This dissertation argues that to understand what is at stake in contemporary vernacular photograp... more This dissertation argues that to understand what is at stake in contemporary vernacular photography, it is vital to account for the commercial imperatives that are invested in our photographic apparatus. The vernacular is often seen as emerging from the milieu of everyday life, operating outside of institutional constraints. However, commercial institutions have always played a vital role in shaping the meaning and matter of vernacular photography, producing the extended network of devices and protocols through which photographic activity takes place. Vernacular photography should therefore be seen to encapsulate a series of complex negotiations between individual desires and commercial imperatives. Through an examination of three central case studies - Kodak, Snapchat and Ditto Labs - this thesis aims to elucidate how the productive potential of vernacular photography is instrumentalized as a means of generating value. Bringing together approaches from western Marxism with contempo...
This dissertation argues that to understand what is at stake in contemporary vernacular photograp... more This dissertation argues that to understand what is at stake in contemporary vernacular photography, it is vital to account for the commercial imperatives that are invested in our photographic apparatus. The vernacular is often seen as emerging from the milieu of everyday life, operating outside of institutional constraints. However, commercial institutions have always played a vital role in shaping the meaning and matter of vernacular photography, producing the extended network of devices and protocols through which photographic activity takes place. Vernacular photography should therefore be seen to encapsulate a series of complex negotiations between individual desires and commercial imperatives. Through an examination of three central case studies - Kodak, Snapchat and Ditto Labs - this thesis aims to elucidate how the productive potential of vernacular photography is instrumentalized as a means of generating value. Bringing together approaches from western Marxism with contempo...
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