AHSEM-UA 147 - The 14th Century—When Europe Was Transformed

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

The century covered in this course saw disasters of many kinds, some all too familiar to us in the 21st century. It was the century of the Black Death and the decimation of the population on an enormous and unprecedented scale; a time of an economic recession that changed the pattern of prosperity that had existed in the preceding two centuries; a time when the papacy and the Roman Church were faced with the rise of heresy and challenges to religious authority; a time of wars and of rebellions. Yet, in the same era, there was a march forward-toward new ideas, new political forms, vernacular languages, a reawakening that brought changes of immense consequence for all of Europe and for our own culture. Through the darkest periods, the great and beautiful changes that are the beginnings of the Italian Renaissance emerged. This was the age of Petrarch and Boccaccio, among many others, and the great Italian painters and writers who transformed the nature and conception of literature and art and who informed our own worldview. Overall, we study a century that many historians have understood as the most creative and the most terrible of all the centuries until the 20th century. The Making of an Iconic Image AHSEM-UA 148 Cross-listed with Photography and Imaging of the Tisch School of the Arts as PHTI-UT 1120. Willis. 4 points. Iconic images are pictures that become rooted in our personal memory and are stored away for future reference through our experiences with them. Often, the power of an iconic image extends beyond the meaning of its original purpose and takes on another form socially and historically. This seminar explores the range of ideas and methods used by photographers, artists, historians, filmmakers, and critical thinkers in addressing the notion of iconic images within photography, video, and film. It combines historical, contemporary, and theoretical approaches to identity politics and visual culture, and addresses how images are constructed through art, media, advertising, political campaigns, war and disaster, beauty, and popular culture. Class discussions highlight the trends and transformations that have characterized the evolution of the iconic image. Using a series of case studies, we explore the construction of beauty and style, gendered images, race, and pop culture. We also consider issues of representation, display, and reception, as well as the wider social context in which art, music, and culture are experienced in private and public spaces. In addition to classes held on campus, field trips are taken to archives, museums, and galleries. Each week, students discuss a photograph of their own choice.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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