艺术史教学模式的探索与前瞻

韦昊昱 邱石楠

中图分类号：J114-4

文献标识码：A

文章编号：1671-444X（2017）03-0001-12

国际DOI编码：10.15958/j.cnki.gdxbysb.2017.03.001

编者按：2016年春季学期，美国邱石楠（Heather Shirey）教授，受美国富布莱特中美教育交流项目支持，作为高级访问专家，在清华大学美术学院担任了两门研究生主干课程《视觉文化研究》与《西方现当代美术研究》的教学任务。来自学院各专业的40余名学生先后选修了这两门课程，收到了极为良好的教学效果。与此同时，邱石楠教授还利用授课间隙，和中国艺术史学界展开了积极交流，先后在中央美术学院、台湾师范大学、南京师范大学、上海博物馆等高校和文博机构举办学术讲座，接触了诸多中国大陆和台湾艺术史专业师生。在邱石楠教授即将回国之际，清华大学美术学院艺术史论系2015级硕士研究生韦昊昱（以下简称韦），作为修读邱石楠教授（以下简称邱）课程的学生，对其进行了访谈，请她以一个长期在美国艺术史专业教学第一线的教师身份，就个人求学经历与研究兴趣、在清华美院的授课体验，以及中美艺术史教学模式的差异与互补等方面的问题谈了自己的看法。现将采访稿刊出，以飨读者。

一、个人求学经历与研究兴趣

韦：邱教授您好！感谢您接受我的采访，首先您能否为我们简要介绍您个人的求学经历，以及为何选择艺术史这一专业？

邱：我是在本科二年级时决定选择艺术史专业的，那时我报名修读了一门有关古希腊和古罗马历史的课程。我们选读了一些在历史上非常重要，但我先前从未见到过的古代文献。然而，坦率地说，我认为这个课程有些无聊，让人感觉仅仅花了很多时间去记住一些历史人物的名字和历史事件的日期，却很少与史料相联系。然而，当一位艺术史系的教授作为客座嘉宾来到我们班级授课时，情况发生了改变。他向我们讲述了一些古代艺术中的表现方式，比如肖像绘画技法的演变。我们从中了解到，这些艺术风格的变化是与宏大的政治与社会巨变相联系的。最终我发现，透过艺术和视觉文化的视角，历史会变得更加有趣。

从那时起，我开始参加许多涵盖各种主题的艺术史课程，我幸运地发现这些课程是丰富多彩的。在本科期间，我系统学习了欧洲和美国艺术以及古代中美洲艺术、非洲艺术和亚洲艺术。同时，我对语言也很感兴趣。作为本科生，我学习了葡萄牙语、西班牙语和法语。最初我这样做只是为了好玩，但是随着时间的推移，我发现学习这些语言对我来说真的十分有用。

随后，我获得了杜兰大学（Tulane University）的艺术史硕士学位，最终于印第安纳大学（Indiana University）获得博士学位。在花费了很多时间研究19世纪的法国艺术（尤其是爱德华·马奈的宗教画）之后，我的焦点转向了非洲艺术特别是非洲移民艺术。

韦：我得知，您曾经在巴西等国进行过长期深入的艺术史和民俗民艺考察研究，2005年您的博士论文Empowering Spaces： Candomblé Art in Sacred and Secular Contexts in Salvador da Bahia，Brazil关注了巴西Salvador da Bahia地区神圣性与世俗性兼具的宗教艺术，2009年和2012年您又先后在美国African Arts、The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions等学术期刊上发表论文，探讨了南美的街头涂鸦、公共雕塑、妇女的日常装饰物等较为生活化的艺术样式，那么请您为我们中国读者介绍一下目前您在这一领域的研究兴趣。

邱：目前我的研究领域横跨多个方向。一方面，我仍然继续研究巴西Salvador da Bahia地区的巴西黑人（African-Brazilian）艺术研究。我参与了被称为“巴亚纳人”（Baianas），一个巴西黑人代表性妇女群体的研究。在19世纪，巴亚纳人（Baianas）被认定为非洲裔女性，她们在城市的公共空间中，作为售卖食品和杂货的小商贩形象出现。此时，一种以宽松的白色蕾丝、绣花裙和多样的头顶装饰为主要特征的服装样式也随之产生，这种样式的出现与巴西的黑人街头小贩，以及诸如坎东布雷教（Candomblé）的信仰紧密相关。19世纪末至20世纪初的摄影师们拍下了这些巴西黑人妇女的穿着，然而在通常情况下，这些照片是以“类别”，而不是以被拍者的姓名为标记，这无疑带有了种族、社会等级和地域身份的隐喻。到了20世纪中期，巴亚纳人（Baianas）從巴西东北部地区的主流象征，转变成为了代表整个巴西的民族符号，尤其通过卡门·米兰达（Carmen Miranda）普及传播的巴亚纳人（Baianas）面具，以及皮埃尔·费杰（Pierre Verger）的纪实摄影，使得这种形象更加鲜明了。在当下语境中，巴亚纳人（Baianas）仍旧对巴伊亚（Bahian）地区的身份认同具有借鉴意义，这些转变的确吸引着我，同样，我对巴亚纳人（Baianas）在公开场合的表现也很感兴趣，这和我先前在巴西从事的研究相关，它同样通过公共艺术的形式，来研究复杂的身份特征，这又和我对于美国种族与族群性表现的研究兴趣相联系。未来我希望能做出一个涵盖巴西与美国，并整合我多种学术兴趣的综合性视觉文化研究。

