AMST276

This course examines the special expectations we have for documentary images—to tell the truth. Over the semester, students study the changing uses, definitions, and archives of documentary photography from 1839 to the present. Through lecture and discussion, students explore the ongoing nature of the documentary's core controversies involving objectivity, advocacy, and bias. While scholarly discussions of the documentary are rooted in Euro-centric assumptions about lens-based media, this course includes international practices, concepts, and histories of documentary photography, engaging with the complex relationship between photographic neutrality, racial hierarchy, and colonial control. Readings and assignments concentrate on theoretical approaches to the documentary, raising ethical questions about the medium’s aesthetic practice and everyday popularity. Students utilize archival resources at area institutions and Bates college for research opportunities.