The Haptic Photograph and the Embodied Viewer

Many scholars have developed theories in the field of affect studies regarding the moving and the still image. Laura Marks is one of the scholars who has defined haptic visuality as an embodied way of looking at the moving image. Her definition evolves around the equal relationship between the viewer and the image that is based on equality. The embodied viewer that uses her senses in making meaning of the photograph are a result of the visual characteristics of the image. In this thesis I have compared the moving and the still image with the result of finding out how some medium specific qualities create a similar haptic image. Moreover, I have included the materiality of the photograph and its spatial conditions as influential factors in stimulating the haptic experience of the photograph. The haptic experience of some images has been defined in accordance with Marks, but also regarding the affective response as a result of the personal relationship between the viewer and the...Show moreMany scholars have developed theories in the field of affect studies regarding the moving and the still image. Laura Marks is one of the scholars who has defined haptic visuality as an embodied way of looking at the moving image. Her definition evolves around the equal relationship between the viewer and the image that is based on equality. The embodied viewer that uses her senses in making meaning of the photograph are a result of the visual characteristics of the image. In this thesis I have compared the moving and the still image with the result of finding out how some medium specific qualities create a similar haptic image. Moreover, I have included the materiality of the photograph and its spatial conditions as influential factors in stimulating the haptic experience of the photograph. The haptic experience of some images has been defined in accordance with Marks, but also regarding the affective response as a result of the personal relationship between the viewer and the family photograph. This thesis aims to examine how some qualities of photography create a haptic image, by incorporating the visual characteristics, materiality and spatial conditions of the selected art works.Show less

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The Haptic Photograph and the Embodied Viewer