From Postmodernism to Posthumanism - The Photographed Animal

Abstract

This essay was inspired by the growing critical and artistic attention currently afforded to the subject of the nonhuman animal within Posthumanism and a curiosity to explore photographic practices that could potentially contribute to this endeavour. An exploration of Postmodernist art practice has revealed a dramatic shift in approach to the nonhuman animal subject; essentially characterised as a move from a sceptical, emotionally-distanced, theoretically-grounded range of practices to those that are emotionally-engaged, affective and ethically responsive. This is not to suggest that this characterises all Posthumanist photographic practices; a number of critical writers ably theorise about global networks, nonhuman photography, abstraction of vision. Instead, I examine photographic practices which are embedded within compassion, generosity, responsibility. This is not a return to the modernist notion of the artist and his or hers creation, but a plea for productive interrelations based on equality and experimentation which will potentially lead to novel ways of living. Keywords: posthumanism, photography of animals, art photography, nonhuman, animality