Photography: Reconceptualising, culture, memory and space

Question:  Why do we consider photography as a form of cultural critique? Is every photograph able to do so? 

Answer:

Photographs are strong and influential tool to critique culture (Woo, 2010). Editors connect photographs with cultural literacy in order to shape the past experiences and the current situations of individuals in order to interpret images (Langford & Zaslove, 2001). Photography is a strong and dominant medium used to discover social problems and attract the attention of the audiences and readers, however it might also create controversial between the audience and the photographs taken by the photographer itself (Fey, Shin, Cinquemani & Marino, 2010).

Photography criticism still can be accepted and considered as normal, assessing task with the aim to develop and approved other traditions and practices. However it might also create controversy. Criticism covers personal opinion, considered as objective in order to attract, such as, the readers of review articles with the aim to give their respect, back up and support for the reviewer (Woo, 2010 as cited from Bezencenet, 1982b: 727).

“At its best, criticism helps to locate particular work in relation to specific debates about practice through elucidating appreciation of the effect, meaning, context and import of the imagery under question” (Woo, 2010 as cited from Bezencenet, 1982b: 727).

No, not every photographs are able to be critiqued because audience and readers only believe, critique and interpret on what they want to critique and what they believe to be true. All the criticisms generate from their knowledge, personal experiences and the nature of the photographs delivered by the photographers itself (Woo, 2010 as cited from Moholy- Nagy, 1967: 28).

REFERENCES

• Fey, C., Shin, R., Cinquemani, S. & Marino, C. (2010). Art Education. Exploring racism through photography, 63 (5), 44-51.  Accessed on November 5, 2012 from University Brunei Darussalam Ebrary Books Website.

• Langford, M. & Zaslove, J. (2001). West Coast Line. Introduction [Photography, autobiographical memory and cultural literacy, 35 (1), 5-7. Accessed on November 5, 2012 from University Brunei Darussalam Ebrary Books Website.

• Woo, C. W. H. (2010). Analyzing Visual Communication. Brunei Darussalam: University Brunei Darussalam.