Camera Shy

Prior to the invention of photographic technique, the making of images--through dramatic re-enactment (mimesis) and painting (still life or portraiture)--was recognized as a cultural practice with potentially troubling implications. For example, the conventions of Greek drama required that acts of violence take place offstage, allowing the details to be narrated, but rarely represented in an explicit fashion. As recently as the early twentieth century, Akutagawa, a prominent Japanese writer, penned "Hell Screen," the tale of a man who was able to render a vision of horror--a woman burning to death--only by sacrificing his daughter, using her as a model for the scene.

When images were made in the past, the choice of subject matter usually reflected an uplifting or elevating intent, and not surprisingly, religious / mythological subjects flourished, along with the depiction of royalty. In a sense, the arrival of photography, particularly as it became available on a mass scale, brought with it the democratization of the image, opening up a wide range of subjects. At least initially, photography held great promise for reshaping the way in which people viewed the world.

NEXT