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Schedule

Every Tuesday, 8.30am to 9.45am, AS7 #01-07 and
Every Thursday, 8.30am to 9.45am, AS7 #01-07

TopLearning Objectives: This course focuses on the visual culture that we can call Indian or, more generally, South Asian. It looks at this material not in isolation but in a global context, for I believe that the world long has been linked in a system of exchange – exchange of trade goods, of religion, of cultural ideas – even way before the modern age. My primary objective is that you learn to think critically and express yourself with clarity. Through this knowledge, I assume you will be more effectively able to shape the world in which you live. As you’ll see, there are not always clear and unambiguous answers to the questions I’ll raise, but I will want you to find and evaluate evidence in order to support a point of view, any point of view that you might wish to hold and advocate. I also want you to see and understand a culture that may appear very different from the dominant one in the U.S., or even multi-cultural Singapore, but a culture that nonetheless is increasingly intertwined with our economic and cultural life. In short, I would like you to learn to respect difference, not simply those things that are familiar and comfortable. I assume that students in the course have had no prior contact with either India or art history, but I will teach in such a way that you’ll need to think about the material, not simply memorize it and reach a bit to grasp the ideas.

Scope

TopScope: The course will cover the history of South Asian art, that is, the art of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization to the present day.
Below I give a very rough schedule for the topics we’ll cover. This may make it appear as if the course focuses almost exclusively on the past. It doesn’t. As we look at the past, we’ll constantly reflect on our present-day position and attitudes toward India’s past. We’ll think about how the past impacts the present, for example, how and why a work that we’ll study in Week 2 was adopted in 1947 as the emblem of the Republic of India and why the patron for that work was the topic of a recent Bollywood film. We’ll look at present-day conflict over the ancient sites we study. And we’ll ask questions about the ethics of museums in Europe and the U.S. that house works of Indian art as well as about the ways in which a work intended for religious purposes is transformed when it becomes a museumified cultural object.

Syllabus

TopWeek 1: Colonial Art in India/ The Indian Response/Present-Day Art and Architecture
Week 2: Harappan Civilization and Maurya Period Art (Minnesota joins the class)
Week 3: Early Buddhist Art I
Week 4: Early Buddhist Art II
Week 5: Early Buddhist Art/Rock-cut Sanctuaries
Week 6: Art Under the Kushans and Related Dynasties
Week 7: Art Under the Guptas and Vakatakas
Week 8: Hindu Temples and Sculpture of South India
Week 9: Hindu Temples and Sculpture of South India Concluded
Week 10: Hindu Temples and Sculpture of North India
Week 11: Later Buddhist Art
Week 12: Islamic Art in India
Week 13: Indian Painting
Week 14: Indian Painting Continued

Readings

TopReadings: Please see the relevant articles from Oxford Art Online that I’ve posted in IVLE. I would rather not make daily assignments from these readings since I intend them primarily as a reference source to complement the lectures. However, in addition to the schedule above, I will announce in advance the topic of each lecture so that you can read the appropriate pages in the text before the lecture. Can you pass the course without reading these articles? Probably, but I think it’s useful to have a counterpoint to (and occasionally reinforcement of) my lectures. You also might find it useful to study the lecture images that I’ll post on the IVLE website.

Assessment

TopExams: There will be a mid-semester exam on Tuesday, March 3 and another on Tuesday, March 31. The final exam, scheduled for Thursday, May 7 at 9:00 a.m., will cover the entire scope of the course. These exams will not simply test your memory of names and dates by brief identifications but will test your understanding of the material. By this, I do not mean to say that names and dates are not important but only that memorizing them should not be considered the primary goal of the course.

The Film Paper: Popular film is one of modern India’s most important art forms, and India’s cinema industry is the largest in the world. I have selected one film, Bombay, that I think is easily understood and appreciated by a global audience. Moreover, it relates to a theme that will be frequently addressed in the class, that is, the conflict among religious groups. A DVD of the film is available in the NUS Central Library; a second DVD of the film is available in the South Asia Studies Programme Office during office hours. There is a brief writing assignment associated with this film. That is, you are asked to write about 1,000 words (with one-inch margins and 12-point type) discussing the visual images – I stress, visual images, not just the story line -- in the film that relate to one of the following five topics:

                   1. Belonging/Identity (you could talk about grandparents, parents, children, or     transvestites, among others).
                   2. Wearing apparel, e.g. The veil, distinction between Hindu and Muslim apparel, dressing of children by grandparents, or garments as a symbol of cultural identity.
                   3. Interaction between the two families
                   4. Village life vs. the politics of the city
                   5. How musical scenes relate to narrative scenes, that is, the extent to which they are essential or incidental.

