This course is an introduction to the history of photography: photography as a set of technological inventions, as a widely embraced social phenomenon and as a field of intellectual and philosophical discourse. Students will become aware of advances in photographic technologies since the middle of the nineteenth century as well as variations in aesthetics and the desire to document. Students will learn about the relationship of photography to industry, to emerging social sciences, police records and other disciplinary structures, and will consider how these social relations have evolved, expanded and been theorized through the uses and application of photography today.

This course guides students through a series of theoretical engagements to promote their abilities to articulate subject positions in support of creative practice. The course draws on a contemporary survey of unique theoretical references to investigate an interrelated set of concerns that includes: language, signification, representation, history, ideology, epistemologies, ontologies, difference, emergence, technology, and new conceptions of ecology. Students are challenged to engage course resources in terms of their own life experiences and to discover ways in which they can theorize their environments as creative practitioners.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

This course introduces students to contemporary forms and practices of creative writing. Focusing on each individual, the workshop will foster the development of skill in writing poetry, fiction, and drama. Through a series of examples, exercises, and critiques, students will develop their understanding and abilities in narrative, lyrical, and dialogic contexts, and will also develop their own voices and a portfolio of work. The course will also encourage the exploration of text in other media.

This course explores the book’s potential to convey artistic concepts through a relationship between form and content, the use of text and image, and notions of sequencing. Students will be introduced to traditional and innovative approaches to book construction, tools, and materials through workshop discussions, critiques, and demonstrations.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

This course focuses on photography and narrative, through asking the question: How do we tell a story using photography? Narrative structures have been used in photography since its inception, including documentary photography, constructed narrative photographs, sequential narrative works, photo/text works, photo books, and more. In this course, students will develop their skills to make photographs, edit and construct sequences, and work with a range of linear and non-linear narrative structures and forms including the use of text. Relationships between oral, written, photographic and digital media will be experienced and investigated.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

This third year course offers the opportunity for students to develop their practice within the discourse of contemporary and historical art discourse. Students will acquire a critical vocabulary for understanding their own trajectories in dialogue with the context and history of art, through group critiques, discussions of pertinent writings, and individual and group presentations of research on a variety of subjects related to their area of practice. A Dialogues course is an investigation of artistic practice premised on a student’s own interest to situate their work in a broader discourse and professional realm. They will learn skills related to completing projects, making presentations, speaking in public, leading discussions, writing, and integrating research and knowledge within their creative practice. Weekly meetings will allow for critiques of self-directed studio projects, discussion of assigned readings, and presentations of research projects.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

This course is concerned with photographic practices in relation to the social sciences and various ways of constructing knowledge. The course will address diverse issues such as gender, race, regional and sexual difference, and consider the ideological, institutional and cultural investments of photography. Lectures, selected readings and assignments will give particular attention to critical and theoretical positions significant to an understanding of photographic discourse and the larger issues it generates.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

This course teaches students extensive skills in working with tungsten light and electronic flash systems. Demonstrations and in-class exercises support the understanding of lighting principles, help develop a comprehension of the studio as a creative space for image production and stress the safety and care of equipment. In assignments, students engage in the histories and contemporary applications of still life and portraiture. Lectures and discussions contextualize their technical skills and introduce them to a wide range of artists working with studio lighting.

This course will investigate the advanced mechanics, aesthetics, and theory of staging photographic imagery using artificial and mixed lighting in a studio environment. Students will work to direct, stage, and resolve their concepts using the techniques and materials demonstrated. Through a series of lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and readings, students will work through strategies in creating a range of staged imagery. This might include including constructing sets for tableau photos, and staging a range of performances and installations for the camera. Instruction in artificial lighting, medium and large format cameras, media and studio equipment, and various digital and analogue techniques will be delivered to facilitate student projects.

This course explores the fundamentals of analogue and digital cinematography. Students learn the basics of camera operation, light measurement, exposure, visual composition and lighting techniques. Basic electricity and its safe use in support of good and effective lighting will be introduced. Ultimately, students will be prepared for studio and location shooting environments. Class exercises enable students to explore the expressive elements of cinematography: composition, camera placement, camera angles, camera movement, and lens choice, which together with understanding the impact of lighting styles, will give students’ the tools to bring a unique and specific look to their productions.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

Art criticism has increasingly come to shape not only public perception, but art practice itself. This is a pragmatic course which will help students develop the skills necessary for writing about art. The course will also examine the evolution of written criticism and some of its underlying cultural assumptions. It is an opportunity to assess the state of contemporary art criticism in order to develop the analytical and presentational skills necessary to participate actively in the current public written discourse about art and design.

This course is designed to enable students to focus on various issues, concepts and ideas relevant to contemporary photography. Consideration will be given to the changing role of photography in relation to new technologies and societal transitions. While the historical evolution of photography will inform much of the discussion, the emphasis throughout will centre around current applications and critical thinking about the medium in art and society at large.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

Each section of this course runs with a different topic. See here.

This senior course allows students in their final year of study to work with peers and faculty to plan and execute a graduation project, prepare a portfolio and written artist statements, as well as to undertake research to support their emerging practice. Students will participate in presentations, critiques and discussions of ongoing, self-directed projects as well as preparing their own bodies of work for art-based and/or applied presentation. Students may substitute VAST-400 Senior Studio or VAST-420 Visual Arts Thematic II for PHOT-400 Senior Photo Practice.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.

This course is subject to priority rules; see here.