Photography: History and Theory
Contents:
Almost every volume dealing with photography theory discusses the views of both Walter Benjamin and Roland Barthes—often combined with theories by other writers as in the case of Emerling —but none of them approaches these two icons of photography theory from a comparative in-depth approach, offering fresh perspectives on their writings. Both books are devoted to views on photography as a medium and start by emphasizing the complexities involved in addressing photography as such.
In this respect their approach fits in well with current debates about the photographic medium and its so-called specificity. One of the photographs, dated , depicts William Henry Fox Talbot, the inventor of the calotype, and Nicolaas Henneman, a prominent daguerreotype portraitist. The other photograph, dated , shows Walter Benjamin and Bertolt Brecht, two key figures in the history of modern thought.
Photography: History and Theory by Jae Emerling
The juxtaposition of these two portraits nicely captures the notion that theoretical debates and historical debates on the practice of photography need to complement each other. Conversely, the study by Yacavone presents portrait photographs only.
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This difference hardly seems a coincidence. Benjamin and Barthes both explored the meaning of photography almost exclusively on the basis of portrait photographs. Yacavone concludes that their special concern for this genre of photography hooks up with the natural and emotional expressivity of the human face and body, which inevitably transcends any created, artistic expression.
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This would also explain why portraiture is traditionally considered to be the least aesthetic or formalized genre of photography In the introduction to his volume, he accounts for his focus on art photography by suggesting that this genre has played a crucial role in the critical postmodern position, and that it has refocused attention on the discourse itself: History and Theory consists of five chapters, each of which addresses another aspect of histories-theories of photography: Museum of Modern Art, That Emerling chose to concentrate on documentary and archive, rather than detail and vantage point, underlines his broader scope.
In this respect, he claims that when considering the history of photography one must be cognizant of the fact that one is addressing complex theoretical questions about representation: Two of these glosses deal with canonical texts: Not exactly one that was likely to challenge the existing power structures in place in our society.
And I think this is where agency plays its part in photography. Even those who consider photographs as unproblematic indexes — and it is hard not to see them as this on some level, you push the button and what is before you is frozen in time. You push the button, and unlike a pencil, the camera takes everything in seemingly without choice. But we are eternally fooled by the lie that the camera never lies. That what a camera shows is exactly what we would have seen if we were there to see it.
Except, of course, what a camera actually shows is nothing at all like what we would have seen. It is a bit like what we would see if we closed one eye, kept insanely still and were looking through a hole and if we were somehow able to get time to stop. There is also the fact that photographs are often taken because we are motivated to take them.
Rather even the most banal of photographs are an attempt at narrative. We are seeking in some way to tell the stories of our lives with them. And the danger here is that we tend to also believe our own stories — ignoring that these images are highly selective and generally highly positive presentations of us. When was the last time you took a photo of yourself on the toilet?
CFP: History and Theory of Photography (Brunswick, 12 Apr 19)
We make images of what makes sense of the world - but that means fitting our images into an already existing way of understanding. Sontag talks about this in her book On Photography when she quotes the Northern Irish at the start of the Troubles buying images of bombed bars and kids throwing stones or petrol bombs at armoured cars. They did this to show their kids in the future images of a world that barely seemed real to them and they were certain would seem utterly unreal to their children and grandchildren.
Where this is particularly interesting in this book is in its discussion of a photographic exhibition that is often referred to in these texts — The Family of Man exhibition. Technologies such as cameras and guns, I suggest, pose certain shared methodological problems for historians and raise broader questions about the writing of history and the role of the historian in ethical discussions about their production and use. Graziela Portela marked it as to-read Jan 21, Product details Format Paperback pages Dimensions x x Benjamin Tree rated it really liked it Jan 25, Reviews and essays are licensed to the public under a under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.
I believe more young people die from suicide than from car accidents or drug overdoses today in our unwarlike societies. You know, where you point your camera determines in large measure what you will see and what you will remember. Truth is a kind of story we tell and our photographs help us construct and tell that story - but it is a story. Like I said, I am going to have to read this book again — it contains a wealth of information in very few pages and all illustrated with pictures along the way. Hard not to like a book that comes with illustrations… View all 12 comments. Kerim rated it really liked it Jan 04, Olga Stefan rated it it was amazing Jan 19, Benjamin Tree rated it really liked it Jan 25, Barbara rated it it was amazing Nov 08, Josh Jalbert rated it really liked it Nov 04, Joe Shaw rated it really liked it Nov 14, Pekka Nikrus rated it really liked it Jun 30, Joanna rated it it was amazing Feb 09, Johan added it May 24, James added it Sep 05, Brita marked it as to-read Sep 12, Joana Pereira marked it as to-read Oct 17, Dan added it Nov 16, Korri marked it as to-read Nov 18, In this new text, Jae Emerling therefore argues that the most insightful way to approach the histories of photography is to address simultaneously the key events of photographic history alongside the theoretical discourse that accompanied them.
History and Theory of Photography Research Centre
While the nineteenth century is discussed, the central focus of the text is on modern and contemporary photographic theory. Particular attention is paid to key thinkers, such as Baudelaire, Barthes and Sontag. In addition, the centrality of photography to contemporary art practice is addressed through the theoretical work of Allan Sekula, John Tagg, Rosalind Krauss, and Vilem Flusser.
The text also includes readings of many canonical photographers and exhibitions including: In addition, Emerling provides close readings of key passages from some major theoretical texts. These glosses come between the chapters and serve as a conceptual line that connects them.
Photography: History and Theory introduces students to both the history of photography and critical theory. From its inception in the nineteenth century. Photography has 10 ratings and 1 review. Trevor said: I think this book is more a history of theory about photography, than a history of photography per.
Roland Barthes, "The Rhetoric of the Image" Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others Michel Foucault on the archive Walter Benjamin, "Little History of Photography" Vilem Flusser, Towards a Philosophy of Photography A substantial glossary of critical terms and names, as well as an extensive bibliography, make this the ideal book for courses on the history and theory of photography.
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