ARTX215 A History of Photography—Syllabus & Schedule
Fall Quarter 2014, Kalamazoo College
Richard Koenig, Professor

Meeting Time: Tuesday & Thursday 12:40 to 2:30 P.M.
Classroom: Room 20 of the Light Fine Arts Building
Class Homepage: http://people.kzoo.edu/~rkoenig/educator/history/history.html

Office Hours: Monday 9:30 to 11:30 AM and Wednesday 3:00 to 5:00 PM (or by appointment)

Office Location: Light Fine Arts Building Room 203, Phone: 337.7003

Security (emergency only, safety or leaks in darkroom): 337.7321

Darkroom Phone: 337.7399

E-Mail: rkoenig@kzoo.edu

Course Goals

This course will be an overview of the history of photography from its beginnings in France and England in the early 19^th century, through the modernist era in the early part of the 20^th century, to relatively recent postmodern trends. While this is a survey course, we will not merely memorize a timeline. Photography's growth has been driven by technological advancement, an intriguing cast of characters and inventors, as well as the medium's relationship to art and culture. While the first two points will form a framework for us, it is this last point on which we will concentrate our efforts.

Introduction

Art historians ground the study of an artwork in its context—meaning is produced by looking at work in relation to the shared practices of the community or society from which it originated. Generally speaking, the fine arts, including photography, have traditionally been included within a definition of “culture”. Specifically, one might say that photography represents the age of modernity better than any other art form. Photography, with roots reaching back to the enlightenment, has enjoyed a dual cultural role—it falls into the realms of both science and art.

Photography was invented at two different geographic locations more or less simultaneously, which coincided with the rise of the modern political state and the industrial revolution in Western Europe. Because of photography's nature, it being a trace of the real, it fulfilled a need as evidence for the courts, identification for the state, and documentation for both the personal and public spheres. At the same time, beginning half way through the 19^th century, photography struggled to make a name for itself in the world of art. Since that time, photography has steadily grown more pervasive in the arts and in popular culture, as well as holding its own in terms of surveillance.

Evaluation

Below is a breakdown of how your final grade will be determined.

20% Exam One

20% Exam Two

20% Exam Three

20% Exam Four

20% Miscellaneous (Notes on Readings, Presentation, In-Class Participation)

Disability

Any student with a disability who needs an accommodation or other assistance in this course should make an appointment to speak with me.

Class Time

We will go over material from our text during the first half of each class meeting—please complete the reading prior to class time. I recommend that you take notes while you read rather than underlining passages—you can then augment these notes while I re-cap. Look for connections between photographic practice and culture in general. I will bring in many supplemental images during these talks, so also look at the specific artists and their imagery as a way of making these concepts more concrete.

After a short break, where I might show a portion of a film or video, the second half of each class will be used in a variety of ways in a rotating fashion to help keep our schedule fresh. Please look closely at our schedule for the following activities…

· Lab Work/Print Study—There are two days in which we will work in the darkroom or studio to give you a taste of hands-on experience with the medium, and one day in which we will stroll en masse to the KIA or the rare book room to look at vintage prints. These days will be a nice change of pace, but are actually designed to allow us to connect with the materials used in photography, as opposed to merely looking at reproductions in books or digital form.

· Discussions—In addition to our main text, we will have discussions during the term that will cover On Photography by Susan Sontag. This is one of our two required text purchases (see below). You are expected to bring in three questions or “talking points” for the reading covered that day. You can refer to these during discussion and I will ask that you hand them in to me afterwards (they will help determine the “participation” portion of your grade).

· Exams—There will be four exams that cover technological advancement and artistic concepts described in the text. All four of these exams will contain a variety of question type, including the essay form. The exams are not cumulative, but will perhaps have a question on Sontag thrown in as well.

· Presentations—Each of you (as part of a small group) will give a short presentation on a photographic artist or topic. The selection of artist or topic is yours, to a point (please run by me first).

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory for the every class period. After two unexcused absences you will be assessed a penalty of one step (from "B+" to "B", say) for each one thereafter. One must have documentation to obtain an excused absence. Also, two late arrivals will be counted as one absence. This penalty is applied to your grade after it is determined using the above formula.

Participation

This is very different than attendance—it is in addition to it, if you like. Good participation means one actively and candidly contributes to the conversation during discussions, while also being supportive of your peers. It means one arrives to the classroom on time, is prepared, and shows by means of facial expression and body language that one is following what is going on. It means, quite simply, that one contributes to a positive class atmosphere. Please turn off all phones; do not email, text, or Facebook during structured class time.

Texts

The required texts for this class will be Seizing the Light, A History of Photography by Robert Hirsch and On Photography by Susan Sontag. These can be purchased in the bookstore.

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