Attributes Quote by Victor Burgin
“The wholeness, coherence, identity, which we attribute to the depicted scene [in a photograph] is a projection, a refusal of an impoverished reality in favour of an imagined plenitude.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Visual Culture and Photography, Victor Burgin, 1995
A photograph creates a constructed reality, projecting an imagined fullness while denying the scene’s poverty.
In simple terms: Photos project imagined fullness, ignoring poverty.
Critically assess visual representations.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- media critique
- advertising
- documentary work
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do photographers have to truth?
- How does framing affect viewer perception?
Images can manipulate truth, leading to misinformation.