The Selfie from Caravaggio to the Present

Catalog description

The digital “selfie" is ubiquitous. But what constitutes the lure of reproducing one’s image through technical media in the first place? This course examines histories and theories of self-imaging media, tracing how widespread concepts of selfhood have shifted over time alongside––and in relation to––the development of specific media technologies: from paintings to daguerreotypes, snapshots, cinema, video, and digital media. By analyzing broad tends and “case studies” of specific artists, filmmakers, and theorists; we will ultimately consider the historical context, and develop the conceptual skills, needed to survey and scrutinize ethical problems and potentials posed by selfies in the present.