For this Forum, you must post an original statement between 150-300 words
You may 1) respond to a prompt made by the professor below, or 3) come up with your own original topic (so long as it deals with one of the readings assigned for this week).
PROMPT ONE
Version A. The chapter written by Nato Thompson proposes to place "a focus on fear in light of the deployment of culture." (77) Describe a way in which Thompson’s discussion has prompted you to rethink some aspect of the American experience by critically examining how the production of "fear" either shaped your initial view of those events or has helped you to deconstruct it now. The events you focus on can be either personal or reflect events in the community or the nation.
Version B. How did Nato Thompson’s examination of "fear machines" [the chapter title] influence your understanding about the intersection or race and divided culture?
PROMPT TWO: Chang contends that Asian-American artists tended to get overlooked, their careers falling into oblivion. Recovering those almost-lost works, letting them “emerge from the shadows,” demonstrates “that Asian American experiences were an integral part of the social and political fabric of the country.” (xi) For what reasons were Asian Americans artists overlooked previously? Discuss the life and career of two of the artists mentioned by Chang, with particular attention to how their art expressed a sense of the artist’s racial identity.
PROMPT THREE: Chang writes, “art may lead us to better understand the forms of political expression.” He observers further that many Asian-American artists “were profoundly affected by contemporary social movements and participated as artist activists.” (xiii) In “The Power of Imagery in Advancing Civil Rights,” Childs articulates a similar thesis. Her article profiles an exhibit by Maurice Berger. Compare and contrast how each author, one scholar and one journalist, discuss how images make a powerful vehicle to discuss sensitive racial issues.
PROPT FOUR: Consider the two videos assigned this week from the BBC series "Ways of Seeing." What ideas and concepts did you find useful that will help you "see" the art in this class differently than you did before you saw the video? You may discuss the artwork in relation to the narrator’s commentary.