[DOC] Elements of Architecture: Assembling archaeology; atmosphere and the performance of building spaces (Archaeological Orientations) by From Routledge in Arts-Photography

Description

In a world where nearly everyone has a cellphone camera capable of zapping countless instant photos; it can be a challenge to remember just how special and transformative Polaroid photography was in its day. And yet; therersquo;s still something magical for those of us who recall waiting for a Polaroid picture to develop. Writing in the context of two Polaroid Corporation bankruptcies; not to mention the obsolescence of its film; Peter Buse argues that Polaroid was; and is; distinguished by its processmdash;by the fact that; as the New York Times put it in 1947; ldquo;the camera does the rest.rdquo; Polaroid was often dismissed as a toy; but Buse takes it seriously; showing how it encouraged photographic play as well as new forms of artistic practice. Drawing on unprecedented access to the archives of the Polaroid Corporation; Buse reveals Polaroid as photography at its most intimate; where the photographer; photograph; and subject sit in close proximity in both time and spacemdash;making Polaroid not only the perfect party camera but also the tool for frankly salacious pictures taking. Along the way; Buse tells the story of the Polaroid Corporation and its ultimately doomed hard-copy wager against the rising tide of digital imaging technology. He explores the continuities and the differences between Polaroid and digital; reflecting on what Polaroid can tell us about how we snap photos today. Richly illustrated; The Camera Does the Rest will delight historians; art critics; analog fanatics; photographers; and all those who miss the thrill of waiting to see what develops.