Abandon Quote by Geoffrey Batchen
“The main difference seems to be that, whereas photography still claims some sort of objectivity, digital imaging is an overtly fictional process. As a practice that is known to be capable of nothing but fabrication, digitization abandons even the rhetoric of truth that has been such an important part of photography's cultural success.”
About This Quote
Digital imaging is fundamentally a fabricated medium, lacking the claim to objectivity that photography historically held, thus abandoning truth rhetoric.
In simple terms: Digital images are made up, not objective.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the constructed nature of digital visuals.
Themes
technology
truth
media
fabrication
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- advertising
- social media
- journalism
Key Concepts
digital imaging
photography
representation
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do creators have with fabricated images?
- Can digital art be truthful in its own way?
A Different Perspective
Some argue digital tools can still convey truth through intent and context.
![“These days, digitization enables us to view the copies [of the Gutenberg Bible] online without the need for a trip to the Euston Road, although to do so would be to deny oneself one of the great pleasures in life. The first book ever printed in Europe - heavy, luxurious, pungent and creaky - does…” quote by Simon Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/592/simon-garfield-37311_books_these-days-digitization-enables-us-to-vi_792501.jpg)
![“[A digital snapshot] is meant primarily as a means of communication, and the images being sent are almost as ephemeral as speech, so rarely are they printed and made physical.” quote by Geoffrey Batchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f70/geoffrey-batchen-50812_communication_a-digital-snapshot-is-meant-primarily-as_1012912.jpg)
