My dissertation focuses on literary and photographic representations of female madness as a means of exposing the material violence that notions of normality and of national identity produced in Italian society during the fin-de-siècle. Although many studies explore the exclusion of minorities in the project of nation-making, the mentally ill have rarely been discussed. Those studies that focus on literary representations of madness usually treat it as a metaphor or literary expedient and leave unexplored the material violence that psychiatric institutions inflicted on the mentally ill body. I aim to connect cultural realities and their representations, exploring the ways in which psychiatric and state power constructed and used the mentally ill body in the quest to create national identity. This quest was rooted in the widespread image of Italians as effeminate southerners from a backward, pre-modern part of Europe, an image that led to a crisis of masculinity. In my study I consider the crisis of masculinity vis-à-vis practices of asexualization of the body conducted inside the asylum. Through a parallel analysis of psychiatric photography and literary representations of female madness in Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Gabriele D'Annunzio, and Futurist avant-garde writers, my study shows how these practices actively contributed to social constructions of madness. Chapter I is an introduction to the development of modern psychiatry vis-à-vis the project of national identity formation in post-unification Italy. Chapter II analyzes first literary representations of female madness and psychiatric portraits of female patients to argue that the asexualization of patients' bodies was used to offer an ontological weight to national manhood. Chapter III explores the phenomenon of hysteria to show how the body of the hysterical woman functioned as apparatus used to produce normalization. Chapter IV examines how the futurist avant-garde overturned the madness apparatus at the beginning of the twentieth century. The conclusion I draw is that the mentally ill body functioned as an abjected or excluded other whose alterity was key to the construction of Italian identity.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging has the potential to replace traditional Low Dynamic Range (LDR) imaging due to HDR’s capability to accurately capture and reproduce the entire spectrum of visible lighting conditions with full colourimetric precision in any scene. However, this ability comes at the cost of significantly increased storage and transmission requirements compared to traditional LDR imaging. These costs together with additional challenges in capturing and delivering HDR video, for example ghosting artefacts, peak luminance of current HDR displays etc., are currently limiting the faster adoption of HDR imagery and the eventual replacement of traditional LDR imaging and video techniques. This thesis focuses on how to deliver high-fidelity HDR video with minimal storage/transmission requirements. To answer such a multi-faceted question, the thesis first provides an overview of HDR imaging and video pipeline followed by a detailed discussion on existing HDR video compression algorithms and quality assessment (QA) techniques for HDR image and video. This background information provides an in-depth review of the overall progress made to date and also highlights the current outstanding issues. The thesis subsequently assesses end-user preference of HDR video content over LDR video content using a rating- and a ranking-based psychophysical experiment. Results from this assessment suggest that there exists a statistically significant difference between the HDR representation of a scene and its LDR counterparts where given the option, the former is preferred by end-users as HDR provides a more realistic viewing experience. Having established the preference for HDR video, a comprehensive objective and subjective study is undertaken of a number of published/patented HDR video compression algorithms by means of several objective QA metrics and psychophysical studies. This resulted in an in-depth understanding of the advantages and shortcomings of existing solutions. Results obtained demonstrate that non-backward compatible compression algorithms are able to deliver high-fidelity HDR video at significantly lower storage/transmission costs compared to backward compatible algorithms. Also, perceptual QA metrics exhibit a high to very high correlation with subjective video quality assessment. Based on this in-depth understanding of the design requirements and philosophy of HDR video compression algorithms, this thesis proposes and evaluates a novel HDR video compression algorithm. This new algorithm is shown to outperform existing state-of-the-art algorithms both in terms of image reconstruction quality and transmission requirements.

