With “The Public Image” as its theme, the SYMPOSIUM ON PHOTOGRAPHY XII was aimed at investigating the role of the medium of photography as a principal creator of publicity. As long as photography’s depictive status remains unshaken, a photograph’s credibility rests solely on the “presence of world”; it suggested objectivity and identity. The debate was to deal not only with the fact that images of a private, hermetic world could be brought out into the light of the public of the first time through photography, but also with a changing view on reality under the influence of existing public images. This issue of CAMERA AUSTRIA include the first part of the text and image contributions to the event. The positions presented here offer insights into various historical contexts and show a diversity of theoretical approaches and practical realizations.

Using the material he had to assess as a jury member in a Hungarian photo reportage competition, László Beke takes a look at changes in the representation of reality and in the choice of topics since the political conditions in Hungary have allowed freedom of press so that images could be published that had hitherto been regarded as subversive. The skeptics in his confusions coincides with that of Mark Lewis whose focus is on the role of monuments (and of iconoclasm) in totalitarian and democratic societies. Vince Leo’s intervestigations are based on individual photographs from public and private source. The questions he addresses at these pictures and at their use are a plea to take a second look at their reality status as “images”, for only as such they can teak effect on our dealing with factual reality.

Mitra Tabrizian takes Jacques Lacan’s and Homi Bhabha’s theories as her point of departure for an introduction to her work “The Blues”. Her demand for non-indentity – she discusses the role of women and blacks are examples of otherness creating identity (of men and whites respectively) – is echoed in Annie Sprinkle’s “Transformation Salon”. Sprinkle’s position as a porno star and a voyeur photographer, her exhibitionistic self-representation and her feminist attitude allow her to rephrase questions about voyeurism and pornophotography, concepts closely connected to publicity and the media. Hers is also the cover photo of CAMERA AUSTRIA No. 40: While presenting the perfect stripper’s outfit, the ironically detached commentary and the fact that it is a self-portrait refract the moralizing object role. the scope of the debate will be extended and he publication of the 12th Symposium completed in the next issue of CAMERA AUSTRIA by contributions from Rudolf Bonvie, Antonin Dufek, Werner Fenz, David Robbins and Selly Stein.

We thank the “styrian autumn” management, as well as the Federal Ministry for Art Affairs, the Federal Country of Styrian and the City Council of Graz for their financial and moral support safeguarding the continuity of the Forum Stadtpark Symposium on Photography. The growing number of readers of CAMERA ASUTRA helps us to continue this work.

Christine Frisinghelli