The course takes into account the conditions of viewing photographs within contemporary networked image regimes. Through lectures and discussions, students will be introduced to the social, cultural, and technological histories of photography and will learn to critically examine both historical and contemporary photographic practices, with a focus on their technical foundations and the shifting contexts in which images are produced and viewed. A central aim of the course is to cultivate visual literacy, especially in relation to emerging technologies that have had a transformative impact on contemporary image production, such as artificial intelligence. We will consider the historical and epistemological roots of these technologies, look at the images they produce, and draw parallels to methods and approaches from the early history of photography.

The course takes into account the conditions of viewing photographs within contemporary networked image regimes. Through lectures and discussions, students will be introduced to the social, cultural, and technological histories of photography and will learn to critically examine both historical and contemporary photographic practices, with a focus on their technical foundations and the shifting contexts in which images are produced and viewed. A central aim of the course is to cultivate visual literacy, especially in relation to emerging technologies that have had a transformative impact on contemporary image production, such as artificial intelligence. We will consider the historical and epistemological roots of these technologies, look at the images they produce, and draw parallels to methods and approaches from the early history of photography.