LAH 350 (29754) Fall 2019 Photography and Modern American Culture Robert H. Abzug Professor of History and American Studies Class Meetings: TTH 3:30-5:00 PM @ HRC, Zarrow and Cline Rooms) Office Hours: Tuesday 1-3 PM and by appointment [email protected] Professor’s Office: Garrison 3.310 (NW corner of 3rd floor) We will investigate the importance of photography in the United States in relationship to changing currents in America society and culture. We will explore the history of the medium, from 19th century daguerreotypes and wet plate to digital imaging; the relationship between photography and American history, especially in relation to popular culture, social depiction, and war. We will be especially interested in photographic works that attempt to represent the nature of America and American life. A one semester seminar cannot hope to cover all the essential topics concerning American photography, let alone photography in general. That is why the papers you will be writing are essential not only to your own work but to the seminar. Each of you will have c. 20 minutes to introduce the photographer about whom you are writing in the last sessions of the class. These reports will not only be helpful in gleaning suggestions from other members of the class, but will add to the breadth of knowledge begun with the earlier class sessions and readings. In addition to considering how others have photographed American life, students will have the opportunity to make their own photographs. Any camera or cell phone with the capacity to take photographic images will do for equipment. The idea is to study photography as practiced by others and experience the challenge of photographic depiction by applying what you have learned and by creating an 8-10 image photographic exhibit on a theme, one that includes an “artist’s statement” about your methods and approach to the subject(s) you have chosen. Artists quite often begin their careers being inspired by the style of already productive creators. Therefore, for your own work, I would like you to explicitly apply aspects of a famous photographer to your own work (famous meaning anyone studied in class and others you might suggest). Who have you found to be your muse? Finally, the medium of photography, whether as journalism, fine art, advertising, or other forms, has often involved the depiction of violence, nudity, various forms and degrees of explicit sexuality, historical distortion, racial, class, and gender stereotype and denigration—pictorial forms of attitudes that some or all of us will find offensive and some or all will find liberating. We are here to study photography as an important element of American culture, and it is in that spirit that we will be discussing even some of the most controversial or patently horrific of its uses. Books Required for Purchase Stephen Shore, The Nature of Photographs Luc Sante, Walker Evans (Phaidon edition) Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography Robert Frank, The Americans Mary Warner Marien, 100 Ideas that Changed Photography Susan Sontag, On Photography 2 I will also post readings on Canvas for class discussion and short written assignments. Assignments and Grading: One Page Reading Reactions: 10% (graded c/nc) Paper Proposal and Bibliography: 20% Final Paper: 30% Due May 13 Photographic Exhibit of 8 to 10 Photographs, with Artist Statement due on Last Day of Class Attendance, Class Exhibit/Artist Statement Project: 10% Class Participation and Oral Reports on Readings and Final Paper: 30% (Perfect Attendance Assumed) The following scale will be used to determine your final grade in the course: 93-100 = A 83-86.99 = B 73-76.99 = C 63-66.99 = D 90-92.99 = A- 80-82.99 = B- 70-72.99 = C- 60-62.99 = D- 87-89.99 = B+ 77-79.99 = C+ 67-69.99 = D+ 0-59.99 = F Class Meetings: Tuesdays we meet in the Cline Room (HRC 3rd Floor) and on Thursdays in the Zarrow Room (HRC 2nd Floor) August 29 Introduction to the Course September 3 What is Photography? (Readings on Canvas) September 5 Harry Ransom Center Meeting: Introduction to the Archive September 10 Camera Lucida the Question of How Photography “works.” (Read Barthes) September 12 Exploration of Barthes Theory Using Photographs from the HRC September 17 On Photography, personal and social effects of photography.(Read Sontag) September 19 Exploration of Sontag’s Appraisal Using Photographs from the HRC September 24 The Kodak Moment: The Democratization of Photography September 26 Photography and Modernism in America Art (Stieglitz, Strand, et. Al.) October 1 Discussion of Long Paper Requirements, Oral Report, and Camera Project October 3 Fine Art Photography Beyond Stieglitz (Adams, Weston, Cunningham, Bernhard) October 8. Photography As Documentary Expression (pre-WWII) (Read Walker Evans) October 10 Proposal and Preliminary Bibliography for Long Paper Due October 15 The Americans: The Watershed of the 1950s (Read The Americans) October 17 Street Photography after Robert Frank—His Influence (HRC Collection) October 22 Required Office Hours-Individual Meetings on Long Papers October 24 Required Office Hours-Individual Meetings on Long Papers October 29 Required Office Hours—Individual Meetings on Long Papers October 31 Required Office Hours-Individual Meetings on Long Papers November 5 Photography Since Frank—(Readings to be Announced) November 7 Examples of “Photography Since Frank” from the HRC Collections November 12 Paper Research November 14 War, Portraiture, and Advertising from the HRC Collections November 19 Class Reports November 21 Class Reports November 26 Class Reports November 28 Thanksgiving December 3 Class Reports December 5 Exhibit and Reception at Liberal Arts Honors Office December 10 Long Papers Due by 5PM 3 Possible Photographers for Paper Topics • Alec Soth • Robert Mapplethorpe • Alfred Stieglitz • Russell Lee • Anne Brigman • Sally Mann • Annie Leibowitz • Stephen Shore • Ansel Adams • Susan Meiselas • Magnum Photographers, Any • Vivian Maier • Arnold Newman • W. Eugene Smith • August Sander • Walker Evans (other than Let Us • Berenice Abbott Now Praise Famous Men) • Cindy Sherman • Zaida Ben Yusuf • David Douglas Duncan • Diane Arbus • Dorothea Lange • Duane Michals • Eddie Adams • Edward Curtis • Edward Weston • Eli Reed • Elliott Erwitt • Eudora Welty • Gary Winogrand • Gertrude Käsebier • Gordon Parks • Helen Levitt • Imogen Cunningham • Irving Penn • James Van der Zee • Jeff Wall • Joel Meyerowitz • Joel Sternfeld • Lee Friedlander • Lee Miller • Lewis Hine • Man Ray • Margaret Bourke-White • Matthew Brady • Nan Goldin • Paul Strand • Philippe Halsman • Richard Avedon • Richard Misrach • Robert Capa • Robert Frank (other than The Americans) 4 Accommodations, Religious Holidays, Emergencies, Scholastic Honesty • Please note that all graded work done inside or outside of class must be your own work. Writing that appears to be the work of someone else (e.g. a friend, a Web or print source) may entail severe penalties beyond just a zero on the particular assignment. Students who violate University rules on academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the university. For more information, visit http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/. We strictly abide by the UT Honor Code on questions of scholastic dishonesty. • Please familiarize yourself with the policies concerning campus carry: https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/students • Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259 http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/. • Students seeking assistance with writing may wish to contact The Undergraduate Writing Center http://uwc.utexas.edu/handouts. • Medical assistance/ counseling services are available at http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/. • If you miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will have an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence • Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus must evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found here: http://www.utexas.edu/emergency • Violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, religion, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted or sexually violated, you can find the appropriate resources here: http://catalog.utexas.edu/general-information/appendices/. .