digital and analogue photography -the essay
Dear all, Some of you may remember that around this time last year I asked the list for personal responses to the advent of digital 'photographic' technologies and how these affected their work with alternative processes. Many of you very kindly responded - some at length. I was extremely grateful and very pleased that so many took the time to respond so thoughtfully. Well, I wrote a paper and presented a compacted version of it at a conference of university art school educators here in Australia, at the end of last year. While there was too little time for discussion, it got quite a good response, I think, because so many here are struggling with the new technologies in very under-resourced (public) universities. The paper, and now, essay, didn't quite turn out as I originally envisaged. As I wrote, it morphed into a broader essay about digital technologies in an analogue photography world, with a subsection about alternative processes. I have recently started work on turning it into an extended essay which I have added to my website. I recently attempted to contribute this expanded essay in response to a question about the history of digital print technologies in photography. Those of you who are also on the photo history list will already know how that was received. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief. I won't go into details here but to say that I have spent the weekend in a vacuuming, tidying and cleaning frenzy. The vacuuming part has been quite useful - I ran through my recollections of the many helpful and thoughtful contributions I received from a variety of practitioners and artists on this list; and I also thought about about the specificity, depth and breadth of discusssions that have been held here, over the years, concerning the employment and uses of digital technologies in alternative processes - despite some brief, initial resistance many years ago. It struck me (as the vacuum cleaner sucked up all the bits out of the carpet on my study floor) that there was a sense of irony here, that practitioners of handmade, labour-intensive and old (and old-fashioned), quirky, photographic processes, should have already come to terms with, used, and, I think, understood some of the ramifications of digital technologies with respect to analogue photography and to ideas of 'photographic'. This understanding has come through practical use, teaching and in other ways such as the often very detailed and specific discussions held on this list; to the development of a number exciting and creative reponses using digital print technologies, such as software applications and procedures developed by Mark, Dan, Michael/s and others (sorry if I have missed some of you). It appears to me that many alt.proc. practitioners here had not only come to terms _practically_ with the advent of digital in photography, but that many have thought about the bigger picture (ha ha) of the commercially-driven, so-called 'photographic', digital technologies that are 'replacing' analogue objects, actions and concepts. All that was to say that my essay is available for perusal and comment. A number of alt. people who intially responded to my request for their thoughts on the topic, expressed an interest in seeing the finished product. So here it is. Perhaps I should be wary of inviting more commentary after my recent experience, however, I would indeed value further thoughts, suggestions, comments and discussion. Go to 'essays' on: www.catherinerogers.com.au thanks all Catherine begin:vcard fn:Catherine Rogers n:Rogers;Catherine email;internet:chrogers@bigpond.com tel;work:61 (0)2 97447416 url:www.catherinerogers.com.au version:2.1 end:vcard
|