藝術(shù)史教學模式的探索與前瞻

韋昊昱 邱石楠

中圖分類號：J114-4

文獻標識碼：A

文章編號：1671-444X（2017）03-0001-12

國際DOI編碼：10.15958/j.cnki.gdxbysb.2017.03.001

編者按：2016年春季學期，美國邱石楠（Heather Shirey）教授，受美國富布萊特中美教育交流項目支持，作為高級訪問專家，在清華大學美術(shù)學院擔任了兩門研究生主干課程《視覺文化研究》與《西方現(xiàn)當代美術(shù)研究》的教學任務。來自學院各專業(yè)的40余名學生先后選修了這兩門課程，收到了極為良好的教學效果。與此同時，邱石楠教授還利用授課間隙，和中國藝術(shù)史學界展開了積極交流，先后在中央美術(shù)學院、臺灣師范大學、南京師范大學、上海博物館等高校和文博機構(gòu)舉辦學術(shù)講座，接觸了諸多中國大陸和臺灣藝術(shù)史專業(yè)師生。在邱石楠教授即將回國之際，清華大學美術(shù)學院藝術(shù)史論系2015級碩士研究生韋昊昱（以下簡稱韋），作為修讀邱石楠教授（以下簡稱邱）課程的學生，對其進行了訪談，請她以一個長期在美國藝術(shù)史專業(yè)教學第一線的教師身份，就個人求學經(jīng)歷與研究興趣、在清華美院的授課體驗，以及中美藝術(shù)史教學模式的差異與互補等方面的問題談了自己的看法。現(xiàn)將采訪稿刊出，以饗讀者。

一、個人求學經(jīng)歷與研究興趣

韋：邱教授您好！感謝您接受我的采訪，首先您能否為我們簡要介紹您個人的求學經(jīng)歷，以及為何選擇藝術(shù)史這一專業(yè)？

邱：我是在本科二年級時決定選擇藝術(shù)史專業(yè)的，那時我報名修讀了一門有關(guān)古希臘和古羅馬歷史的課程。我們選讀了一些在歷史上非常重要，但我先前從未見到過的古代文獻。然而，坦率地說，我認為這個課程有些無聊，讓人感覺僅僅花了很多時間去記住一些歷史人物的名字和歷史事件的日期，卻很少與史料相聯(lián)系。然而，當一位藝術(shù)史系的教授作為客座嘉賓來到我們班級授課時，情況發(fā)生了改變。他向我們講述了一些古代藝術(shù)中的表現(xiàn)方式，比如肖像繪畫技法的演變。我們從中了解到，這些藝術(shù)風格的變化是與宏大的政治與社會巨變相聯(lián)系的。最終我發(fā)現(xiàn)，透過藝術(shù)和視覺文化的視角，歷史會變得更加有趣。

從那時起，我開始參加許多涵蓋各種主題的藝術(shù)史課程，我幸運地發(fā)現(xiàn)這些課程是豐富多彩的。在本科期間，我系統(tǒng)學習了歐洲和美國藝術(shù)以及古代中美洲藝術(shù)、非洲藝術(shù)和亞洲藝術(shù)。同時，我對語言也很感興趣。作為本科生，我學習了葡萄牙語、西班牙語和法語。最初我這樣做只是為了好玩，但是隨著時間的推移，我發(fā)現(xiàn)學習這些語言對我來說真的十分有用。

隨后，我獲得了杜蘭大學（Tulane University）的藝術(shù)史碩士學位，最終于印第安納大學（Indiana University）獲得博士學位。在花費了很多時間研究19世紀的法國藝術(shù)（尤其是愛德華·馬奈的宗教畫）之后，我的焦點轉(zhuǎn)向了非洲藝術(shù)特別是非洲移民藝術(shù)。

韋：我得知，您曾經(jīng)在巴西等國進行過長期深入的藝術(shù)史和民俗民藝考察研究，2005年您的博士論文Empowering Spaces： Candomblé Art in Sacred and Secular Contexts in Salvador da Bahia，Brazil關(guān)注了巴西Salvador da Bahia地區(qū)神圣性與世俗性兼具的宗教藝術(shù)，2009年和2012年您又先后在美國African Arts、The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions等學術(shù)期刊上發(fā)表論文，探討了南美的街頭涂鴉、公共雕塑、婦女的日常裝飾物等較為生活化的藝術(shù)樣式，那么請您為我們中國讀者介紹一下目前您在這一領(lǐng)域的研究興趣。

