Photography: History and Theory introduces students
to both the history of photography and critical theory.
From its inception in the nineteenth century,
photography has instigated a series of theoretical
debates. In this new text, Jae Emerling therefore argues
that the most insightful way to approach the histories
of photography is to address simultaneously the key
events of photographic history alongside the theoretical
discourse that accompanied them. While the nineteenth
century is discussed, the central focus of the text is
on modern and contemporary photographic theory.
Particular attention is paid to key thinkers, such as
Baudelaire, Barthes and Sontag. In addition, the
centrality of photography to contemporary art practice
is addressed through the theoretical work of Allan
Sekula, John Tagg, Rosalind Krauss, and Vilem Flusser.
The text also includes readings of many canonical
photographers and exhibitions including: Atget, Brassai,
August Sander, Walker Evans, The Family of Man, Diane
Arbus, Lee Friedlander, Cindy Sherman, Bernd and Hilla
Becher, Sebastaio Salgado, Jeff Wall, and others.In
addition, Emerling provides close readings of key
passages from some major theoretical texts. These
glosses come between the chapters and serve as a
conceptual line that connects them. Glosses include:
Roland Barthes, ''The Rhetoric of the Image'' (1964)
Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others (2002) Michel
Foucault on the archive (1969) Walter Benjamin, ''Little
History of Photography'' (1931) Vilem Flusser, Towards a
Philosophy of Photography (1983) A substantial glossary
of critical terms and names, as well as an extensive
bibliography, make this the ideal book for courses on
the history and theory of photography. |
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