Evidence in photography : the fine difference between objective and subjective photography

Abstract

This dissertation offers an insight into the different uses of the photographic medium, in particular as a form of evidence, but also as a construction and medium of representation. Thus the practical project aims at questioning objective and subjective photography, questioning truth and evidence through a series of constructed self-portraits evoking an unknown identity in a real decaying private space. Inspired by artists such as Francesca Woodman and others, recurring themes in contemporary photography such as identity, memory and time are explored. The photograph is used for a subjective desire to reconstruct memory of an ancestor in her real past, private space. This project will therefore include elements which may seem more real than others, question evidence and objectivity in photography and also offering different subjective interpretations. An analysis of the comments obtained during a semi-structured interview with photographer, Alexandra Pace, suggest that while Photography is clearly viewed as the most persuasive form of evidence, there is no such thing as objectivity. The photograph is always a representation and a deliberate construction, done subjectively and open to various subjective interpretations. The medium of photography however retains an edge over other pictorial mediums with regards to evidence.