ARTH 283 The Life and Work of Lala Deen Dayal & Colonial India

• Tuesdays, 11:45 am - 2:15 pm
• EV 1.605
• Instructor: Dr. Farrukh Rafiq

In this course, we will closely examine the work of photographer Lala Deen Dayal. To do so, we will first critically engage with the visual arts produced in and on South Asia with reference to colonialism. We will closely examine the wider colonial contexts behind large-scale painting, miniature painting, photography, architecture, portraiture, collecting practices, and representations of gender. It is within these greater contexts that Lala Deen Dayal’s work emerges and finds a wider audience. Towards the end of the course, we will also look at examples of contemporary artists engaging with neo- and post-colonial discourses. By the end of the course, students will be able to confidently discuss Dayal’s work in its original context, and also understand the colonial legacies in art production that are still visible today.

Each class will consist of a lecture component, group discussions, and in-class activities that will often include close-looking and writing exercises.