Total: 4 classes, 6 class hours

Unit 1 Dates/Times: Wednesdays, 12:00-1:30 pm on Sept. 2, Sept. 9, Sept. 16 and Sept. 23.

Unit 1 Description: What is it to be human? How do communities form, and why did/do we gather in the first place?  And how do we depict these individual and community identities visually?  In this unit, we examine the basics of our human needs and our imaginations as seen through the earliest human-made objects available. We’ll also consider some of the earliest depictions of the human form and how these depictions were often used to establish dominance over one’s environment, other classes, and other cultures.

Key works/groups (subject to change): Prehistoric cave paintings and sculpture, Mesopotamian/Ancient Near Eastern architecture and sculpture, Egyptian sculpture

Class requirements: reliable internet connection; ability to log onto Zoom meetings (the lecture) as well as listen to and watch live lecture sessions

Strongly recommended: computer webcam and microphone to optimize class participation