| Decoding the Message: Beyond the Photographic Aesthetic (Online)

Learn to analyze photographs and discover their deeper meaning with expert guidance from Michelle Bogre.

Note: This workshop will be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform.
Class meets Tuesdays & Thursdays, Jun 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25 & 27 from 10am-1pm ET.

In 1964 Roland Barthes wrote: “Photography is a message without a code.” Even though we all take and/or see hundreds of photographs daily does not mean we can decode them.

 Learning how to decrypt the messages in photographs is key these days because photography has become the pulse of our culture and the most universal and versatile language of the 21st century. It also may be the most complex and varied visual discipline ever because photography is a paradox. It is multifaceted in its depth and breadth; it is object and idea; art and science; reality and representation; evidence and witness; truth and fiction; objective and subjective; self-initiated and indelibly socially connected; fixed and floating; important and frivolous, and because of that, it is the discipline most in need of explanation. 

Upon completion of this class, students will have a fuller understanding of photographs and photographic history, and they will have learned a methodology to decode and understand photographs beyond the superficial. The class will include weekly lectures, presentations, curated readings, and most importantly, class discussions, which are an essential part of the learning process. Previous experience in photography is not required.