Course: Representations of Nature (CC 9.1)

As humans, we create representations of nature in a wide range of media and for many different purposes. Examples in the creative arts include travel writing, landscape painting, field recordings of birds, and wildlife documentaries. Representations of nature for the purposes of scientific understanding include the naming of plant and animal species and illustrations of biological processes. Scientific theories have emerged alongside photographs captured with powerful microscopes and telescopes. Through the analysis of works combining visual, written, and sonic elements, this course will explore the limits of human perception and expression in representing the natural world.