Depth Effects: Dimensionality from Camera to Computation

Brooke Belisle's book, Depth Effects, rethinks media aesthetics by tracing A.I.-enabled techniques back to spatial strategies of early photography and exploring depth as a problem of visual representation and a philosophical paradox. She shows how artists stage dimensionality to articulate what remains invisible and irreducible, challenging colonialist ambitions toward totalizing ways of seeing.

Format: Hardback
Length: 244 pages
Publication date: 12 December 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

Brooke Belisle's groundbreaking work in visual culture takes a bold approach to rethinking the history and theory of media aesthetics. Through her book "Depth Effects," she delves into the realm of dimensionality, employing it to challenge conventional understandings of media aesthetics. By exploring the origins of A.I.-enabled computational imaging techniques in spatial strategies of early photography, Belisle offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of media. She conducts an insightful analysis of everyday smartphone apps, drawing upon nearly forgotten media forms, to shed light on the ways in which depth effects shape our visual experiences.

Drawing upon the insights of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Belisle delves into the complexities of depth as both a visual representation challenge (how can flat images capture the vastness of the world?) and a philosophical paradox (how do things cohere beyond our limited perception?). She unravels the ongoing colonialist ambitions embedded in contemporary depth effects, while also showcasing how artists harness dimensionality to articulate what remains unseen and irreducible.

In this captivating exploration, Belisle demonstrates how the manipulation of depth can be used to challenge dominant narratives and reveal the hidden dimensions of our visual world. Through her meticulous research and thoughtful analysis, she provides a valuable contribution to the field of media aesthetics, offering a new lens through which to understand the power of visual representation and its impact on our understanding of the world.

Weight: 518g
Dimension: 235 x 161 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520393851