November 14, 2011
School of Art and Design welcomes historian
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The words “Made in China” can mean more than just where a given product was made; there is a political subset of meaning behind those words.
Elizabeth LaCouture, a historian of Asian art from Colby College in Maine, visits the School of Art and Design at Southern Illinois University Carbondale to discuss “The ‘Made in China’ Myth.” She presents her discussion beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the University Museum auditorium in Faner Hall. Her talk will connect the history of ceramic production to anti-China political rhetoric sometimes current today.
LaCouture will present a second talk, “The Politics of Design in Early 20th Century China.” This talk begins at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 16 in Allyn Hall, Room 112. This discussion highlights LaCouture’s recent research into the politics behind colonial architecture, interior decoration and material culture in the northern city of Tianjin in the first part of the 20th Century.
LaCouture is assistant professor of history and East Asian studies at Colby College.
The Visiting Artist program is partially supported by the Student Fine Arts Activity Fee. For more information about the School of Art and Design, visit http://artanddesign.siuc.edu/.