text2. Context3. Subtext

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3-Level ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION PRACTICE SHEET. A. THE TEXT: The text is the BODY or SUBSTANCE OF THE PRIMARY SOURCE.

Ask yourself about the text:

1. MEDIUM, that is, what is it made of? Is it made of clay, stone, a group of words, sounds in rhythmic progression? Describe the character of the medium,

2. FORM does it take, that is, what is its type? Is it a wall painting, a free-standing sculpture, a poem, a chant? How is it composed/ organized?

3. CONTENT, that is, what does it express, what quality/character does it convey, what subject matter, meaning, message (if any) does it intend to relate?

4. STYLE? How does the artist use the formal and material properties of the work (visual/verbal/gestural/musical, etc.), whether representational or abstract, to create a distinctive form of expression?

B. THE CONTEXT: refers to the HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT in which the text was produced. In what time and place did it originate? How did it function in its own time? Did it serve the religious needs of the community, political needs, purely aesthetic needs?

C. SUBTEXT: refers to IMPLIED MEANINGS (not explicitly stated) and BROADER IMPLICATIONS :What about the text’s intent? How does the work reveal the values or concerns of the age in which it was created? Is the implied meaning religious? political? psychological? Other? Does it have an emotional charge? How does/could the work mediate the meaning of our lives, today?

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For next meeting: Complete questionnaire and Read Handout:

EXERCISE I. Last page of Syllabus. Answer questions, and, on the back of the sheet:

Write 2-3 paragraphs describing your most notable experience with a “foreign” culture. Briefly, describe the circumstances—what happened? Did you experience “culture shock”? Please explain. What did you get out of the experience?

READ HANDOUT: “Western Art and Other Cultures: Encountering Difference,” to page ___. Jot down key terms/3 main ideas, and 3 questions, to prepare for discussion.

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32Spread of European Colonization, 1600-1700.

www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/ history_world.html

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4. CONCEPT OF “WESTERN”

Origin and spread of Classical ideas, formsAncient Greece/Rome ca. 500 BCE - 500 CE

especially 300 BCEEuropean Revivals -> Colonies

Renaissance ca. 1400 CE - 1600 CE

NeoClassical Per. ca. 1700s - e. 1800sTransition: Orientalism, Occidentalism

Romantic, European Colonialism Modern Period mid-1800s - e. 1950sPost-Modern Period late 1900s - present

Spread of ideas via trade, colonization, missionersBCE 300 . . . CE 1500 - 1800s

EAST impacts WESTWEST impacts EAST

6. Concept of “East” or “Non-West” as projections.

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European Colonization by World War I.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/images/article/colonies.gif

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Encountering Difference.

East Meets West

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Babangi Mask

African

(Upper Congo) 19th c. CE

Apollo. Classical Greek. Temple of Zeus at Olympia, 468-460 BCE.

Meditating BuddhaSarnath, Indian.d.

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Art with a Difference. TERMS. Chapter 2. (a work in progress)

CLASSICISM--NEOCLASSICISM

ORIENTALISM /Orient / EASTRomanticism

OCCIDENTALISM /Occident / WEST

PRIMITIVISM /primitiveNeoprimitivism

TRIBAL people

A/D Chapter 2 Thesis:

THE OTHER:difference and power.

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Art with a Difference. TERMS. Chapter 2. (a work in progress)

Neoclassical /classical: 18th –19th c. movement: desire to recreate Greco-Roman art. Classical art: (500 BCE-500CE.) characterized as rational, balanced, clear, harmony of parts. Subject: human figure.

Romanticism: 19th c. movement focused on nature (outer/inner), feeling, subjectivity, exotic, sense of the sublime.

Orientalism/Orient: (from L. “oriri” to rise. Orient: direction of the rising sun. Poetic way of indicating East. Attitude: depicts Middle East, Asia as exotic, sexualized places.

Occidentalism/Occident: (from L “occidere,” to fall, set (of the sun): west.

Characteristic features of occidental peoples or culture.Occidental: member of occidental peoples especially: a person of

European ancestry.Characterization of Westerners by Non-Westerners or impact of Westerners on Non-Westerners

39Eugene Delacroix,. Death of Sardanapalus. 1827.

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Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

French (1780-1867) The Turkish Bath. 1862.

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I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else. Pablo Picasso

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

It takes a long time to become young. Pablo Picasso

We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth. Pablo Picasso

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Primitivism/primitive: the representation of tribal cultures as either noble innocents or violent and sexually threatening peoples.