Whichever among the five topics you discuss, please be as specific as possible in your discussion and focus on the visual aspects of the film rather than the story line. This will be due on Tuesday, March 10. Please send me the paper as an email attachment.

The Research Paper: I’m going to try an experiment and recognize that, like all experiments, it might fail. But bear with me, please. For this paper, I will pair students, one NUS student with one University of Minnesota student and ask you to do the work collaboratively. That is, I’ll ask you to work together by email and Skype to select the work on which you’ll write, to prepare the bibliography together, and to write the paper. All three of these should be collaborative efforts. So working together with your UMN colleague, please select a work of art on display at either the Asian Civilisations Museum or the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. On page 8 of this syllabus, I’ve listed works that I think will make a good topic, and I will on IVLE images of these works.

The paper, approximately 1650 words in length (with one-inch margins and 12- point type), should briefly introduce the work of art and describe it in some detail.   For this introduction, you might want to incorporate some of the information on the label, although you should not accept everything asserted on the label as absolute fact. Following the introduction, your paper should consider the following (though you can consider these issues in any order you wish:

1. How is the work displayed? I want you to be both descriptive and critical. That is, is it an effective display? What might make it better?
2. What date would you assign the work? What evidence can you present for the date?
3. How would you identify the subject of the work? That is, is the subject given in the label accurate? If so, what evidence? If not, what evidence?
4. What is the historical and physical context for the work? That is, how does it relate to the history of the time (and region in which it was produced)? Where would the work have been originally? How does bringing it to a museum alter its context?

I urge you to begin your work for this paper early in the semester. You’ll need to do research and to work closely with your UMN colleague. This cannot be done at the last minute. Use books from Central Library; your UMN colleague will be using the Ames South Asia Library at the University of Minnesota. Use JSTOR to access journal articles. Use other online sources with caution. Many sources are not the least scholarly, and part of your obligation is to discriminate good academic sources from ones that are directed at tourists or that have a strongly political agenda.

The paper is brief, but please do not underestimate its importance to the course.

I want researching and writing this paper to be an enjoyable, interesting experience--not one of cumulative terror--so I’ll break up the assignment into several components.

To insure that you stay on pace, I ask you to adhere to the following schedule:

► By Thursday, February 12, the two of you should send me a note indicating the topic on which you intend to write. I need nothing more than the topic.

► By Tuesday, March 31, give me as an email attachment your collaboratively developed preliminary bibliography with a one- or two-sentence rationale for each of the works you select, that is, an explanation of why you think the source is pertinent to your topic and how you located it. This should be presented in a standard format. I appreciate creativity, but please do not make up a bibliography format. See p. 9 of this syllabus for suggestions regarding the format. The purpose of these steps is to help you develop good techniques for locating the data and ideas you need. This bibliography will be given one of three grades: -, tick, or tick+. Please note that this cannot be a list of works cited since you won’t have written the paper and therefore won’t know what works you’ve cited.

On Tuesday, April 14, the collaboratively written paper is due

As you read for your research, it will be important to be critical of the author's position, that is, not just of the factual information he or she presents but also of the intellectual or political stance of the author. It's also important to be sensitive to your own position, for no one simply transmits information but rather does so selectively and, though often unconsciously, from a state of mind shaped by one's environment and assumptions.

You should feel free to talk with me as you work on your paper. In fact, I strongly urge you to do so. I’m happy to make appointments to talk at your convenience.

Consultation

TopOffice Hours: Because of the significant time difference between Singapore and Minneapolis, I won’t set a time that I am available for consultation. But please email me, and we can set up a time to talk by Skype. My Skype name is rickasher. You are also welcome to call my mobile phone, +1612-232-6233, or to send an e-mail, asher@umn.edu. I’m very happy to help in any way I can.

