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There are 7 modules in this course
In an era of constant visual noise, there is a difference between looking at an image and truly recognizing its power. This course invites you to bridge that gap, transforming a daily habit into a deeper understanding of the photographic medium.
The Museum of Modern Art offers you exclusive entry into one of the world’s most influential photography collections. Videos take you on behind-the-scenes visits to artist studios to explore the diverse ideas and technologies that inform image-making. By analyzing 100 landmark photographs, you will uncover the cultural narratives, scientific breakthroughs, and creative choices that have shaped the medium’s history.
Whether you are a student refining your research skills, a professional looking to sharpen your critical thinking, or a lifelong learner looking to learn more about photography, this course will help you develop visual literacy skills applicable to any field. You’ll cultivate your ability to navigate the visual culture that defines our world and gain a global perspective on how photographs are tools for storytelling, documentation, and critique.
What's included
3 videos4 readings
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 8 minutes
Seeing Through Photographs Course Trailer•1 minute
Sarah Meister Introduces the Course•2 minutes
Marvin Heiferman on “Photography Changes Everything”•4 minutes
4 readings•Total 60 minutes
Welcome to Seeing Through Photographs!•10 minutes
Getting Started: How Does This Course Work?•10 minutes
Optional Discussion Forum Prompts•10 minutes
Optional Readings and Resources•30 minutes
One Subject, Many Perspectives
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
8 videos8 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 24 minutes
Vik Muniz on Photographing the Familiar•4 minutes
Early Photographs of the Moon: Surface, Scale, and Technology•3 minutes
Eugène Atget. Pendant l'éclipse. 1912•4 minutes
Liz Deschenes on Tilt/Swing (360º field of vision, version 1), 2009•2 minutes
New Perspectives: Man on the Moon•3 minutes
U.S.G.S. and NASA, Surveyor III. Surface of the Moon, Day 319, W-F. 1967•2 minutes
Vernacular and Fine Art Photographs of the Moon•4 minutes
Ansel Adams. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. 1941•4 minutes
8 readings•Total 100 minutes
Introduction to This Week•10 minutes
Artistic Equivalents•10 minutes
Moons and Moonlight•10 minutes
Photographs by NASA•10 minutes
Who Does the Moon Belong To?•10 minutes
Moon Phases•10 minutes
Optional Discussion Prompts and Creative Challenges•10 minutes
Optional Readings and Resources•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Practice Memory Check•30 minutes
Documents and the Documentary
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
7 videos8 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 25 minutes
Sarah Meister on Documents and the Documentary•4 minutes
Zora J Murff on At No Point in Between, 2018–19•8 minutes
Mike Mandel on Evidence, 1977•5 minutes
Thomas Demand on Room (Zimmer), 1996•1 minute
Dorothea Lange. Migrant Mother. 1936•2 minutes
Dorothea Lange. On the Road to Los Angeles, California. March 1937•2 minutes
Sarah Meister on Documentary Photography•3 minutes
8 readings•Total 100 minutes
Introduction to This Week•10 minutes
Facts and Fictions•10 minutes
Fictions and Facts•10 minutes
Artist Spotlight: Dorothea Lange•10 minutes
Artist Spotlight: Gordon Parks•10 minutes
Winogrand, Friedlander, and Arbus•10 minutes
Optional Discussion Prompts and Creative Challenges•10 minutes
Optional Readings and Resources•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Practice Memory Check•30 minutes
One and Another
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
6 videos8 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 27 minutes
Sarah Meister on Photography and Multiplicity•2 minutes
Frances Benjamin Johnston. The Hampton Album. 1899-1900•2 minutes
Nicholas Nixon on The Brown Sisters, 1975–Present•2 minutes
Sohrab Hura on Snow, 2015–ongoing•6 minutes
Irina Rozovsky on Miracle Center, 2019–ongoing•5 minutes
Iñaki Bonillas on Marginalia, 2019–ongoing•10 minutes
8 readings•Total 95 minutes
Introduction to This Week•10 minutes
Artwork Spotlight: Frances Benjamin Johnston's The Hampton Album, 1899-1900•10 minutes
Photo Books•10 minutes
Photo Series•10 minutes
One from Many•10 minutes
Optional Discussion Prompts and Creative Challenges•10 minutes
Optional Readings and Resources•30 minutes
Mid-Course Survey•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Practice Memory Check•30 minutes
Constructing Narratives, Challenging Histories
Module 5•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
8 videos7 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 33 minutes
Hank Willis Thomas on the Role of Advertising Images•4 minutes
Carrie Mae Weems on From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried, 1995–96•3 minutes
Walid Raad on My neck is thinner than a hair: Engines, 1996–2001•2 minutes
Harrell Fletcher on The American War, 2005•5 minutes
Iñaki Bonillas on Constructing Identities•6 minutes
Cindy Sherman. Untitled Film Stills. 1977–80•2 minutes
Dionne Lee on True North and AA O KK, 2019•8 minutes
David Alekhuogie on To Live and Die in LA, 2019•5 minutes
The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. Join us in exploring the art, ideas, and issues of our time through the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization or through individual courses: Modern Art & Ideas, Seeing Through Photographs, What Is Contemporary Art?, Fashion as Design, and In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting. Learn about teaching with art in our three courses designed for K-12 educators: Art & Inquiry, Art & Activity, and Art & Ideas.
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Learner reviews
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4,513 reviews
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3 stars
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Showing 3 of 4513
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AF
5·
Reviewed on Aug 3, 2020
This course was a great experience. I think anyone can take it and enjoy it, regardless of what their background may be. It is fun, interesting, and inspiring. I definitely recommend it!
A
AA
5·
Reviewed on Nov 10, 2018
i thoroughly enjoyed this course a lot more than i expected. Being able to question imagery and its narrative in different ways. Love to digest things differently. Thank you so much
J
JG
5·
Reviewed on Feb 24, 2020
i loved this course, i learned a lot and could comparate photographers with different view and type of shape of art. i hope that in a future will have more free courses. thanks you moma!
No prior knowledge of art or art history is required to complete this course. Whether you’re an artist, an art lover, an art skeptic, or just interested in learning more about art, this course has something for you.
Will I earn university credit for completing this course?
Coursera currently provides certificates of completion, but MoMA does not offer additional accreditation at this time.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.