European photography in the 20th century doesn’t have one single history, but rather a whole spectrum of histories, made up of movements (national to diasporic, political to private) and photographic practices (chance to staged, photograms to C-prints) from different contexts. To give you an overview of the key developments in photography in that time and place, we’ll present case studies of four important artistic movements that you might not be familiar with: New Vision, Humanism, Photoconceptualism, and Post-Cold War Photography.

We’ll examine the work of individual photographers from different eras and regions who were part of a larger network in photography in their time — among them Lucia Moholy, Eva Besnyő, Robert Doisneau, Zofia Rydet, Seiichi Furuya, Luigi Ghirri, Sophie Calle, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Joan Fontcuberta, and Viviane Sassen. Through lecture, discussion, and assignments, you’ll broaden your understanding of the various conditions under which photographs were taken and the endless possibilities of creatively engaging with photography. This course is for photographers and general art audiences alike, whether you want to be inspired to try new directions in your own work, or simply leave with an expanded knowledge and understanding of the field.