ARTH 267-B Aspects of the History of Photography

• Dr. John Di Stefano

This course surveys the history of photography from its inception to the present day through chronological, thematic and technological perspectives. It considers photography’s artistic as well as social and political contexts by examining diverse works from international artists allowing students to become acquainted with a variety of figures and movements, formats, genres and narratives. This course is designed to help students think critically about art photography. Through selected case studies, key photographic concepts will be examined, including notions of indexicality, appropriation, remediation, spectatorship, ethics and virtuality, all supported by key texts by photographers, critics and scholars. Additionally, the course will consider the ways photography has engaged with the wider conceptual issues of time and temporality, focusing on notions of the past and atemporality especially in relation to other camera arts such as film and video as well as contemporary installation and participatory practices. By tracing the trajectory of photography as an art form, this course aims to provide a comprehensive account of the various factors that have shaped photography from its invention in the early nineteenth century to its integration into our present day.