https://doi.org/10.37955/cs.v5i4.206
Received May, 22 2021 / Approved July, 10 2021 Pages: 96-108
eISSN: 2600-5743
Photography as a cultural and
significant heritage: evolve or die
La fotografía como patrimonio cultural y
significativo: evolucionar o morir
Karenth Tatiana Igarrero Martínez
Master's Degree, Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Bogota, Colombia,
kigarreroma@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1671-6287
Abstract
In the XXI century the art of photography has had a fundamental
impact, it has managed to position itself with more strength due to the
different technological advances, it is the image that predominates in
our contemporary times, this has allowed divergent manifestations to
come from every corner from the rural and the urban, One of the main
references is undoubtedly Jesús Abad Colorado, who in his work has
managed to show the most human side of the war, leaving aside the
yellowish aspect that sometimes feeds the reportage and
photojournalism, for this reason this research delves into the
photographs of the armed conflict. The objective of this article is to
position photography as a cultural heritage, due to the importance that
photography has in the cultural legacy of societies. In this sense, can
artistic photography about the conflict be considered cultural
heritage?
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Resumen
En pleno siglo XXI el arte de la fotografía ha tenido un impacto
fundamental, ha logrado posicionarse con más fuerza debido a los
diferentes avances tecnológicos, es la imagen la que predomina en
nuestros tiempos contemporáneos, esta ha permitido que las
manifestaciones divergentes lleguen de cada rincón desde lo rural y lo
urbano, ha dejado entrever y dejar registro de las diferentes injusticias
que vive América Latina y en este caso específico Colombia, uno de los
principales referentes es sin duda Jesús Abad Colorado quien en su
ejercicio ha logrado mostrar la parte más humana de la guerra,
dejando de lado el amarillismo del que en ocasiones se alimenta el
reportaje y el fotoperiodismo, por esta razón esta investigación se
adentra en las fotografías del conflicto armado. El objetivo de este
artículo es posicionar la fotografía como un patrimonio cultural, por la
importancia que la fotografía tiene en el legado cultural de las
sociedades, en este sentido ¿Puede la fotografía artística sobre el
conflicto ser considerada patrimonio cultural?.
Palabras clave/ Keywords
Photography, conflict, cultural heritage, photojournalism, culture.
Fotografía, conflicto, patrimonio cultural, fotoreportaje, cultura.
Introduction
Within the framework of the consumer society, new technological
advances lead to a rapid popularization of photography, to this,
conflict photography should be defined as a heritage because it is a free
activity of journalism to document a historical process that relates
from an artistic form, a relevant event, to advance in terms of peace
and conflict resolution.
Photography was born as a costly technical novelty only affordable, in
principle, to professionals and elites. However, its handling was
relatively simple, especially in comparison with artistic disciplines
such as painting or drawing and their results. From the moment that
photographers had a knowledge of most of the techniques and, with it,
skills in the intervention of the originals, the work they did was
considered more significant in the culture.
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Jesús Abad Colorado, one of the most recognized Colombian
photographers at the moment, will be introduced to this work, as his
shots show the reality of the people who have been affected by the
armed conflict in Colombia, especially by the guerrillas, the
paramilitaries and the state itself. He is the man who has made
photographic memory of so many facts of violence during the last
years. Stories that are truly difficult to understand because of what has
happened to these victims, and what most highlights this author are
the exhibitions of these portraits that are exhibited free of charge.
On the other hand, there is a professional risk for the person who
wants to communicate the conflict -Transmitters of a story-, the reality
of a country that has been confronted and prolonged by armed groups
in Colombia.
A point of view worth reviewing before analyzing cultural and
communicative photography is mass art, since, throughout history,
photography has enchanted the masses. Presenting a journey through
culture and its relationship with photography from the 19th century to
the present day.
What is called "mass art" has not existed everywhere in human
history... It is the art of a particular culture. It has arisen in the
context of modern, industrial mass society and has been
conceived expressly for such a society, employing the productive
forces characteristic of such a society to supply art to huge
populations of consumers, populations that are "mass" in the
sense that they cross national, class, religious, political, ethnic,
racial, and sexual boundaries. (Núñez Cruz, 2017, p. 418)
Mass art emerged with urbanization and capitalist industrialization.
Its strategy was and is to become an art for city consumption through
global mass technologies to be digested by a large number of people.
The results are the proliferation of artistic representations that can be
seen everywhere at almost the same time and with the same formal
structures, thanks to their mass production and distribution.
Communicative photography
Photography as a cultural and communicative document goes beyond
creating an image from reality without fantasies or lies, it is the
creation and the meaning given by the professionals behind the
cameras. People who call photography as a taste or a cultural practice
from different social sectors, or even as an artistic expression. It is
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something interesting to know that these people who approach this
type of art come to have the use of photography as a communicative
representation and analyze how it can become a fundamental
elaboration and tool for society.