Neoprimitivism: discovery of tribal arts (Picasso Demoiselles, Gauguin: South Seas; Stravinsky (Rites of Spring); Kirchner: Expressionism; Ravel: Javanese gamelan music; African-American jazz).

tribal: relating to social group comprising numerous families, clans, generations together with slaves, dependents, or adopted strangers.

Art/Difference Thesis: both Orientalism and primitivism promote stereotyped generalizations that are essentially wrong about subject.

The Other: constructs / ideas of poorly known cultures about which thinker has some vague idea and use these ideas primarily in terms of difference (exaggerated) and power (unbalanced).

Problems: misunderstandings are left uncorrected by dominant group.

44Pablo Picasso. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. 1907.

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Art is either plagiarism or revolution.

Civilization is what makes you sick.

I shut my eyes in order to see.

Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)French painter: a Romantic painter noted for massive simplified themes, impassive figures and exotic backgrounds

47Paul Gauguin. Day of the Gods. 1894.

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Modern (late 19th c..+) concept of “art”: a pure thing for aesthetic contemplation,unencumbered by utilitarian and other social concerns

“aesthetic” sense of what is visually or sensually appropriate to a given work or context.2] (p.47) (a more mixed activity than formalism). Participates in human concerns.

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Modern concept of “art”(starting in the late 19th c. +)

“PURE”FORMALIST APPROACH:

Formal: addresses basic elements of art

ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACH:ethnographic knowledge vs. taboo

(Ethnography: branch of anthropologyconcerned with description of ethnic groups)

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1. Formalist approach:

Emphasizes looks, not use in context. Emphasizes solely aesthetic/sensory qualities

-->Formal/ basic elements of art: color, shape, patterns, textures suggests a formal universal language

Problems: * pretends to be neutral, but

works presented in an incomplete context Imposes a new function on tribal works

(=> // concerns to Western: not right either).hidden imperialist agenda?

Desire for ethnographic knowledge sometimes oversteps bounds of taboos

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2. Anthropological approach:

•emphasizes mainly understanding how art fits in social practices. •A specimen;•ignores aesthetic aspects.

Problems:•Not really objective.• Really merely a simulation of anthropological approach

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“Provisional understanding”

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James Luna (b. 1950). The Artifact Piece. 1986.

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imperialism: the extension or imposition of power and dominion of a nation over another, esp. by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining control over the political and economic life of other areas (imperial <= L. imperium: command, empire).

universalism: people are basically alike and can communicate this similarity w each other have essential shared qualities with other people (but unverifiable/paternalistic)

relativism: people are unique products of their cultures

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Storyteller

James Luna

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IMPERIALISM

universalism

POSTMODERNISM

syncretism

cultural dynamism (61)

provisional understanding:

contextualization

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postmodernism: there is no ultimate truth (vs. strong believers in one/ritual)

syncretism: combining of two or more cultures into a new culture

cultural dynamism(61): ability for a culture to change, evolve, control its destiny

provisional understanding: be open to change: not either extreme of difference/correspondence; be adjustable to different circumstances and stages,

e.g.1st by formal properties, then go next in service of its own context

contextualization:

-->Try to see subject through artist’s / sculptor’s eyes.

Late 20th-21st Centuries

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More Layers

Provisional Understanding -

Eugen Delacroix

60Eugene Delacroix (French). Algerian Women in their Apartment. e. 19th c. .

19th c. Romanticism

61N. African Arabs, “the true Greeks.”

Delacroix

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Conceiving New Contexts

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Madame Butterfly1st performed 1904.

Opera

Conceiving New Contexts

1990s Musical

64Hokusai (Japan), Great Wave. ca. 1831. Colored woodblock print.

65Hokusai, Great Wave “flipped.”

66Hokusai (Japan), Great Wave. ca. 1831. Back “to rights” again . . . Now for some other reconceptions . . . .

67Claude Monet. Haystack in the Mist. 1898. Boston MA.

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Celebration of the Humanities Annual Student Competition

Over $3500 in Cash Awards!! OPEN TO ALL MJC STUDENTS

Enter your original creation, interpretation or commentary in words or

one of the following arts:

Juried Categories:Visual arts, Theater, Photography, Film, Video, Dance, Speech,

Music, Writing.

