VISU3022: Special Subject: Photography and Modernity Between The Wars

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• To develop advanced understanding of photography, modernity, and the relationship between them in the interwar period across a range of national contexts
• To develop students ability to analyse individual images and groups of images
• To allow students to develop and deploy their knowledge an skills in a practical critical engagement with real exhibitions

• Indicative topics covered will include:
• Photomontage and the avant-garde: Dada, Surrealism and beyond
• Photoreportage and the rise of the illustrated press
• Photography and social reform: the European worker photography movement, and New Deal documentary in the USA
• Modernity and gender: women both sides of the camera
• Photography and the aftermath of war
• Politics and propaganda
• Art photography and exhibitions
• Within these broad parameters, the precise syllabus will develop in line with the interests of individual students and the group as a whole, who will take increasing responsibility for the course content as the module progresses and as they begin to formulate the research questions that will animate their own research projects.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On completion of this module students should:
• have a comprehensive understanding of the photographic culture of the inter-war period in Germany, France, Britain and the USA
• have a secure grasp of photography history and theory
• understand the fundamental features of Western modernity

Subject-specific Skills:

• On completion of this module students will develop:
• an ability to demonstrate knowledge of a range of image types and critical approaches
• the ability to analyse images
• an ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories relating to visual studies
• the ability to both use and critique theoretical approaches in the process of image analysis
• the ability to relate a specific form of cultural production (photography) to the broader socio-historical environment of inter-war modernity
• command of a broad range of vocabulary and an appropriate critical terminology
• awareness of photography as a medium through which values may be affirmed and contested
• the ability to identify research questions and devise a research plan that will allow them to address those research questions, mobilising all the aforementioned SSS.

Key Skills:

• visual and verbal analysis
• critical analysis and reasoning
• independent research
• academic writing, including argumentation and structure, presentation, referencing, and bibliographic skills
• personal organisation and time management
• presentation skills and the ability to deal with questions from an audience
• skills in leading a discussion
• IT skills: word-processing; online databases and other web-based resources; powerpoint

• This team-taught module will be taught weekly throughout the academic year.
• Weekly seminars (2 hours) will facilitate in-depth and sustained discussion of the modules key topics, developing students grasp of historical and theoretical material as well as practising image-analysis on a weekly basis. Seminar will be interactive, so students will also develop their verbal communication skills, and skills in critical reasoning. As the module progresses, students will take responsibility for presenting topics and leading the discussion.
• Small-group tutorials (2 x 1 hour, in groups of 4) will allow students to explore and develop their research questions and plans, responding to questions from the group and giving and receiving peer feedback.
• The assessment will allow students to develop their skills in academic writing, as well as demonstrating directly or indirectly all other skills and knowledge that the module seeks to develop.

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