more advice on the practice of reading theory...

Reading Theory: Advice and Suggestions

Theory is difficult, enthralling, obstinate, personal, dry, egocentric, and life-changing all at once.  Have faith that building your theoretical understanding of photography will drive forward your artistic practice as well as your ability to understand the major cycles of thought, consensus, and discontinuity that we come from as cultural makers.  Reading theory is a certain kind of discipline that takes strategy and respect.  Here are some guidelines we will be using to systematize our reading/discussion:

Print out the article and make notes on a physical copy.  Define terms you don’t know in the margin as well. 

Read the piece twice, once to get a feel for the style, hypotheses, and vocabulary of the writer, and once for a deeper, more synthesized understanding of the text.

Find the thesis sentence (or paragraph) that singles out the main argument or conclusion the author is building, which may or may not be obvious, or at the beginning of the writing.  Highlight the thesis(es) and be ready to discuss them. 

Check out their biography—what is the origin of their paradigm?  Country of origin?  Date of article?  Other major writings?  Be ready to answer these questions on the fly.

Who was a predominant influence on the writer?

Who did the writer influence?

What questions do you have for the discussion?  Include these in your notes!

What contradictions (if any) does the writer present?

By the end of a discussion you should be able to:

·       Under the context of the text

·       Understand the tone of the text

·       Restate the text/thesis in your own words

·       Provide examples for key points

·       Map the structure of the text

·       Understand the vocabulary, key words, and critical conclusions

·       Relate the text with other theories/paradigms

Last: a partial understanding of a text is not a defeat but an ongoing springboard for further understanding, future epiphanies, and always productive!