Photographic Testimonies
WRIT UN3024 - 3 POINTS
SESSION A: JULY 5–AUG 12, 2022 - SUMEJA TULIC
MON WED, 5:30PM - 8:40PM - IN PERSON
WRITING
SUMMER 2022
The human desire to connect to the past is a forever phenomenon. Technology has accelerated an unprecedented proliferation of the “past” through easily circulated and reproduced digital images. These photographs of the past are often fragmented, distorted, and evoke a feeling of nostalgia—a Greek compound that combines nóstos ("homecoming") with álgos ("pain" or "ache"). Nostalgia reappears at times of dramatic social uncertainties, economic disruptions, and cultural shifts. Nostalgia for an idealized past is employed as a clever marketing ploy (e.g., painter Bob Ross for Adobe) or exclusionary political strategy (e.g., "Europe for Europeans," "Make America Great Again," etc.). Aside from sinister uses, nostalgia can also have positive implications–improved self-esteem, benefit memory preservation, and increased social connectedness.
This course will approach the practice of writing about photography as a method of critical re-contextualizing of these carriers of nostalgia. The readings, discussions, and writing assignments will address questions such as: What role does photography play in shaping histories and identities? How are historical narratives skewed through photography? How is memory of an event challenged by the photography of the same? Finally, how does one convey the visual codes of a photograph in writing?
Columbia students do not need to apply, but they do need to register. All visiting students will need to apply to the School of Professional Studies and register upon acceptance.