1st Session
Nationhood.
A look at how the USA paints itself. What do the artists show us and what do we
see? The main topic of this session is Landscape, both rural and urban. Can we
see how the USA shows it development from a European colony to a World super
power through its depictions of the country?
2nd Session
Conflict.
America has been involved in many conflicts throughout its history. How have
artists reacted to this? We shall look at works which record, celebrate and
question the idea of the USA at war
3rd Session
Economics.
Today the USA is the world's largest economy. A nation built on the idea of
trade and commerce. What place does art occupy in an environment dominated by
the idea of money? In this session we will study the artists and the art they
made which may give us a greater insight in that aspect of American History
4th Session
Race.
A nation that has its roots in slavery and eventually fought a civil war over
it, Race has always been an issue for American artists. In this fourth session
we will see how they produced paintings from both sides of the racial divide,
from the Civil War to contemporary African/American culture
5th Session
Faces
and Figures
For
our last session we will take a look at the well-known works of art produced in
the USA. These famous images we are all familiar with also have many stories to
tell. An agreeable way to conclude our examination of America and some of its
Art.
