Humanities

The invention of photography provoked some to declare that ‘painting was dead’. Dubbed ‘the pencil of nature’, photography was celebrated for its supposed ability to capture the natural world in a truthful manner. Multiple technological advances would underscore the medium’s ability to provide knowledge of the world heretofore invisible. In this course, we will challenge photography’s connection to the truth – not just in this day of overt manipulation – but throughout photography’s history. In what ways can photography expand our knowledge (or not)? How does photography-based media influence memory of ourselves and of others?