Islam Through Art
Synopsis:
Webinar, January 28, 2021: “Islam Through Art,” with Dr. Christiane Gruber, Professor of Islamic Art and Chair of the History of Art Department, University of Michigan.
“Islam through Art” introduced participants to key issues and themes in Islamic art, including architectural interactions and the importance of ornament and Arabic-script calligraphy. This session also dispels contemporary discourses about figural imagery, especially depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. Finally, Prof. Gruber discusses readings, pedagogical strategies, and online resources (especially Khamseen) that can help teach Islam in a manner that aims to circumvent simplistic presuppositions and “otherizing” binaries.
“Islam through Art” is the first in “How to Teach about the Middle East — and Get it Right!”, a series of five sessions from January to May 2021, featuring resources and strategies for teaching about the Middle East relevant for Grades 6-12 and community colleges. The series is a Title VI collaboration between two National Resource Centers dedicated to Middle East Studies: CMENAS at the University of Michigan and the Consortium at Duke University-The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Islam Through Art
Christiane Gruber
90-minute webinar plan
Minute 1-10: Welcome and Introductions
Minute 10-20: Launch Pad: Group Activity
• “What are some terms, adjectives, ideas, or materials that come to your mind when you hear the expression “Islamic Art”?”
• Enter responses in Chat
• Synthesize and discuss results — definitions & presuppositions
Minute 20-40: Introducing Major Themes
• Architecture, ornament, calligraphy, and Arabocentrism
• Case Study: The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
• Recommended reading: Nasser Rabbat’s article on the Dome of the Rock
• Recommended video: The Dome of the Rock’s Original Mosaics
Minute 40-55: Figural Imagery
• Depictions of animate beings in Islamic art
• Recommended readings: Gruber, Images of the Prophet Muhammad and Idols and Figural Images in Islam to Figural Debate volume
• Recommended video: Safavid mi‘raj painting
Minute 55-80: Khamseen: Riding the Winds of Change
• Introduction to the online scholarly initiative
• Breakout groups: watch a video, discuss, and report back to group
• Video: George Floyd
• Report back 2-4 bullet points in chat
Minute 80-90: Wrap-Up
• Teaching Islam through art: problems and possibilities
• Closing discussion
Citation:
Christiane Gruber, “Islam Through Art,” webinar for CMENAS at the University of Michigan and the Consortium at Duke University-The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, January 28, 2021.
Christiane Gruber is Professor of Islamic Art and Former Chair in the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan as well as Founding Director of Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online. Her scholarly work (available here) explores medieval to contemporary Islamic art, including figural representation, depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, manuscripts and book arts, architecture, and modern visual and material cultures. Her two most recent publications include The Praiseworthy One: The Prophet Muhammad in Islamic Texts and Images and The Image Debate: Figural Representation in Islam and Across the World, and her public-facing essays have appeared in Newsweek, The Conversation, New Lines, Jadaliyya, and Prospect Magazine, among others. Her current research projects include eco-Islamic art and architecture as well as the visual culture of the Nation of Islam.