The Colonial Gaze Examining Anthropological Photography

The Colonial Gaze: Examining Anthropological Photography ANTH 2301 Overview This essay explores how the dynamics of colonialism have a significant impact on photography as a medium within the anthropology of media. As an anthropological medium, photography frequently reflects a colonial gaze, structuring both the subjects and the observer's viewpoints. This presents important issues regarding representation, power relations, and ethics in visual anthropology, according to the thesis statement. The Representation's Power Dynamics Throughout history, photography has been used by the powerful to portray the "other." The writings of early anthropologists who studied Indigenous peoples in North America, such as Edward Curtis, make this clear. Despite their artistic beauty, Curtis's photographs frequently idealised and simplified Native American civilisations, erasing their complexity and contemporary reality. Through the prism of Western supremacy, the colonial gaze in such photography not only objectified persons but also maintained racial hierarchies. By looking at these instances, we may evaluate how photography frequently reinforces stories that are characterised by power rather than accurate portrayal. Effects on Agency and Subjectivity Furthermore, the identity and agency of the persons shown in images are restricted by the colonial gaze. With participation photography, modern artists such as Zonnie W. Newberry subvert this idea by giving people control over how they are portrayed. In stark contrast to old methods where the photographer dictated the narrative, this technique lets people tell their own tales. Photographer Mikhael Subotzky from South Africa, for example, presents his subjects in their homes, providing a more complex portrayal that deftly blends realism and human activity. These illustrations show how taking back the camera may destroy the old colonial narratives that were forced on underprivileged groups. The Ethics and Duties of Visual Anthropology Finally, post-colonial criticisms of media place a high priority on the ethics of photographic representation. Today, it is extremely difficult for anthropologists and photographers to make sure that the colonial gaze is not perpetuated via their work. Their duties include assuring informed consent, developing moral links with communities, and truthfully portraying subjects. For example, artist Diana Weymar works with marginalised communities in her photography series "The Other Side of History" to genuinely portray their reality, bringing attention to concerns of ownership and permission in visual depiction. This move towards moral behaviour indicates that the industry is becoming more conscious, which has led to a reassessment of the ways in which tales are told through photography. In summary In conclusion, photography is an anthropological medium that is closely tied to the colonial gaze, which affects ethical obligations, agency, and representation. It is possible to comprehend the fundamental necessity of ethical responsibility in photography to undermine the narratives based on colonial power dynamics by critically analysing historical settings and present practices. As visual anthropology develops further, it must reject established paradigms and adopt a more representational, inclusive, and moral approach to its work. Citations E.S. Curtis (1907). Volume 1 of The North American Indian M. Subotzky (2016). Living together: Architecture, memory, and space rendered D. Weymar (2018). The Other Side of History: An Image Collection