Post-photography as post-philosophy: «photographic evangels»

Abstract

Introduction. With the development of technologies, means of displaying and transmitting reality, photography loses its mission and from the position of a purely technical conceptualization of reality, shifts to the sphere of post-photography and, accordingly, post-philosophy for which photography becomes a source of philosophical meanings, interpretations, clarifications. Post-photography, which is characterized by constant manipulation and digitalization, makes us revise the phenomenon of «photography» which actually ceased to existing as a «referent», and acquired the signs of a «desirent», and thereby became an element in the structure of capitalism and consumerism. The aim and tasks are to find out the specific features of post-photography and the post-philosophical search for meaning in a photographic image. Research methods. The prerequisite for the analysis of philosophical discourses is the explication of their own logical circuits. Also, a comparative and a deconstruction methods are involved. Research results. It is worth noting that the development of technology is not the only reason why photography has become post-photography, and accordingly the subject of post-philosophical reflections. In a digital environment, photography mutates and transforms too intensely and requires constant rethinking. Discussion. Sources for determining the essence of post-photography are the works of such researchers as: S. Sontag, V. Flusser, R. Krauss, V. Savchuk and others. An important place among the discussions is occupied by the study of F. Ritchin, since he sees post-photography as a source of modern types of photography, namely hyper-photography and quasi-photography. Conclusion. In a digital environment, photography mutates and transforms too intensely. Post-photography is anything but a tool for technical reproduction. Today, post-photography is a powerful tool of capitalism.