Reading Exercises

Henri Zerner, “Crisis in the Discipline” Art Journal (Winter 1982): 279.
James Elkins, "Art History as a Global Discipline," Is Art History Global? New York, London: Routledge, 2007, 3-23.
Zerner idenifies a crisis in art history from the 1980s; Elkins is addressing one that is happening today. Over the course of our class (and your study here at IC), you will have the opportunity to assess the extent to which art history has been able to address the first set of concerns; we will also begin to work through the implications of art history's transformation into a global discipline.

What are the 2 things Zerner identifies as changing in art history? What does he mean when he says, "The new art history promises to be much more thoroughly historical than the old...?" Consider, to what extent have the courses you've taken addressed these issues?

Be able to identify the 5 key points that Elkins makes about the problem with assuming art history is a global discipline, and the reasons to pursue it as such.  In your mind, what is the point of staging a roundtable (as Elkins did) on this subject; what are the conditions that make this conversation important (or not)? To what extent might making art history global challenge us to rethink "what is art history?"