邱：目前我的研究領(lǐng)域橫跨多個方向。一方面，我仍然繼續(xù)研究巴西Salvador da Bahia地區(qū)的巴西黑人（African-Brazilian）藝術(shù)研究。我參與了被稱為“巴亞納人”（Baianas），一個巴西黑人代表性婦女群體的研究。在19世紀，巴亞納人（Baianas）被認定為非洲裔女性，她們在城市的公共空間中，作為售賣食品和雜貨的小商販形象出現(xiàn)。此時，一種以寬松的白色蕾絲、繡花裙和多樣的頭頂裝飾為主要特征的服裝樣式也隨之產(chǎn)生，這種樣式的出現(xiàn)與巴西的黑人街頭小販，以及諸如坎東布雷教（Candomblé）的信仰緊密相關(guān)。19世紀末至20世紀初的攝影師們拍下了這些巴西黑人婦女的穿著，然而在通常情況下，這些照片是以“類別”，而不是以被拍者的姓名為標記，這無疑帶有了種族、社會等級和地域身份的隱喻。到了20世紀中期，巴亞納人（Baianas）從巴西東北部地區(qū)的主流象征，轉(zhuǎn)變成為了代表整個巴西的民族符號，尤其通過卡門·米蘭達（Carmen Miranda）普及傳播的巴亞納人（Baianas）面具，以及皮埃爾·費杰（Pierre Verger）的紀實攝影，使得這種形象更加鮮明了。在當下語境中，巴亞納人（Baianas）仍舊對巴伊亞（Bahian）地區(qū)的身份認同具有借鑒意義，這些轉(zhuǎn)變的確吸引著我，同樣，我對巴亞納人（Baianas）在公開場合的表現(xiàn)也很感興趣，這和我先前在巴西從事的研究相關(guān)，它同樣通過公共藝術(shù)的形式，來研究復雜的身份特征，這又和我對于美國種族與族群性表現(xiàn)的研究興趣相聯(lián)系。未來我希望能做出一個涵蓋巴西與美國，并整合我多種學術(shù)興趣的綜合性視覺文化研究。

與此同時，我還對歐洲，尤其是英國的非洲裔人非常感興趣，并且這種興趣是多維度的。首先，我樂于參與對殖民時期藝術(shù)收藏活動的研究。在殖民時期，許多像英國這樣的國家，曾通過侵略戰(zhàn)爭，掠奪并收藏了大量的非洲藝術(shù)品，這其中夾雜了很多倫理道德的問題，我認為博物館完全有必要公開這些收藏品的歷史。同時我認為，博物館應發(fā)揮其作用，改正因歷史而造成的政治、社會與文化災難。此外，我對當代藝術(shù)家也頗有興趣，比如藝術(shù)家Yinka Shonibare，他的作品就涉及了復雜的民族主義觀念和公共空間的歷史建構(gòu)問題。

韋：我得知，您曾經(jīng)在巴西等國進行過長期深入的藝術(shù)史和民俗民藝考察研究。2016年恰逢中國政府與拉丁美洲及加勒比海地區(qū)國家聯(lián)合舉辦“中拉文化交流年”活動，這是中國第一次在中美洲和南美洲地區(qū)舉辦的高級別多邊文化交流活動，通過舉辦文藝展演展覽、學術(shù)論壇、電影展映、圖書節(jié)等形式，增進中國、中美洲和南美洲地區(qū)的文化往來。您能否結(jié)合自身的考察經(jīng)歷，向我們談談中美洲和南美洲地區(qū)民間工藝美術(shù)的歷史傳承與發(fā)展現(xiàn)狀？

邱：在我看來，南美洲與中美洲藝術(shù)是藝術(shù)史中極為重要的研究部分。在這些區(qū)域，我們可以看到多元的傳統(tǒng)藝術(shù)被巧妙地融合，并在地區(qū)間廣為傳播。在歐洲人到來之前，這里就有濃厚的本土文化和藝術(shù)傳統(tǒng)。而到了殖民時期，歐洲習俗開始以強制性的手段進入美洲，并開始盛行。同樣，被奴役的非洲人也帶來了他們的文化與習俗，不同文化得以相互融合。因此拉丁美洲藝術(shù)通常具有明顯的混交性。縱觀歷史，中國也曾與其他已具有視覺文化的文明國家發(fā)生過重要的碰撞，我想，比較性地看待這些文化間的接觸和交流將會很有價值。

