"The Photographic Activity of Postmodernism" - Sierra F.

Robert Crimp’s third definition of presence in “The Photographic Activity of Postmodernism” is quite compelling. He states, “I want to add the notion of presence as a kind of increment to being there, a ghostly aspect of presence that is its excess, its supplement” (84). It is true that when watching a live performance or viewing an image there is some extra indefinable quality that is tied to the experience. And I just really like the quote, “The presence before him was a presence” (84). It is one of those statements that I read, reread, and then thought about.
Also, Sherrie Levine’s strange style of producing art intrigued me. The fact that she took photographs of someone else’s posters and then described them with “only a string of quotations pilfered from others” is quite fascinating (90). I think the way in which she introduces her work is ingenious because she mirrors her photographing techniques in the description. The conversation between her and her friend made me realize what they were discussing was true. When looking at a picture (or any form of art) it makes the viewer want to see the moment that was captured. However, in reality if that moment were seen in real time, the “magic” of the image would not be there. It is in the representation in which we find art.