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Thinking Forms

A distinctive characteristic of contemporary societies is the increasing proliferation of images. From street signals to magazine pictures, from book illustrations to works of art, one is surrounded by various systems of visual communication. This course is therefore conceived as a critical investigation of images, signs and codes of representation used and diffused within different domains–such as art, advertising, cinema, comic books, and television– in the attempt to understand their multiple configurations. Through a series of informal classroom debates, as well as weekly readings and discussions on significant visual samples, the course will examine the variable set of functions and meanings related to the production and reception of images in different historical contexts, from Renaissance art to contemporary mass media. The course will apply an interdisciplinary method of study– Semiotics, Art History, Literary Criticism, Gender Studies, and Film Studies– to allow students to explore the cultural implications of perceiving, representing, and analyzing visual materials.

Course taught by

Ricardo De Mambro Santos