与此同时，我还对欧洲，尤其是英国的非洲裔人非常感兴趣，并且这种兴趣是多维度的。首先，我乐于参与对殖民时期艺术收藏活动的研究。在殖民时期，许多像英国这样的国家，曾通过侵略战争，掠夺并收藏了大量的非洲艺术品，这其中夹杂了很多伦理道德的问题，我认为博物馆完全有必要公开这些收藏品的历史。同时我认为，博物馆应发挥其作用，改正因历史而造成的政治、社会与文化灾难。此外，我对当代艺术家也颇有兴趣，比如艺术家Yinka Shonibare，他的作品就涉及了复杂的民族主义观念和公共空间的历史建构问题。

韦：我得知，您曾经在巴西等国进行过长期深入的艺术史和民俗民艺考察研究。2016年恰逢中国政府与拉丁美洲及加勒比海地区国家联合举办“中拉文化交流年”活动，这是中国第一次在中美洲和南美洲地区举办的高级别多边文化交流活动，通过举办文艺展演展览、学术论坛、电影展映、图书节等形式，增进中国、中美洲和南美洲地区的文化往来。您能否结合自身的考察经历，向我们谈谈中美洲和南美洲地区民间工艺美术的历史传承与发展现状？

邱：在我看来，南美洲与中美洲艺术是艺术史中极为重要的研究部分。在这些区域，我们可以看到多元的传统艺术被巧妙地融合，并在地区间广为传播。在欧洲人到来之前，这里就有浓厚的本土文化和艺术传统。而到了殖民时期，欧洲习俗开始以强制性的手段进入美洲，并开始盛行。同样，被奴役的非洲人也带来了他们的文化与习俗，不同文化得以相互融合。因此拉丁美洲艺术通常具有明显的混交性。纵观历史，中国也曾与其他已具有视觉文化的文明国家发生过重要的碰撞，我想，比较性地看待这些文化间的接触和交流将会很有价值。

韦：您在中国期间所作的一些学术讲座中，关注了视觉文化中的跨文化交流、种族与民族性的建构等问题，为什么您认为这些是十分重要的话题？

邱：作为一个艺术史家，我主要关心视觉形象在建构和解构种族观念中所发挥的作用。比如在美国废除奴隶制之前，由白人假扮黑人的戏剧表演、照片、印刷品和绘画，均服务于白人统治文化的巩固，这种现象如今仍旧遗留在当代视觉文化之中，因此我觉得应该对此进行分析，以了解其中的深远影响。很多当代艺术家的作品中也涉及到这段充满种族色彩的历史，其中包括我喜爱的一些艺术家（我在中国的一系列演讲中也有所提及），比如Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons、Yinka Shonibare、Adrian Piper、Lorna Simpson、Kerry James Marshall和Glenn Ligon。艺术家们通过其作品审视当代社会中的权势、身份和政治。因此尝试去理解他们的艺术作品，能让我们收获不同的观点和见解，并深入到那些超越日常生活的经历之中。此外，我们还能获得新的角度，去批判性地看待在我们周围存在的那些权力结构。

二、清华美院授课内容的回顾与探讨

韦：本学期前8周，您在清华大学美术学院开设了《视觉文化研究》课程，曾对西方艺术史研究中的一些经典理论与方法进行了详细评介，并以个案分析的形式演示了在具體的艺术史研究中，学生应当如何使用这些理论。那么您是如何看待欧美艺术史研究中方法论的重要性？

邱：在课程中，我们探讨了一系列在西方学术背景下重要的艺术史研究方法，包括从形式分析到后殖民主义批判等等。我个人认为，当我们在研究某个特定时间或地点中的某件艺术作品时，理论方法能帮助我们建立一个框架，并解决一系列问题。比如，从综合视角分析或仪式性分析来看，我们也许会问某件物品对于人的意义是什么？在仪式性的实践中，人们又是如何赋予物品的属性的？反过来，我们会问物品（祭坛、圣画像、念珠等）如何影响了人们的生活并赋予其意义？这类问题无论是在我们研究非裔巴西人的宗教传统、中国的佛教传统或意大利文艺复兴时期的天主教信仰上都是适用的。通过方法论，我们能找到这些理论问题的答案。比如，关于艺术和宗教仪式，为了找到上述问题的答案，我们需要调查礼器及其使用方法。谁使用了它们？这些设计是否具有特殊意义？谁制造了它们？它们的创造者是否需要特殊训练？制作该物体是否是仪式中的一部分？当仪式结束后，这一物体的结局如何？它是否储藏在特殊地方？是毁坏的还是完好的？将其放置于博物馆中展示是否恰当？

韦：您的两门课程在介绍图像学、风格分析、符号学等一些经典艺术史研究方法的同时，还重点介绍了许多新的理论和观点，包括阶级分析、结构分析、后结构主义、社会经济与政治分析、仪式与人类学理论、精神分析、女性主义、后殖民主义等，那么您对当前西方艺术史学界研究方法的多样化现象如何看待？

