ART 271 AG - History of Photography

Minimum Credit(s) Awarded: 4
Maximum Credit(s) Awarded: 4

This course looks at the history of photography as a global phenomenon. From its origins in the 19th century, photography has flourished as a means of fixing a visual record of land, built structures, and people; creating beautiful images; visualizing modernity; communicating globally as well as locally; documenting injustice; and urging action. This course is organized around themes that have been central to the history of photography across cultures: portraiture, images of landscapes, documentation, and artistic expression. Class discussion will emphasize the development of thoughtful and critical approaches to the study of the history of photography and photography as a medium of expression so that the knowledge gained here can be applied to consideration of photographers and their work beyond what is studied in this course.