the photograph as contemporary art

by Charlotte Cotton

a response to Chapter 7

Appropriately title, "Revived and Remade", Cotton introduces the chapter with one of the most prominent artists of the past century, Cindy Sherman. Photographers that reconstruct or take on a character, either by representing existing people or the narrative idea of a person, dominate the first couple pages, highlighting the artists role and possible physical involvement in the construction of photographs. These pages ask the question of what is constructed in photography, subject matter, process, history; all of which are address accurately and altered (posed or faked) in the chapter. My favorite section of this chapter addresses old photographic techniques such as daguerreotype and photogram used in contemporary ways by presently living artist. I think this is a great way of incorporating history into photography; found images such as newspaper  and magazine clippings also have the ability to take on this role, albeit more modern, by removing it from its original and placing it in contemporary art. All of which substantiates the idea and physicality of construction as a key element to contemporary photography.