For Sotelo et al.(2015) it is important to highlight photography and
semiotics, as two inseparable elements that are necessary for the
creation of images with linear senses. In addition, he lists five
approaches that are necessary for the viewer's reading which are:
photographic, perceptual, rhetorical, linguistic and semiotic
approaches. All photographers should be aware of them in order to
keep the reader or viewer attentive to all aspects of the image that the
sender wants to express.
Photography has become one of the essential components of
visually confronting the world. Qualitatively, amateur
photography, this small act of everyday life is what constitutes
the majority of the manufactured images circulating in this world
(one billion photos per year in the late 80's), but most of them
destined to a dark drawer, to be contemplated only a few seconds
in the life of the one who took them. The photography of is an act
and not a product. (Tabet, 2017, p. 309)
Photography is a communicative element that starts from the
beginning as a tool for the communicative process, within culture it
contains numerous visual messages that make it significant, for this it
is important to name an author who talks about the importance of
mass communication.
"With the emergence of the new techniques of mass
communication, a vastly expanded market for the arts, a mass
art, developed." (Mendoza Vargas, 2016, p. 208)
In addition to communicative photography, it is important to highlight
photography as a cultural heritage/document. Photography is part of
the cultural heritage, since it is a free activity to document a historical
process that relates from an artistic form, a relevant event, to advance
in terms of peace and conflict resolution.
Gisèle Freund defined photography as a means of expression of
society, established on technological civilization, with the power to
exactly reproduce external reality.
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It can also be defined as an open document, like a literary work that
opens its doors to the imagination. When contemplating the image, the
receiver makes a particular reading, an analysis of which will result in
uses and applications, so the readings will be as many as the looks.
From the above arguments it has also been analyzed that there is a
professional risk for the person who wants to communicate the conflict
through a photo, since as a photographer may have a dichotomy at the
moment an image is captured -To see how those people suffer while
the professional can do nothing- To this a question arises: to evolve or
to die? To evolve in having a unique war photograph or to die to save
someone else's life.
Photojournalism in Colombia is increasingly nurtured by new talents,
who in their passion for capturing and reporting contemporary history
but also dare to face all kinds of challenges in their work.
In the case of, One Hundredth of a Second, a short film about a war
photographer, who finds herself in an inner predicament of either
saving a little girl before she is killed or taking the photographs of that
moment.
It is a clear example to define photography as a complex subject
because of the risk of his life when trying to capture the reality of a
country that is full of conflict, as in the case of Colombia, therefore,
this becomes more significant.
Materials and Methods
Taking into account this research work, it is proposed to analyze
photography as a cultural and communicative expression, rescuing the
historical and patrimonial. After the previous analysis of the author
Niépce, who in 1826 created the photographic camera representing it
as a symbolic and historical construction tool, the capacity of
photography as a cultural and communicative document is
questioned.
The descriptive technique was used in the research design. Based on
the author Zúñiga (2014) who says that:
The descriptive study uses systematic criteria to reveal the structure or
behavior of the phenomena under study (p. 153).
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Given that photography as cultural heritage has evolved through the
photographic language (semiotics) and as a popular social practice has
gained a space in museums, in addition to being considered a mass art
for its current artistic panorama; that is, photography has changed
through a process and with different contextual behaviors, therefore,
this design is relevant for the research reaching conclusions drawn
from surveys, interviews and secondary sources.
The methodology used corresponds to the quantitative method, this
method is suitable for the research conducted since it is used for data
collection and hypothesis testing based on numerical measurement
and statistical analysis. Thus, according to Duquette(2016) "the
quantitative method is the approach to investigate specific and
delimited from the beginning of a study and the data collection is
based on measurement and analysis in statistical procedures" (p. 100).
In the first phase, a content analysis was established through a survey
in 2019 to professionals and specialists in photography, mainly to
people between 18 to 38 years old, living in Cajicá, Zipaquirá and Chía
(Sabana Norte Bogotá) with the purpose of obtaining information
about an image; such as color, techniques, visual language and
communication. The survey modality used was a questionnaire with
open and closed questions (mixed) and was done through an electronic
medium (Google) where the link was shared with the respondent. It
was carried out in order to obtain and elaborate data in an efficient
way and with the purpose of making statistics. In this way according
to Sánchez & Olivera(2014) says that the importance of the
questionnaire is that the questions must have direct correspondence
that aims to know or measure the objectives of the research, (P. 53).
Also, it used as a method a collection of information with journalists
specialized in conflict photography such as Jesús Abad Colorado who
with his work has managed to highlight the reality of a country full of
conflict.
