The Documentary Aesthetic

Abstract

This is a work of qualitative research in which I argue that the dual purposes of a documentary photograph as a work of art and as an informational document are not mutually exclusive, but instead serve as standard properties relevant to an object’s classification as belonging to the category of documentary art photography. This argument utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, framing the problem as it is found in existing literary sources, examining the history and theory of photography, and investigating aesthetic philosophy related to the identification of works of art. In addition, I have conducted interviews with practicing photographers, and I also engaged in an autoethnographic examination of my own practice as a documentary art photographer. Based on all of these sources, I argue that documentary art photography can be identified as a category of art, and I utilize the data I have collected to formulate aesthetic criteria by which works may be recognized as belonging to this category.