韋：您在中國期間所作的一些學術(shù)講座中，關(guān)注了視覺文化中的跨文化交流、種族與民族性的建構(gòu)等問題，為什么您認為這些是十分重要的話題？

邱：作為一個藝術(shù)史家，我主要關(guān)心視覺形象在建構(gòu)和解構(gòu)種族觀念中所發(fā)揮的作用。比如在美國廢除奴隸制之前，由白人假扮黑人的戲劇表演、照片、印刷品和繪畫，均服務于白人統(tǒng)治文化的鞏固，這種現(xiàn)象如今仍舊遺留在當代視覺文化之中，因此我覺得應該對此進行分析，以了解其中的深遠影響。很多當代藝術(shù)家的作品中也涉及到這段充滿種族色彩的歷史，其中包括我喜愛的一些藝術(shù)家（我在中國的一系列演講中也有所提及），比如Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons、Yinka Shonibare、Adrian Piper、Lorna Simpson、Kerry James Marshall和Glenn Ligon。藝術(shù)家們通過其作品審視當代社會中的權(quán)勢、身份和政治。因此嘗試去理解他們的藝術(shù)作品，能讓我們收獲不同的觀點和見解，并深入到那些超越日常生活的經(jīng)歷之中。此外，我們還能獲得新的角度，去批判性地看待在我們周圍存在的那些權(quán)力結(jié)構(gòu)。

二、清華美院授課內(nèi)容的回顧與探討

韋：本學期前8周，您在清華大學美術(shù)學院開設(shè)了《視覺文化研究》課程，曾對西方藝術(shù)史研究中的一些經(jīng)典理論與方法進行了詳細評介，并以個案分析的形式演示了在具體的藝術(shù)史研究中，學生應當如何使用這些理論。那么您是如何看待歐美藝術(shù)史研究中方法論的重要性？

邱：在課程中，我們探討了一系列在西方學術(shù)背景下重要的藝術(shù)史研究方法，包括從形式分析到后殖民主義批判等等。我個人認為，當我們在研究某個特定時間或地點中的某件藝術(shù)作品時，理論方法能幫助我們建立一個框架，并解決一系列問題。比如，從綜合視角分析或儀式性分析來看，我們也許會問某件物品對于人的意義是什么？在儀式性的實踐中，人們又是如何賦予物品的屬性的？反過來，我們會問物品（祭壇、圣畫像、念珠等）如何影響了人們的生活并賦予其意義？這類問題無論是在我們研究非裔巴西人的宗教傳統(tǒng)、中國的佛教傳統(tǒng)或意大利文藝復興時期的天主教信仰上都是適用的。通過方法論，我們能找到這些理論問題的答案。比如，關(guān)于藝術(shù)和宗教儀式，為了找到上述問題的答案，我們需要調(diào)查禮器及其使用方法。誰使用了它們？這些設(shè)計是否具有特殊意義？誰制造了它們？它們的創(chuàng)造者是否需要特殊訓練？制作該物體是否是儀式中的一部分？當儀式結(jié)束后，這一物體的結(jié)局如何？它是否儲藏在特殊地方？是毀壞的還是完好的？將其放置于博物館中展示是否恰當？

韋：您的兩門課程在介紹圖像學、風格分析、符號學等一些經(jīng)典藝術(shù)史研究方法的同時，還重點介紹了許多新的理論和觀點，包括階級分析、結(jié)構(gòu)分析、后結(jié)構(gòu)主義、社會經(jīng)濟與政治分析、儀式與人類學理論、精神分析、女性主義、后殖民主義等，那么您對當前西方藝術(shù)史學界研究方法的多樣化現(xiàn)象如何看待？

邱：從我個人而言，我認為最重要的是我們要靈活地運用方法論。有時候我們會結(jié)合多種形式的藝術(shù)史研究方法。比如，根據(jù)情況而定，有時我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)一個持有女性主義立場的研究者，立足某個具體問題，并結(jié)合符號學理論，可以很好的完成研究工作。因此，在解決關(guān)于藝術(shù)和視覺文化的復雜問題時，能夠積極接納多種研究方法，并使用不同的方法論無疑是極為重要的。

