The following presents a summary of two of those themes. There are many themes and issues that recur throughout the six essays, including discussions on power, control, sexuality, memory, psychology, art, painting and commercialism. It is not possible in a short paper to review the entire text. One must have a basic understanding of the history of photography and those that practiced this form to fully appreciate and understand the text. Sontag references many of the major historically important photographers and their work, but the book does not include any reproductions. The 25 end pages include quotes from photographers, critics and philosophers. This small volume of 180 pages is divided into each of the original six essays, and nearly every page contains a thought provoking insight into the function, value, structure and meaning of photographs and their makers. Susan Sontag’s “On Photography” was first published as a series of essays in “The New York Review of Books” and then in book form in 1977. They are rich in aphorisms and flood the reader with thoughts and considerations.
Sontag and Barthes both provide their views on multifaceted and difficult questions, such as: What do photographs mean? How do they function in our society? How does one look at and understand photographs? Both books provide a social context and critique that encapsulates these questions and more. The two short books presented in this paper are key sources to gain a basic understanding of photographic theory and criticism. Photography also presents many antinomies, as Rudolf Arnheim stated, ” … photography is timeless yet anchored to a historical date it mirrors reality but also interprets and judges it it suffers from artful manipulation and profits from art it estranges but arouses compassion it is helped by accident and also by planning it assaults reality and submits to it, etc.” To name a few: photography is used in science by astronomers, physicists, chemists, and biologists in mass communication to tell stories and send messages through photojournalism, political propaganda and advertising it is a way of capturing personal memories of family events, through portraiture, travel snapshots and selfies and as an art to suggest ideas, frame questions and express emotions. Photography is complex, partially because as a modern form of image making, it is ubiquitous and used in so many different spheres of influence. Submitted to VCFA Faculty Adviser Humberto Ramirez on September 4, 2014 Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977. The following is the first of these papers. As part of the low-residency MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I’m required to read and then write an essay/annotation.
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