The population segment used in the research is finite since it focuses
especially on professionals and specialists in artistic, advertising and
portrait photography, located in Sabana Norte Bogotá Colombia. The
main people chosen were women and men randomly between 18 and
38 years of age with a professional university level. Of the surveys
conducted, there were a total of 11 responses, we had the opportunity
to analyze different answers. Such as; gender, age, level of education,
type of photography, etc. The interview was conducted with a young
man from Chía Cundinamarca who is a professional portrait
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photographer, this interview was done in order to provide information
about the meaning of photography.
Results
With the methods implemented we wanted to analyze the use of
photography, if it is considered as a cultural and historical heritage,
rescuing also the professionalism and the photoreporting, to this we
could obtain good and complete results, one more than another, but
the information is stable to develop the proposed research. Part of the
objectives were fulfilled by collecting enough information through a
survey and interview and determining in what symbolic way
professional photographers make this type of image as an art to the
culture.
Two quantitative methods were used for this research. In the first
phase a content analysis through a survey conducted in 2019 to
professionals and specialists in photography, it was conducted to 11
people (9 men and 2 women) from different municipalities of Sabana
Norte (Tabio, Chía and Cajicá) The people were chosen at random by
sharing the link of Google Forms by WhatsApp and Instagram (Those
who were interested answered it) although when looking for
photographers it is identified that there are few people who exercise
this artistic profession in this area of the capital of Bogota. The survey
was conducted with mixed questions (closed and open) that reflected
demographic questions and direct questions about photography such
as: interest in photography, the reason, the type of photography they
do, the feeling when capturing, the technique and the impact.
The first thing I wanted to implement was a demography of the actors
in the studio, so I wanted to know how many years they have been
working in this profession, as a result these photographers have been
working in this illustration for between two to eight years. Through
this method it was possible to analyze that each one of them has a very
different interpretation when "reading" an image, they have different
analytical levels, the perspective of each one of them is very important
when capturing an image, their technique, their space and technical
aspects.
45% of the photographers surveyed use a more corporal type of
photography (portrait) where they define it as a way to make known
the character they are photographing, capturing the essence of a
person either by highlighting the look, the pose and transmitting his
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or her state of mind. On the other hand, the essential characteristic in
every portrait, regardless of time, place or circumstance, is that it
represents a unique individual, and shows the subject within the
conventions of his or her behavior, dress and demeanor.
It can be observed that the type of conflict photography or
photoreporting is very little exercised or perhaps is not so well known
by those people, that is to say, that the stories, information and
activities documented through photos is little exercised and where part
of Colombian history is lost.
In addition, an image was inserted for the professionals to analyze and
know what kind of sensations it conveyed. Light, color, creativity,
drama, passion, culture and art were some of the meanings they
perceived when they saw it. It is a little complicated that they have the
same or similar meaning of that image, they narrate different positions
and generate different impacts, also they give great importance to the
color of the photo.
Most of these people, photography is a chance of their life, that really
each image can get to transmit beautiful and pleasant things, and that
they achieve for others to transmit some thought or feeling. They
create a recognition and it is an extended freedom for thousands of
opportunities to discover, in addition each photographer shows his
world as he sees it, since each one has his essence that characterizes
him.
As a second phase the interview method was implemented in order to
deepen aspects and details about photography, two informal
interviews were conducted (not prepared), one with Jonathan Arevalo
who lives in Chia Cundinamarca and has been practicing this
profession for 5 years, the second is Alejandro Rueda who lives in
Gachancipá and has been practicing this profession for 10 years. Men
that photography is a chance of his life, that really each image can get
to transmit beautiful and pleasant things, and that achieves for others
to transmit some thought or feeling.
One of the words that was mentioned during the interview was
photoreporting, which these photographers define as a very risky and direct
type of photography, to this it is analyzed that there is a professional risk
for the person who wants to communicate and capture the reality of a
country in conflict through a photo. To see how these people suffer
while the professional can do nothing - a question arises: evolve or die?
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To evolve in having a unique war photography or to die to save the life
of another person.
Also, one of the analyses that is intended is the perception of the
participants of the interview on conflict photoreporting, taking into
account that from their work they are in conflict-free zones, however,
from their work they assume an interpretive position that they call as
risky but that its meaning is valuable because it represents and
transmits reality. And so, if they do not practice this type of
photography, they develop others that for them their meaning is the
most valuable, such as portraits, architecture and history.
Photojournalism in Colombia is nurtured every day by new talents,
who in their passion for capturing and reporting contemporary history
but also dare to face all kinds of challenges in their work. Analyzing
also a short film called One Hundredth of a Second about a war
photographer, who finds herself in an inner predicament of saving a
little girl before being killed or taking the photographs of that moment.
