POV4352 Contemporary Photography PracticesBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERINGGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
POV4352 Contemporary Photography Practices Fall 2 2 3 5
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Face to face
Course Coordinator : Instructor ORHAN CEM ÇETİN
Course Lecturer(s): Instructor ORHAN CEM ÇETİN
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: This course aims at an analysis of the evolution and gradual separation of the concepts of contemporary and modern art over the last four decades. The second aim of the course is to combine contemporary photographic practices with one’s own experiences in photographic applications and to question the relation of the concepts to visual experiences.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1. Identify and describe the concept of contemporary art.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary art applications.
3. Interpret the theoretical background of contemporary photography practices.
4. Compare global and local contemporary art practices.
5. Discuss the probability of conveying social, cultural and personal experiences through the language of contemporary art.
6. Develop the ability to apply their own concepts in the multilayered narrative structures and forms of contemporary art.

Course Content

Works by contemporary photographers, that are usually intertextual, more micro and more identity oriented, will be analyzed in terms of the narratives created within contemporary art practices. Practices of photography which have been evolving in parallel with contemporary arts since the 1970’s will be assessed.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Definition of contemporary art. Its relation to modern art practices. Debates about the notion.
2) Definition and explanation of contemporary photographic practices. Early debates on the subject (dating from 1970's) Photography related modern and postmodern practices. Weekly readings will be assigned.
3) Photography and the agents of contemporary art. I. Basic information of the agents of art: Museums, spectacle, markets. II. Contemporary photography and its practice within the agents of contemporary art. Presentation: Analyze the work of a contemporary artist .
4) Pre-contemporary examples and debates on photography-I: Avant-gardes and their experiments with the medium. Avant-garde narrative style in photography. Assignment I: Mimicking the artistic experiments of avant-gardes.
5) Pre-contemporary examples and debates on photography-II: The social use of photography and questioning identity. Ethnicities and gender in photographic medium. Assignment 2: Creating a narrative with one’s own experiences by the means of the photographic medium.
6) Pre-contemporary examples and debates on Photography-III: Converging media and its relation to artistic experience. Intertextuality in photographic practices. Assignment 3: A visual diary which includes text and photographs.
7) Themes / Identity and the Body - Examples from the works of Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, Nobuyashi Araki etc. and their critiques. Weekly readings will be assigned.
8) Themes / Place- Examples from Andreas Gursky, Hilda and Bernd Becher, Thomas Struth etc. and their critiques. Weekly readings will be assigned.
9) Themes / Time - Examples from Gerard Richter, Hans Peter Feldman etc. Assignment 4
10) Current Issues of Contemporary Photography-I Weekly readings will be assigned.
11) Current Issues of Contemporary Photography-II Assignment 5
12) Contemporary Photography in Turkey. Weekly readings will be assigned.
13) Creating ideas for the final project. Preparation for Final Assignment A
14) Presentations and discussions. Preparation for Final Assignment B

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: 1. Cotton, C. (2009). The photograph as contemporary art. London New York, N.Y: Thames & Hudson.
2. Marien, M. (2006). Photography : a cultural history. London: Laurence King.
References: 1. Costello, D. & Iversen, M. (2010). Photography after conceptual art. Chichester, West Sussex, UK Malden, MA, USA Great Britain: Wiley-Blackwell Association of Art Historians.
2. Smith, T. (2009). What is contemporary art. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
3. Szarkowski, J. (2007). The photographer's eye. New York: Museum of Modern Art.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Homework Assignments 5 % 50
Presentation 1 % 10
Final 1 % 40
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 14 4 56
Study Hours Out of Class 13 3 39
Presentations / Seminar 1 1 1
Homework Assignments 5 6 30
Final 1 1 1
Total Workload 127

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Adequate knowledge in mathematics, science and electric-electronic engineering subjects; ability to use theoretical and applied information in these areas to model and solve engineering problems.
2) Ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems; ability to select and apply proper analysis and modeling methods for this purpose.
3) Ability to design a complex system, process, device or product under realistic constraints and conditions, in such a way as to meet the desired result; ability to apply modern design methods for this purpose. (Realistic constraints and conditions may include factors such as economic and environmental issues, sustainability, manufacturability, ethics, health, safety issues, and social and political issues, according to the nature of the design.)
4) Ability to devise, select, and use modern techniques and tools needed for electrical-electronic engineering practice; ability to employ information technologies effectively.
5) Ability to design and conduct experiments, gather data, analyze and interpret results for investigating engineering problems.
6) Ability to work efficiently in intra-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams; ability to work individually.
7) Ability to communicate effectively in English and Turkish (if he/she is a Turkish citizen), both orally and in writing.
8) Recognition of the need for lifelong learning; ability to access information, to follow developments in science and technology, and to continue to educate him/herself.
9) Awareness of professional and ethical responsibility.
10) Information about business life practices such as project management, risk management, and change management; awareness of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development.
11) Knowledge about contemporary issues and the global and societal effects of engineering practices on health, environment, and safety; awareness of the legal consequences of engineering solutions.