邱：从我个人而言，我认为最重要的是我们要灵活地运用方法论。有时候我们会结合多种形式的艺术史研究方法。比如，根据情况而定，有时我们会发现一个持有女性主义立场的研究者，立足某个具体问题，并结合符号学理论，可以很好的完成研究工作。因此，在解决关于艺术和视觉文化的复杂问题时，能够积极接纳多种研究方法，并使用不同的方法论无疑是极为重要的。

韦：您在授课中十分强调博物馆在艺术史教学和研究中的重要作用，那么您认为博物馆在促进不同文明之间的相互理解中，又扮演了什么样的角色？

邱：我最早的一些童年记忆来自于和家人一起游览博物馆，记得我小时候曾去过芝加哥艺术学院，学到了许多从古埃及艺术到中国汉代，再到19世纪法国工业革命的知识。我想艺术提供了一扇深入另一种文化的窗户，它让我们在时间的流逝中感受政治和社会的差异，当然也让我们反思人类的团结，以及我们对家、家人和安全感的渴望。在我看来，策展人和学者在社会中扮演了重要的角色，他们整理相关史料，用来解答艺术和历史中出现的相关问题，这在中国如此，在美国亦是如此。比如，我曾经在上海博物馆参观了一个日本佛教展，这使我了解了日本传统和中国传统的共性与差异。因此，在一个博物馆中同时展出中国、西非和欧洲的艺术品，可以让我们大体了解在历史长河中，不同地域政治权力的共同表达方式。但是与此同时，策展人的工作同样让我们明白，独立的艺术品仅仅能欣赏其美感，如果孤立来看，显然无法很好地理解这些作品的意义，它们必须通过相互比较对照，并置于复杂的政治、社会和文化背景中才能被解读。

三、中美艺术史教学模式的差异与互补

韦：您所任教的圣托马斯大学（StThomas University）坐落于美国明尼苏达州首府圣保罗市，成立于1885年，是明尼苏达州规模最大的私立综合型大学。艺术史系隶属于贵校艺术与科学学院，您也是研究生教学培养的指导教师之一，那么请您为中国师生介绍一下圣托马斯大学艺术史系的基本情况。

邱：我非常享受在圣托马斯大学的教学，因为我确信我们有一个以全球化课程为中心的创新项目。在任何时候，我们都会招收25-30名学生来参与该项目。我们有很多全职的教职员工，分别进行不同方向的教学。Dr Victoria Young是我们的系主任，专门从事建筑史研究。Dr Craig Eliason主要关注现代艺术，同时也教授字体设计史课程。Dr Elizabeth Kindall的研究与教学集中在中国古代艺术史，事实上她刚刚出版了一本关于中国山水画家的新书。Dr William Barnes是研究美洲前哥伦布时代的一个专家。Dr Jayme Yahr是一名研究美洲文化的学者，同时设计并管理我们的博物馆研究项目。Dr Eric Kjellgren讲授有关太平洋艺术的课程，他还担任圣托马斯大学Asmat艺术博物馆的负责人。此外，副院长Mark Stansbury-ODonnell开设了古希腊艺术课程，而Michelle Nordtrop-Madson教授中世纪艺术课程并担任主管。我讲授的课程涉及非洲和非洲裔人艺术，包括非洲裔美国人艺术。作为一门学科，艺术史最初由研究西方艺术的学者们建立，而严谨的非洲和非洲裔人艺术研究则在近些年发展迅速。因此作为一个研究非西方艺术的学者，我的研究与学科的主流观点相抗衡，这显得尤为重要。与此同时，我也非常荣幸能为清华大学的学生和圣托马斯大学的学生介绍最新的研究课题。

我和本科生之间有着密切的工作接触，这让我个人受益匪浅。除了艺术史专业的学生之外，每年还有数百名学生报名参加艺术史导论课程，这是本科生课程的核心必修课。在我的教学当中，我会对源自其他文明的艺术进行严谨的思考和写作，提升在不同背景下对历史的灵活理解力和创造力。对学生提出的一些相关艺术问题，我引导他们尽其所能，利用大量资源去寻找问题的答案，获得他们所需的知识。我致力于让学生在课堂上通过成熟的方法学习视觉文化，而在日常生活中，他们也会碰到这些需要分析图像的机会。

韦：在来到中国前，您曾经在圣托马斯大学接受校方采访时称，非常期待能够在中国这样一个与美国文化语境和学生背景迥异的环境中展开教学。此外，您还强调，当您返回圣托马斯大学后，拥有这样的海外教学经历，可以让您更有经验去教授那些国际学生和并非以英语为母语的学生。如今，当您完成在清华大学美术学院的教学任务之际，您认为自己是否达到了预期的教学目的？

邱：正如我所料，我用英语给讲母语的中国人授课，对他们的语言能力是个不小的挑战。我发现学生之间的语言能力存在较大差异。一些中国学生的英语阅读、书写和口语能力，已经可以像英语母语者那般流畅，他们已经具备接触较高水平英文材料的能力，有能力挑战批判性思维并进行高水平写作，作品也多能让国际学术界所接受。与此同时，班上的其他一些中国学生则缺乏学术竞争力，其中有些学生事先并不知道教师会以英文进行授课，还有少数学生由于语言障碍，拒绝使用课程资料，这些学生更适合于去学习基础理解部分，而不适合对材料进行批判性分析。我知道在同一个课堂上，要满足所有不同类型的学生需求的确是一个挑战。当然，分小组讨论活动、一对一教学以及使用微信等科技手段，则帮助我们克服了其中的一些问题。

