Although taking, sharing, and viewing photographs has become second nature for many of us, our regular engagement with images does not necessarily make us visually literate. This course aims to address the gap between seeing and truly understanding photographs by introducing a diversity of ideas, approaches, and technologies that inform their making. In this course you will look closely at 100 photographs from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, going behind the scenes of the Museum and into artist studios through original films and audio interviews.

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You will hear a variety of perspectives on the ways photography has been used throughout its 180-year history: as a means of artistic expression, a tool for science and exploration, an instrument of documentation, a way to tell stories and record histories, and a mode of communication and critique. Short texts and readings from MoMA publications provide enhanced context for the works in the course.

Course 2 of 4 in the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

What You Will Learn

- Understand artists’ processes and the choices that inform a photograph’s making, including experimentation and responses to technological innovation.

- Learn how context influences the production, circulation, and reception of photographic images.

- Understand the relationship between a photograph’s subject and meaning, and the differences between photographs as objects and photographic images.

- Gain confidence in looking at and talking about photography, and find inspiration from photographs all around you.

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Introduction to Seeing Through Photographs

WEEK 2: One Subject, Many Perspectives

WEEK 3: Documents and the Documentary

WEEK 4: One and Another

WEEK 5: Constructing Narratives, Challenging Histories

WEEK 6: Pictures of People

WEEK 7: Ocean of Images

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Documentary Photography

Coursera Plus

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