The Spectacle of The Museum Photograph

I have had a photography project for several months now that involves what Brian calls "the investigation of the "liminal zones" between the critical and the creative, body and landscape" (and, I might add, viewer/viewed, but this distinction could just be a "narrowing" of interior/exterior).

I have been studying people who take photographs of art objects in museums. These people and their activities are very interesting. A study of them raises many questions about art and the public, art and technology, the museum and technology, and the social role of associating oneself with certain art objects and events.



What is the object of attention here? Marilyn? Warhol? The little girl who wants to be Marilyn? The photographer? What's foreground, what's background?



Why do the art-object photographers *care* about the photos they're taking? They don't seem to care about the art qua art because if they did, they would spend some time with it rather than hastily snapping a photo and moving on.

Is such photography the new graffiti - a personal and at least prima facie non-destructive "Joe was here"? If so, does it "vandalize" the art or the art "viewer" in any way?



There are many questions. Hopefully you find these pictures intriguing, terrifying, and amusing.