我时常会发现清华大学的学生有着很好的英文能力，但却缺乏自信，一些学生在讲英文，甚至在交作业的时候都会很紧张，因为他们认为自己的英文不好。这种对“完美”的追求真的会阻碍学生们的发展。我们从实践中学习，错误能帮助我们成长。我的目标就是要让学生阅读更多复杂的文章，勇于表达他们的想法，让他们在一种安全感中挑战自己。

真正吸引我的是，我和我的学生们从不同的文化视角解读了一些关键问题。例如，我们讨论了“全球性博物馆（Universal Museums）”在当今世界中的角色。全球性博物馆是一个展示世界文化艺术品的机构，展出的多是人类共有的文化遗产。这些博物馆都是殖民时代的产物，我认为从道德角度批判这些机构十分重要。我的学生们渴望参与到这样的讨论中来，从他们那里，我也了解了这些问题是如何与中国大众相关联的。另一个有趣的讨论围绕“公共艺术”的概念展开，通过课程讨论，我们以我所理解的公共艺术为对象，而这类艺术在中国文化背景下是并不真正存在的。从这些谈话中，我了解到了很多关于我们美国人自身的文化假设。

韦：您极为重视批判性阅读在教学过程中的重要作用。在教学中，您不仅直接使用了美国大学艺术史专业的英文原版教材Methods & Theories of Art History和一些英文学术论文作为主干内容，同时每周您都会安排一至两名学生担任论文讨论的导读展示工作（Student-led discussions of readings），通过他们在课堂上采用PPT、视频等多样化的演示手段，带领全班同学展开对指定阅读文本的英文讨论，那么您如何看待这种教学方式的优越性？您认为在艺术史的教学过程中，教师应当扮演什么样的角色？

邱：在研究生阶段，我要做的是对我的学生们进行指导，因为他们已经开始准备以一个专业艺术史家的身份进入某个研究领域。当硕士学习结束后，很多人将会展开工作生涯，担任博物馆策展人、文物管理员、教师或是研究者。我对他们的专业学习有着很高的要求，我希望学生们能积极参加并主导学术讨论，而不是仅仅作为一个旁观者。虽然我也认真地制定了教学大纲，选择了对课程而言最适合的阅读材料，但是我仍然希望学生们能够独立引導我们讨论的方向，在课上分享他们的经验和知识。学生们进行课堂展示（Presentation）是一个介绍新教学内容的重要方式，这些简短的展示能够带动学生对他们感到陌生的课题进行研究，并把大量信息浓缩进简短的展示和探讨之中。我经历过在众人面前讲话，知道这会很不自然，我想让我的学生们在教室这一安全的空间中分享各自的想法。在教室中，我和其他同学给出的评价反馈，可以有利于学生提高自己的能力。此外，对于英语不是自己母语的学生而言，小组展示是一个非常重要的练习，因为实践才能出真知。通过展示和讨论，我亲眼目睹学生在口语表达能力、词汇量和发音方面的巨大进步。我鼓励我的研究生们，从开始研究的那一刻起，便把他们自己想象成是专业的研究者。我亲自向他们进行了指导，随后他们将展示内容发展成为成熟的课堂作业、会议陈述和研究论文，但是我仍然期望未来他们可以独立进行研究。

韋：美国艺术史教学历史悠久，实力雄厚，当前有近百所大学开设有艺术史专业。您作为一位身处教学第一线的教师，如何评价当前艺术史专业在美国大学中的地位？

邱：非常可惜，我发现当今的学生似乎更关注那些对他们毕业后有利可图的专业，比如贸易类专业和科学类专业。此外，大家都很强调科学、技术、工程和数学的重要性。当然我认为这四方面的教学和学习是尤为重要的。尽管如此，我想艺术史同样给学生提供了很多可迁移的技能，能够满足当今就业市场的需求，这些技能包括从批判性角度阅读和解读视觉现象、构想问题并组织答案、流利的书面和口头表达、较快适应从多角度审视某一事件，以及认真且批判性地思考重大问题。对我而言，艺术史应保持扎实全面的核心教育，这有助于学生为今后涉及医学、执法、贸易和工程等更广阔的职业生涯做好充分准备。

韦：您在清华美院授课期间，还在中央美术学院、台湾师范大学、南京师范大学、上海博物馆等高校和文博机构举办学术讲座。毫无疑问，这对您来说是一个与中国学者和学生展开交流的绝好机会。那么您对当前中国艺术史专业的研究环境和学生的学术能力有何感受？和美国艺术史专业学生相比，中国同专业学生在课程学习和学术研究上，有哪些不同之处？您能否为中国学生提供一些行之有效的艺术史学习建议？

