This course is designed for students who are interested in visual culture and looking to get to grips with the complex debates and ideas in visual analysis and interpretation. We will consider changes in visual and digital cultures and the new possibilities of visual engagement and communication. Students will learn and apply new visual theories and methods and discover how scholars across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields approach visual source in their research, use images to disseminate findings, and weigh ethical considerations in visual research. In addition to theory/methods orientation, the course is designed for students to generate their own ideas for topics for future research projects, especially in the humanities and social sciences, using a range of visual sources, from print to digital, including in Wesleyan's libraries and Special Collections. Students will gain knowledge of different forms and technologies of visual culture from late 18th century graphic satire to early 20th century film, and learn ways to identify different kinds of photographic prints through on- and on-campus field trips. The course will also examine the history of photography as a pivot point between the worlds of analog media and digital media. Students will read essays, lead discussions, attend seminars twice a week, and complete four short analytical papers and/or creative assignments based on our readings and lectures and a final project in lieu of a final exam. There are no prerequisites, and the class is designed to support and further students' interests in/knowledge of the societal significance of art, film and visual culture, whatever their major. |