The seminar will look at the uptake of various indigenous,’tribal’, ‘archaic’, and ancient sculptural traditions (e.g., Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, Igbo, Yoruba, Egyptian, Assyrian, Cycladic, Pacific NW Coast) by modern European, American, and Asian sculptors deeply invested in revising Western neo-classicisms, realisms, and modernisms by way of sustained encounters with these non-European arts. We will contrast their approaches to the approaches of modern sculptors working partly within continuous indigenous traditions (e.g., in Nigeria, British Columbia, and NE Australia). 

Open to graduate students who have a special interest in the topic; graduate students will make an independent agreement with the instructor about the direction and shape of their research project in the seminar.

This course fulfills the following requirements for the History of Art major: Geographical area (E) and Chronological period (I) or (III), based on the topic of the final research paper or project.