邱：我非常荣幸能够在中国遇到极为出色的艺术史专业教师和学生。在富布赖特学者交流项目中，我举办和参加了涉及多个题目的演讲和工作坊，包括公共艺术、艺术收藏的伦理道德、美国艺术中的种族与象征。我还见到了许多对西方艺术感兴趣的中国学生，他们非常渴望学习并积极参与学术讨论。很多院校和研究机构都拥有实力雄厚的西方艺术研究课程，教师们也曾在欧洲和北美做过研究，这对学生来说获益匪浅。尤其是中央美术学院，它和北美的许多大学有着长期稳定的合作，也为交换学习提供了多种机会。我想，这样长期的联系对我们尝试建立更广泛的学术交流是绝对有必要的。

此外，已经有很多学生向我谈及，他们需要获得更丰富的资源，以便他们进行研究，比如英文图书和期刊文献。我个人感觉，相比中国其他高校的学生，清华大学在获取研究资料上更为便利，例如ArtStor和JStor这样的电子数据库，都是对目前的艺术史研究者来说极为重要的学术资源。

我相信学生们能从我的研究经历中受益良多，比如有机会在国际舞台上发表和出版他们的作品，鼓励他们申请奖学金，这些都有助于他们利用国际性的基金进行研究。与我合作过的学生还能从实践性的工作坊研讨中获益，比如学术论文写作，尤其是如何进行适当引用，从而避免抄袭。当然中国艺术史研究的受众群体庞大，但我认为学者们与其他国家的研究者展开国际合作也尤为重要，这就意味着中国学者要具备高水平的英文能力，因为英语仍然是国际艺术史研究领域中最为广泛使用的语言。

课程结业后，艺术史论系主任、博士生导师陈岸瑛副教授、邱石楠（Heather Shirey）教授与同学合影

英文采访原稿：

Part I： Personal Academic Road and Research Interests

Q1： Hello， Professor！ Thank you for accepting my interview Firstly， could you please introduce your study experience in a brief？ And why did you choose the major of art history when you were a student？

A1： I decided to be an art history major during my second year of college I was enrolled in a course on ancient Greek and Roman history We read some important ancient texts that Id never encountered up to that point， but frankly， I thought the course was a little boring It felt like were spent a lot of time memorizing names and dates， and I felt little connection to the material That changed when we had a guest speaker visit the class， a professor from the art history department He talked to us about modes of representation in ancient art， such as shifting approaches to portraiture We learned that these changes in art were connected to larger political and social upheavals I found that history became much more interesting through the lens of art and visual culture

From that point， I took art history classes covering a wide variety of topics and I was fortunate to find that the curriculum was quite varied During my time as an undergraduate （BA program） I learned about European and American art， and I was also able to study ancient Mesoamerican art as well as African art and Asian art At the same time， I was also quite interested in languages As an undergraduate， I studied Portuguese， Spanish， and French I really did this just for fun， but these languages turned out to be quite useful over time

After that， I earned a masters degree in art history from Tulane University， then a PhD from Indiana University After spending much time focusing on 19th century French art （particularly religious paintings by Eduard Manet）， my focus shifted to the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora

Q2： I know that you have spent time Brazil and other countries doing research on art history and popular arts Your doctoral dissertation， entitled “Empowering Spaces： Candomblé Art in Sacred and Secular Contexts in Salvador Da Bahia， Brazil” was completed at Indiana University in 2005 You have also published some papers in journals such as African Arts and The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions Could you please introduce your research project in this area presently？

A2： Currently my research is taking me in multiple directions On the one hand， I continue to do research on African-Brazilian art in Salvador da Bahia I am involved in research on the changing representation of African Brazilian women known as baianas In the 19th century， baianas were identified as women of African descent who worked as vendors of food and goods in the citys public spaces The mode of dress associated with the baiana

Symbol～B@ characterized by voluminous white lace and embroidered skirts and tops accompanied by an abundance of adornments

Symbol～B@ was simultaneously associated with African Brazilian street vendors and faith traditions such as Candomblé Studio photographers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century photographed women of African Brazilian descent in the clothing， typically labeling these photographs not with the name of the sitter， but with the “type，” the baiana， thus carrying implications in relation to a racial and social hierarchy in society as well as regional identity By the mid-twentieth century， the baiana was transformed from a mainstream representation of Northeastern Brazilian identity to a broader signifier of Brazil as a nation， particularly recognizable through the constructed baiana persona popularized and exported by Carmen Miranda as well as Pierre Vergers documentary photographs In a contemporary context， the baiana continues to serve as a meaningful reference to Bahian identity These transformations are interesting to me， and I am also fascinated with how the baiana is represented in public space That connects with my previous research in Brazil， which also focused on the representation of complicated identities through art in the public sphere It also connects to my interest in representation of race and ethnicity in the United States Ultimately I would like to do a comparative study that brings together my interests in the visual culture of Brazil and the United States

I am also quite interested in the African Diaspora in Europe， specifically Great Britain My interests here are multi-dimensional First， I am interested in participating in a critique of art collections constructed during the period of colonization During the colonial period， many nations such as Great Britain amassed tremendous collections of African art through colonial warfare There are very serious ethical implications with this， and I argue that it is essential that museums be transparent about the history of their collections I also think that museums should play a role in rectifying political， social， and cultural damage done in the past I am also interested in contemporary artists such as Yinka Shonibare， as his work engages with the complicated notions of nationalism and the construction of history as it relates to public space

