Exposures

More about the book

Exposures explores the transformation of visual experiences and their connection to discursive contexts and performative processes in the USA since the mid-nineteenth century. These aspects are viewed as integral to the modernization processes occurring in the country during this period. The focus is on visual media, particularly the emerging field of photography, examining visualization strategies, perceptual processes, and the historical anthropological concepts that inform the images produced. Key questions include the role of the daguerreotype as a platform for social action and symbolic operations, the theatrical qualities inherent in these processes, and how presentation serves as a means of communication and the constitution of representational practices. A central theme is the tendency in nineteenth-century American visual culture to encapsulate reality within manageable forms, whether through theatrical spaces, enclosed exhibitions, or immersive visual experiences like panoramas and photographic frames. This work significantly enhances the understanding of the pictorial turn and the cultural history of 19th-century America.