Course detail

The History and Context of Photography 1

FaVU-DKFI-ZAcad. year: 2022/2023

The course consists of lectures on history and contemporary tendencies in photography (with considering its position within both fine arts and non-artistic visuality). Students will be introduced to the development of the medium not in chronological retrospect but in thematic blocs. This way they will be able to understand particular problems within broader philosophical and medial context. Students will learn how to “read” language of photography, to understand its expressive potential and they will learn the main theoretical frameworks within which photography is interpreted.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Mgr. Lucia Fišerová, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Art History and Theory (KTDU)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Students will gain an insight into both development of photography and its contemporaneous trends. They will be able enrich insight into their own photographic practice, they will learn more about the language of photography and the basics of its gallery presentation.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of the 19th and 20th century visual culture.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures - introductions to theoretical and historical aspects of the topics; audiovisual demonstrations, formal and content analysis of the images, discussion.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Exam (written test)

Course curriculum

1. A language of photography.
2. Photography and history.
3. Sight of Medusa.
4. Me is someone else.
5. Portrait of statesman.
6. Hero in a landscape.
7. Where is my homeland?
8. Life of things.
9. Pictures of banalities.
10. Family of mankind.
11. The Americans.
12. Document after the documentary.
13. Between document and storytelling.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The aim of this course is to reflect on the actual position of photography in a context of its historical developments. Introduction of new media and social thematics into photography will be of particular interest, as well as a crossing of borders of traditional genre of photography. Photography will be introduced not only as artistic medium but more broadly defined tool for visual communication as well (as in family, science, commercial etc. photography).

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Controlled attendance (up to 3 absences are tolerated).

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Recommended reading

● Anděl, Jaroslav: Česká fotografie 1840-1950 : příběh moderního média. Praha: Kant, 2004. (CS)
● Baatz, Willfried: Fotografie. Praha: Computer Press, 2004. (CS)
● Barthes, Roland: Světlá komora. Agite/Fra, Praha, 2005. (CS)
● Berger, John: O pohledu, Agite/Fra, 2009. (CS)
● Birgus, Vladimír; Mlčoch, Jan: Česká fotografie 20. století: průvodce. Praha, KANT, 2005. (CS)
● Císař Karel: Co je to fotografie? Herrmann & synové, Praha, 2004. (CS)
● Frizot, Michael: New History of Photography. Kolín nad Rýnem: Konemann, 1998. (EN)
● Grygar, Štěpán: Konceptuální umění a fotografie. AMU, Praha, 2004. (CS)
● Hájek, Václav: Jak rozpoznat odpadkový koš, Labyrint, 2012. (CS)
● Kuneš, A., Pospěch, T. (ed.). Čítanka z teorie fotografie. Opava: Slezská univerzita, 2003. (CS)
● Pospěch, Tomáš: Myslet fotografii, PositiF 2014. (CS)
● Scheufler, Pavel: Teze k dějinám fotografie do roku 1918. Praha: AVU, 2000. (CS)
● Silverio, Robert: Postmoderní fotografie. AMU, Praha, 2007. (CS)
● Sontag Susan: O fotografii. Praha, 2002. (CS)
● Warnen Marien, Mary: Photography. A Cultural History, Laurence King 2010. (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

Programme VUB Bachelor's
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
Programme BIT Bachelor's 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
Programme IT-BC-3 Bachelor's
branch BIT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
Programme BIT Bachelor's 1 year of study, winter semester, elective

Type of course unit

Lecture

13 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Lucia Fišerová, Ph.D.

Seminar

13 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Lucia Fišerová, Ph.D.