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: Paperback / softback
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 tracing the origins of A.I.-enabled computational imaging back to spatial strategies of early photography, Belisle analyzes everyday smartphone apps through the lens of nearly forgotten media forms. Drawing upon the insights of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, she explores the concept 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?).

Belisle elucidates how contemporary depth effects perpetuate colonialist ambitions of visual totalization. However, she also highlights how artists harness dimensionality to articulate what remains unseen and irreducible. Through her insightful analysis, Belisle demonstrates how artists strategically employ dimensionality to create new visual languages and convey complex ideas.

In conclusion, Brooke Belisle's "Depth Effects" offers a transformative perspective on the study of media aesthetics. By exploring the interplay between dimensionality, visual representation, and philosophical paradoxes, she challenges the boundaries of our understanding and provides valuable insights into the ongoing dynamics of visual culture. Through her innovative approach, Belisle encourages artists and scholars to reimagine the possibilities of visual expression and explore the untapped dimensions of our visual world.

Weight: 406g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520393868