This class will explore the theme of cultural encounters. How do works of art in theater, opera, film, photography, and visual arts depict, describe, and decode cultural encounters? How do the arts bridge differences and create cultural connections. How do diverse artistic genres, by relying on acting, singing, stage directions, editing, and visual techniques, engage audiences? Supported by the Macaulay Honors College Cultural Passport, we will look at major artistic works, studying their components and reflecting on the ways that the arts contribute to the rich cultural landscape of New York City.
How does an artistic work define and illuminate a cultural encounter? How does a playwright, a composer, an artist mold materials to expose an audience to new and challenging ideas? How do different texts and media illuminate the human condition –the twisting and turning, the metamorphosis, which we all experience as we struggle to understand who we are and why we exist? How do artists bring together disparate elements to create magical creative collages?
