Art and Culture in 1920s America

3 units

This interdisciplinary seminar examines the relationship between art and 1920s culture in the United States, including how artists and critics thought about the nature of our cultural heritage (both its rich possibilities and its limitations); the potential of technology and urbanization as well as the threats they pose to older cultural values; the nature of a multicultural society and the contributions of minority traditions to the evolution of American culture; the lure of the Southwest; early criticism of popular media; and the conversation between popular culture and high art. Prerequisite: L01 113 or permission of instructor.