Intersection of Photography and Architecture—Introduction

Abstract

This special issue of Visual Resources presents a discussion on the intersection between architecture and photography, two closely interconnected disciplines whose interplay has evolved significantly over time. Since the invention of photography during the nineteenth century, the control over the visual representation of the built world has been contested between the architect and the photographer. The resulting relationship has moved from an initial reliance on photography in documenting buildings (and thus from its subordinate role to architecture) to a contemporary association in which architects depend on photographic images to convey a message or to legitimize their work. The essays included in this special issue offer a spectrum of different cases and modalities of interaction that cast light on a dynamic and often conflicted connection, proposing a reflection on the complexity and intricacy of the transcription of buildings onto photographic surfaces. Neither an indexical recording of the building nor an equivalent of architectural drawings, photographic representations of artifacts and built spaces reflect varying ideologies and politics, as well as evolving cultural and professional agendas.