Society for Asian Art Programs: Symposia

Study Groups

The Art of South Asia Today: Social Relevance and Political Critique in the Contemporary Art of India and Pakistan

With Mary-Ann Milford

When: Saturday, March 20
Time: 10:15 am – 3:00 pm
Place: Education Studio
Fee: $45 members, $55 non-members, lunch included

In this Study Group we will examine the art of India and Pakistan in the 20th Century, a pivotal time in the history of both countries. Despite political and social disruptions, artists have created work which responded to universal issues as well as issues related to their own cultures. The day will include both background on Contemporary South Asia art and separate considerations of Indian and Pakistani art.

The art created by artists in India and Pakistan today reflects their positions in the international art world. Artists show their work in the Venice Biennale, the Miami-Basle expositions, and the plethora of international biennales that occur throughout the world. Their work is conceptual in nature embracing new media, video, and installation. The Internet provides artists with opportunities to communicate and work with others across the globe, as they deal with multitude of universal issues faced in the 20h century. Yet, first their art must be relevant to their own social and cultural needs.

In this Study Group we will examine the art of these South Asian countries in the 20th Century, a pivotal time during which both nations fought for and obtained Independence. The political and social disruptions caused, and is still causing, much unrest. Artists, however, quietly created work with little attention being paid to them––until the turn of the millennium, when the art world in India exploded.

We will discuss the causes for this newly energized art environment, who the artists are, and what their art is about. We will also consider what determines the provenance of works of art, and the relevance of such to national and international art audiences.

Mary-Ann Milford, Professor of Asian Art History, holds the Carver Chair in East Asian Studies at Mills College where she is Chair of the Department of Art and Art History. She received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, where she researched the texts and sculptural reliefs of South and Southeast Asian art and architecture.

Image: Arpita Singh, Woman, acrylic on canvas, 1998.

Clay and Glazes: An In-depth Exploration of the Ceramic Process

With Don Santos

When: Saturday, April 24
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Place: Ceramics Lab, Creative Arts Bldg, Room A-121; SF City College. Directions and parking information to follow

Fee: $45 members, $55 non-members, Box lunch included, limited to 30 participants
Note: Seating will be on stools, dress is very casual (the lab is dusty)

In the morning, Don Santos will lecture on "What is Clay?" and "What are Glazes?” with time for questions. In the afternoon, he will demonstrate throwing on the wheel, trimming the foot, and how the kiln operates. He will also discuss his research on Song Dynasty molds and glazes. Participants are welcome to bring in ceramics for show-and-tell at the end of the afternoon session.

Don will teach the fundamentals of clay, glazes, slip, kilns and firing in a way few of us have ever had the opportunity to learn. He is also a student of art history. His sabbatical research was done at the AAM. He studied rare Song molds not on display at the museum. He researched the molds, the glaze chemistry and the process of making celadons. The celadon porcelain bowls that he created as a result of this study were on display at a gallery in the Visual Arts Building in Sept. We will have the opportunity to hear about the research and see the molds and glaze samples.

Don Santos has been Professor of Ceramics at the City College of San Francisco for over a dozen years. During his recent two year sabbatical, he re-created a Chinese mold process from the Song Dynasty and developed a palette of celadon glazes. He also has a studio in Berkeley.




			Study Groups The Art of South Asia Today: Social Relevance and Political Critique in the Contemporary Art of India and Pakistan With Mary-Ann Milford When: Saturday, March 20 Time: 10:15 am – 3:00 pm Place: Education Studio Fee: $45 members, $55 non-members, lunch included In this Study Group we will examine the art of India and Pakistan in the 20th Century, a pivotal time in the history of both countries. Despite political and social disruptions, artists have created work which responded to universal issues as well as issues related to their own cultures. The day will include both background on Contemporary South Asia art and separate considerations of Indian and Pakistani art. The art created by artists in India and Pakistan today reflects their positions in the international art world. Artists show their work in the Venice Biennale, the Miami-Basle expositions, and the plethora of international biennales that occur throughout the world. Their work is conceptual in nature embracing new media, video, and installation. The Internet provides artists with opportunities to communicate and work with others across the globe, as they deal with multitude of universal issues faced in the 20h century. Yet, first their art must be relevant to their own social and cultural needs. In this Study Group we will examine the art of these South Asian countries in the 20th Century, a pivotal time during which both nations fought for and obtained Independence. The political and social disruptions caused, and is still causing, much unrest. Artists, however, quietly created work with little attention being paid to them––until the turn of the millennium, when the art world in India exploded. We will discuss the causes for this newly energized art environment, who the artists are, and what their art is about. We will also consider what determines the provenance of works of art, and the relevance of such to national and international art audiences. Mary-Ann Milford, Professor of Asian Art History, holds the Carver Chair in East Asian Studies at Mills College where she is Chair of the Department of Art and Art History. She received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, where she researched the texts and sculptural reliefs of South and Southeast Asian art and architecture. Image: Arpita Singh, Woman, acrylic on canvas, 1998. Clay and Glazes: An In-depth Exploration of the Ceramic Process With Don Santos When: Saturday, April 24 Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Place: Ceramics Lab, Creative Arts Bldg, Room A-121; SF City College. Directions and parking information to follow Fee: $45 members, $55 non-members, Box lunch included, limited to 30 participants Note: Seating will be on stools, dress is very casual (the lab is dusty) In the morning, Don Santos will lecture on "What is Clay?" and "What are Glazes?” with time for questions. In the afternoon, he will demonstrate throwing on the wheel, trimming the foot, and how the kiln operates. He will also discuss his research on Song Dynasty molds and glazes. Participants are welcome to bring in ceramics for show-and-tell at the end of the afternoon session. Don will teach the fundamentals of clay, glazes, slip, kilns and firing in a way few of us have ever had the opportunity to learn. He is also a student of art history. His sabbatical research was done at the AAM. He studied rare Song molds not on display at the museum. He researched the molds, the glaze chemistry and the process of making celadons. The celadon porcelain bowls that he created as a result of this study were on display at a gallery in the Visual Arts Building in Sept. We will have the opportunity to hear about the research and see the molds and glaze samples. Don Santos has been Professor of Ceramics at the City College of San Francisco for over a dozen years. During his recent two year sabbatical, he re-created a Chinese mold process from the Song Dynasty and developed a palette of celadon glazes. He also has a studio in Berkeley.