This PhD by prior publication comprises a major rephotography project undertaken in two phases (First View, 1986-89 and Second View, 2009-12), together with a written commentary. The project is based on an area along the A62 which connects Manchester to Oldham, a corridor route, which I considered invisible and between places, a seeming ‘non place’.1 The research questions how can topographic images made by adopting strategies of rephotography help to depict aspects of place that remain hidden in generic representations and how, in turn, this photographic record can be put to use. The accompanying critical commentary investigates how this project came to be realised, the photographic research methodologies employed, and relevant contextual frameworks together with the different contexts through which the work has been disseminated and shared. It considers what the practice of rephotography contributes as a visual research method when analysing the shifting topography of a specific urban corridor. Further to this, it suggests ways in which such rephotography can engage different audiences and communities in debate about lived experience of social and economic change. The First View photographic research project was initially conducted by making a series of visits to the area each year recording transformation through redevelopment projects and subtler changes such as incidental events on the street and the variations of seasons. The project took an ethnographic approach to human involvement with place and space (Massey, D. 1994) as well as drawing upon anthropological methods that employ photography as a research tool (Prosser, J. 1998). Outputs from this project demonstrate processes adopted and examples of the photography made. A selection of photographs from First View became a touring exhibition shown in Oldham and Manchester (1986-87) and then in London. A book was also published by the Architectural Association (1987) with a commentary written by Ian Jeffrey. The second view (2009-12) revisits the first survey and considers what happened after. I wanted to consider twenty five years on how the continued process of change may have increasingly eroded/altered the sense of place 1 This term derives from Marc Augé’s book, Lieux et Non-Lieux (2001). 6 within the community. Since the First View a number of external factors influenced how the research would continue. The political scene had changed with introduction of private initiatives and housing associations taking responsibility to manage and refurbish aging housing stock in the public sector closer to the Manchester and in areas towards Oldham. Further cleared areas remained undeveloped due to a major financial downturn. Also the adoption of digital technologies had changed how photography was made, viewed, and used. This led me to consider how the Second View could be more collaborative (Kester, G. 2011) and so modify my method and find new ways to interact with members of the community to help inform the work. Outputs included exhibitions at Gallery Oldham and The People’s History Museum, Manchester and an accompanying commentary written by Stephen Hanson. I also include reviews and examples of additional collaborative photography made and shown alongside the core exhibitions. Examples of the printed work are now housed in Oldham library (including the complete set of Second View exhibition prints, contact sheets and this written report). It is permanently accessible for public and academic use under a commons license. Although it can be argued that all photographic practice contains elements of rephotography, this project contributes to original knowledge through analysis of processes used to make the first long-term comparative and detailed photographic study of the Oldham Road as an area exemplifying shift from industrialisation to service provision. ‘Hermeneutic perspectives emphasise photographs as texts, demanding semantic and semiotic interpretation to determine meaning’ (Margolis and Rowe, 2012). The corridor is now undergoing further changes as new projects by housing associations and globalised business begin to fill the spaces left by previous clearances. My published work shows connections, continuities and breakages and new questions emerge about what values are worth preserving for a future community. I suggest that a continuing photographic element can contribute to an understanding of incidental detail that can influence a more sensitive management of infrastructure and potentially help residents adjust to change and thus maintain their sense of place.

No description available.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-03-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:49:07Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 risnic_fs_me_ia.pdf: 9143838 bytes, checksum: 2908e180c3b677dfc84946300ef7929d (MD5) / A fotografia, no seu início, tinha como objetivo primordial ser meramente documental. Com o passar dos tempos adquire seu caráter artístico e sofre grandes avanços, e o último deles foi o advento da fotografia digital, que possibilitou a troca de informação através das imagens mais instantâneas, mais imediatas. Com a popularização da fotografia à partir de câmeras digitais ou até mesmo câmeras embutidas em celular, o interesse pelo aprendizado da fotografia vem crescendo. É por esta necessidadee pela minha experiência em ensinar fotografia que realizei o Fotolivro / Photography, since the beginning, had for the first point to be merely a document. As the time gone by it became with artistic character and suffered huge improvements, and one the greatest and latest was the invention of the digital photography, which allowed the faster exchange between the instant images, more immediate. With the boom of the photo from the digital cameras or even the built-in cameras in the mobiles, the interest in learning photography keeps growing. For this need and from my experience of learning photography l've writtend the Fotolivro

A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE HIGHER DEGREES COMMITTEE OF PENINSULA TECHNIKON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY: GRAPHIC DESIGN, 2004 / Inkjet printers have evolved in recent years to the extent that many are capable of making prints of a quality closely approximating traditional colour photographs. These printers cost a fraction of the capital outlay needed to equip a traditional colour darkroom and have brought high quality colour printing within the reach of a broad spectrum of users. As they are capable of printing on a wide range of materials and print surfaces prints from inkjet printers are also in demand by fine artists and art collectors. Commercial printmakers, artists, photographers, and amateurs printing in their homes or offices use these printers. The convenience, ease, and quality of inkjet printing have made it a popular additional and alternative photographic printing technique. However, manufacturers seldom publish data regarding the expected life of the printer output. With traditional colour photographs end users expect some fading to take place with time and can normally have another print made from the original negative. Digital images rely on storage on compact disk or computer hard drive with potential long-term retrieval problems, and it is vital that important images be output in print form on the most stable materials. This study arose from the author’s concern about the archival qualities of photographs in general. In order to enable end users to make more informed choices about the most suitable printing medium, this study explored two aspects concerning traditional photographs and inkjet prints, namely cost and image permanence. The comparative costs were found by means of a questionnaire survey conducted among a representative sample of printmakers. The limits of image permanence were determined by subjecting sample prints to a high-intensity light source to accelerate the process of image fading over time to the point where the print becomes unacceptable. The investigation showed that inkjet prints are more expensive than traditional photographs, and that inkjet prints made with pigment inks can last twice as long as traditional photographs. Different inkjet papers were found to have no significant effect on the life of the print during the period of this test. Inkjet prints made with dyes were shown to have a short life before fading unacceptably. The study led to the recommendation that for the longest print life a print to be displayed should be printed on an inkjet paper with pigment inks.

