My vision on Photography (Essay, 2005): Eternal Man

Eternal Wandering

Alternative Interpassivity: Pre-Selfie, Pre GenAI, Architecture Photography

Learn all about the background for my 2005 essay, reviewed and curated, available for free on a new NotebookLM Google (2025).

Research includes an AI interactive voice-chat Audio.
Alternative Interpassivity in Pre-selfie, Pre-AI Architecture Photography

Photo:
Eternal Man. 
Cheffren valley, Cairo © Jerome Bertrand (pseudonym Prosper Jerominus) 1997
Ref.: Old Kingdom (ca. 2570 BC) - Temple of Khephren (Khafre)
Gizeh (Giza), 4th Dynasty, Cairo, Egypt

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Photography has long been a medium for capturing the essence of architectural design, but what if it could do more than just document? In the essay "My vision on Photography (2005)," the concept of Alternative Interpassivity is introduced as a way to challenge traditional approaches and delve into deeper philosophical and artistic realms.

Breaking away from Hyper-Consumerism

The essay delves into the idea of Alternative Interpassivity as a means to break away from the hyper-consumerism that often plagues modern society. By exploring architecture photography through this lens, photographers can move beyond simply showcasing buildings as commodities and instead focus on the deeper meanings and emotions they evoke.

Influence of Architectural Figures

The text highlights the influence of classical and modern architectural figures such as Vitruvius and Le Corbusier on the practice of architecture photography. By drawing inspiration from these masters, photographers can infuse their work with a sense of history and tradition, adding layers of meaning to their images.

Legacy of Lucien Hervé (1901 Budapest- 2007 Paris)

Lucien Hervé's photographic legacy is also examined in the essay, particularly his emphasis on subjective abstraction over mere documentation. Hervé's work serves as a prime example of how photography can transcend its role as a mere recorder of reality and instead become a tool for expressing emotions and ideas.

The Theatrical "Curtain"

Central to the discussion is the metaphor of the theatrical "curtain" as a symbol of the separation between public and private, audience and spectacle. By exploring this metaphor, photographers can delve into the complexities of architectural spaces and the interactions that take place within them.

French philosopher Denis Diderot (1713-1784), art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert.

Diderot was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment in France and has developed among other revolutionary visions, the premise of the "Fourth wall" in theater, later in the 20th century to become the over-consumated, typical Selfie shot.

Relating to Philosophical Concepts

The essay draws connections between Alternative Interpassivity in architecture photography and philosophical concepts such as the "interpassivity" of Slavoj Žižek and the "Epistèmè" of Michel Foucault.

By relating photography to these broader ideas, photographers can situate their work within a larger intellectual framework, adding depth and complexity to their images.

Overall, the essay "My vision on Photography (2005)" offers a thought-provoking exploration of Alternative Interpassivity in architecture photography. By embracing this approach, photographers can push the boundaries of their art, moving beyond mere documentation to create images that resonate on a deeper level.

The research originally dated 2006 explores alternative interpassivity in architectural photography—a concept I developed from 2005, inspired by the thinking of among others: 'my master' Lucien Hervé (1910-2007), the French-Hungarian photographer and longtime friend of Le Corbusier; American modern architect Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974); and Slovenian Marxist philosopher Slavoj Žižek (1949).

Read the English student guide to the Timeless photography and Alternative Interpassivity project. Download the PDF (English language)

My Photography Research as exemplified in this photo taken inin Kephren, Cairo, Egypt (to the right). 
Eternal Wandering (Wandering Man), Prosper Jerominus © 1997

Three Photographic Modes: A Visual Philosophy

Documentary work (left): modern interactivity

Interactivity as in engagement—pure technical (photographical, technical) observation of reality through emerging tools. This is architectural photography's founding premise. The new tech is the medium to explore.

Reportage (center): post-modern interpassivity

Interpassivity as pure consumption—a seemingly blind or unseen dramatic visual authority dictates visual meaning. Technology began interpreting reality for us—for our pleasure (Lacan, Žižek).

Subjective Art (right): alternative interpassivity

Alternative interpassivity—immersive experience demanding active viewer completion. The self-aware image structure focuses on spatial reality as felt by the active experiencer, not dictated by the amateur-photographer as consumer-idol (reverting to interpassivity). This passivity and social dependence is later hijacked by social media's narcissistic turn: the selfie becomes the unavoidable, central (toxic) subject. I explore an alternative to this global, interpassive image consumption.