The Art of Scarcity and Abundance: The Politics and Poetics of Water

In the midst of global warming and increased desertification, this course will look back on our long-term engagement with water. Starting with our immediate environment, Middlebury, and then moving on to far off places like Venice, Cairo, Granada, Istanbul, and Paris, we will explore how changing attitudes toward the nature and function of water across various cultures over time were shaped and expressed through images, architecture, and infrastructure. We will also consider how these issues intersected with politics, religion, economic change, science and technology, urbanization, and environmental concerns. Our work inside and outside the classroom will guide our exploration of the complex connections between local and global processes, as we evaluate different approaches to “the built environment” and “sustainability” through the lens of water. 3 hrs. lect.