The image: Meaning and Making

Upon the premise of “Seeing comes before words” (John Berger), examining images is fundamentally useful to understanding the world. Imagery is additionally elemental to design and the visual arts, and is utilized significantly as a vehicle for communication. In this UIC graduate seminar, Sharon’s students read about the meaning and making of images, write responses, collect and discuss images, and practice methods for image-making.

Specifically, the course is centered around two simultaneous discussions — one that is offline and focused on readings and written responses to them and to other students’ input. The other discussion is synchronous and focused on images that are found and selected by students as well as images that are created in the second part of the course. In this second part, there is an emphasis on image- and form-making assignments, and critical discourse on this work.