Week 7


BACK TO THE IMAGE -- THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE
(BACK TO PLATO AND REPRESENTATION ?)

THEME: What is a photographic image and how does it
differ from its relatives (visual perception,
film images, and electronic images)?

QUESTION A: Does the photographic image present an
an accurate representation of the world?

ASSIGNMENT A: Read in the Alperson text Snyder's and
Allen's essay "Photography, Vision, and
Representation" (pp.289-305).


1. Summerize briefly the three models which form the
foundation for the claim that photographs are
realistic, objective depictions of reality.

2. Present Snyder's and Allen's objections to these
three models and state why you agree or disagree
with them.

3. Do you think that electronic images provide an even
higher degree of accuracy than photographs? Is it
possible to produce electronic images which are
completely isomorphic (have a complete one-to-one
correspondence) with the object? Explain why or why
not briefly.


QUESTION B: According to Sontag, in what way(s) is the
"photographic enterprise" a uniquely modern
phenomenon?


ASSIGNMENT B: Read in the Alperson text Susan Sontag's essay
"In Plato's Cave" (pp.281-288).


***** Before answering the questions below *****
remember our earlier reading of Plato.
Since Sontag's essay is called "In Plato's
Cave," we have provided a link to Plato's
dialogue The Republic which presents what
is usually referred to as PLATO'S MYTH OF
THE CAVE
[http://www.inlink.com:80/~aasgaard/worth-reading/
allegory_of_the_cave.html]


1. For Sontag, in what way does photography differ from
other media (modes of interpreting) such as painting
or print? Sontag thinks that photography does more than
just interpret the world; describe this unique aspect of
photography.

2. Explain what Sontag means when on page 288 she says that
"Strictly speaking, one never understands anything from
a photograph."

3. Explain why Plato would agree or disagree with Sontag.


Ftp your responses to the site.