Integration of self in social documentary works

Abstract

In the wake of Martha Rosler's Critique in her essay “In, around and afterthoughts” the genre of Documentary photography has experienced a crisis as to defining itself in the face of history and its own purpose. Leaving space for new kinds of approaches to creating work in this field that may not completely address or avoid the critiques, however lead to powerful ways of interpreting problems and challenges in the world around us. My interest in this topic comes from my own questions and doubt surrounding the genre of Social Documentary photography. My intention in writing this thesis is to find merit in projects that have personal contexts with the artists who make them. The strategy of the integration of the ‘self’ in the social documentary themed projects is the approach that I will attempt to define and discuss in this thesis. I will review artists Latoya Ruby Frazier and Sophie Calle and their approaches with specific projects. By defining and discussing the strengths and weaknesses of artists and literature surrounding this strategy I will prove the existence of social documentary works that yield more importance in the face of typical critiques like that of Martha Rosler's in 1980’s. This theses will address the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy of integration of the ‘self’, however ultimately it will address this approach in context of contemporary ways of interpreting social documentary issues and its place in the current climate of the world.