The Photograph As Contemporary Art - Charlotte Cotton.

I have just read the photograph as contemporary art by Charlotte Cotton. This is the second edition of her book and is split into eight chapters: “If This Is Art” (images orchestrated by the photographer), “Once Upon A Time” (the use of storytelling – tableau-vivant photography), “Deadpan” (“ deadpan aesthetic: a cool, detached and keenly sharp type of photography”), “Something and Nothing” (everyday objects – “non-human things” – and how they can be photographed to make them extraordinary), “Intimate Life” (how domestic life is presented), “Moments in History” (“how photography can bear witness to the ways of life and events of the world”), “Revived and Remade” (postmodernist, anti-modernist) and “Physical and Material” (analogue and digital photography and the differences between them).

I did think that whilst the purpose of this book is “not to create a checklist of all the photographers who merit a mention in a discussion on contemporary art”, a large number of photographers have been listed. I did find it a bit hard going at times but once I got used to the style of writing I got quite into it and found it well written, especially how a bit of history is given on each photographer as I think that this can change how you look at their photos. This book does introduce a vast amount of photographers, many of which I had never heard of before, and this in turn has led me on to looking at a wider variety of work. I have also realised that what may be perceived by some people as incorrect can been seen as pleasing to the eye by others.  I was not keen on some of the images in the book and I realise that people may view my work in the same way.

I did find it a little weird that chapter eight rather abruptly stops. I was expecting some form of conclusion to the book, instead there is just an index so you can easily look up the photographers mentioned.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in photography and contemporary art as a really good introduction to the subject.


Cotton, C. (2009) The Photograph as Contemporary Art (2nd revised edition). London: Thames & Hudson.