韋：您在授課中十分強調(diào)博物館在藝術(shù)史教學和研究中的重要作用，那么您認為博物館在促進不同文明之間的相互理解中，又扮演了什么樣的角色？

邱：我最早的一些童年記憶來自于和家人一起游覽博物館，記得我小時候曾去過芝加哥藝術(shù)學院，學到了許多從古埃及藝術(shù)到中國漢代，再到19世紀法國工業(yè)革命的知識。我想藝術(shù)提供了一扇深入另一種文化的窗戶，它讓我們在時間的流逝中感受政治和社會的差異，當然也讓我們反思人類的團結(jié)，以及我們對家、家人和安全感的渴望。在我看來，策展人和學者在社會中扮演了重要的角色，他們整理相關(guān)史料，用來解答藝術(shù)和歷史中出現(xiàn)的相關(guān)問題，這在中國如此，在美國亦是如此。比如，我曾經(jīng)在上海博物館參觀了一個日本佛教展，這使我了解了日本傳統(tǒng)和中國傳統(tǒng)的共性與差異。因此，在一個博物館中同時展出中國、西非和歐洲的藝術(shù)品，可以讓我們大體了解在歷史長河中，不同地域政治權(quán)力的共同表達方式。但是與此同時，策展人的工作同樣讓我們明白，獨立的藝術(shù)品僅僅能欣賞其美感，如果孤立來看，顯然無法很好地理解這些作品的意義，它們必須通過相互比較對照，并置于復雜的政治、社會和文化背景中才能被解讀。

三、中美藝術(shù)史教學模式的差異與互補

韋：您所任教的圣托馬斯大學（StThomas University）坐落于美國明尼蘇達州首府圣保羅市，成立于1885年，是明尼蘇達州規(guī)模最大的私立綜合型大學。藝術(shù)史系隸屬于貴校藝術(shù)與科學學院，您也是研究生教學培養(yǎng)的指導教師之一，那么請您為中國師生介紹一下圣托馬斯大學藝術(shù)史系的基本情況。

邱：我非常享受在圣托馬斯大學的教學，因為我確信我們有一個以全球化課程為中心的創(chuàng)新項目。在任何時候，我們都會招收25-30名學生來參與該項目。我們有很多全職的教職員工，分別進行不同方向的教學。Dr Victoria Young是我們的系主任，專門從事建筑史研究。Dr Craig Eliason主要關(guān)注現(xiàn)代藝術(shù)，同時也教授字體設(shè)計史課程。Dr Elizabeth Kindall的研究與教學集中在中國古代藝術(shù)史，事實上她剛剛出版了一本關(guān)于中國山水畫家的新書。Dr William Barnes是研究美洲前哥倫布時代的一個專家。Dr Jayme Yahr是一名研究美洲文化的學者，同時設(shè)計并管理我們的博物館研究項目。Dr Eric Kjellgren講授有關(guān)太平洋藝術(shù)的課程，他還擔任圣托馬斯大學Asmat藝術(shù)博物館的負責人。此外，副院長Mark Stansbury-ODonnell開設(shè)了古希臘藝術(shù)課程，而Michelle Nordtrop-Madson教授中世紀藝術(shù)課程并擔任主管。我講授的課程涉及非洲和非洲裔人藝術(shù)，包括非洲裔美國人藝術(shù)。作為一門學科，藝術(shù)史最初由研究西方藝術(shù)的學者們建立，而嚴謹?shù)姆侵藓头侵抟崛怂囆g(shù)研究則在近些年發(fā)展迅速。因此作為一個研究非西方藝術(shù)的學者，我的研究與學科的主流觀點相抗衡，這顯得尤為重要。與此同時，我也非常榮幸能為清華大學的學生和圣托馬斯大學的學生介紹最新的研究課題。

我和本科生之間有著密切的工作接觸，這讓我個人受益匪淺。除了藝術(shù)史專業(yè)的學生之外，每年還有數(shù)百名學生報名參加藝術(shù)史導論課程，這是本科生課程的核心必修課。在我的教學當中，我會對源自其他文明的藝術(shù)進行嚴謹?shù)乃伎己蛯懽?，提升在不同背景下對歷史的靈活理解力和創(chuàng)造力。對學生提出的一些相關(guān)藝術(shù)問題，我引導他們盡其所能，利用大量資源去尋找問題的答案，獲得他們所需的知識。我致力于讓學生在課堂上通過成熟的方法學習視覺文化，而在日常生活中，他們也會碰到這些需要分析圖像的機會。

韋：在來到中國前，您曾經(jīng)在圣托馬斯大學接受校方采訪時稱，非常期待能夠在中國這樣一個與美國文化語境和學生背景迥異的環(huán)境中展開教學。此外，您還強調(diào)，當您返回圣托馬斯大學后，擁有這樣的海外教學經(jīng)歷，可以讓您更有經(jīng)驗去教授那些國際學生和并非以英語為母語的學生。如今，當您完成在清華大學美術(shù)學院的教學任務之際，您認為自己是否達到了預期的教學目的？

