Dear class,

I hope you found The Machine Stops to be an interesting and enjoyable read.

Looking ahead to this week, for tomorrow (Tuesday), please read Walter Benjamin’s 1936 essay “Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.”  It is admittedly a rather complicated text, but overall it focuses on the social and artistic effects of the development of the camera and photography/film, as well as how these technologies change how we perceive and understand the world. It is generally considered one of the most influential essays of the 20th century when it comes to thinking critically about technological change.  We will do our best to work through it in class so everyone comes away with a good understanding of the text. We will also watch a video in class that does a nice job presenting some of the main ideas Benjamin offers us.

On Thursday, with Christine Rosen’s essay “The Image Culture,” we will continue exploring the impact of photography with a more contemporary look at the power and importance of images in our daily lives.

This week we will also discuss your third (and final) reading response assignment.

See you tomorrow!