60-239 Reading Pictures, Writing Photography

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Through photographys history, writers have sought to identify what is special about photography the mediums essential characteristics and what happens when photographs make something visible. What assumptions lies behind these critiques How does photography facilitate and embody modernitys projects What are photographys anxieties Where are we now In this course students will engage critically with photographs and photography through classic and contemporary texts and by producing their own weekly writing. Students will become familiar with key issues raised around photography and develop their own critical and authorial voices. Readings include pieces by Ariella Azoulay, Roland Barthes, Walter Benjamin, Teju Cole, Rebecca Solnit, Susan Sontag, Hito Steyerl, and many others.

Prerequisites: none listed

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