معرفی
Louis Kaplan is a Professor at the University of Toronto, holding dual appointments in the Department of Art History (St. George campus) and the Department of Visual Studies (UTM campus). He serves as Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies, with cross-appointments at the Centre for Jewish Studies and Cinema Studies Institute. Kaplan earned his AB from Harvard University (1981), MA and PhD from the University of Chicago (1982, 1988), and completed postdoctoral fellowships in Berlin and Jerusalem.
His research explores the intersection of visual culture, photography theory, and Jewish studies, with emphases on:
- Photographic historiography: Spirit photography, humour in visual media, and community representation
- Jewish visual cultures: Diaspora art, Holocaust memory, and territorialism
- Digital humanities: Augmented/virtual reality projects like Mapping Ararat reconstructing imaginary Jewish homelands
- Deconstructionist approaches to art criticism and media theory
Kaplan's publications demonstrate consistent focus on photography's cultural politics, with recent works examining Jewish humour in dark historical contexts and collaborative digital archiving. His 11 books and 80+ articles reflect interdisciplinary engagement across art history, media studies, and cultural theory.
Major Awards & Fellowships:
- Getty Library Research Fellowship (2018)
- Jackman Humanities Institute Faculty Fellowship (2014-15)
- SSHRC Insight Grants for digital humanities projects
- Visiting professorships at University of Michigan (2023-24)
He leads collaborative research-creation projects utilizing VR/AR technologies to reimagine historical Jewish refuges, funded by SSHRC. No current advisees are listed.
