In order to satisfy cultural demands for artists to recognise their responsibilities towards cultural misrepresentations issues relating to ethics, ethnicity, religion and sexuality, new
forms of representation are being formulated. Through the practice of photography, chirography and other media and the theme of the female shoe, this research can explore these
and other related issues that question the position we find ourselves in, and hopefully increases the important debate surrounding the future of photographic practices.
The research has revealed that there are two approaches to the ways in which photographic and chirographic combinations can be evaluated. One where photographic based images
simulate the visual appearance of chirographic media in various forms and secondly where chirographs imitate the visual appearance of photographs. In addition it can also be concluded that as a result of this investigation, and through employing the concept of contiguity, the additional reference has been made to 'imprints' such as vacuum-formed images. In these cases the research reveals that it is this particular kind of indexical emphasis [rather than iconic] that gives it its connotative power and in doing so aligns itself with Post-modern theories.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Methodology
Chapter 2 The role of the photograph
Chapter 4 The relationship of theory to practice
Chapter 5 Images and evaluation
Chapter 6 Conclusion (evaluation & outcomes)
Research Objectives and Themes
This research investigates the relationship between photography and painting when combined, focusing on how semiotic concepts, particularly the concept of contiguity, define the interpretation of photographic versus chirographic (hand-made) images. It explores how the viewer's knowledge of construction methods influences the perceived truth and indexicality of these images.
- Semiotic analysis of photographic and chirographic codes
- Investigation of the "index" and "contiguity" in visual representation
- Exploration of the female shoe as a cultural and visual motif
- Evaluation of truth claims in documentary photography
- Practice-based research comparing traditional and manipulated imagery
Excerpt from the Book
The role of the photograph
In this chapter we will apply the semiological concept of contiguity to analyse a number of images in order to attempt to explain the relationship between photographs and chirographs. These images form a series aimed at showing the way in which photographs obtain their particular connotational value. These have been selected from historically sourced material leading towards a further series of both chirographic and combined photographic and chirographic images from my own practice.
Jean-Marie Schaeffer, as well as many others maintains that the relation between the photograph and the actuality from which it is born is indexical, arising because of the natural relation between the sign and its referent. The photograph embalms the past like a mosquito in amber or a fossilised footprint; it continues to point to what was but no longer is. The photographic image also mirrors the world closely and it is its particular form of contiguity between the referent and the photographic expression plane that gives it such comprehensive reference. Schaeffer defines each medium as having its own arché which he claims as the knowledge of the kind of medium, and the interpretational codes that are supposed be used in order for all to see it. With photography it is the belief in the reality of the image as Jacques Aumont points out:
Because we know that the photographic image is a print, a trace a mechanically and physico-chemically produced version of the appearance of light at a given moment, we believe that it is an adequate representation and we are ready to believe it tells the truth about this reality (Aumont: 1997: 81)
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1 Methodology: Discusses the application of semiology as a framework for understanding sign systems and the specific construction of photographic and chirographic images.
Chapter 2 The role of the photograph: Examines how the concept of contiguity establishes the reality claims of photography and distinguishes it from hand-made chirographic works.
Chapter 4 The relationship of theory to practice: Explores the tension between theoretical research and creative practice, emphasizing how both acts involve reflection and decision-making.
Chapter 5 Images and evaluation: Evaluates the author's practical experiments using the shoe motif to test the theoretical boundaries of indexicality and connotation.
Chapter 6 Conclusion (evaluation & outcomes): Summarizes how semiology clarifies the cognitive value of images and confirms that contiguous, direct-contact images often hold stronger claims to actuality than standard photographs.
Keywords
Semiology, Photography, Chirography, Contiguity, Indexicality, Icon, Connotation, Arché, Visual Culture, Practice-based Research, Shoe Motif, Digital Manipulation, Documentary Photography, Representation, Truth Claims
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on the relationship between photography and painting (chirography) and how these media are interpreted by the viewer based on their construction methods and semiotic codes.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the semiotic concepts of index and icon, the role of contiguity in establishing reality, the ethics of documentary photography, and the blurring of boundaries between photography and painting in the digital era.
What is the primary goal of this portfolio?
The goal is to prove that the semiotic concept of contiguity defines the relationship between the photographic sign and hand-made media, and to demonstrate this through practice-based experimentation.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The study uses semiology as its primary theoretical framework to analyze how images are constructed and interpreted by the viewer.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The work covers theoretical foundations of the photographic index, historical case studies of documentary photography, an analysis of the "double process of construction," and a series of practical experiments involving the female shoe motif.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Semiology, Photography, Chirography, Contiguity, Indexicality, and the Arché of the medium.
How does the author define a "chirograph"?
The author defines a chirograph as any hand-made or non-photographic image, distinguishing it from images created through the indexical, light-sensitive process of photography.
What role does the female shoe motif play in the experiments?
The shoe motif acts as a versatile cultural and visual anchor for experimental imagery, allowing the author to explore how connotation and contiguity are affected when traditional photographic and chirographic techniques are combined.
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- Roger Dorey (Autor:in), 2001, Combining photography with painting in theory and practice. New forms of representation, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/320656
