Roland Barthes' 'Camera Lucida'

“The Photograph does not call up the past, (nothing Proustian in a photograph).

The effect it produces upon me is not to restore, what has been abolished (by time, by

distance) but to attest that what I see has indeed existed.”

The Photograph does not necessarily say what is no longer, but only and for certain

what has been.

Several times in this article, the author mentions the aspect of past, memory and the confirmation of something existing (as shown in the above quotes). The author reiterates that a photograph does not exist to bring up nostalgia or remind one of the past, but only to say that that moment did exist. What happened in the photograph was real and tangible in the past. In my opinion however, I believe that a photograph can do both and that the two ideas are interrelated. One cannot exist without the other. Yes, the photograph is confirming what has been and what did exist, but if this is a subject in one’s past, it is also calling up the past. It is difficult for me to believe that all subjectivity can be removed when looking at one’s baby pictures or sorting through pictures of old friends. Memories surface and past events are recalled. Depending on the subject, I feel that photographs serve to present informative and confirm facts, as well as recall memories and past moments in time.

John Szarkowski's 'The Photographer's Eye

Baudelaire said: "This industry, by invading the territories of art, has become art's most mortal

enemy." And in his own terms of reference Baudelaire was half right; certainly the new

medium could not satisfy old standards. The photographer must find new ways to make his

meaning clear.

This article was a very helpful introduction to the history and art of photography. I was most intrigued by the idea of “time” as discussed in the article. Photographs are literally one moment in time, frozen and documented for memory and knowledge. While this limitation of cameras could be seen as a downfall, as Baudelaire might have thought, it can also be viewed as a new way to look at things. Many objects move very fast, such as cars or a person jumping, but with a camera we can stop time for a moment to see how the object appears in the middle of a motion. 

Susan Sontag’s “On Photography”

“To collect photographs is to collect the world.”

I have heard quotes by Susan Sontag many times and was very interested to read an entire article written by her. The quote above struck me as particularly interesting. Ever since the camera came out, people have used it as a way to document the world and as a learning tool. Gone are the days where you could only see a famous painting if you had the means to travel to that location to see the original. However, I feel that we rely too heavily of photographs these days. We take what we see as fact and generally do not stop to consider how the context (whether in a book, article or on film) may have skewed the original meaning. While the camera and photographs are an amazing, life-changing technology with which we can essentially “collect the world”, it is still important to consider the context and do a little investigating before taking the image at face value. 

Possible locations for Photo Collage

Mural near 8th and New Hampshire

Alley near Mass Street

Entrance to Naismith trail

Intersection 23rd and Wakarusa, focusing on the street lights

Crowd at Allen Field House

After trying several arrangements with the above locations, I decided to go with the entrance to Naismith park and focus on the signs in the area contrasting with the remoteness of the area. Based on how the photos are arranged, I hope to re-create the scene with various signs, emphasizing the irony and location of the signs.

Errol Morris on Photography

"Photos are a swatch of reality, 2-dimensional, torn out of the world."

This statement made in the video was an interesting one, urging the need to do investigate to find the meaning of photographs. Another point made in the video was claiming that all photos are posed, because they either exclude something or there is something absent. 

People assign their own meaning and feelings about photographs. Similar to when reading a book. We devise our own images to put to the story, which is the opposite with photographs. When we look at a photograph, we devise a story to put with the image. 

Master's of Illusion

The illusion of a three dimensional perspective has been used by artists for over 500 years, long before the development of modern technologies and Hollywood's special effects. It was interesting to see the development of art and to look at Renaissance artists who first discovered this technique. 

Although I'm aware of the technique of the scientific linear perspective, I hadn't thought about it in the context of history. Before it's discovery, artists developed their work not knowing that there was a way in which it could be enhanced visually[subjectively speaking, of course]. We live in this day and age of modern conveniences and the most advanced technology. But maybe, we are taking it for granted. Maybe, we are in a sense, living in the pre-Renaissance era unaware of techniques to be discovered that will change the direction of art in the next 500 years to come.

The Ways of Seeing

"The camera is an 'eye', free from boundaries of space and time." The invention of the camera has changed what we see and how we see it. One way the camera has changed what we see is regarding paintings. Because of cameras, almost anyone can see a famous painting, from anywhere in the world. However, we are seeing this painting in the context of our own world and our own life. The camera can also change the meaning of a painting, especially if we are seeing it in a film. The sound effects used or even the camera angle can drastically change the meaning, whether for better or for worse. Another important point made by this film, was how we interpret art. We relate it to our own experiences. However to me, this is what makes art the most intriguing. The creator may have had one purpose in mind, but we as viewers find our own meaning based on what we have experienced and the context in which we are seeing it.