The Genius of Photography

Episode 2

Documents For Artists

By the end of World War One photography had become the central medium of the age. Photographers began to turn their lenses to the plight of rural victims of the American Depression and minority communities. Alexander Rodchenko and August Sander found their artistic skills put to another use by the state – as propaganda. Documents for Artists focuses on the first few decades after World War One when the potential of photography attracted the attention of artists and governments alike.

Episode 3

Right Time Right Place

Examines the photographs of D-Day, the Holocaust and Hiroshima raising questions about history as seen through the viewfinder.

Episode 4

Paper Movies

After World War One the potential of photography attracted the attention of artists and governments alike.

Episode 5

We Are Family

Having conquered the street and the road, photographers approached the final frontier: the home, the self, and private life.

Episode 6

Snap Judgements

Shows how photography has become part of the art world where a single image can cost $2.9m and, in the digital world, where all images are possible.