Este estudo propõe discutir a relação que estudantes da periferia de Curitiba estabelecem com a Tecnologia de produção de imagens, e como essas imagens representam o cotidiano desses meninos e meninas. Para isto, foi realizado um experimento onde os adolescentes realizaram a captura de imagens utilizando as câmeras pinhole, analógicas e digitais. Utilizando as indagações teóricas de Arlindo Machado, Vilém Flusser e Nestor Garcia Canclini, partimos da premissa de que o discurso visual é um processo dinâmico e é atravessado por fatores sociais, econômicos, tecnológicos, físicos e culturais. Este estudo vai discutir como o uso e a apropriação da Tecnologia através de técnicas de captação das imagens, possibilitando resultados estéticos em fotografias e como essas imagens representam o cotidiano dos adolescentes. Compreender esta relação sustenta inúmeros estudos fundamentados dentro das Ciências Humanas. Desse modo, foi preciso verificar o que norteia o objeto a ser estudado, neste caso, a fotografia e principalmente quais as implicações presentes no entorno da percepção visual. Considerando a fotografia pinhole como uma ferramenta de criação, propondo a oportunidade de questionar o fazer com a técnica e a mesma com a Tecnologia. A partir disso, o principal objetivo é fomentar a discussão sobre o determinismo das chamadas “imagens técnicas”, assim como a sua veiculação nos aparelhos midiáticos. Estima-se com esse estudo evidenciar as dimensões sócio-culturais da Tecnologia, questionando a posição homóloga da fotografia como representação do real, e proporcionando aos adolescentes/fotógrafos uma reflexão sobre os processos tecnológicos como mediadores sociais. / This study aims to discuss the relationship between students at the suburb of Curitiba with imaging technology, and how these images represent the daily lives of these boys and girls. For this, an experiment was performed where teens made the capture of images using pinhole, digital and analog cameras. Using the theoretical questions from Arlindo Machado, Flusser and Nestor Garcia Canclini, we start from the premise that the visual discourse is a dynamic process and is crossed by social, economic, technological, physical and cultural factors. This study will discuss how the use and appropriation of technology through technical images are captured, allowing aesthetic results in photographs and how these images represent the daily lives of adolescents. Understanding this relationship supports numerous studies founded in the Humanities. This way, it was necessary to verify what guides the object to be studied, in this case, the photography and especially the implications present in the surroundings of visual perception. Considering the pinhole photography as a tool for creating, is generated the opportunity of questioning make with technique, with the same technology. From this, the main objective is to foster discussion about determinism of so called "technical images" as well as its placement in the media apparatus. It is estimated from this study highlight the socio-cultural dimensions of technology, questioning the homologous position of the photograph as a representation of reality, and providing to teenagers photographers a reflection on the technological processes as social mediators. / 5000-11-25

Este estudo propõe discutir a relação que estudantes da periferia de Curitiba estabelecem com a Tecnologia de produção de imagens, e como essas imagens representam o cotidiano desses meninos e meninas. Para isto, foi realizado um experimento onde os adolescentes realizaram a captura de imagens utilizando as câmeras pinhole, analógicas e digitais. Utilizando as indagações teóricas de Arlindo Machado, Vilém Flusser e Nestor Garcia Canclini, partimos da premissa de que o discurso visual é um processo dinâmico e é atravessado por fatores sociais, econômicos, tecnológicos, físicos e culturais. Este estudo vai discutir como o uso e a apropriação da Tecnologia através de técnicas de captação das imagens, possibilitando resultados estéticos em fotografias e como essas imagens representam o cotidiano dos adolescentes. Compreender esta relação sustenta inúmeros estudos fundamentados dentro das Ciências Humanas. Desse modo, foi preciso verificar o que norteia o objeto a ser estudado, neste caso, a fotografia e principalmente quais as implicações presentes no entorno da percepção visual. Considerando a fotografia pinhole como uma ferramenta de criação, propondo a oportunidade de questionar o fazer com a técnica e a mesma com a Tecnologia. A partir disso, o principal objetivo é fomentar a discussão sobre o determinismo das chamadas “imagens técnicas”, assim como a sua veiculação nos aparelhos midiáticos. Estima-se com esse estudo evidenciar as dimensões sócio-culturais da Tecnologia, questionando a posição homóloga da fotografia como representação do real, e proporcionando aos adolescentes/fotógrafos uma reflexão sobre os processos tecnológicos como mediadores sociais. / This study aims to discuss the relationship between students at the suburb of Curitiba with imaging technology, and how these images represent the daily lives of these boys and girls. For this, an experiment was performed where teens made the capture of images using pinhole, digital and analog cameras. Using the theoretical questions from Arlindo Machado, Flusser and Nestor Garcia Canclini, we start from the premise that the visual discourse is a dynamic process and is crossed by social, economic, technological, physical and cultural factors. This study will discuss how the use and appropriation of technology through technical images are captured, allowing aesthetic results in photographs and how these images represent the daily lives of adolescents. Understanding this relationship supports numerous studies founded in the Humanities. This way, it was necessary to verify what guides the object to be studied, in this case, the photography and especially the implications present in the surroundings of visual perception. Considering the pinhole photography as a tool for creating, is generated the opportunity of questioning make with technique, with the same technology. From this, the main objective is to foster discussion about determinism of so called "technical images" as well as its placement in the media apparatus. It is estimated from this study highlight the socio-cultural dimensions of technology, questioning the homologous position of the photograph as a representation of reality, and providing to teenagers photographers a reflection on the technological processes as social mediators. / 5000-11-25

