ABSTRACT
ART AND DESIGN HAVE conveyed meaning interculturally throughout history.The intercultural functions of art and design continue to increase in importance with economic and political internationalization. But what are the means by which art and design are able to have cross-cultural import: How is meaning conveyed interculturally? Perhaps the earliest attempt in art history at explaining how artistic meaning can cross cultures emerged from the analysis of style. Stylistic similarities and differences point us to particular relationships between art and culture, especially the role of art in forming ethnic or national identities. Through a focus on the work of Diego Rivera, this chapter explores the strengths and problems of ethnic style as a way of understanding meaning in intercultural contexts.
