Course Catalogue

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The module will provide a critical examination of twentieth century photography, with particular emphasis given to close readings of a range of 'discussion texts' which will serve to provide an ongoing critique of fundamental premises and assumptions. Students will be encouraged to develop both a grasp of the historical dimensions of twentieth century photography, and a flexible approach towards its interpretation from a variety of methodological angles.

1 x 1hr lecture; 1 x 1hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. 

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into History of Art, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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Examination (60 minutes duration) - 40%

Essay (2,500 words) - 50%

Seminar presentation (which may be on a group basis) of 10 minutes accompanied by PowerPoint slides - 10%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ provide students with a broadly chronological suvey of the key practitioners, movements and institutions linked to modernist photography

■ develop students' critical understanding of what 'modernism' means in photographic terms, drawing on essential critical texts

■ promote skills of visual, verbal and written analysis consistent with the level of the students' academic development.

By the end of this course students should be able to:

■ appreciate and comment upon the relationship between key critical texts on modernism in photography and the actual work produced by leading early twentieth century modernist photographers

■ understand the developmental logic of early twentieth century photography in terms of its relationship to a variety of specific social, historical and cultural contexts

■ make intelligent historiographic judgements pertaining to the primary and secondary literature in the field

■ research and present their ideas on modernist photography coherently both orally and in written form.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.