History of 20th Century Photography

ARTH-A543

A black and white photo of an older man and a young girl standing with a street organ.
Course Description

This course will study the history of 20th century photography through thematic units. While chronological narratives focus on the historical “progression” of artistic photography that accentuate the boundaries of the discipline, this course is designed to open up the geographic, thematic, disciplinary and conceptual borders of artistic photography and explore the dissolution of the limits between art and life. The course will address theoretical notions around photography as an epistemological tool. We will debate ideas around documentary, the gaze, fiction, the archive, identity... Every thematic unit will start by analyzing photographic works produced in different times, from diverse origins, and generated for a variety of purposes. Moreover, each session will be supplemented by readings of theoretical texts on photography.