1 Susan SontagIn Plato27s CaveWord文件下载.docx

1 Susan SontagIn Plato27s CaveWord文件下载.docx

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sCave 

bySusanSontag

HumankindlingersunregeneratelyinPlato'

scave,stillreveling,itsage-oldhabit,inmereimagesofthetruth.Butbeingeducatedbyphotographsisnotlikebeingeducatedbyolder,moreartisanalimages.Foronething,thereareagreatmanymoreimagesaround,claimingourattention.Theinventorystartedin1839andsincethenjustaboutevery-thinghasbeenphotographed,orsoitseems.Thisveryinsatiabilityofthephotographingeyechangestheterms（condition）ofconfinementinthecave,ourworld.Inteachingusanewvisualcode,photographsalterandenlargeournotionsofwhatisworthlookingatandwhatwehavearighttoobserve.Theyareagrammarand,evenmoreimportantly,anethicsofseeing.Finally,themostgrandiose（ambitious）resultofthephotographicenterpriseistogiveusthesensethatwecanholdthewholeworldinourheads-asananthologyofimages. 

Tocollectphotographsistocollecttheworld.Moviesandtelevisionprogramslightupwalls,flicker,andgoout;

butwithstillphotographstheimageisalsoanobject,light-weight,cheaptoproduce,easytocarryabout,accumulate,store.InGodard'

sLesCarabiniers（1963）,twosluggishIumpen-peasantsareluredintojoiningtheKing'

sArmybythepromisethattheywillbeabletoloot,rape,kill,ordowhateverelsetheypleasetotheenemy,andgetrich.ButthesuitcaseofbootythatMichel-AngeandUlyssetriumphantlybringhome,yearslater,totheirwivesturnsouttocontainonlypicturepostcards,hundredsofthem,ofMonuments.DepartmentStores,Mammals,WondersofNature,MethodsofTransport,WorksofArt,andotherclassifiedtreasuresfromaroundtheglobe.Godard'

sgagvividlyparodiestheequivocalmagicofthephotographicimage.Photographsareperhapsthemostmysteriousofalltheobjectsthatmakeup,andthicken,theenvironmentwerecognizeasmodernPhotographsreallyareexperiencecaptured,andthecameraistheidealarmofconsciousnessinitsacquisitivemood. 

Tophotographistoappropriatethethingphotographed.Itmeansputtingoneselfintoacertainrelationtotheworldthatfeelslikeknowledge-and,therefore,likepower.Anownotoriousfirstfallintoalienation,habituatingpeopletoabstracttheworldintoprintedwords,issupposedtohaveengenderedthatsurplusofFaustianenergyandpsychicdamageneededtobuildmodern,inorganicsocieties.Butprintseemsalesstreacherousformofleachingouttheworld,ofturningitintoamentalobject,thanphotographicimages,whichnowprovidemostoftheknowledgepeoplehaveaboutthelookofthepastandthereachofthepresentWhatiswrittenaboutapersonoraneventisfranklyaninterpretation,asarehandmadevisualstatements,likepaintingsanddrawings.Photographedimagesdonotseemtobestatementsabouttheworldsomuchaspiecesofit,miniaturesofrealitythatanyonecanmakeoracquire. 

Photographs,whichfiddlewiththescaleoftheworld,themselvesgetreduced,blownup,cropped,retouched,doctored,trickedout.Theyage,plaguedbytheusualillsofpaperobjects;

theydisappear,theybecomevaluable,andgetboughtandsold;

theyarereproduced.Photographs,whichpackagetheworld,seemtoinvitepackaging.Theyarestuckinalbums,framedandsetontables,tackedonwalls,projectedasslidesNewspapersandmagazinesfeaturethem;

copsalphabetizethem;

museumsexhibitthem;

publisherscompilethem. 

Formanydecadesthebookhasbeenthemostinfluentialwayofarranging（andusuallyminiaturizing）photographs,therebyguaranteeingthemlongevity,ifnotimmortality--photographsarefragileobjects,easilytornormislaid--andawiderpublic.Thephotographinabookis,obviously,theimageofanimageButsinceitis,tobeginwith,aprinted,smoothobject,aphotographlosesmuchlessofitsessentialqualitywhenreproducedinabookthanapaintingdoes.Still,thebookisnotawhollysatisfactoryschemeforputtinggroupsofphotographsintogeneralcirculation.Thesequenceinwhichthephotographsaretobelookedatisproposedbytheorderofpages,butnothingholdsreaderstotherecommendedorderorindicatestheamountoftimetobespentoneachphotograph.ChrisMarker'

sfilm,Sij'

avaisquatredromadaires（1966）,abrilliantlyorchestratedmeditationonphotographsofallsortsandthemes,suggestsasubtlerandmorerigorouswayofpackaging（andenlarging）stillphotographsBoththeorderandtheexacttimeforlookingateachphotographareimposed;

andthereisagaininvisuallegibilityandemotionalimpact.Butphotographstranscribedinafilmceasetobecollectableobjects,astheystillarcwhenservedupinbooks. 

Photographsfurnishevidence.Somethingwehearabout,butdoubt,seemsprovenwhenwe'

reshownaphotographofit.Inoneversionofitsutility,thecamerarecordincriminates