Iphoneography as an emergent art world

Abstract

The iPhone has come to be one of the most popular and widely used cameras because of its ubiquity and the ease with which images can be uploaded directly to sites like Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. The introduction of photography “apps,” like Hipstamatic or Instagram, adds layers of aesthetic capabilities not previously available within the camera. These capabilities have attracted artists seeking technologies for new media of artistic expression. Drawing on Becker’s theory of “art worlds,” this article describes the ways in which iPhone photographers, or iphoneographers, engage in the process of art world building. Through online ethnography and semistructured interviews, this study reveals the ways iphoneographers are creating, sharing, and critiquing their work. The practices of iphoneographers are not unlike those of artists engaged with new media throughout history, and indicate patterns of remediation. Through their activities, the iphoneography community is grappling with issues about the values, practices, aesthetics, and even aura of iphoneography, and in doing so, they are building and legitimating a new art world.