Issues in Art: Conversation and Controversy

Art has always been more than an aesthetic experience—it is a site of power, protest, and provocation. This course explores key controversies in art history and contemporary practice, examining how art reflects and shapes cultural values while engaging with critical issues around race, gender, identity, sexuality, and equity. From Ruskin’s fiery critique of Whistler’s Nocturne in Black and Gold to the debates over the Elgin Marbles and the uproar surrounding Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ and Chris Ofili’s The Holy Virgin Mary, students will investigate how art challenges societal norms and raises essential questions about ownership, representation, and morality. The course also turns a critical lens on the commodification of art, exploring Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian—a banana taped to a wall—as a satirical statement on art’s role as an asset class and its connection to economic inequities. Through these and other examples, students will gain insight into how art provokes public discourse, reshapes historical narratives, and offers a unique lens into pressing social and cultural issues. By analyzing works that unsettle and inspire, students will cultivate a deeper understanding of art’s capacity to challenge power structures, foster dialogue, and illuminate the complexities of the human experience.