Photography

 

I want to argue about the relationship of memory and space in the photograph as well as its cultural critique. The reason why I want to study this matter is because I want to know if one photograph has a cultural critique in it.

Photograph is capture for the purpose of inventing memories of what we want to remember or recall as we see it again. This is because photographs can trigger our memories about our thought and feelings at that time. As Kavanagh (2000) stated, “A clear distinction can be drawn between which is valued for itself (chosen and cherished objects) and that which triggers a host of memories (photographs).” (Kavanagh, 2000, page 20) Such as photograph above, it generates my feelings of being there and something I thought when I capture it. Cultural memories which I can observe here is the old wooden-still-houses on the water.

 Photographs can tell us the time and spaces in which the event takes place by identifying the material in the photograph. According to Lury (1998), “…there is a recognition of productivity of ‘the proliferation of “passage” or “contaminations” between images, in which the creative interdependence of time and space may be explored, leading to ‘the materialization of linkages in time and space that enhance understanding’ (1995:46; quoting the artist Ester Parada).” I use the photograph above for my investigation. In the photograph above, the cultural spaces can be seen though the motor boat, modern girl and the modern clothes.

According to Marcus (1999), " ...cultural critique by which modern anthropology has partly justified itself as a field of knowledge." - Marcus, 1999, page 111. Cultural critique can be obtained from the photograph by combining its cultural memories and spaces. In this case, the old wooden-still-houses on the water indicated the traditional water villages and on the other hand, the presence of motor boat, the modern girl and the modern clothes represent the modernization of the people. Thus, when I combine the cultural memories and space, the cultural critique results from the photograph above would be the modernization in the water village.

In conclusion, cultural memory and space is interrelated with each other in order to give out the cultural critique of one photograph. In other word, cultural memory and space are very important components which can exist in every photograph taken.

Reference:

Kavanagh, G. 2000. Dream Spaces: memory and museum. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xxuKLVrH0yEC&oi=fnd&pg=PP8&dq=relation+of+memory+and+space+in+the+photograph&ots=su-zFJRHIi&sig=EHGjjxTud6SQItHNARN8KhBxgfQ#v=onepage&q=cultural%20memories&f=false

Lury, C. 1998. Prosthetic Culture: photography, memory and identity. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-iFC3nzVIuwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=relation+of+memory+and+space+in+the+photograph&ots=MziHIuTcn9&sig=1dPP3XccHb8wGHcu24eDa8ir58o#v=onepage&q=relation%20of%20memory%20and%20space%20in%20the%20photograph&f=false 

Marcus, G.E & Fischer, M.J. 1999.Anthropology as Cultural Critique: an experiment moment in the human sciences. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oStfoHG0ovIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=culturalCritique&ots=4Weq8jX9iT&sig=rcZJTYb8DvM3DxHp9e77KSWrTJ8#v=onepage&q=cultural%20%20critique&f=false