ARTH 3010 - Introduction to the Arts of Southeast Asia

This course considers the ancient temple art and architecture (predominantly Buddhist and Hindu) of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). We will look broadly at the indigenous material cultures of Southeast Asia before launching into the symbolic and religious meanings embedded in monuments such as Borobudur, Angkor Wat, and That Luang. We will question how and why these monuments came to dominant the 'canons' of Southeast Asian art when the indigenous people equally value textiles, jewelry, and basket weaving. Is this propensity to glorify the ancient pasts of Southeast Asia and their 'Golden Ages' a result of the colonial legacy? How do these monuments become the symbol of modern nationhood?