HAA 276P - Photomontage & the Power of Assembly

Photomontage—the assembly of photographic fragments—is as old as photography itself.  Prompted by the Harvard Art Museums’ recent accession of over one hundred works by Gustavs Klucis and Valentina Kulagina--leading Soviet photomonteurs of the 1920s and 1930s--and the Houghton Library’s growing collection of photomontaged books and magazines, this seminar offers an episodic history of the medium from the 19th-century to the advent of the digital age.  Through first-hand examination of individual works, we study the medium’s use in not only the fine arts, but also agitational political posters and postcards distributed en masse, protest flyers, magazines and albums, and monumental displays at exhibitions and trade fairs.  Of particular interest is the recourse to photomontage for the expression of political dissent (Berlin Dada) and the affirmative representation of public assemblies and collectivities (Soviet avant-garde).  In addition to Klucis and Kulagina, other photomonteurs to be discussed include Hannah Höch, John Heartfield, Marianne Brandt, El Lissitzky, Romare Bearden, and Martha Rosler.  A darkroom session will introduce students to analogue processes, while a field trip will enable us to visit New York museums and meet with one of the world’s most important collectors of photomontage.   Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates (with the permission of the instructor).  Limit 10.