ART 4370 Critical Photo in Texts

From the time of the first photographs, both practitioners and critics groped for a language to address this new medium and its direct relationship with the world. Over the years, some described photography with phrases such as a “mirror with a memory,” “the pencil of nature,” a “momento mori,” and “embalmed time.” Others claimed that this new apparatus would mean the “annihilation of time and space.” Some regarded its invention as the death of painting while others saw it as the last recourse of failed painters and the unfortunate triumph of industry over art.

This scientific, but seemingly almost magical, photo-mechanical (and now digital) process has inspired a wealth of philosophical, historical, and critical exposition. During the course of this semester, we will explore these varied interpretations and look at works by the writers who have most shaped contemporary ideas about photography. We will discuss the relationship of this medium to aesthetics, politics, society, memory, and language, and we will address the relevance of these ideas to photographers today.