IPHOT 5480 The Critical Eye
A seminar for students interested in expanding ways in which we look at and understand contemporary works of art with emphasis on photography, video, and related media. Participants will read and discuss works by major writers, artists, and critics to explore more public meanings of their work beyond initial private or personal concerns. Selected readings will offer a rich frame of reference for developing concepts and also to consider how each student's work is positioned relative to a variety of contemporary trends and contexts. Some of the artists included are Jeff Wall, Bill Viola, Gilles Peress, Anselm Kiefer, Sherin Neshat, with others to be determined by the class. Readings will include current articles from arts magazines and blogs, as well as writing by authors such as Barthes, Dyer, Cotton, Levi Strauss, Grundberg, Cotter, Sontag, and Berger. Students will be invited to make presentations, author a blog, and write one substantive essay about their work. Meetings will include a guest critic and several visits to galleries.