Reassessing the space between viewer and viewed : investigating the reading of the image through an assessment of the physical distance between the viewer and the viewed and its relationship to the boundaries of the frame

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how bi-dimensional space and physical distance between the viewer and ‘the viewed’ affects the interpretation and the reading of images. The work examines relevant issues of vision, framing, ethics, media, aesthetics, social conditioning, literature and other pertaining factors. The research conducted also revolves around the input and influence of the creator and the technological advancements which act upon image production and perception. Bi-dimensional digital photography is employed as the final medium. The imagery produced purposely stops at the borders of conventional photography, avoiding microscopic technology which would have taken the work into a scientific sphere. Experimental photography was ongoing so that the reflective process, through Peer reviews and assessment, was regularly evaluated and the final work enriched. Although far from conclusive, the findings of this study point towards the conditioning of both the creator and the viewer as the main factors which seem to mostly affect and shape the perception of imagery.