fotográficofotográfica

Fotográficofotográfica is a coinage used in contemporary Spanish-language art criticism to describe a set of practices that merge the act of taking a photograph with the photograph as an object and as representation. It signals a blending of process and image, often within reflexive or hybrid works.

Etymology: It is a portmanteau of "fotográfico" and "fotográfica," both derived from "fotografía." The concatenation foregrounds hybridity across media, technique, and discourse, and is often used as a meta-label rather than a strict category. The form also reflects a playful or schematic approach to language in art criticism.

Usage: The term appears mainly in gallery catalogs, critical essays, and online discussions rather than in dictionaries. It characterizes works that treat photography as both action and artifact, including practices that photograph photographs, employ rephotography, or present photographs within installation contexts. It can be applied to projects that interrogate reproducibility, authorship, or the materiality of photographic images.

Variability and reception: Because there is no fixed definition, interpretations vary. Some critics find the coinage useful for naming hybrid or reflexive practices; others view it as a casual label that risks vagueness or overgeneralization. As with many neologisms in art discourse, its precise meaning tends to depend on the context and the author's explicit usage.

See also: fotografía; teoría de la fotografía; fotografía conceptual; fotografía reflexiva.