Q3： This year（2016） is declared as the Sino-Latin American and Caribbean Countries Year of Exchange， with an emphasis on culture and People-to-People communication This is the first time the area of Central and South America has been selected for high level multilateral cultural exchange activities These activities will promote cultural exchanges between China and South America with the atrical performances， academic conferences， film festivals and book fairs Could you please talk about the history of folk art in South America for Chinese readers？

A3： I think that South American and Central American art is a very important area for research In South and Central America， we see the interesting confluence of art from multiple traditions—widespread throughout the region， there were strong indigenous cultural and artistic traditions before the arrival of Europeans At the time of colonization， European traditions came into play， often through force Likewise， enslaved African people brought cultures and traditions into the mix So Latin American art is marked by hybridity Throughout its history， China has also had significant encounters with other cultures that have shaped visual culture A comparative look at these moments of contact and exchange would be very valuable

Q4： Some of your academic lectures have focused on intercultural exchange and the construction of race and ethnicity in visual culture Why do you think this is so important？

A4： As an art historian， a primary concern of mine is the role of visual imagery in constructing and deconstructing ideas about race and ethnicity Prior to the abolition of slavery， in the United States for example， minstrel shows， photographs， prints， and paintings served to reinforce a culture of white dominance The legacy of this imagery still persists in visual culture today， and， I argue， it must be analyzed in order to understand its continuing impact Many contemporary artists of color also address the history of racially charged imagery in their work—some favorites of mine are artists Ive talked about in my lectures in China， including Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons， Yinka Shonibare， Adrian Piper， Lorna Simpson， Kerry James Marshall， and Glenn Ligon Artists use their work to scrutinize power and privilege， identity， and politics in contemporary society Seeking to understand their work allows us to gain diverse perspectives， insights into experiences that may take us beyond our day-to-day realities， and with that， new ways to look critically at the structures of power we see around us

PartⅡ： The Review and Introspection of Two Courses in Tsinghua

Q1： This semester， you introduced some traditional research approaches in the field such as visual analysis and iconography as well as theoretical approaches such as semiotics and psychoanalysis You taught Chinese students how to use theoretical tools for art historical analysis So Im very interested your thoughts on methodology in art history research in European and American scholarship

A1： In the Methods and Theories class， we explore a variety of art historical approaches that have been important in Western scholarship， from formal analysis to post-colonial critiques For me， theoretical approaches allow us to construct a framework， a set of questions we can use when approaching a work of art from a given time or place For example， from the perspective or ritual analysis， we might ask questions about how to people act on objects and invest them with meaning in ritual practice In turn， we might ask how the objects （altars， icon paintings， beads， etc） act on peoples lives and invest these lives with meaning These kinds of questions are applicable whether we are studying African Brazilian religious traditions， Buddhist traditions in China， or Catholic beliefs in the Italian Renaissance Our methodological approaches allow us to find answers to these theoretical questions For example， regarding art and ritual practice， to find answers to the questions above we might investigate ritual objects and how are they used Who uses them？ Does their design have meaning？ Who made them？ Did the maker need to be trained in a special way？ Is the object created as part of a ritual？ What happens to the object when the ritual is over？ Is it stored someplace special？ Is it destroyed？ Would it be inappropriate to display in a museum？

Q2： After you had introduced some traditional research approaches， you also moved on the key point to some new theories and perspectives for Chinese academia， including racialism analysis， structural analysis， post-structuralism， socio-economic and political analysis， ritual theory and anthropology， psychoanalysis， feminism， and post-colonialism So what do you think about the phenomenon of diversification in methods of art history research in western academia presently？

A2： From my perspective， the most important thing is having flexibility in our approaches Sometimes we might blend together a variety of art historical approaches For example， we might find that a feminist approaches works quite well when combined with semiotic analysis， depending on the situation It is essential to remain open to multiple approaches and to use various methodologies in order to answer complex questions about art and visual culture

Q3： what role do you think museums play in creating mutual understanding between various cultures？

A3： Some of my earliest memories are of trips to museums with my family I remember going to the Art Institute of Chicago as a child and learning about everything from Ancient Egyptian art to Han Dynasty China to industrialization in 19th century France I think that art provides a window into another culture It lets us see political and social differences over time， of course， but it also allows us to reflect on the unity of all humans， our shared desires for home， family， security From my perspective， curators， scholars who organize materials in order to answer important questions about art and history， play a very important role in society This is true both in China and in the United States For example， at the Shanghai Museum I saw an exhibition of Buddhism in Japan that providing me with an understanding of the similarities and differences in Chinese traditions A museum that presents historical arts from China alongside works from West Africa and Europe can potentially allow us to understand shared ways of representing political authority in these different places over the course of time But it is the job of the curator to help us understand that individual objects are simply to be appreciated for their aesthetic beauty nor are they best understood in isolation， they must be compared and contrasted with one another and they must be inserted in a rich political， social， and cultural context

PartⅢ： The Difference and Complementation between the US and China in Education Pattern about Art History

Q4： The University of St Thomas is located in St Paul and Minneapolis， Minnesota It was Founded in 1885 by Archbishop John Ireland， it became the Minnesota's largest private non-profit university The Department of Art History belongs to the college of art and sciences You are also the Director of Graduate Studies Could you please tell us about the art history program at the University of St Thomas？