邱：正如我所料，我用英語給講母語的中國人授課，對他們的語言能力是個不小的挑戰(zhàn)。我發(fā)現(xiàn)學生之間的語言能力存在較大差異。一些中國學生的英語閱讀、書寫和口語能力，已經(jīng)可以像英語母語者那般流暢，他們已經(jīng)具備接觸較高水平英文材料的能力，有能力挑戰(zhàn)批判性思維并進行高水平寫作，作品也多能讓國際學術(shù)界所接受。與此同時，班上的其他一些中國學生則缺乏學術(shù)競爭力，其中有些學生事先并不知道教師會以英文進行授課，還有少數(shù)學生由于語言障礙，拒絕使用課程資料，這些學生更適合于去學習基礎(chǔ)理解部分，而不適合對材料進行批判性分析。我知道在同一個課堂上，要滿足所有不同類型的學生需求的確是一個挑戰(zhàn)。當然，分小組討論活動、一對一教學以及使用微信等科技手段，則幫助我們克服了其中的一些問題。

我時常會發(fā)現(xiàn)清華大學的學生有著很好的英文能力，但卻缺乏自信，一些學生在講英文，甚至在交作業(yè)的時候都會很緊張，因為他們認為自己的英文不好。這種對“完美”的追求真的會阻礙學生們的發(fā)展。我們從實踐中學習，錯誤能幫助我們成長。我的目標就是要讓學生閱讀更多復雜的文章，勇于表達他們的想法，讓他們在一種安全感中挑戰(zhàn)自己。

真正吸引我的是，我和我的學生們從不同的文化視角解讀了一些關(guān)鍵問題。例如，我們討論了“全球性博物館（Universal Museums）”在當今世界中的角色。全球性博物館是一個展示世界文化藝術(shù)品的機構(gòu)，展出的多是人類共有的文化遺產(chǎn)。這些博物館都是殖民時代的產(chǎn)物，我認為從道德角度批判這些機構(gòu)十分重要。我的學生們渴望參與到這樣的討論中來，從他們那里，我也了解了這些問題是如何與中國大眾相關(guān)聯(lián)的。另一個有趣的討論圍繞“公共藝術(shù)”的概念展開，通過課程討論，我們以我所理解的公共藝術(shù)為對象，而這類藝術(shù)在中國文化背景下是并不真正存在的。從這些談話中，我了解到了很多關(guān)于我們美國人自身的文化假設(shè)。

韋：您極為重視批判性閱讀在教學過程中的重要作用。在教學中，您不僅直接使用了美國大學藝術(shù)史專業(yè)的英文原版教材Methods & Theories of Art History和一些英文學術(shù)論文作為主干內(nèi)容，同時每周您都會安排一至兩名學生擔任論文討論的導讀展示工作（Student-led discussions of readings），通過他們在課堂上采用PPT、視頻等多樣化的演示手段，帶領(lǐng)全班同學展開對指定閱讀文本的英文討論，那么您如何看待這種教學方式的優(yōu)越性？您認為在藝術(shù)史的教學過程中，教師應當扮演什么樣的角色？

邱：在研究生階段，我要做的是對我的學生們進行指導，因為他們已經(jīng)開始準備以一個專業(yè)藝術(shù)史家的身份進入某個研究領(lǐng)域。當碩士學習結(jié)束后，很多人將會展開工作生涯，擔任博物館策展人、文物管理員、教師或是研究者。我對他們的專業(yè)學習有著很高的要求，我希望學生們能積極參加并主導學術(shù)討論，而不是僅僅作為一個旁觀者。雖然我也認真地制定了教學大綱，選擇了對課程而言最適合的閱讀材料，但是我仍然希望學生們能夠獨立引導我們討論的方向，在課上分享他們的經(jīng)驗和知識。學生們進行課堂展示（Presentation）是一個介紹新教學內(nèi)容的重要方式，這些簡短的展示能夠帶動學生對他們感到陌生的課題進行研究，并把大量信息濃縮進簡短的展示和探討之中。我經(jīng)歷過在眾人面前講話，知道這會很不自然，我想讓我的學生們在教室這一安全的空間中分享各自的想法。在教室中，我和其他同學給出的評價反饋，可以有利于學生提高自己的能力。此外，對于英語不是自己母語的學生而言，小組展示是一個非常重要的練習，因為實踐才能出真知。通過展示和討論，我親眼目睹學生在口語表達能力、詞匯量和發(fā)音方面的巨大進步。我鼓勵我的研究生們，從開始研究的那一刻起，便把他們自己想象成是專業(yè)的研究者。我親自向他們進行了指導，隨后他們將展示內(nèi)容發(fā)展成為成熟的課堂作業(yè)、會議陳述和研究論文，但是我仍然期望未來他們可以獨立進行研究。

