Photography

Landscape

Perception


Early photography was seen as a way to record reality objectively. States used it as a documenting tool in institutional fields, such as recording architectural heritage (Mission Héliographique, France 1851) or to document the topography and natural resources of a territory (Clarence and Wheeler Surveys, USA 1870s).

By the end of the 19th century, photogarphy was no longer just a tool for objective recording, but a means of subjective and artistic expression. Landscape photography branched out in different directions with little if any intersection between them.

Commercially, the tourism and publishing industries have favoured an aesthetics of natrual landmarks and dramatic views, mass-producing table top books, postcards, brochures and posters.  

Landscape photography started to be used as a tool for environmental advocacy and conservation initiatives in publications, events and the work of world renown photographers.

In the Arts, the Pictorialism and Pure Photography movements, prevalent in the early 20th century, focused on aesthetic values. A conceptual approach to landscape photography emerged in the 1970s, exploring themes like urban sprawl, and the impact of consumer culture. It has expanded today with staged, manipulated or virtual representations of the landscape.

The photographic survey was revisitied in France in the 1980s with the DATAR Photographic mission. The commission fully recognised the subjective nature and artistic vaue of the medium and selected 29 photographers with different sensibilities. The mission has spwaned similar projects led by individuals or collective photographers. Those latest initiatives combine the commercial, advocacy and artistic aspects of landscape photography to support ongoing dialogue about landscape.