In life after postmodernism our conception of photography is not the same as before. Photography After Postmodernism starts with this conception and explores what changes have affected photography, its relation to social life and our image-centred culture.
In the last decade, interest in photography has exploded. Among the most compelling and popular art forms, photography is now recognized as central to the development of modern and contemporary art. In this accessibly written survey, art photography comes alive through a series of frames--from documentary style and pictorialism to archives, narratives, and the conceptual uses of the medium. David Bate traces major developments and themes from the earliest days of photography, in the 1830s, to the present day, examining the many ways in which photography and art have intersected since the birth of the medium. Featuring works from a wide and international group of artists--including Henry Fox Talbot, Roger Fenton, Lee Miller, Brassa , Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, Ed Ruscha, and Gillian Wearing--this comprehensive volume uncovers the Anglo-American and European contexts of art photography, as well as the Asian, African, and Middle Eastern perspectives.
The book showcases Zadoc Nava's latest photographic series, Shadowlands, capturing the essence of everyday life in Tehran. Through a lens of uncertainty and melancholy, the images provide an intimate look at the city's neighborhoods, highlighting the contrast between ordinary moments and the backdrop of a rapidly changing urban landscape. The series contributes to Tehran's growing documentation, offering a unique perspective on its vibrant yet complex reality.
An inclusive introduction to photography that elucidates the multiple, dynamic roles and character of this art form, both historically and today. Photography has a complex relationship to art. This volume uses an innovative framework to help readers appreciate photography as its own modern art form. In his unique and insightful approach, professor of photography David Bate presents iconic photographs in chronological order alongside significant photobooks and important historical exhibitions. As with traditional art histories, where particular works are cited as examples of specific styles, this study uses archetypal photographs to represent major art movements and trends. An inclusive and diverse guide, this account includes contributions from photographers around the world, from the birth of photography to the present day. Featuring stunning color reproductions throughout with short essays and key references on each work, Photography is set to become a definitive reference on the subject and will appeal to readers seeking an introduction, as well as to those more familiar with the medium. 80 color illustrations
This clear and challenging re-evaluation of the status and usage of photographic images in historical surrealism puts surrealism's fundamental issues back into the framework of its historical purpose and function. David Bate asks what a surrealist photograph actually is. He discusses automatism and the photographic image, the surrealist passion for insanity, their ambivalent use of Orientalism and adoption of Sadean philosophy and the effect of fascism on the surrealists. Locating the use of photography by surrealists within the cultural discourses of that historical moment, Photography and Surrealism is a genuinely original contribution to the field. The book is illustrated with a range of surrealist images.