Teaching Modes

TopThis module will be taught within a global classroom paradigm. Professor Frederick Asher from the University of Minnesota, an international authority on Indian art, will teach via video conferencing.

Decorum in class

TopI’ll do my very best to engage you in the course of lectures. In turn, I need to ask you to be thoughtful to both me and your fellow students. I encourage you to bring your laptop computer, if you have one, to class. You might want to take notes on it while at the same time viewing the images that I’ll post on the IVLE website before each class. Please, however, refrain from surfing the web, checking email, or using the computer for purposes unrelated to class. It’s distracting to me and to those around you. Same with mobile phones: Please save using them until after class. If you’re using your mobile phone for class-related purposes, please let me know in advance.

Grading

TopPerhaps unfortunately, subjectivity plays some role in determining the grade for any course, so I am loath to set an inflexible formula. But in general, the distribution will be as follows:

i. Tutorials/Seminars: 5%
ii. Tests 30% (15% each test)
iii. Film report 25%
iv. Research report 20%

Total for CA: 80%

v. Final exam 20%

Plagiarism

TopPlagiarism: The University considers plagiarism – that is, representing someone else’s ideas or someone else’s writing as if the ideas or wording were your own – a very serious offense. So do I. Thus I urge you to review the University’s policies on plagiarism and resources that will help you avoid it. See http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/toknow/policies/plagiarism.html for just about everything you’ll need to know on the subject. Within this course, a student responsible for scholastic dishonesty can be assigned a penalty up to and including a failing grade for the course. If you have any questions regarding the expectations for a specific assignment or exam, ask me, please.

Attendance and Late Assignments

TopAttendance and Late Assignments: Regular attendance at classes is critical for success in the course. Many of the works discussed in class are not illustrated elsewhere, and many of the ideas presented do not duplicate those of published sources. As for late assignments, they are not acceptable without an extension requested and approved well in advance of the due date. Please note that all assignments are due by class time.

Students with disabilities

TopStudents with disabilities: It is University policy – and my own wish – to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disability conditions that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Please request special accommodations well in advance of the date for exams or papers.

Suggestions for success in this course

TopSOME SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN THE COURSE

1. Learning art history has some features in common with learning a language. Daily study and review is very important. The material cannot be absorbed just before the exam.

2. There are two compelling reasons to attend every class. One is that there is no other way to see all the works of art that will be discussed. The course has a strong visual component, of course, and it will be important to remember what the works of art look like as well as what's said about them. The other reason is that the lectures will not simply repeat information in the readings. Sometimes I will disagree with the author of the readings; other times I will talk about the works in a social or historical context, that is, in ways rather different from the readings. Thus it's important to attend every class and to keep up with the readings.

3. The paper is weighted somewhat more than even the final exam. That's because it's an assignment you pursue over a long period of time, not in a prescribed one-hour or two-hour period. You have time with the paper to read, think, write and re-write, without the sort of pressure an exam presents. Thus I cannot urge you strongly enough to begin the paper as early in the quarter as possible, in any event no later than the beginning of the fourth week of the quarter. Take time to see one of us from time to time as you are working on the paper.

4. Don't think of a 1650-word paper as a little assignment. Part of the work will involve condensing your research and reflections down to about five pages.

The Basic Assignment

TopThe Basic Assignment:

The paper, approximately 1650 words in length (with one-inch margins and 12- point type), should briefly introduce the work of art and describe it in some detail. For this introduction, you might want to incorporate some of the information on the label, although you should not accept everything asserted on the label as absolute fact. Following the introduction, your paper should consider the following (though you can consider these issues in any order you wish:

1. How is the work displayed? I want you to be both descriptive and critical. That is, is it an effective display? What might make it better?
2. What date would you assign the work? What evidence can you present for the date?
3. How would you identify the subject of the work? That is, is the subject given in the label accurate? If so, what evidence? If not, what evidence?
4. What is the historical and physical context for the work? That is, how does it relate to the history of the time (and region in which it was produced)? Where would the work have been originally? How does bringing it to a museum alter its context?

