The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity
Photography evidences presence, but what does it present? This article explores the notion of magic in photography through Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of ‘haecceity’, Jacques Derrida’s logic of the ‘supplement’ and Jean-François Lyotard’s ‘inhuman’. The sections ‘The Zone of Photography’, ‘Ghosts...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Arts |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/12/4/157 |
| _version_ | 1827730365528145920 |
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| author | Tom Slevin |
| author_facet | Tom Slevin |
| author_sort | Tom Slevin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Photography evidences presence, but what does it present? This article explores the notion of magic in photography through Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of ‘haecceity’, Jacques Derrida’s logic of the ‘supplement’ and Jean-François Lyotard’s ‘inhuman’. The sections ‘The Zone of Photography’, ‘Ghosts in/of the Machine’, ‘The Crypt and Encryption’, ‘Affect-Event-Haecceity’ and ‘Magic, Consumerism, Desire’ consider how photography provides a ‘zone’ that encrypts the desires of its photographer and viewer. A photograph, in its various forms and appearances, from scientific instrument to personal documentation, bears our need and desire to be <i>affected</i>. The photographic zone can connect with the anxiety, fear, grief, and ha ppiness that are latent within the irrationality of its viewer. The photography is never <i>past</i> as it continually unfolds into, and is entangled with, the fabric of the present. Through consideration of photography we will consider how magic does not happen to people but people happen to magic. We desire magic to appear. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:08:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28e363b2fc384008a5bddcf85ef768fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0752 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:08:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arts |
| spelling | doaj.art-28e363b2fc384008a5bddcf85ef768fc2023-11-19T00:11:04ZengMDPI AGArts2076-07522023-07-0112415710.3390/arts12040157The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and HaecceityTom Slevin0Department of Art and Music, Solent University Southampton, Southampton SO14 0YN, UKPhotography evidences presence, but what does it present? This article explores the notion of magic in photography through Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of ‘haecceity’, Jacques Derrida’s logic of the ‘supplement’ and Jean-François Lyotard’s ‘inhuman’. The sections ‘The Zone of Photography’, ‘Ghosts in/of the Machine’, ‘The Crypt and Encryption’, ‘Affect-Event-Haecceity’ and ‘Magic, Consumerism, Desire’ consider how photography provides a ‘zone’ that encrypts the desires of its photographer and viewer. A photograph, in its various forms and appearances, from scientific instrument to personal documentation, bears our need and desire to be <i>affected</i>. The photographic zone can connect with the anxiety, fear, grief, and ha ppiness that are latent within the irrationality of its viewer. The photography is never <i>past</i> as it continually unfolds into, and is entangled with, the fabric of the present. Through consideration of photography we will consider how magic does not happen to people but people happen to magic. We desire magic to appear.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/12/4/157photographymagichaecceityghostsJacques DerridaJean-François Lyotard |
| spellingShingle | Tom Slevin The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity Arts photography magic haecceity ghosts Jacques Derrida Jean-François Lyotard |
| title | The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity |
| title_full | The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity |
| title_fullStr | The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity |
| title_short | The Zone of Photography: Magic, Ghosts and Haecceity |
| title_sort | zone of photography magic ghosts and haecceity |
| topic | photography magic haecceity ghosts Jacques Derrida Jean-François Lyotard |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/12/4/157 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tomslevin thezoneofphotographymagicghostsandhaecceity AT tomslevin zoneofphotographymagicghostsandhaecceity |