Eye openers are flashes of insight. As an introduction to History of Art and Visual Culture, this course will situate the historical and theoretical study of visual culture practices - from painting, photography, architecture, film, and mass media - to broader contemporary contexts. Topics discussed will include the effect of consumer culture on our habits and surroundings; the impact of communication technologies on our understanding of and approach towards the world; the questions of identity in subcultures as they are expressed in diverse visual media; and the effect of the politics of art collecting, display, and the art market on contemporary artists. The goal of this class is to develop techniques of critical analysis and interpretation of visual phenomena and to learn to understand the complex social, cultural and political power structures that govern them.

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