Photography and Theory
My New Book
Photography and Theory :structuralism and poststructuralism in photo-criticism: A comparative study
Abstraction:
The book “structuralism and poststructuralism in photo-criticism: A comparative study” follows two main purposes: First, finding the connection between theories around structuralism and poststructuralism as two major flow of thoughts in twenty century and photography world. Second, make use of these two theories in photography criticism.
Therefore this book with general path of system analysis to text analysis works in both theories, in first part tries to deliberate the essence of photography by structuralism. On the other hand clarify this question that what kind of semiotics nature and autonomic structures can be found in the essence of the photo itself. What is the dissociation between photo from other images? Which principles might have been considered as the media’s nature of photography? Based on what conceptual binary opposition phonographic system has been established?
The next chapter deals with why and how the criteria for photography method could be considered in line with a structuralism interpretation on the history of photography. After study photography as a system with its own principles while analyzing the works of Robert Frank with all details it turn to how make criticism about his works with using the structural criticizing. How applying synchronic and diachronic analysis methods highlights components of his photos. How passing a proposed route end to the results of meaning of his works? How this photographer enter the interaction with structural principles of photography system? Therefore how setting limits to creativity of his work should be studied?
Similarly, in the second part structural principles which discussed at the first part will study again from the poststructural point of view and the relevancy between poststructuralism and photographical structures will be discussed. How the poststructuralism changes structures and conceptual binary opposition and with applying which aesthetic strategies attempt to this matter? The path of the poststructuralism view in the photography world from the excitant radical aesthetic in the post modern art and the technological developments of digital imaging is discussed. Accordingly same discussion analyzed in more specialized sort of way by referring to criticizing Cindy Sherman’s works.
In third part this thesis come to general conclusion by a comparative analyzing between these two theories in three ways. First, the conclusion of those discussions about approach to structuralism and poststructuralism in photography world. Secondly more general background of the modern and post modern arts as consequences of these two theories. Finally the world of Robert Frank’s photography and Cindy Sherman. In the end some more personal deductions from different part of this book represents as a complementary aspect.