Publicação
Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs
| Resumo: | I analyze the oeuvre of contemporary Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi through the notion of imperfection. An approach that gives precedence to process over product and combines conceptual art with vernacular traditions makes her pictures happily imperfect. Departing from Kawauchi’s transmedial concept of the image, often lying between word and image and mainly materialized through photo books, I propose that Kawauchi’s photographs are imperfectthanks to her experimentation with technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. Imperfection emphasizes the materiality of the medium, and positions photography far removed from the referent-centered documentary domain by way of aisthethic, rather than semiotic, significance. Imperfection also activates reception as it kindles emotional involvement and participant viewing. The question remains: What is perfect then? ”Imperfect” compared to what kind of standards? Are there such? My article proposes a notion of “imperfect” defined against a received norm of technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. The text is not centered on perfection, yet the term appears defined against boundaries, temporal culmination or the single individual shot configured a la Cartier-Bresson. My entire essay pivots around the imperfection concept. I believe the reader is eventually convinced that the concept works very well - if not perfectly! for reading Kawauchi’s work. What is a mistake after all? For sure some of them are mistakes, if we have standards based on photography technique guides. But fine art photography has seldom followed these rules. My text progressively unpacks the notion of “mistake”. At this point (abstract), the text seeks to present ideas and call upon a common usage of terms to communicate with readers easily. Complications come in the development. As you also remarked, “mistake” will later appear in my text between quotation marks. Do these really make the pictures imperfect, like this sentence suggests? Is it really imperfection that activates reception? Or is it perhaps intimate/limited viewpoint and restrictions of the frame and camera technique? |
|---|---|
| Autores principais: | Masnatta, Clara |
| Assunto: | conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| Ano: | 2022 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | unknown |
| Instituição associada: | CEComp — Centro de Estudos Comparatistas Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Compendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas |
| _version_ | 1868170680931975168 |
|---|---|
| author | Masnatta, Clara |
| author_facet | Masnatta, Clara |
| author_role | author |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Masnatta, Clara\"}] |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Masnatta, Clara |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Masnatta, Clara |
| dc.description.none.fl_str_mv | I analyze the oeuvre of contemporary Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi through the notion of imperfection. An approach that gives precedence to process over product and combines conceptual art with vernacular traditions makes her pictures happily imperfect. Departing from Kawauchi’s transmedial concept of the image, often lying between word and image and mainly materialized through photo books, I propose that Kawauchi’s photographs are imperfectthanks to her experimentation with technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. Imperfection emphasizes the materiality of the medium, and positions photography far removed from the referent-centered documentary domain by way of aisthethic, rather than semiotic, significance. Imperfection also activates reception as it kindles emotional involvement and participant viewing. The question remains: What is perfect then? ”Imperfect” compared to what kind of standards? Are there such? My article proposes a notion of “imperfect” defined against a received norm of technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. The text is not centered on perfection, yet the term appears defined against boundaries, temporal culmination or the single individual shot configured a la Cartier-Bresson. My entire essay pivots around the imperfection concept. I believe the reader is eventually convinced that the concept works very well - if not perfectly! for reading Kawauchi’s work. What is a mistake after all? For sure some of them are mistakes, if we have standards based on photography technique guides. But fine art photography has seldom followed these rules. My text progressively unpacks the notion of “mistake”. At this point (abstract), the text seeks to present ideas and call upon a common usage of terms to communicate with readers easily. Complications come in the development. As you also remarked, “mistake” will later appear in my text between quotation marks. Do these really make the pictures imperfect, like this sentence suggests? Is it really imperfection that activates reception? Or is it perhaps intimate/limited viewpoint and restrictions of the frame and camera technique? |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | https://doi.org/10.51427/com.jcs.2022.0017 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | eng |
| dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv | CEComp: Centro de Estudos Comparatistas |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.rights.rights.copyright.fl_str_mv | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| dc.source.none.fl_str_mv | Compendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas; No. 2 (2022): Materialities of the Photobook; 87-101 Compendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas; N.º 2 (2022): Materialidades do Livro de Fotografia; 87-101 2975-8025 10.51427/com.jcs.2022.0013 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 |
| description | I analyze the oeuvre of contemporary Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi through the notion of imperfection. An approach that gives precedence to process over product and combines conceptual art with vernacular traditions makes her pictures happily imperfect. Departing from Kawauchi’s transmedial concept of the image, often lying between word and image and mainly materialized through photo books, I propose that Kawauchi’s photographs are imperfectthanks to her experimentation with technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. Imperfection emphasizes the materiality of the medium, and positions photography far removed from the referent-centered documentary domain by way of aisthethic, rather than semiotic, significance. Imperfection also activates reception as it kindles emotional involvement and participant viewing. The question remains: What is perfect then? ”Imperfect” compared to what kind of standards? Are there such? My article proposes a notion of “imperfect” defined against a received norm of technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. The text is not centered on perfection, yet the term appears defined against boundaries, temporal culmination or the single individual shot configured a la Cartier-Bresson. My entire essay pivots around the imperfection concept. I believe the reader is eventually convinced that the concept works very well - if not perfectly! for reading Kawauchi’s work. What is a mistake after all? For sure some of them are mistakes, if we have standards based on photography technique guides. But fine art photography has seldom followed these rules. My text progressively unpacks the notion of “mistake”. At this point (abstract), the text seeks to present ideas and call upon a common usage of terms to communicate with readers easily. Complications come in the development. As you also remarked, “mistake” will later appear in my text between quotation marks. Do these really make the pictures imperfect, like this sentence suggests? Is it really imperfection that activates reception? Or is it perhaps intimate/limited viewpoint and restrictions of the frame and camera technique? |