A4：I really enjoy teaching at the University of St Thomas because I think we have a very innovative program centered around a very global curriculum We have approximately 25-30 students enrolled in the program at any given momentIn our program we have a number of full-time faculty members teaching a variety of topics Dr Victoria Young， our department chair， specializes in architectural history Dr Craig Eliason focuses on modern art， and he also teaches the history of type design Dr Elizabeth Kindalls research and teaching focus on historical Chinese art， and she， in fact， has a new book out about a Chinese landscape painter Dr William Barnes is our Pre-Columbian specialist Dr Jayme Yahr is an Americanist who also designed and administers our Museum Studies program Dr Eric Kjellgren teaches courses on Pacific art and serves as Director of the Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St Thomas Additionally， Associate Dean Mark Stansbury-ODonnell teaches courses on ancient Greek art， while Michelle Nordtrop-Madson teaches Medieval art and serves as a Chief Curator I teach courses on the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora， including African American art in the United States As a discipline， art history was initially founded by scholars of Western art； the rigorous study of the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora developed much more recently For that reason， my contributions as a scholar of non-Western art are particularly important as a counter-balance to the dominant point of view in the discipline， and it has been an honor to introduce new topics to my students here at Tsinghua University as well as at my home institution， the University of St Thomas

I also work very closely with undergraduate students， and this is very rewarding for me In addition to art history majors， hundreds of students a year enroll in the introductory art history course as part of their core requirements for the bachelors degree In my teaching， I dedicate myself fully to rigorous thinking and writing in relation to art from other cultures， promoting a sensitive understanding of history and creativity in diverse contexts I guide my students as they craft appropriate questions about art and seek answers to their questions， using a wide range of resources in their quest for knowledge I am committed to teaching my students to engage with visual culture in a sophisticated manner， both in the classroom and as they encounter images in their everyday lives

Q5： Before you came to China in 2016， you were interviewed at the University of St Thomas and said that it would be a good challenge for you to teach in a new context， where students have different perspectives when it comes to discussing everything from the Emancipation Proclamation to contemporary race relations In addition， you also stated that teaching abroad would enhance your ability to teach international students or students who dont speak English as their native language when you returns to St Thomas Having completed your teaching at Tsinghua University， what are your thoughts on this？

A5： As I expected， I taught my courses in English to native speakers of Chinese， and there were language challenges as a result of this There was a great deal of variation amongst the students in terms of language abilities I had some students who could read， write， and speak English with near-native fluency These students were very prepared to engage with the material at a sophisticated level， and they deserved to be challenged to think critically and write at a high level that would be accepted by academic audiences internationally At the same time， there were students in the class with much lower levels of competency Some of these students did not realize in advance that the course would be taught in English， and a few were resistant to engage with the material due to the language barrier These students tended to focus on basic comprehension rather than on a critical analysis of the material It was challenging to meet the needs of these diverse students in one class Breaking into smaller groups for discussion activities， using peer-to-peer teaching， and harnessing technology like We Chat helped us overcome some of these difficulties

Most frequently， I found that the students at Tsinghua have very good skills in English but they are hindered by a lack of confidence Some students were very nervous about speaking or even submitting written works because their English is not perfect This expectation of “perfection” can really hold students back We learn through experimentation and our mistakes help us grow My goal was to make students feel safe to challenge themselves by reading more complicated texts and expressing their ideas

What really interested me was the ways in which my students and I approach key questions from different perspectives given our cultural backgrounds For example， we engaged in discussions about the role of “universal museums” in the contemporary world Universal museums are institutions that exhibit works of art from cultures throughout the world， presenting this material as the shared cultural heritage of all of human kind As these museums are a legacy of colonialism， I think it is important to offer a critique of these institutions from an ethical standpoint My students were eager to engage in these discussions and they taught me a great deal about how these issues are relevant to a Chinese audience Another interesting discussion revolved around the concept of “public art” Through the course of discussions， we determined that public art as I understand it， that is to say art that is dedicated to promoting dialogue and civil discourse about community issues， does not really exist in the Chinese cultural context I learned so much about my own cultural assumptions from these conversations

Q6： You place a great deal of emphasis on reading critically as part of the learning process Not only do use English textbooks like Methods & Theories of Art History and academic articles， but you also arrange student-led seminar discussion of assigned readings by way of presentations every week What do you think are the benefits of this teaching method？ What role do you think a professor should play in the teaching process of art history？

A6： At the graduate level， I am dedicated to guiding my students as they prepare to enter the field as professional art historians After concluding the masters program， many will enter the work force as museum curators， conservators， teachers， and researchers I have high standards for their work in the program and expect students to engage in the seminars not as spectators， but as leaders Although I construct the syllabus carefully and choose the readings that are most appropriate for our topic， I expect students to guide many of the discussions， bringing to the course their own experiences and knowledge Student teaching presentations are an important way to introduce new content These short presentations call upon students to conduct research on an unfamiliar topic and condense a great deal of information into a short presentation coupled with discussion I know from experience that speaking publically does not always come naturally I want students to begin the hard job of sharing ideas in the safe space provided by our seminar room， where their classmates and I can provide them with feedback that will allow them to improve their performance In addition， for students for whom English is not a first language， the practice of presenting material to the group is very important It is this continuous practice that leads to mastery I really saw some of my students make vast improvements in their oral abilities， strengthening vocabulary and pronunciation， as a result of the presentations and discussions I encourage my graduate students to think of themselves as professionals from the moment they enter the program I provide a great deal of hands-on guidance as they develop class research papers into conference presentations and articles， but I still expect independence

