African Masking and the Senses

AH 579/879

This pro/seminar explores the artistry of African and African Diaspora masquerade performances and the role of the senses in the creative process and in our reception and understanding of these aesthetic experiences, an approach I term “sensiotics.” Since this approach is new, we will together as a group of scholars identify and evaluate the literature on the present state of our knowledge of the senses, the body-mind (cognitive) sciences, and their relevance for understanding the arts.

P: Instructor consent only. Undergraduates enroll in 579, graduates in 879.