Theory of Photography Seminar 2

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Subject guarantor:

Štěpánka ŠIMLOVÁ

Name of lecturer(s):

Štěpánka ŠIMLOVÁ

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

The purpose of the course is to understand contemporary social and aesthetic interpretations of visual theory and the ability to understand and interpret writings which cover those topics and apply them to the real images which surround us.

Mode of study:

Classes

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

A knowledge of the basic works of Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag, Vilema Flusser and Marshall McLuhan is required, coverd in the bachelor's classes of Photography Theory.

Recommended optional programme components:

none

Course contents:

The Photography Theory course is in the form of commented readings of fundamental writings. The winter semester will chronologically trace its forms from the beginnings to the end of the 20th century. The Summer semester will be structured topically and devoted to current issues.

A study of writings by:

Winter semester: Kracauer, Benjamin, Bazin, Freund, Barthes, Sontag, McLuhan, Flusser, Baudrillard, Bourdieu, Sekula, Burgin, Damisch, Tagg, Bryson, Krauss, Batchen.

Summer semester: Methodological approaches to the study of photography. Photography between technology and discourse. Photography and art. Photography and vision. Objectivity of photography. Analog and digital photography. Seriality. The photo camera. The peculiarity of photography and intermedia. Post-photography.

Requirements: This course requires as basic familiarity with the history of photography and ability to read in English.

Recommended or required reading:

Roland Barthes, Světlá komora. Bratislava: Archa 1994; Mytologie. Praha: Dokořán 2004.

Geoffrey Batchen, Burning with Desire. The Conception of Photography. Cambridge - London: The MIT Press 1997; Each Wild Idea: Writing, Photography, History. Cambridge - London: The MIT Press 2001.

Walter Benjamin, Dílo a jeho zdroj. Praha: Odeon 1979.

Richard Bolton (ed.), The Contest of Meaning. Critical Histories of Photography. Cambridge - London: The MIT Press 1999.

Karel Císař (ed.), Čítanka z teorie fotografie. Praha: Herrmann & synové, 2005.

Vilém Flusser, Za filosofii fotografie. Praha: Hynek 1994; Moc obrazu - Výtvarné umění, č. 3/4, Praha: OSVU 1996; Do universa technických obrazů, Praha: OSVU 2001.

Vicky Goldberg (ed.), Photography in Print. Writings from 1816 to the Present. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press 1981.

Liz Heron - Val Williams (eds.), Illuminations. Women Writing on Photography from the 1850s to the Present. Durham: Duke University Press 1996.

Beaumont Newhall (ed.), Photography: Essays and Images. New York: The Museum of Modern Art 1980.

Christopher Phillips (ed.), Photography in the Modern Era. European Documents and Critical Writings, 1913-1940. New York: Aperture 1989.

Susan Sontag, O fotografii. Praha: Paseka 2002.

Carol Squiers (ed.), Overexposed. Essays on Contemporary Photography. New York: The New Press 1999.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

none

Assessment methods and criteria:

Each student, during the year, develops one presentation of a theory issue from a book of essays and presents it in a brief 15 minute lecture to their classmates. The presentation is followed by a detailed discussion.

Course web page:

Note:

none

Schedule for winter semester 2014/2015:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2014/2015:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Photography CZ - Bachelor (qualification subject)
• Photography CZ - Master (qualification subject)