SF/0008 - IMAGE LANGUAGES

Academic Year 2018/2019

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Objectives

The course of Image languages deals with the iconic communication in its various forms in the perspectives of who operates with images in educational contexts like pre-school and primary school. The aims course is to achieve the theoretical and methodological skills to operate in the discipline of “Art” and in others fields that treat images as a link between different disciplines.
At the end of the course the student must have a good knowledge of the theoretical and methodological debate about iconic communication problems and contemporary art. The student must also know the issues of educational function of Art and distinguish the various types of image: fixed, dynamic, artistic and advertising image. Different types of images must be analysed in a critical perspective creating relations within the context in which they are located. National instructions about school curriculum must be integrated in order to apply what has been studied. It’s required the correct use of the specific terms in order to engage both adults and children in a dynamic communication. The content learning occurs in a critic way and it’s not based on factual knowledge. Therefore it will be possible to adapt knowledge to work changing operating conditions.

Prerequisites

Complete preparation about humanistic culture;
Good previous knowledge about literature and history of the world;
Good knowledge of written and oral Italian language;
Basic knowledge about Art History and Philosophy.

Contents

The object of my lessons is the knoledge of different visual languages –(the language of cinema, of photography, of painting, of television). My purpose is to help students in reading and interpretating the images of these languages. First of all films of important film directors will be shown and analyzed. Students will be helped in learning the language of cinema. Among the films chosen a special space will be dedicated to films about childwood and in particular about problems of children in difficulty (as for instance Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” , Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” , Kubrick’s “Shining”). Bettheleim’s book “The Meaning and the Importance of Fairy Tales” will help in understanding the meaning which these films and stories can have in student’s and future pupil’s life.
Photographic language will analyzed using two films : Wenders “The Salt of Earth” dedicated to the photographer Salgado and the conclusion of von Trier Dogville. The language of television will be analyzed trough The Eichman show, fiction about the trasmission of the Eichmann trial

Teaching Methods

Frontal lessons with the integration of multimedial systems. Compulsory attendance of the Laboratory but optional attendance of the courses lessons.

Verification of learning

Oral exam.
Assessment criteria:
descriptive and argumentative abilities;
mastery of concepts and definitions;
correct use of grammar rules;
appropriate terminology.

Texts

It will be proposed a selection among these films:
S. Spielberg, ET ( USA1982)
G. Del Toro, The shape of water (Usa 2017)
S. Kubrick, Shining ( England 1980)
C. Dreyer, The Passion of Jean d’Arc ( France 1929)
O. Welles The stranger (Usa1946)
W. Herzog , The enigma of Kaspar Hauser (Germany 1974)
F. Truffaut, The 400 Blows ( France 1959)
I. Bergman, Wild Strauberries ( Sweden 1957)
I Bergman, Fanny and Aleksander ( Sweden1982)
A. Tarkovskij, Ivan’s Childwood , (Urss 1962)
A. Tarkovskij, Mirror ( Urss1974)
L. von Trier, Dancer in The Dark ( Denmark 2000)
L. Von Trier , Dogville ( Denmark 2003)
W. Venders , The Salt of Earth (2014)
P.. Williams, The Eichman show ( England 2015)
Bibliography
Gianni Rondolino and Dario Tomasi, Manual of film, Utet, Torino, 1995.
AAVV Introduction to the Istory of cinema, UTET, Torino 2002.
A. Tarkovskij, Sculpting time, London. 1988
S. Sontag, On Photography, Farras, Straus and Giroux. New York, 1977
S.Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others, Penguin Books, 2003
B. Bettelheim,The Uses of Enchantament, The meaning And importance of Fairy Tales, New York, 1976
Bellour, l’Entre- images: Photography, cinema, video, Mondadori, Milano, 2007

More Information

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