Rethinking heritage and photography : comparative case studies from Cyprus and Cambodia
This thesis critically examines the complex interrelationship of heritage and photography, focusing in particular on the photographic life of two heritage sites: Angkor in Cambodia and the town of Famagusta, Cyprus. The core line of enquiry guiding this research concerns the various processes through which photography might be said to âshapeâ heritage (and vice-versa). To this end I begin by outlining a theoretical framework that addresses the idea of âshapingâ from three often-contradictory perspectives: social constructionism, affect, and Massumiâs notion of topological transformation. From this analytical foundation a critical review of the historical intersections of heritage and photography is undertaken. Based on previous scholarship in the field and a critique of select publications, exhibitions and archival productions, this general background research is navigated via six core themes: trace, memory, universality, series, clicheÌ and authenticity. Drawing together heritage and photography in thought provoking ways, these themes also resonate across the subsequent case studies, where the work of John Thomson - who documented both Angkor and Famagusta in the nineteenth century - acts as a
Sterling, C. P.
Rethinking heritage and photography : comparative case studies from Cyprus and Cambodia. This thesis critically examines the complex interrelationship of heritage and photography, focusing in particular on the photographic life of two heritage sites: Angkor in Cambodia and the town of Famagusta, Cyprus. The core line of enquiry guiding this research concerns the various processes through which photography might be said to âshapeâ heritage (and vice-versa). To this end I begin by outlining a theoretical framework that addresses the idea of âshapingâ from three often-contradictory perspectives: social constructionism, affect, and Massumiâs notion of topological transformation. From this analytical foundation a critical review of the historical intersections of heritage and photography is undertaken. Based on previous scholarship in the field and a critique of select publications, exhibitions and archival productions, this general background research is navigated via six core themes: trace, memory, universality, series, clicheÌ and authenticity. Drawing together heritage and photography in thought provoking ways, these themes also resonate across the subsequent case studies, where the work of John Thomson - who documented both Angkor and Famagusta in the nineteenth century - acts as a
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