To Be Determined: Photography and the Future

This book explores how photography is shaped by and shapes the future, arguing that photographic technologies, processes, experiences, and products are designed for a world to come, not a world that has already passed. It suggests that artists and photographers who challenge the medium's capabilities can alter our understanding of it and change our perception of our own agency.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2021
Publisher: Self Publish, Be Happy

This book presents a groundbreaking idea: that the photograph holds equal significance in the present and the past. By examining a familiar medium through a fresh perspective, the book argues that photographic technologies, processes, experiences, and products are designed for a future world, rather than a bygone era. Written in the form of interconnected short essays, To Be Determined draws inspiration from the Czech-born philosopher Vilm Flusser, aiming to reimagine the tools of photography and demonstrate how they shape the world around us. The book traverses the realms of contemporary photography and fine art, proposing that artists and photographers who challenge the limitations of photography can also redefine our understanding of the medium and alter our perception of our own agency, as well as our ability to see, think, and act.

Duncan Wooldridge, an artist, writer, and teacher at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London (UAL), is the author of John Hilliard: Not Black and White (Ridinghouse) and a frequent contributor to 1000 Words, Foam, and Over.

Weight: 128g
Dimension: 104 x 148 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781916041233