Sentidos convocados, significados potencializados: a contaminação entre fotografia e outras linguagens na arte brasileira

Abstract

This research aims to address the question of how the language of photography contributes to the production of meaning and the discussion of relevant societal themes when integrated with other artistic languages in Brazilian art. It is based on the notion that images, in all their uses, mediate our relationship with the world during their creation and dissemination, they give meaning to reality while aiding in the constitution of culture and society. Consequently, the topics explored by the artists in the selected works were often forged, reaffirmed or challenged through the representation processes inherent in photographic images in their multiple forms. In this way, this appropriation of visual languages in the construction of artistic works represents a deliberate strategy to employ society’s own means of production to show the issues forged by images. To answer the research question, was analyzed a set of works produced by Brazilian artists through the mixture of thought and materiality of the photographic language with other languages, carried out in the period from the 1970s to the present. To facilitate the gathering, organization, and visualization of both artists and their works, an Atlas was devised. This tool enabled the juxtaposition and categorization of different works, simplifying the selection process and offering insights into the various relationships between these works, as well as potential avenues for analyzing their modes of production, circulation, and the meanings they generate. The analysis was conducted by integrating the Atlas with various theoretical perspectives, including CTS Studies, Cultural Studies, Material Culture, Art Theory and Criticism, Visual Culture, and Photography Theory. As a result, the research demonstrates how the fusion of multiple languages within a work permits the summoning of meanings from different contexts, thereby highlighting their contradictions and idiosyncrasies. This potentializes discussions on issues related to Brazilian culture and society, such as violence, racism, and identity, while also creating discussions about the very state of art at the time these works were created.