Q7： Art History teaching in the US has a long history and strong Nowadays， there are thousands of universities and colleges that offer courses in this field What is the status of Art History in American universities and colleagues today？

A7： Sadly， students of the current generation seem to be highly focused on majors that they think will be most “profitable” after graduation such as business and the sciences In addition， the national dialogue places a great deal of emphasis on STEM Of course I think teaching and learning in STEM is very important That said， I think that art history offers students many transferable skills that are highly desirable in todays job market These skills include reading and interpreting visual imagery from a critical perspective， formulating questions and generating answers， communicating clearly in writing and oral presentations， adapting quickly to view issues from multiple perspectives， and thinking critically and empathetically about important issues From my perspective， art history should remain at the core of a solid， well-rounded education Art history helps students become more prepared for careers as wide-ranging as medicine， law enforcement， business， and engineering

Q8： As we know， you also presented academic lectures at Central Academy of Fine Arts， China Academy of Art， Southeast University， Taiwan Normal University， Nanjing Normal University and the Shanghai Museum in addition to teaching at Tsinghua University in this semester There is no doubt that this is a good opportunity to communicate with Chinese scholars and students for you What are your impressions of the research environment and academic performance for art history in China presently？ Whats the difference between Chinese students and America students in professional learning and research skills？ Could you please give some effective suggestions about art history learning for Chinese undergraduate and graduate students？

A8： It was truly an honor to meet students and faculty from the finest art history programs in China Through my participation in the Fulbright Guest Lecture program， I presented lectures and workshops on a variety of topics including public art， the ethics of art collecting， and race and representation in American art I typically met with students who were already interested in Western art and they were very eager to learn and engage in discussions Many of these institutions have very strong programs that include a focus on Western art The faculty have experience doing research in Europe and North America， and this is highly beneficial to the students CAFA in particular has strong， sustained connections with North American universities， and this provides great opportunities for exchanges I think these long-term scholarly relationships are absolutely necessary as we seek to create a broader community of scholars

Many students have spoken to me about the need for greater access to resources for their research， such as books in English and access to journal articles My impression is that access to research materials at Tsinghua is very good when compared to other academies in China For example， ArtStor and JStor are simply invaluable to art history researchers today

I do think that the students I have encountered would benefit from my practical experience， such as opportunities to present and publish their work internationally and encouragement to write proposals for grants that would help fund international research The students Ive worked with would also continue to benefit from practical workshops on issues such as academic writing， especially how to do proper citations and avoid plagiarism Of course the audience for art historical scholarship in China is huge， but I also think it is important for scholars to engage with other researchers internationally This means really achieving a high level of competency in English， since it is the language most often used in the field of art history on the international level

Reference： The Main Articles and Book Reviews by Dr Heather Shirey

“Constructing Meaning： Candomblé Beads and Identity in Salvador da Bahia Brazil”，Nova Religio， volume 161， August 2012

“Meticulous Production and the Embodiment of History： María Magdalena Campos-Ponss My Mother Told Me I am Chinese Series”， in Vanessa K Valdés， ed The Future is Now： A New Look at African Diaspora Studies， 27-41 Newcastle upon Tyne， UK： Cambridge Scholars Publishing， 2012

“Ancestry， Art and Commodity： María Magdalena Campos-PonssMy Mother Told Me I Am Chinese series”， in Vanessa K Valdés， ed， Conference Proceedings from “Let Spirit Speak！ Cultural Journeys through the African Diaspora”， 51-56 Albany， NY： State University of New York Press， 2012

“Review of Beatriz Góis Dantas，Nag Grandma and White Papa： Candomblé and the Creation of Afro-Brazilian Identity”， Journal of Folklore Research Reviews， http：//wwwindianaedu/～jofr/reviewphp？id=990， May 18， 2010

“María Magdalena Campos-Pons： New Investigations into Diasporic Identity and History， Review ofLife Has Not Even Begun， new work by María Magdalena Campos-Pons at Glass Curtain Gallery， Columbia College， Chicago， January 26-March 6 2009”， African Arts 43：4 （Winter 2010）， 84-87

“Transforming the Orixás： Candomblé in Sacred and Secular Spaces in Salvador da Bahia， Brazil”， Africa Arts 42：2 （Winter 2009）， 62-79

“Dialogue Essay： Dreams of Home in Expanding Diasporas”，African Arts 42：2 （Summer 2009）， 7-11

Review of Beautiful/Ugly： African and Diaspora Aesthetics H-AfrArts， H-Net Reviews December 2008

“Review of Santería Enthroned： Art， Ritual， and Innovation in an Afro-Cuban Religion by David H Brown and The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World edited by Toyin Faloloa and Matt D Childs”， African Arts， （Winter 2007）， 93-95