Islamic Art Studies

Islamic Art Studies

The Relationship Between Photography and Reality in Kendall Walton's Transparency Theory (Case Study: Reality in Photographs of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Azarnoosh Zareian 1
Maryam Bakhtiarian 2
1 Ph.D. Student of Philosophy of Art, Department of Philosophy, Science and Research Branch, Eslamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor of Department of Philosophy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/ias.2024.428900.2322
Abstract
In photography, the relationship between the viewer and reality is complex. The audience's perception, type of connection, and sensory reception of reality depend on various factors. A photograph functions as a window to the real world, establishing a close connection with reality through it. Kendall Walton proposes a theory of photography as a "transparent" medium and concludes that photographs resemble artificial eyes, allowing us to see through them because what we perceive through them is dependent on the real world. Walton describes the relationship between the photograph and the depicted scene as a natural dependency and considers the causal connection between the photograph and the subject as evidence for the transparency theory.
In photographs of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, the discussion of transparency and reality arises. The photographs are taken in the mosque's natural light, possessing clarity and transparency of reality. For those who observe these photographs, a genuine sense of being present in the location is evoked, and the architectural reality of the mosque is perceived transparently. This transparency in photography, which is the most distinctly photographic feature and provides the strongest justification for speaking of realism, is precisely what is meant. This study attempts to examine the concept of reality in photographs based on Walton's views and its manifestation in Nasir al-Mulk Mosque. The research method is descriptive-analytical. Ultimately, we find that our perception of reality depends on a world constructed through historical-cultural frameworks.
Research Objectives:


To examine how realism is achieved in photography based on Walton's views.


To investigate Walton's transparency and reality theory in photographs of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque.


Research Questions:


How can realism in photography be interpreted from Kendall Walton's perspective?


How are transparency and reality perceived in photographs of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque?
Keywords
Transparency
Photography
Kendall Walton
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque
Realism

Subjects

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