It is a clear example of defining photography as a complex subject
because of the risk to her life in trying to capture the reality of a country
full of conflict.
Also, historical heritage is one of the topics analyzed and highlighted
through the interview, they capture this heritage that represents their
people, their culture and their tradition through the photo that revives
and rescues the most symbolic elements of the homeland, such as
religion and tourism, and that over time may be more valuable than it
is now. It also represents three fundamental values (artistic,
informative and documentary). The photograph has the character of a
photographic document since the shot generates a message, a
document is defined as any expression in natural or conventional
language, and any other graphic expression. It is not only historical,
but also cultural, since the photographic object can be considered as
an artistic work depending on criteria that do not always coincide and
that have varied over time. Therefore, it is considered relevant to
advance in terms of peace and conflict resolution.
Artistic photography, in addition to its aesthetic proposal, poses a
series of existential questions. If it does not succeed, it will only be one
more image, which will only be seen and forgotten. The current
development and dissemination of photography has created a society
accustomed to see, but not to observe and analyze the images that are
around us. The art in photography is very important because it
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represents what is being lived. Moreover, it has become one of the
essential components to visually confront the world. Qualitatively,
amateur photography, this small act of everyday life is what constitutes
the majority of manufactured images circulating around the world.
Another analysis is the capacity and ability of a photographer, where
at some point it was said that this activity requires the development of
certain skills that one may not have at all, for example, patience,
detailed observation of the environment, creativity, inventiveness,
permanent search for unique images, etc.
Their work is not only published in social networks, but they also
participate in contests and exhibit their photographic galleries
showing the life of the people.
Highlighting and analyzing the photographer's work, which is not only
about handling the camera or reflecting on the basic concepts that
support his approach, but also about the image's capacity to structure
the complexity of the subjective through visual metaphors. A
photographer constructs ideas and, above all, elaborates approaches.
In the same way that the canvas is a reflection of the imagination, a
photograph is the result of the photographer's continuous and
sustained analysis of his visual language.
And, finally, the ability of photography to sustain an artistic language
in its own right and, above all, the ability of each photographer to
create a visual idea tailored to make it unique and perhaps that is its
most important and significant characteristic.
The main objective of this study was to determine in what symbolic
way the professional photographers of Sabana Norte Bogota perform
this type of image as a beautiful art to culture and if it is considered as
cultural heritage. First, as mentioned by Brisset (2002) in recent years
photography has become one of the most essential components in
everyday life to visually confront the world, especially in
photojournalism that plays an important role in Colombian history
that allows society to approach reality and think.
Taking into account the results of the research, photojournalism has
experienced complicated moments throughout its history, this
profession has encountered more difficulties than ever and its
professionals have had to adapt to the changes or others do not
continue to practice it for fear of losing their lives when doing war
photography. However, society's need to consume visual information
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has increased significantly and, likewise, the amount of visual
information published on social networks or in newspapers has
increased. This fact leads to the fact that journalistic photographs do
not have such a professional circle in some occasions.
From this research it is worth highlighting the importance of
photography within the cultural and historical heritage, since it
represents the heritage of a people and a tradition. It can also be
defined as an open document, like a literary work that opens its doors
to the imagination. When contemplating the image, the receiver makes
a particular reading, an analysis from which uses and applications will
result, so the readings will be as many as the looks. For this Gisèle
Freund defined photography as a means of expression of society,
established on technological civilization, with the power to reproduce
exactly the external reality.
Also, as an essential result was the empirical photography that has
been considered as a copy of the superior reality of ideas, it drives the
sense of experimentation and curiosity before concepts totally new to
the intellect. The professionals and/or amateurs of photography do
not cease to be an important element day after day. Each type of
training provides us with unique knowledge and experiences that
benefit us greatly regardless of their positive and negative aspects.
On the other hand, empirical training plays an important role in
creating their own visual criteria influenced by aspirations and
creativity, having aspects that differentiate them from other
specialties, some of which are susceptible to subjectivity and others
more general.
Conclusions
Photography is a field that has so many very significant approaches, in
this document has been treated photography as a classic value, the
most apparently real and mostly recognized by a tradition of
photographic art, has been the most important documentary value in
recent years and exposes to the view of all as a reality as truthful
showing as a product of a culture and the particular look of the
photographer, focusing on the value of photography as a way to
approach cultural, historical and heritage contexts, either in the past
or present.
Documentary photography has been a worldwide trend, since it allows
us to approach identity (of people, races, peoples, culture, politics,
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economic level, inequalities, etc.) through the personal narratives of
documentary photographers. In addition, the historical and cultural
heritage of the photographic object can be considered as an artistic
work, a historical document or both, depending on criteria that do not
always coincide and that have varied over time. Therefore, this is
considered relevant to advance in terms of peace and conflict
resolution.
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