GENRES OVERVIEW AND GENRE HOPPING

We are asked in the coursebook to reflect on the significance of genre as a photographic concept.

Bate writes that genre was introduced in film theory to introduce more systematic thinking and to “encourage the question of the social and cultural function that genres perform”, the use of conventions for structuring (Neale, 1990:3). He explains that ascribing a genre to work in photography creates an expectation for the meanings to be derived from them though they are “promiscuous” as in they are not mutually exclusive.

The question was posed in the coursebook about genre “if the boundaries between genres are blurred, how useful is genre as a concept?” (Boothroyd,2020 :42). I would say that genres are useful as a way of sharing expectations and meanings, however in turn they may be limiting to both the photographer and the viewer if they are accepted rigidly. What I have learned from my revisiting of some genres here, is that there are elements of overlap and indeed elements of some genres which can be taken across to other genres deliberately – and I may try this.

References:

Bate, D. (2009) Photography: The Key Concepts. New York: Berg publishers.

Boothroyd, S (2020) Photography 3: Body of work coursebook. Open College of the Arts. Barnsley.

Neale, S (1990) Questions of Genre, Screen (Oxford university press, volume 31, number 1, spring 1990, p45) cited in: Bate, D. (2009) Photography: The Key Concepts. New York: Berg publishers.

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