Susan Sontag

kiji

Susie Linfield’s “The Cruel Radiance”: Defending the Gaze on Political Violence

Susie Linfield's The Cruel Radiance is a defense of the ethical necessity of viewing images of political violence. This analysis breaks down its 4 cores: 1) Arguing against the "anti-photography tradition" that sees images as inherently exploitative; 2) Positing that "learning to see" (with context and facts) is a trained civic capacity; 3) Arguing for a case-by-case ethics rather than a total ban; 4) Defending photojournalism and empathy against cynicism. The book dialogues with Sontag and Azoulay, reframing viewing as a civic duty.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

Ariella Azoulay’s “The Civil Contract of Photography”: The Image as an Ethical Summons

Ariella Aïsha Azoulay's The Civil Contract of Photography reframes photography as a political-ethical relationship. This analysis breaks down its 4 core concepts: 1) The "photographic event" (photographer, subject, spectator); 2) The "civil contract" that demands a response from the viewer; 3) The "civil gaze" as a counter-sovereign act that crosses borders; 4) The shift from aesthetic judgment to "rebuttable political judgment." It turns viewing into a call for civic responsibility.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

John Szarkowski’s “The Photographer’s Eye”: Establishing a Formal Language for Seeing

John Szarkowski's 1966 The Photographer's Eye established a formal language for photography as art. This article analyzes its five core concepts: The Thing Itself, The Detail, The Frame, Time, and Vantage Point. This MoMA-derived toolkit teaches viewers how to identify selection, boundaries, and rhythm in an image, serving as a foundational text for formal analysis that complements the work of Berger, Sontag, and Barthes.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”: An Exercise in Demystifying Visual Power

John Berger's Ways of Seeing is a classic exercise in demystifying visual culture. This article analyzes its four core concepts: 1) How reproduction and context change an image's meaning; 2) The tradition of oil painting as an "aesthetic of ownership" and the "Nude" as a body organized by the male gaze; 3) How advertising functions as modern oil painting by manufacturing "envy"; 4) The demystification of art to reclaim viewer agency. It also explores the book's long-term impact on visual culture and feminist criticism.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

The Aura’s Waning and the Political Turn: Rereading Walter Benjamin’s “Work of Art” Essay

Walter Benjamin's "Work of Art" essay is a crucial media diagnosis. This article analyzes its 4 core concepts: 1) How technical reproduction causes the "aura" to wither, shifting art from sacred to secular; 2) Art's function shifts from "ritual value" to "exhibition value"; 3) The conflict between the "aestheticization of politics" (Fascism) and the "politicization of art"; 4) How film trains a new perception through "shock" and "distraction." It also discusses its value as a critical tool and its role as a "triangular fulcrum" with Sontag and Barthes.
2025.11.05
kiji
kiji

Roland Barthes’s “Camera Lucida”: A Meditation on Time and the Punctum

Roland Barthes's Camera Lucida is a meditation on photography written in mourning. This article analyzes its four core concepts: 1) The dual structure of viewing, "Studium" (cultural interest) vs. "Punctum" (the personal, piercing detail); 2) The photograph's essence as "that-has-been" (ça a été), a witness to time and death; 3) The absent "Winter Garden Photograph" as an entry point for private affect; 4) The triad of Operator, Spectrum, and Spectator. It also explores the book's value as an analytical tool for affect and its complementary role to Sontag.
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