Since the 1960s, feminism and visual culture have had a long and complex history together. This class will look at how multicultural feminists have wrestled with their political and social concerns through artmaking, and will consider effects of the exposure that comes from exhibiting or performing. Although many important visual pieces cover a broad spectrum of formats, materials, and media, we will focus on painting, sculpture and sculptural installations, print, performance, photography, and some public art projects. We will consider broad fundamental questions about art, politics and the artists' goals. Some of the important questions we will grapple with during the course may include: how is the female body represented and treated, and how do we read these? how do feminists aim to use self-representations to affect social change? how do visuals add to discussion and verbal/written arguments about women's capacities and power? how might "difference" be portrayed to grapple with stereotyping? how is freedom imagined by different groupings of women? Artists we may investigate include Joyce Scott, Yong Soon Min, Kara Walker, Lorraine O'Grady, Adrian Piper, Shirin Neshat, Renee Cox, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Mona Hatoum, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Catherine Opie, Deborah Kass, as well as the first generation Womanhouse feminist artists. This will be a reading, viewing, discussion, and studio art course. Assuming a modest visual background, visual projects will be designed initially as responses to the work of an artist we are studying. Towards the end of the term, students will design their own projects concerning overarching feminist issues. Readings: Talking Visions: Multicultural Feminism in a Transnational Age, Ed. Ella Shohat (New Museum and MIT Press: 1998); and a reading packet. Requirements: readings, online image study, discussion and response papers; required attendance at a PhotoShop workshop designed for the class; several hands-on art projects in materials of student's choice; one final project which can be either written or visual. Prerequisites: none, although preference given to those who have had Women's and Gender Studies 101, ArtS 100, or ArtH 101-102. This Course is part of the Critical Reasoning and Analytical Skills initiative.