The aim of the research is to identify pathological relations between consumer culture and consumers. I explore the relation between people and objects, and the impact that images have as producers and disseminators of sign-value. Taking the term ‘advertisement’ loosely I refer to Dutch still-life paintings as advertisements for the craft-objects they depict and the lifestyles they suggest. The body is also considered to be an advertisement because of the commodities with which it is adorned and the socially prescribed ideals that it reinforces. I consider social networking sites as commercial spaces where body ideals are disseminated. Different forms of self-presentation, including selfies, thinspiration, and fat fetishism are examined as indications of the recuperation of aberrant signs in the system of sign-value exchange. The analytical methodology for this enquiry is framed by theories of commodity fetishism and sexual fetishism through which I consider both the socio-economic and the psychosexual dimensions of the relation between consumer society and individual consumers. I examine sexual fetishism and kleptomania by reference to psychoanalytic case studies in order to chart how objects are inscribed with value. Fetishists and kleptomaniacs endow seemingly trivial objects with a value that is incomprehensible to other people. These unusual relations to objects offer an alternative model for evaluating the value of commodities in a manner that might liberate the body of the consumer. The practical aspect of the research centres on the still-life. Taking my cue from Dutch still-life paintings from the seventeenth century that reflected a conflicting relation with material wealth, I produce still-life objects that reflect a contradictory relationship to consumerism. I produce still-life photographs in order to develop an alternative visual language for the commodified and objectified contemporary consumer body.

Este trabalho analisa a fotografia urbana e de arquitetura com base no álbum São Paulo fastest growing city in the world, de autoria de Peter Scheier, editado em 1954 no contexto das comemorações do quarto centenário da cidade de São Paulo. Scheier insere-se em uma das linhas mais frutíferas da moderna fotografia brasileira, junto com outros refugiados da Segunda Guerra Mundial, como Hans Günter Flieg, Hildegard Rosenthal, Alice Brill, Curt Schulze e Fredi Kleemann. O álbum traz conteúdo informacional extenso, não só sobre a cidade na década de 1950, mas também a respeito de Peter Scheier, uma vez que foi elaborado a partir de material de seu arquivo fotografias publicadas nas revistas O Cruzeiro e Habitat e no livro Modern Architecture in Brazil, produzidas para o MASP, do qual era fotógrafo oficial, e fotografias sem fins de publicação. O objetivo é, através da análise de Peter Scheier, compreender a dinâmica da atividade dos fotógrafos que atuavam em São Paulo em meados do século XX. / This work analyzes the urban and architectural photography based on the album São Paulo fastest growing city in the world, by Peter Scheier, edited in 1954 in the context of celebration of the fourth century of the city of São Paulo. Scheier is part of one of the most fertile line of the Brazilian modern photography, together with other Second World War refugees, for instance: Hans Günter Flieg, Hildegard Rosenthal, Alice Brill, Curt Schulze and Fredi Kleemann. The album has extent informational content, not only about the city in the 1950s, but also about Peter Scheier, by being elaborated with material from his archive photographs published in O Cruzeiro and Habitat magazines and in the book Modern Architecture in Brazil; made for MASP, for which he was the official photographer, and photos without publication purpose. The aim is to understand the dynamics of the activity of the photographers who worked in São Paulo in the middle of the XX century, by the analysis of Peter Scheier.