Center for the Art of East Asia

On May 1, Professor Wu Hung visited Seminary Coop Bookstore with Professor Claudia Brittenham, a specialist in Mesoamerican art from the department of Art History. They discussed Professor Wu's three recent books: Chinese Art and Dynastic Time (Princeton University Press, 2022), Spatial Dunhuang: Experiencing the Mogao Caves (University of Washington Press, 2023), and The Full-Length Mirror: A Global Visual History (University of Chicago Press, 2022).

Professor Wu Hung began the event by presenting an overview of the contexts, structures, and key inquiries covered in his books. Chinese Art and Dynastic Time expanded on his six Mellon Lectures delivered at the National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.) in 2019. The book questions the common reliance in Chinese art history on the concept of dynastic time, which involves grouping and examining works based on their originating dynasties. In contrast, Spatial Dunhuang: Experiencing the Mogao Caves reimagines scholarship around the Mogao Caves by approaching it from a spatial perspective. Professor Brittenham noted that this approach allows for a more immersive "embodied experience of being at the site." The Full Length Mirror: A Global Visual History traces the global evolution of the full-length mirror, combining European mirror technology with Asian use of screens, encouraging readers to envision different genealogies. Professor Brittenham emphasized the book's remarkable scope, spanning three continents and various media. Taken together, she saw three books reflected Prof. Wu’s “capacity to abandon the paradigms we take for granted” and to “generate” new questions.

During the Q&A section, Prof. Wu shared insights into his research process, sharing that he often works on multiple books concurrently. He emphasized his approach of "telling stories" by examining materials from various angles, rather than imposing preconceived notions on them. They also delved into the variations in Prof. Wu's writing styles for American and Chinese audiences, considering the widespread interest in art history among amateurs in China. The Q&A session wrapped up with participants inquiring about Prof. Wu's current projects and his thoughts on the contemporary trend of studying "materiality" in the discipline of art history.

This event was sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies as part of their East Asia By the Book! CEAS Author Talks series in cooperation with the Seminary Co-Op Bookstores.