[
Wesleyan Home Page
] [
WesMaps Home Page
] [
WesMaps Archive
]
[
Course Search
] [
Course Search by CID
]
| |
From the first daguerreotypes of the moon, to photographs of tenement conditions and the plight of migrant workers, to the photograph of children fleeing a Napalm strike in Vietnam, photographic images have been altering people's minds and rearranging their lives for a long time. Yet, while the influence of photography is often invoked, the influence of particular photographs is seldom considered. Understanding the influence of a photograph requires some understanding of the world into which it was born. This seminar will assess the importance of photographic icons through a study of their effects. The photographs are divided into distinct but overlapping categories corresponding to the kinds of influence they exerted--revelation, proof, surveillance, political persuasion, social reform, fame and celebrity, and so on. This is not a survey of great photographs but, instead, an exploration of how specific images from the history of photography became icons, how the world is (or was) different because of them, and if so, how. Readings include photo-historical works by Wexler, Trachtenberg, Willis, Goldberg, Benjamin, and Chong, among others. Evaluations will be based on class participation, photographic analysis, photohistorical research, short papers, a midterm, and an individually designed final project focused on the close analysis of a photographic icon.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ART Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-18-2003
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459