Outline

Overview

This unit will draw on a wide range of photographic material, including university and museum collections, to examine the pivotal role of photography in recording and shaping our image-culture across diverse global contexts. The unit will engage with key debates to examine the social, cultural, theoretical, historical and art practice contexts of the photograph as an image and as an object. Key theories from Walter Benjamin to Hito Steyerl will be used to interrogate themes of memory, documentary and the real, witnessing, conflict, gender and sexuality, decolonisation, and the digital.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ARHT3662
Academic unit	Art History
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	ARHT2662
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Art History
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Donna Brett, donna.brett@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Donna Brett, donna.brett@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Major essay or exhibition proposal Research Essay	50%	- Due date: 10 Aug 2020 at 23:00	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Tutorial presentation paper Critical analysis and report	25%	Week -05	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Object analysis Critical analysis and report	25%	Week 04	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Object analysis: Consider one analogue photograph either on display in a public collection, an archive or from your family collection that is not digital (i.e. a snapshot). An object analysis sheet will be available on Canvas to assist students with their analysis. Students must include a reproduction of the front of the object and if possible the back of the object. Student can choose to write an acquisition report for a photographic object in the University of Sydney collection. This is primarily an object analysis that will include minor visual analysis but the main objective is what the photograph is and what its function is.
Tutorial presentation paper: Students are required to select a work on display at the Art Gallery of NSW or the Museum of Contemporary Art either in the collection or in the Biennale of Sydney. They are to incorporate concepts from the readings and consider these in relation to one photograph on display. The works must not be the same as the object analysis. The presentation must be delivered in front of the work in a gallery space. The purpose of this assignment is to visually analyse the photographs and discuss their context in a public collection or in an exhibition.
Essay/exhibition proposal: Students can write either an essay based around the lecture topic of their choice or an exhibition proposal. A template will be supplied. They are required to ensure that the essay considers the photographs discussed in regards to their materiality, the context of their production, reception and relevant theoretical and critical texts.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Luminous magic: origins and invention	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	19th century photography: from ectoplasm and orientalism to circus freaks	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Site visit: University of Sydney 19th C photography collection	Field trip (1 hr)
Week 03	New ways of seeing: photography and the Avant-Garde	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Picturing the self and others	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	War, conflict and trauma	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Site visit: AGNSW Biennale of Sydney	Field trip (1 hr)
Week 06	Documentary, street photography and the snapshot	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Witnessing, evidence and memory	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Photographic reproduction, exhibition and dissemination	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Site visit: MCA Biennale of Sydney	Field trip (1 hr)
Week 09	Controversial images	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	The rhetoric of the image and the pictures generation	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Site visit: AGNSW Hold Still Exhibition	Field trip (1 hr)
Week 11	The body: sexuality, feminism and queer identities	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Picturing the world: postcolonial/global	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Contemporary photography: digital futures	Lecture (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold. If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.
Lecture recordings: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on Canvas. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings and videos are available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. develop advanced analytical and research skills to engage with the variety of photographic processes and technologies of production through encounters with key primary texts and photographs in local Sydney collections
LO2. gain a sophisticated understanding of the range of artistic, cultural and social functions, and significance of the photographic image from the advent of the medium in the 19th-century to our present moment
LO3. build practice, confidence and skill in oral and written presentation of material, both individually and as a group, and in analysing photographs in their multiple contexts of production and reception.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit has been adapted to include some material on the moving image as it pertains or relates to the development and practice of photography.

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Site visits may feature in this course. Visitor guidelines will be available on Canvas.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ARHT3662: On Photography and the Wretched Screen

Intensive July, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect