Fragments, Futures, Absence and the Past

Silke Helmerdig

ISBN 10: 3837636240 / ISBN 13: 9783837636246

Published by Transcript Verlag Mai 2021, 2021

About this Item

Neuware -According to Walter Benjamin, the past that is not recognized by the present threatens to disappear irretrievably. As a consequence, photographs cannot save the moment from oblivion by pure depiction alone, but only by keeping the depicted moment actual at every present moment. Instead of counting on the documentary quality of photography that speaks in the past tense of 'what has been', Silke Helmerdig suggests a different approach to photography: an extension of a future subjunctive (photographic) tense speaking of 'what could be, if', allowing one to think possible futures instead of harking back to the past.

Seller Inventory # 9783837636246

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Fragments, Futures, Absence and the Past
• Publisher: Transcript Verlag Mai 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3837636240
• ISBN 13: 9783837636246
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 225W x 148H x 15D millimeters 225 millimeters width by 148 millimeters height by 15 millimeters depth
• Weight: 328 grams

About this title

Synopsis

According to Walter Benjamin, the past that is not recognized by the present threatens to disappear irretrievably. As a consequence, photographs cannot save the moment from oblivion by pure depiction alone, but only by keeping the depicted moment actual at every present moment.
Instead of counting on the documentary quality of photography that speaks in the past tense of "what has been", Silke Helmerdig suggests a different approach to photography: an extension of a future subjunctive (photographic) tense speaking of "what could be, if", allowing one to think possible futures instead of harking back to the past.

About the Author

Silke Helmerdig (PhD) is professor for art photography at Pforzheim University. As artist and researcher her interest in theory and practice is in photography and time.