This course examines manifestations of contemporary Japanese popular culture in order to discover fundamental themes common to art of all periods in the country. The class is not a chronological survey of modern art, nor is it meant to be comprehensive; rather it engages a carefully selected group of objects and issues from the visual culture of Japan in all their complexity. A wide variety of films, photography, paintings, comics, music, games, and new media will serve as lenses to focus discussions of ideas about storytelling, stardom, sex, the body, consumption, war, and identity. Students will be challenged to view modern manifestations of Japanese visual culture in a contextual and historical light, thus revealing both their depth and the deficits. All are welcome to attend.
