History and Theory of Photography 1

Subject is not scheduled Not scheduled

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
307EHT1 ZK 4 4PT English

Subject guarantor

Name of lecturer(s)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Students will gain knowledge of the history of photography, art and visual culture of the 19th century, learn to work with specialist literature, conduct research, analyse photographic images and present their knowledge in the form of a critical essay

Mode of study

lecture, seminar

Prerequisites and co-requisites

-

Course contents

The course introduces the history and theory of photography, art and visual culture, and teaches basic research methods and critical writing techniques. It focuses primarily on the following thematic areas: the birth of technical images; the photographic portrait and the problem of modern individuality; 19th century realism; photography and intermediality; the technological and semiotic specificity of photography; the reproduction of art; pictorialism; photography in the natural and social sciences; the creative misuse of technology and the game against the apparatus; camera-less photography.

1/ the birth of technical images;

2-3/ photographic portraiture and the problem of modern individuality;

4/ 19th century realism;

5/ photography and intermediality;

6/ the technological and semiotic specificity of photography;

7/ reproduction of art;

8/ pictorialism;

9 - 10/ photography in the natural and social sciences;

11/ creative misuse of technology and play against apparatus;

12/ camera-less photography;

Recommended or required reading

John STAUFFER – Zoe TRODD – Celeste-Marie BERNIER, Picturing Frederick Douglass. An Illustrated Biography of the Nineteenth Century’s Most Photographed American, New York – London: W. W. Norton & Co. 2015, pp. 8–55.

Joel SNYDER, “Visualization and Visibility.” in: Caroline A. Jones, Peter Galison (eds.), Picturing Science, Producing Art. London: Routledge 2013, pp. 379-397.

George BAKER. “Photography's Expanded Field.” October, 2005. Vol. 114, p. 120–140.

Marc LENOT. “Flusser and Photographers, Photographers and Flusser.” Flusser Studies 2017, 24.

Rachel PLOTNICK. Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing. Cambridge, MA – London: The MIT Press, 2018. Chapter 5: We Do the Rest.

Assessment methods and criteria

The course ends with a classified examination. A condition for passing the course is both the fulfilment of attendance (a maximum of 2 absences per semester are tolerated) and the submission of two written outputs (1. a paper of 1-2 standard pages describing and interpreting a selected 19th century photograph, 2. a term paper of 5-10 standard pages on a pre-arranged topic). The exam takes the form of a debate over both texts.

Note

-

Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans