History of Contemporary Photography

From the heliographic images of Niepce in 1822 to the latest digital
photos, photography has changed a lot in the last two centuries, although its
goal, to immortalise what we see, has not changed. The issues raised by
photography in the history of art have also undergone a transformation. Easily
reproduced and disseminated, the photo has completely shaken the relationship
between the spectator and the work of art, as works can now be dematerialised
and exhibited in an Imaginary Gallery
(André Malraux). Photos are no longer just
documents, they are another form of modern art and are highly successful
as such. This is the result of interaction between painters and photographers
from the beginning of the 20th century onwards. While photographers are
inspired by painters in order to find a certain texture and depth in their
work, helping them to forget the myth of the objective image, recent work by
artistic photographers helps the plastic artist to abandon the idea of
imitation in art in order to experiments in new form