Photographer’s Green Book Community Syllabus

Works steeped in misogyny, racism and non-consensual portraiture are often taught as the keystones of photographic history with little criticism or counter argument. Furthermore, teaching photographic history linearly, tracing the technical evolutions, has led to misunderstandings of it’s global prominence and eliminated non-western artists. For example, most histories of photography begin with the camera obscura and reference its use in European paintings in the 16th and 17th century. However the practice of using light to draw (the translation of the french photographie(y)) dates to pre-contact B.C.E. Therefore, to start the history of photography in the 16th and 17th century erases indigenous uses of light and sets the stage for western/colonial photographic practice to be the authority on what is “good”.

Instead of following these examples, this syllabus will explore the history of photography through thematic groupings. Instead of a text book we have gathered materials by historians, theorists, and artists who have sought out alternative stories and have chosen to highlight artwork made by and for the global majority. This syllabus is an attempt to help educators and independent learners navigate away from traditional White, Euro-centric teachings and lead to discussions about how to be mindful practitioners.