MEDIT Seminar: Gary McLeod

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"The Past is a Different Time Zone"
Location: room M-213 of the Mare building

Abstract:
Rephotography is an increasingly common photographic strategy that involves identifying and returning to the vantage point in a previously made image (a 鈥榯hen鈥 image) and making a new photograph from the same place (a 鈥榥ow鈥 image). As old as photography itself, but helped by the proliferation of digital cameras and social media, rephotography can be a powerful and persuasive tool for illustrating the passing of time. However, time is too often used as an indicator of change fostering nostalgia and introspection when proactivity and engagement are more in need. Following an overview of rephotography鈥檚 history, from its origins in the natural sciences to its cultural applications, this talk takes a look at rephotography as a sustainable and informal visual practice of re-entering the past responsibly.

Bio:
Gary McLeod is a practising photographer and academic from the UK but lives and works in Japan. He is currently Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Hosei University (in Tokyo) and Module Leader of the online MA Photography program run by Falmouth University (in the UK). Having received his PhD in 2016 from London College of Communication, University of the Arts London for a practice-led research thesis titled 鈥淎n Unfolding Voyage: Rephotography and the Challenger Expedition鈥, his interests extend to visual methods/methodologies and participatory/collaborative practices, where he specifically focuses on rephotography and its applications within contemporary photographic practices. He is currently writing a book about rephotography for Bloomsbury as part of a series edited by Liz Wells.

About MEDIT seminars:
MEDIT seminars are invited speaker events organised by the Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture (MEDIT). They feature scholars from the Baltic Sea region and beyond who study media and digital technologies. Each seminar consists of a 50-minute lecture, followed by a discussion. All are welcome to attend!