HART115F-08:
The Photograph: Image, Art, Document. What kind of image is a photograph? From the public announcement of its invention in 1839 to current debates over the death of the medium and its digital rebirth, photographers, philosophers, and critics have debated the meaning of photography. But no one has doubted its central role in our society. The cultural theorist W. J. T. Mitchell even described the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century as the "visual turn," fuelled by the dizzying array and wide availability of photographic images. As the twenty-first century continues, our world, and, more importantly, our perception of the world, is determined by the photographic image. This course takes the photograph as its subject of inquiry to evaluate its contradictory status as image, art, and document. Throughout the course of the semester, we will read various critical texts on photography that provide insight into possible meanings for the medium. These will provide a framework for our analysis of the assumptions, biases, and functions of photography in the modern world. We will take a thematic approach to the material, creating a dialogue each week between a selected text relevant to and photographic examples from a broad range of cultural production, including but not limited to: advertising, fine art photography, documentary photography, photojournalism, and family snapshots. Whenever possible, the seminar will meet at area libraries, archives, and museums. SPRING. [3] O'Neill. (HCA)
News and Events
