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"Doubling" is a grammar of resemblance and difference: in works of doubling a presentation of two shapes, images or bodies, often in a symmetrical format, forces us to compare them--to perceive how they are alike and unalike. The art of doubling causes us to “see double” and to see ourselves in the act of seeing; it forces us to perceive the differences between things and bodies, catalyzing a reflection on identity. Doubling is a recurring theme of modern and contemporary art, apparent in painting, sculpture, photography, video, film, and performance. While few artists are strictly “doublers,” many practitioners have embraced tactics of repetition and reversal, staged perceptual contradictions, or explored doubled and divided selves (Doppelgängers, shadows, twins, and pairs); the course will aim to understand why. The class is organized in anticipation of an exhibition opening at the National Gallery of Art in May 2022.