John Corso-Esquivel
Chair & Associate Professor of Art
Education
- Ph.D., M.A. Cornell University
- M.F.A. School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts
- M.A. Tufts University
- B.A. (honors) Williams College
Areas of Expertise
- Contemporary Art
- Theory and Criticism
- Modern Art (Europe and the Americas)
- Latin American Art
Background
I vividly remember when one of my undergraduate professors claimed that the visual arts are the most vital domain for social change. He argued that we encounter most information through sight. As a studio art major, I saw the arts as a compelling means to improve equity, advance social justice, and interpret our hyper-visual culture. Though I no longer practice in the studio, I pursue these goals through art writing, criticism, and pedagogy.
My research examines twentieth- and twenty-first-century art that engages affect—the prelinguistic experience of emotion. My first book, Feminist Subjectivities in Fiber Art and Craft: Shadows of Affect, explores feminist fiber art and craft practices that create shared, interconnected viewing experiences. It was published in Routledge’s Gender and Art series in 2019. My current book, Pharmaceuticals and Pill Culture in Contemporary Art: Pharmaesthetics, will appear in Routledge’s Science and the Arts since 1750 series. This project examines artworks that critique Big Pharma’s bureaucratic control over bodies and biopower. In 2026, I will co-curate a companion exhibition with Lia Newman, Director/Curator of Davidson’s Van Every/Smith Galleries.
My teaching incorporates various formats, from active lectures to hands-on, problem-based learning. We engage with the complex politics of visual culture with sensitivity and respect. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) informs my approach, encouraging experimentation. Students who adapt assignments to pursue self-defined learning objectives may find my classes rewarding. Before joining Davidson, I taught for over a decade at Oakland University (MI) and served as the Critical Studies and Humanities Fellow at Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Teaching
- WRI 101 The Politics of Display: Problems in Museum Studies
- ART 106 Innovation and Transformation in Latin American Art
- ART 140 Imagination and Fantasy in Western Art
- ART 232 Twentieth-Century Art: From Post-Impressionism to Postmodernism
- ART 300 Critical Theory for Visual Studies
In The News
The Charlotte Observer, What to know ahead of new Picasso exhibit at the Mint Museum
