PUPH
4300
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Fall 2011
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Faculty:
Leslie Grant
Contemporary theorists see landscape not in terms of neutral, natural fact but instead as a cultural text that demands interpretation. John Brinckerhoff Jackson explains that, landscape is not a natural feature of the environment but a synthetic space, a man-made system of spaces superimposed on the face of the land, functioning and evolving not according to natural laws but to serve a community. This class is an exploration of the issues surrounding landscape photography, both past and present, including an inquiry into the representational conventions and ideological underpinnings of the genre, a questioning of the validity of a traditional landscape practice, and the consideration of alternative image-making and theoretical models. As a seminar-style lecture course, students will be expected to complete assigned readings, a research paper, a final photographic project and a class presentation. Students will develop an understanding of their own work in relationship to the issues raised in class. The presentation will incorporate the students research back into the classroom. Integration with a previously established interest and/or practice will be encouraged.