| dirty | 0 |
| eu_rights_str_mv | unknown |
| format | article |
| id | compendium_891da8a23697fa8bcafb64ccafd62220 |
| identifier.doi.fl_str_mv | https://doi.org/10.51427/com.jcs.2022.0017 |
| instacron_str | CEComp |
| institution | CEComp — Centro de Estudos Comparatistas Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa |
| instname_str | CEComp — Centro de Estudos Comparatistas Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa |
| language | eng |
| network_acronym_str | compendium |
| network_name_str | Compendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:ojs2.compendium.letras.ulisboa.pt:article/40 |
| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:cecomp |
| person_str_mv | Masnatta, Clara |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher.none.fl_str_mv | CEComp: Centro de Estudos Comparatistas |
| reponame_str | Compendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas |
| repository_id_str | urn:repositoryAcronym:compendium |
| service_str_mv | urn:repositoryAcronym:compendium |
| spelling | en-USRinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographspt-PTRinko Kawauchi: Imperfect PhotographsMasnatta, Claraconceptual artvernacular photographyerrormaterialityphotobookappresentationlivro de fotografiamaterialidadefotografia vernacularerroapercepçãoarte conceptual"appresentation"Direitos de Autor (c) 2022 Clara Masnattahttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2https://doi.org/10.51427/com.jcs.2022.0017DOIhttps://compendium.letras.ulisboa.pt/index.php/compendium/article/view/40URLHasVersionhttps://compendium.letras.ulisboa.pt/index.php/compendium/article/view/40/29URLHasVersionhttps://doi.org/10.51427/com.jcs.2022.0017DOI2022-12-31en-USI analyze the oeuvre of contemporary Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi through the notion of imperfection. An approach that gives precedence to process over product and combines conceptual art with vernacular traditions makes her pictures happily imperfect. Departing from Kawauchi’s transmedial concept of the image, often lying between word and image and mainly materialized through photo books, I propose that Kawauchi’s photographs are imperfectthanks to her experimentation with technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. Imperfection emphasizes the materiality of the medium, and positions photography far removed from the referent-centered documentary domain by way of aisthethic, rather than semiotic, significance. Imperfection also activates reception as it kindles emotional involvement and participant viewing. The question remains: What is perfect then? ”Imperfect” compared to what kind of standards? Are there such? My article proposes a notion of “imperfect” defined against a received norm of technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. The text is not centered on perfection, yet the term appears defined against boundaries, temporal culmination or the single individual shot configured a la Cartier-Bresson. My entire essay pivots around the imperfection concept. I believe the reader is eventually convinced that the concept works very well - if not perfectly! for reading Kawauchi’s work. What is a mistake after all? For sure some of them are mistakes, if we have standards based on photography technique guides. But fine art photography has seldom followed these rules. My text progressively unpacks the notion of “mistake”. At this point (abstract), the text seeks to present ideas and call upon a common usage of terms to communicate with readers easily. Complications come in the development. As you also remarked, “mistake” will later appear in my text between quotation marks. Do these really make the pictures imperfect, like this sentence suggests? Is it really imperfection that activates reception? Or is it perhaps intimate/limited viewpoint and restrictions of the frame and camera technique?pt-PTI analyze the oeuvre of contemporary Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi through the notion of imperfection. An approach that gives precedence to process over product and combines conceptual art with vernacular traditions makes her pictures happily imperfect. Departing from Kawauchi’s transmedial concept of the image, often lying between word and image and mainly materialized through photo books, I propose that Kawauchi’s photographs are imperfectthanks to her experimentation with technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. Imperfection emphasizes the materiality of the medium, and positions photography far removed from the referent-centered documentary domain by way of aisthethic, rather than semiotic, significance. Imperfection also activates reception as it kindles emotional involvement and participant viewing. The question remains: What is perfect then? ”Imperfect” compared to what kind of standards? Are there such? My article proposes a notion of “imperfect” defined against a received norm of technical mistakes, the vernacular subject-matter of everyday snapshots, seriality, sequencing, and format variation, elliptical visibility, the aesthetics of color, and a non-linear temporality. The text is not centered on perfection, yet the term appears defined against boundaries, temporal culmination or the single individual shot configured a la Cartier-Bresson. My entire essay pivots around the imperfection concept. I believe the reader is eventually convinced that the concept works very well - if not perfectly! for reading Kawauchi’s work. What is a mistake after all? For sure some of them are mistakes, if we have standards based on photography technique guides. But fine art photography has seldom followed these rules. My text progressively unpacks the notion of “mistake”. At this point (abstract), the text seeks to present ideas and call upon a common usage of terms to communicate with readers easily. Complications come in the development. As you also remarked, “mistake” will later appear in my text between quotation marks. Do these really make the pictures imperfect, like this sentence suggests? Is it really imperfection that activates reception? Or is it perhaps intimate/limited viewpoint and restrictions of the frame and camera technique?CEComp: Centro de Estudos Comparatistasapplication/pdfen-USCompendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas; No. 2 (2022): Materialities of the Photobook; 87-101pt-PTCompendium: Journal of Comparative Studies | Revista de Estudos Comparatistas; N.º 2 (2022): Materialidades do Livro de Fotografia; 87-1012975-802510.51427/com.jcs.2022.0013engjournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501literatureVoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs Masnatta, Clara conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| status | SINGLETON |
| status_str | VoR |
| subject.fl_str_mv | conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| title | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| title_full | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| title_fullStr | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| title_short | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| title_sort | Rinko Kawauchi: Imperfect Photographs |
| topic | conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| topic_facet | conceptual art vernacular photography error materiality photobook appresentation livro de fotografia materialidade fotografia vernacular erro apercepção arte conceptual "appresentation" |
| url | https://doi.org/10.51427/com.jcs.2022.0017 |
| visible | 1 |