Possible paper topics

Top

POSSIBLE PAPER TOPICS

1. Vishnu and consorts, on loan from the National Museum of India
2. Kushan capital, 1999-0012
3. Schist Nataraja from Halebid, on loan from the Archaeological Survey of India
4. Vishnu as Trivikrama, 1996-00098
5. Surya from eastern India, 1995-00267
6. Seated Buddha from Mathura, 2000-05627
7. Picchavai of Shrinathji, from Kota, 1995.604
8. Bronze Uma Parameshwari, 2007-01051
9. Ekamukha limgam from U.P., 1993-00218
10. Terracotta Chaturmukhalingam, 1997-02977
11. Schist Syamatara, from eastern India, 1997-04831
12. Sandstone panel with floriated décor, Mughal, 1993-01751

If you want to work on any topic not listed here, you must speak with me first. I’ll be happy to help you think through some alternative topics.

Begin work on the paper as early in the semester as possible. It will be impossible to read in preparation for the paper, to reflect, and to write in just a couple of weeks.

When writing your paper:

1. Make sure that you follow the instructions above. Read the assignment carefully.

2. Take time to discuss the paper with me.

3. When choosing works of art with which to compare your work, make sure the choices are logical. For example, if working on an undated work, compare it to ones that are dated, and take time to think about what constitutes a dated work. Make sure the examples compared are reasonably close in date and geographical area. It serves no purpose to relate works made hundreds of years apart; nor often is it useful to compare works made in northwestern India to those in the extreme south. If you do make such comparisons to establish the date or where a work was made, be sure that you support your reasoning carefully.

4. Always make sure you explain why you have chosen any work to compare to another.

5. In general you should compare an undated work with ones that are dated or ones whose dates are reasonably well established.

6. As you read books and articles in preparation for the paper, read critically. Don’t simply accept whatever an author says as accurate. Often, for example, an author has a political or scholarly agenda that pushes evidence in one direction when other interpretations might be equally possible.

A good way of starting the research is with a recently published book whose topic closely relates to the work you’re researching. Use the bibliography and footnotes in that book to lead you to other sources. Then use the bibliographies and footnotes in those other sources to lead you to still other sources, including the required journal articles. That’s often a more effective way of conducting research than using on-line sources, which may not be adequately specific to your topic. Note, moreover, that the Web is generally not a good source for research. Anyone can post information on a Web page; there’s generally no control over the author’s expertise. So please do not rely on Web sources for information or ideas. To be more specific, do not use Web sources for the research on this paper unless you’ve discussed them with me. The one exception might be Oxford Art Online; the articles in this source all were authored by scholars.

Sources (books, articles) for quotations, direct or indirect, or for ideas that you cite, must be acknowledged in notes. These may be in text notes, end notes or footnotes. Two common formats are the APA format (see http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strategy/citing/apa.html)
and the MLA format (http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strategy/citing/mla.html for in text citations and http://www.carmun.com/works-cited/footnotes/mla for footnote style). Your bibliography, too, can use any standard format, although I recommend either the MLA (http://www.aresearchguide.com/12biblio.html#1 for examples) or APA formats (http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/apa, where it is described as Reference List rather than Bibliography). Whatever format you use, please use it consistently, and don’t just make up a format. If your format feels to me unconventional, I’ll ask you your source for it. So please note for yourself where you found the format.

In all citations, page numbers must be included.

Cite direct quotes, indirect quotes and all ideas other than your own.

Also include in notes where a plate or picture of each work of art you mention can be found.

At the end of your paper, in addition to notes, you must include a complete bibliography, not a selected bibliography or list of works cited.

Select the sources you consult with care, especially avoiding general histories of art and encyclopedia articles, but do not overlook history books.

7. Please remember that in reading the paper, I will consider the quality of your writing, so be sure to write several drafts before the one that you submit.
8. Double-space your paper.
9. A note on style: underline or italicize the titles of works of art and all foreign words. And, please, remember it's=it is

Workload

Top3-0-0-3-4

Workload Components : A-B-C-D-E
A: no. of lecture hours per week
B: no. of tutorial hours per week
C: no. of lab hours per week
D: no. of hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week
E: no. of hours for preparatory work by a student per week