從照片在「觀念藝術」中的角色試建「觀念攝影」一詞

Abstract

理論上「觀念攝影」不是攝影史中影像風格的名詞；它所指的是觀念藝術家以攝影為主要工具，尤其是經由拍照來表現或記錄個人觀念的特殊方式。但那些自許為「觀念攝影家」（Conceptualistbased photographer）的作品又有何種特質？本文從近三、四年來「觀念藝術」中對攝影術應用的三大類型︰「照相機是記錄作品的工具」、「照片為作品中的實際元素」及「來自攝影術本身的觀念化影像」中探究不同時期的觀念性照像，歸納出諸多不同於其他「觀念藝術」品的特質，最後建構出「觀念攝影」為攝影藝術的專業術語。

Theoretically, conceptual photography is not a formal term in art history that depicts a certain style but rather it refers to a conceptualist who uses photography as the primary tool, especially by taking pictures, to record his ideas. However, what kind of art is created by those who call themselves conceptually-based photographers? This article researches the three most popular types of photographs used in conceptual art for the past forty years: documentary, photographs integral to the artwork, and conceptually-based photographs. In conclusion, I will discuss at length to establish `conceptual photography` as a valid art historical term.