A critical framing of contemporary studio portraiture in the context of progressive nostalgia
Molloy, Caroline (2026) A critical framing of contemporary studio portraiture in the context of progressive nostalgia. Photography and culture. pp. 1-15. ISSN 1751-4517 (online); 1751-4525 (print)
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Drawing from a contemporary case study that examines studio portraiture in a suburb of north-London, which mostly caters for the diasporic Anglo-Turkish community, in this paper I contemplate the value of studio portraiture as a meaning making process through which identities are visualised and memories are made. I look at the lineage of studio portraiture as a story telling device that dates back nearly 200 years and argue that for this case study, the portraits are significant in creating a sense of belonging in a new land. More than this, in this paper I build an argument that challenges traditional notions of nostalgia only being rooted in the past. Within the context of this case study, I suggest that contemporary studio portraits are highly sophisticated devices which can be read as anticipatory records that mark key memorable moments in the present, which at the same time have potential for latent nostalgic reflections in the future.
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