Postphotography

Postphotography is a term used to describe a set of contemporary practices that treat photographs as dynamic artifacts within networked media cultures, rather than as straightforward records of reality. It signals a shift away from photography as a stable indexical document toward images that are produced, circulated, reinterpreted, and embedded in broader systems of meaning, commerce, and communication.

Core concerns of postphotography include the mediation of images by platforms, the instability of authorship, and the politics of visibility in digital environments. Works associated with postphotography often question how photographs acquire authority, how they are consumed, and what counts as legitimate visual knowledge in an era of rapid reproduction and algorithmic curation. The boundaries between photography, graphic design, cinema, and performance are frequently explored or dissolved.

Common practices encompass digital manipulation and montage, appropriation and recombination of existing images, and the installation or display of images in contexts that extend beyond traditional galleries. Projects may incorporate archival recontextualization, staged or performative elements, or data-driven concepts, including elements of interactivity, code, or visualization. The approach frequently emphasizes the social life of images—how photographs circulate, mutate, and generate meaning across platforms, audiences, and institutions.

Historically, postphotography draws on postmodern critique, contemporary art discourse, and the digital revolution that reshaped image production and distribution. It remains a debated label with varying definitions and applications, reflecting ongoing tensions about truth, representation, originality, and the role of photographs in a media-saturated world.