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Art Education 635: Photography Criticism - Winter 2008

635, Photography Criticism, 05 credits
Winter 2008
Terry Barrett, Ph.D.
Department of Art Education
253 Hopkins Hall
(614) 292-4741
barrett.8@osu.edu

This course is about criticizing photographs. The work of the course consists of reading, talking, listening, and writing. The topic is photography criticism. The objectives of the course are to:

• increase understanding and appreciation of art criticism,
• gain a more enlightened understanding and appreciation of photographs,
• be more comfortable and competent when writing about photographs,
• and be a more critical reader of photography criticism,
• have more enjoyment in looking at and thinking about photographs and photography.

The course is supported by specially designed and unique on-line enhancements. To increase learning in the class, the written work that you do will be posted on-line for your classmates to read. The URL and password for the locked course Web site will be provided in class.

The course is structured primarily around the book, Criticizing Photographs, 4th edition. We will also use The Photo Book, a collection of photographs published by Phaidon.

Required texts:

Photobook Cover
Barrett, Terry. Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images. New York: McGraw-Hill, 4th ed., 2006.

Photobook Cover
Phaidon. The Photography Book. Phaidon Press, London, 2000. Available in paperback at $9.95 or in a large hardbound format for about $45.00.

Assignments:

Each chapter of the eight chapters of Criticizing Photographs requires a set of related assignments: a Chapter Summary & Personal Response, a Quick Write, and a Careful Write.
Chapter Summaries & Personal Responses, Criticizing Photographs:
In one or two paragraphs, for each chapter of Criticizing Photographs, summarize what the chapter says. In another paragraph or two, identify one idea in the chapter that is particularly important to you and say why.

Quick Writes:
Images will be posted on the site and you are asked to spontaneously write about them, for about five or ten minutes, without censoring your thoughts or worrying about spelling and grammar. Then you'll proofread your writing and post it on-line.

Careful Writes:
You will be asked to reflectively consider the image or paper topic that is given, to think about what others in class and in the readings have written about the same topic, and carefully formulate a reasoned response that takes into account your views as well as the views of others, and organize a long or short essay in a convincing manner. Post your writings on-line.

Class meetings are required. During class meetings, we will criticize photographs in whole-class group discussions. We will usually rely on reproductions in prints and slides, but may also take advantage of galleries, depending on what is available during the quarter. Your participation in the class discussions is vital to the course and your success in it.

Since part of this class is on-line, you may move through some of it more or less at your own pace, quickly or slowly, and work at any time of the day or week you wish. It is conceivable that you could finish most of the on-line work of the course in a couple of weeks, or you can extend it over the quarter. However, there are dates given by which you should have submitted each assignment.

Grading:

30% Criticizing Photographs, Summaries & Responses
Accurate objective summaries of the chapters; apt and thoughtful personal responses to the chapters.

30% Quick Writes
One or two paragraphs each: be honest in your writing.

30% Careful Writes
One or two paragraphs each; show evidence of having read your classmates' Quick-Writes; show evidence of understanding relevant readings in the texts; present cogent arguments.

10% Class discussions
Listen to others carefully; respond thoughtfully and regularly.

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected.

Unexcused late assignments will automatically be penalized one full grade point (from a B to a C, for example).

Incompletes are discouraged.

Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. (The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism.) Instances of alleged misconduct will be reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct ( http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/info_for_students/csc.asp).

Disabilities: Students with disabilities should inform me the first day of class for appropriate accommodation.

Course Calendar

(Subject to change) Week 1, Friday, January 4
No Friday class today--University calendar adjustment

Week 2, Friday, January 10, First Class Meeting

Post all on-line assignments by midnight on Thursday before Friday's class.

Week 3, Friday, January 18
Due: Response to Chapter 1, Quick Write, Careful Write
PPT 1 - Justine Kurland

Week 4, Friday, January 25
Due: Response to Chapter 2, Quick Write, Careful Write
PPT 2 - Josephine Meckseper

Week 5, Friday, February 1
Due: Response to Chapter 3, Quick Write, Careful Write
PPT 3 - Rachel Harrison

Week 6, Friday, February 8
Due: Response to Chapter 4, Quick Write, Careful Write
Meet at the Wexner Center

Week 7, Friday, February 15
Due: Response to Chapter 5, Quick Write, Careful Write
PPT 4 - Erwin Olaf

Week 8, Friday, February 22
Due: Response to Chapter 6, Quick Write, Careful Write
PPT 5 - New Catalogue

Week 9, Friday, February 29
Due: Response to Chapter 7, Quick Write, Careful Write
PPT 6 - Paul Shambroom

Week 10, Friday, March 7
Due: Response to Chapter 8
PPT 7 - Joachim Koester
PPT 8 - Ryan McGinley