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Lehrende/r: Dr. Britta Feyerabend
Veranstaltungsart:
Übung
Anzeige im Stundenplan:
CS III - American
Semesterwochenstunden:
2
Unterrichtssprache:
Englisch
Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl:
- | 45
Anmeldegruppe: CS III AS
Prioritätsschema: Senatsrichtlinie
Zulassung gemäß Richtlinie über den Zugang zu teilnahmebeschränkten Lehrveranstaltungen vom 07. März 2007.
Nähere Informationen hierzu entnehmen Sie bitte www.info.jogustine.uni-mainz.de/senatsrichtlinie
Inhalt:
“A class on quilting? ‘R you serious?” Yes, I am, and I will explain why. Quilting is an American folk art and art form that has, particularly since the bicentennial, attracted (again) hundreds of thousands of women AND men (!) and has, ever since, become a major multibillion dollar industry. Modern quilters can have very different perspectives ranging from continuing an old family tradition to creating awe-inspiring art. Quilts - both old and new - are worth thousands of dollars and new inventions and time-saving quilting devices make up a large portion of the U.S. hobby market. But there is more to quilts than mere business. Quilts are in the collective consciousness of almost every American. Many Americans have had quilts, heirloom or new, since their childhood days and often connect them to their family history, to a special person, and indeed national history. Most Americans therefore look at quilts, in their homes or in museums, as tokens of their private and collective past. To mention a “quilt” in an American context, therefore means to mention a plethora of images, remembrances, and philosophies, some of which we want to look at.
In this class, we therefore want to survey everything from the history of quilts to ethnic quilting and quilting in literature and film. We will look at the semiotics of quilt culture, the debate about folk art vs. art quilt, the politicization of quilts as well as quilts used for charity and mnemonic projects (9-11 quilts, AIDS quilt etc.). So, especially you who think that this will just be a boring class on needleworks: don’t fret. I am sure this class is interesting for you, too, as we will take quilting as one possible glass through which to look at and decode American literature and culture which can easily be transferred to other symbols and metaphors as well.
Empfohlene Literatur:
I will provide a mastercopies reader (which I will refer to as our textbook) in the library from which you can photocopy your own. Please return all copies so the next student equally has a chance to get the materials, as I won’t provide this material online. It may look like much, but really, there are many photographs in the textbook reading. In case you want to get an early start, we will begin with Hearts and Hands and The American Quilt Story.
In addition, you should purchase and read Stigmata by Phyllis Alesia Perry (1998) over the Christmas break as we will discuss this short book on Jan. 16th. It is available at Amazon and copies have been ordered at Dr. Kohl’s Buchhandlung as well.
Zusätzliche Informationen:
I expect everyone to compile, in the course of the class, a portfolio folder of responses to the reading and sessions, questions that arise, aspects you are interested in, answers that you have found, and so forth.
In case you are interested in doing a presentation (and in turn hand in a shorter portfolio), please contact me beginning in September.
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