Directions: For this Forum, you must post an original statement between 150-300 words before Sunday 11:59 pm.  You may 1) respond to a prompt made by the professor below, or 2) respond to a post made previously by a classmate, or 3) come up with your own original topic (so long as it deals with one of the readings assigned for this week).  Please make clear by title/author/page number, which part of which text you discuss. Responses to these questions don’t have “right” and “wrong,” provided you make a good faith effort to deal with the readings.   (These generic instructions will apply every week!)  Remember, we looking for reactions here, which means there seldom will be a “right” or a “wrong” answer.  Just be thoughtful! 

PROMPT ONE

Version A.  The chapter written by Nato Thompson proposes to place “a focus on fear in light of the deployment of culture.” (77)  Describe a way in which Thompson’s discussion has prompted you to rethink some aspect of the American experience by critically examining how the production of “fear” either shaped your initial view of those events or has helped you to deconstruct it now. The events you focus on can be either personal or reflect events in the community or the nation.  

Version B. How did Nato Thompson’s examination of “fear machines” [the chapter title] influence your understanding about the intersection or race and divided culture? 

PROMPT TWO:   Chang contends that Asian-American artists tended to get overlooked, their careers falling into oblivion. Recovering those almost-lost works, letting them “emerge from the shadows,” demonstrates “that Asian American experiences were an integral part of the social and political fabric of the country.”  (xi)  For what reasons were Asian Americans artists overlooked previously?  Discuss the life and career of two of the artists mentioned by Chang, with particular attention to how their art expressed a sense of the artist’s racial identity. 

PROMPT THREE:   Chang writes, “art may lead us to better understand the forms of political expression.”  He observers further that many Asian-American artists “were profoundly affected by contemporary social movements and participated as artist activists.”  (xiii)  In “The Power of Imagery in Advancing Civil Rights,” Childs articulates a similar thesis.  Her article profiles an exhibit by Maurice Berger.  Compare and contrast how each author, one scholar and one journalist, discuss how images make a powerful vehicle to discuss sensitive racial issues.

BLOCK 3 READINGS

Gordon Chang, “Emerging from the Shadows: The Visual Arts and Asian American History” (Links to an external site.)

Nato Thompson, “Seeing Power” Chapter 5 from Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 21st Century

Nato Thompson, “Fear Machines” Chapter 4 from Culture as a Weapon: The Art of Influence in Everyday Life

“Feminist Art” (Links to an external site.) at the Art Story www.theartstory.org (Links to an external site.) . Specifically, read:

The Main Page (Links to an external site.)

The History and Concepts Page (Links to an external site.)

Also note that the Artworks (Links to an external site.) page is assigned as part of this week’s art page.

BLOCK 3 ART

Here is this week’s art. This week we begin to increase the amount of assigned art and also to allow you more leeway in the selection of art you’d like to comment on in the Discussion Board.

WARNING: In Weeks 4 and 5 the amount of art each week will increase. And you will find that art on pages that include additional background reading.

BLOCK 3 LECTURES

For Week 3, view the following lectures. You need not view these lectures prior to the Midterm; however, Lecture 6 might be useful for the Midterm. Lecture 7 was the one on Impeachment and is included in the Block 2 Live Session. Thus, in this Block we go from Lec 6 to Lec 8.

LECTURE10: Art and Activism (Links to an external site.) (67 minutes)

This lecture builds from the .pdf by Chang. Read it prior to watching the video.

This lecture also plays with the ideas focused on in Elsewhere in America. At least read the Introduction before you view the lecture.

LECTURE 11: Feminism, Art, and Activism (Links to an external site.)

VIDEO: watch each of the linked videos below and treat them as lectures. The goal in having you view them is to make you think about how to look at art. What mindset should you have? What cultural values can be deduced just by looking at something? The quiz will include questions from the videos.

Ways of Seeing, Episode 1 (Links to an external site.)(BBC, 1972)

Ways of Seeing, Episode 4 (Links to an external site.)(BBC, 1972)