Entry Deadline: March 29! Awards Ceremony: April 12!Details: Humanities Celebration website www.gomjc.org/celebration

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For Next time:--Finish reading Ch. 2 “Encountering Difference” and

--Prepare a type-written response. Follow guidelines in Syllabus.Due:

--Be ready to discuss last part of “Encounter” section. (Next up, Achebe, Things Fall Apart).__________________________________________________-->Reminder: Holiday, Monday.

-->Reminder: Only __ weekends before Art in Context assignment due,___________. See Syllabus for Individual Assignment:Gallery/Museum visit: Art in Context guidelines .

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Fall Annual Storytelling Festival at MJC!

The first event of the day will be a Storytelling Workshop for adults (directed but not limited to teachers and librarians) in the Main Auditorium. Certificates of participation will be given for professional advancement.

Second, The Family Concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Main Auditorium.

The final event of the day will be The Ghost Story Concert (recommended for people ages 10 and older) that begins at 9 p.m. and the location is TBA.

A full festival package for all three events is offered to adults.

Storytellers, dates and times for events, and fees for children and adults, TBA.

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East Meets West Hum 110

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East Meets West Hum 110

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A couple of perceptual questions:

-- How do we make sense of /cope with

the unfamiliar?

the chaotic

the absurd?

-- Why are some things more important than others?

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CONCEPT OF “WESTERN”

Origin and spread of ideas, formsAncient Greece/Rome ca. 500 BCE - 500 CE

Europe Renaissance ca. 1400 CE - 1600 CE

NeoClassical Period ca. 1700s - e. 1800s

Modern Period late 1800s - e. 1950s

Post-Modern exchange late 1900s - present

SPREAD of IDEAS 300 BCE - 21st. C. trade, colonization 1500 - 1800s

EAST impacts WESTWEST impacts EAST

Concepts of “East” or “Non-West” as cultural projections.

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4. CONCEPT OF “WESTERN”

Predessors of Classical ideas, forms

Ancient Greece/Rome ca. 500 BCE - 500 CE

European Revivals spread to -> Colonies Renaissance ca. 1400 CE - 1600 CE NeoClassical Per. ca. 1700s - e. 1800s

Transition: Orientalism, Occidentalism Romanticism, European Colonialism Modern Period mid-1800s - e. 1950sPost-Modern Period late 1900s - present

Spread of ideas via trade, colonization, missionersBCE 300 . . . CE 1500 - 1800s

EAST impacts WESTWEST impacts EAST

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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Eastern and Western ways of--perceiving and ordering experience through art, reflection and interpretation. --Discussion of East and West as mental designations. --ways cultures use arts and commentary to deal

survival, communality, spirituality and self-knowledge. Areas of study include literary and visual arts, film, music and environmental arts, as well as theoretical and historical comparisons. Field Trips. Letter grade or credit/no credit.

OBJECTIVES: Become familiar with art forms, themes and symbols that thread their ways through Eastern and other Non-Western cultures. Widen your interests and knowledge of arts and thought systems beyond Western traditions. Make connections and comparisons that lead to a fuller understanding of the works and the implications for ourselves. Experience original art, attend live performances and develop literacy about them. Gain skills in cross-cultural analysis, develop your ability to support a thesis and to communicate in a logical and concise manner about the arts and ideas they inspired.

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CLASS FORMAT: --Lectures and discussion, reading, writing, group work, presentations. --Supplements: art and cultural images, films, audio recordings and handouts, guest speakers, attendance at cultural events.

Attendance, preparation and participation in this class are important and required.

You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss topics. Bring the book(s) we are working with to class.

You are free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered

You are responsible for learning the content of study.

You are expected to contribute to the mission of the class and respect each other. Academic Integrity: The work you do for this course will be your own. You are not to submit other people’s work and represent it as your own. However, you will be expected to work collaboratively with others during the course. Plagiarism is taking someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. For explanations and tips on avoiding plagiarism visit website noted in Syllabus.

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Major AssignmentsShort Gallery/Museum Report

Museum Visit: Field Trip Museum Report Performance Event Report Short Class Presentations and Reports on

East/West Encounters/ComparisonsChina/Japan and WestSilk Road and WestIndia/SE Asia and West

Contest Opportunity!! MJC Contest Opportunity!!

Celebration of the Humanities Annual Student Competition!

Entry Deadline end of March!Visual Arts, Theater, Photography, Film, Video, Dance, Speech, Music, Writing