photography theory

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Kaja Silverman’s “The Miracle of Analogy”: Rewriting the Ontology of Photography

Kaja Silverman's The Miracle of Analogy is a major rewriting of photography's ontology. This analysis breaks down its 4 core concepts: 1) Challenging Krauss's "index," she posits photography's essence as "analogy" (resemblance); 2) Decentering the author with the concept of "the world's self-imaging"; 3) Using "latency" (delay) to build an ethics of viewing; 4) Tracking "chains of resemblance" across media. The book reorients photo theory toward phenomenology and attunement.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

Rosalind Krauss’s “The Originality of the Avant-Garde”: A Machine for Deconstructing Modernist Myths

Rosalind Krauss's The Originality of the Avant-Garde is a critical machine for deconstructing modernist myths. This analysis breaks down its 4 core concepts: 1) How "originality" is a discursive and institutional effect; 2) The "index" (trace) theory, using Peirce to redefine photography and conceptual art; 3) The "Expanded Field" model for remapping sculpture; 4) The "Grid" as a self-mythology of modernism. A key text for understanding art, photography, and institutional critique.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

Deconstructing the Gaze: Susan Sontag’s “On Photography” as Contemporary Diagnosis

Susan Sontag's On Photography is a crucial cultural diagnosis. This article analyzes its four core arguments: 1) How "viewing" replaces "experience," fragmenting memory; 2) How the "aestheticization" of suffering erodes our ethical response; 3) How "documentary" is institutionally constructed; 4) The paradox of "witness" vs. intervention. It reassesses the book's value as a tool for image analysis.
2025.11.05
kiji