Things and Images: Political, Historical, Cultural

We collect and save, store and arrange things. From family heirlooms, museum and state or religious institution collections, and debris, refuse and remains, our history and memory are directed by image and object. Whether or not an object or image has survived time can affect our collective memory and play a pivotal role in forming society’s aesthetics and values as well as demonstrating authority. Projects will include making an artifact for an event that has none and finding objects that generate stories in and about our own lives. We will explore pivotal historical events through documentary film. We will discover the power of objects and images in influencing the way we think and remember. At the semester’s conclusion the student will define themselves by creating their own remains.