Thesis Title: The Study and Analysis of New Topographics

By: Mehdi Habibzadeh

Supervisor: Dr. Javad Salimi

Degree: MA

Course of Study: Photography 

September 2014

Abstract

In this work, one of the important fields of photography which emerged after 1960s along with Conceptualism and in response to the former aesthetic standards of landscape photography has been studied. This trend has been formed in the search of the new criteria of photographic aesthetics and has extended these criteria according to the documentary-historical function of photography. Some concerns and implications can be seen in this view that referring to the characteristics of contemporary life, especially those aspects which determine the placement of human being in modern spaces and his way of dwelling today, associate the photography with a broader context. From this view, the background of the emergence and development of photo-based topography in 19th century have been laid out in the second chapter. This happened when the world experienced an unprecedented advance of scientism, and the foundations for the authenticity of different theories about human and the world was defined by instrumental reason and empirical sciences. Furthermore the significance of documentary aspect of photography in that era has been pointed out. The origins of the outlook which brought about the scientistic point of view, has been traced back in the third chapter to the Enlightenment and the advent of rationalism and empiricism. This chapter acts also as an attempt at explaining the wide range of significations associated with The New Topographics. For this purpose and in an interdisciplinary way, some notions from psychoanalysis, phenomenology and cultural studies have been borrowed. It has been attempted to consider the human meanings and applications pertaining to the places and the spaces. On the other hand, an attempt has been made to explain the function of the photo in representation and documentation and with reference to some works, to clarify the potential of photography in forming a critical discourse.

Keywords: Topography, New Topographics