韋：美國藝術(shù)史教學歷史悠久，實力雄厚，當前有近百所大學開設(shè)有藝術(shù)史專業(yè)。您作為一位身處教學第一線的教師，如何評價當前藝術(shù)史專業(yè)在美國大學中的地位？

邱：非常可惜，我發(fā)現(xiàn)當今的學生似乎更關(guān)注那些對他們畢業(yè)后有利可圖的專業(yè)，比如貿(mào)易類專業(yè)和科學類專業(yè)。此外，大家都很強調(diào)科學、技術(shù)、工程和數(shù)學的重要性。當然我認為這四方面的教學和學習是尤為重要的。盡管如此，我想藝術(shù)史同樣給學生提供了很多可遷移的技能，能夠滿足當今就業(yè)市場的需求，這些技能包括從批判性角度閱讀和解讀視覺現(xiàn)象、構(gòu)想問題并組織答案、流利的書面和口頭表達、較快適應從多角度審視某一事件，以及認真且批判性地思考重大問題。對我而言，藝術(shù)史應保持扎實全面的核心教育，這有助于學生為今后涉及醫(yī)學、執(zhí)法、貿(mào)易和工程等更廣闊的職業(yè)生涯做好充分準備。

韋：您在清華美院授課期間，還在中央美術(shù)學院、臺灣師范大學、南京師范大學、上海博物館等高校和文博機構(gòu)舉辦學術(shù)講座。毫無疑問，這對您來說是一個與中國學者和學生展開交流的絕好機會。那么您對當前中國藝術(shù)史專業(yè)的研究環(huán)境和學生的學術(shù)能力有何感受？和美國藝術(shù)史專業(yè)學生相比，中國同專業(yè)學生在課程學習和學術(shù)研究上，有哪些不同之處？您能否為中國學生提供一些行之有效的藝術(shù)史學習建議？

邱：我非常榮幸能夠在中國遇到極為出色的藝術(shù)史專業(yè)教師和學生。在富布賴特學者交流項目中，我舉辦和參加了涉及多個題目的演講和工作坊，包括公共藝術(shù)、藝術(shù)收藏的倫理道德、美國藝術(shù)中的種族與象征。我還見到了許多對西方藝術(shù)感興趣的中國學生，他們非?？释麑W習并積極參與學術(shù)討論。很多院校和研究機構(gòu)都擁有實力雄厚的西方藝術(shù)研究課程，教師們也曾在歐洲和北美做過研究，這對學生來說獲益匪淺。尤其是中央美術(shù)學院，它和北美的許多大學有著長期穩(wěn)定的合作，也為交換學習提供了多種機會。我想，這樣長期的聯(lián)系對我們嘗試建立更廣泛的學術(shù)交流是絕對有必要的。

此外，已經(jīng)有很多學生向我談及，他們需要獲得更豐富的資源，以便他們進行研究，比如英文圖書和期刊文獻。我個人感覺，相比中國其他高校的學生，清華大學在獲取研究資料上更為便利，例如ArtStor和JStor這樣的電子數(shù)據(jù)庫，都是對目前的藝術(shù)史研究者來說極為重要的學術(shù)資源。

我相信學生們能從我的研究經(jīng)歷中受益良多，比如有機會在國際舞臺上發(fā)表和出版他們的作品，鼓勵他們申請獎學金，這些都有助于他們利用國際性的基金進行研究。與我合作過的學生還能從實踐性的工作坊研討中獲益，比如學術(shù)論文寫作，尤其是如何進行適當引用，從而避免抄襲。當然中國藝術(shù)史研究的受眾群體龐大，但我認為學者們與其他國家的研究者展開國際合作也尤為重要，這就意味著中國學者要具備高水平的英文能力，因為英語仍然是國際藝術(shù)史研究領(lǐng)域中最為廣泛使用的語言。

課程結(jié)業(yè)后，藝術(shù)史論系主任、博士生導師陳岸瑛副教授、邱石楠（Heather Shirey）教授與同學合影

英文采訪原稿：

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