Art History: History of Photography (A)

About ARTH 2400 A

Selected aspects of the painting, sculpture, and architecture of Europe and North America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Material and emphasis vary with instructor. Representative topics: The Global Avant Garde; African-American Art; History of Photography. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: ARTH 1018, ARTH 1420, FTS 1420, or FTS 1430.

Notes

Prereqs enforced by the system: ARTH 1018, ARTH 1420, FTS 1420, or FTS 1430; PACE students by permission and override. System waitlisting enabled for this section.

Section Description

This course introduces students to the history of photography in a global context from the mid 19th century to today. However, in order to cover the most diverse set of practices and locales possible, this course is not organized chronologically, but rather around a number of “critical frameworks,” such as “Mapping the Land,” “Fashion,” or “Pictures of War.” Each week we will explore a new critical framework, and discuss contemporary and historical examples together. In this sense, the course presents material through various case studies—it does not attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of photography as such a task would be impossible. Although the course will not follow a chronological path, a number of key narratives will emerge. For instance, throughout the course we will consider the ways in which photography (in both its analog and digital forms) operates in multiple spaces (art, science, social science, fashion, etc.); we will investigate photography in relationship to social practice (e.g., how has photography been used by politicians, businesses, and social movements?); and we will examine how photography has affected the way we understand representation (e.g., how has the introduction of digital media transformed the way we see, the way we think about the world, and the way we think about the “truth”?). This course, focused around “critical framings” aims to provide you with a critical, rather than simply descriptive, history of the medium.

Section Expectation

Basic understanding of photography’s history and awareness of how photography has informed and changed our experience of seeing the world. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will engage a range of perspectives on photographic practice with the goal of gaining a sense of the medium’s history and its current relevance.
• Critical thinking. This course will introduce students to new ways of thinking about photography, from historical and contemporary perspectives, that challenge conventional understandings of the medium and that ask students to think critically about how photographs are viewed, circulated, and made.
• Critical reading and writing. This course asks students to perform critical readings of texts; that is, to read articles not only to gain information, but also to engage with the author’s position or argument. This course also asks students to write about art objects from a critical vantage point, which means writing assignments will focus on interpretation more than the regurgitation of information.
• Art criticism and art history. Students will learn how the visual world makes meaning, and how to approach artworks that might at first appear confusing. Students will learn how to see and describe form, how to decipher art criticism, and how contemporary art production addresses social issues.

Evaluation

Evaluation for this course will be done through attendance and participation, three exams, a final paper and also a weekly paragraph written on one work of art (except during exam weeks). Grading rubrics will be available for each assignment.

Important Dates

Note: These dates may change before registration begins.

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks