As part of the recent turn towards visual culture in French studies, photography has begun to receive increased attention from scholars in the field. This volume of eight orignial essays and an interview with the Director of one of France's leading photographic institutions (the Maison européenne de la photographie) provides a broad and inclusive account of the multiple manifestations of photography in contemporary French and francophone societies and cultures. Broad topics such as the cultural institutionalisation of photography, its connections to post-conceptual art, the tradtion of tableau, city photography, photography and cultural identity, and photobiography are considered. Reflecting a diverse array of scholarly approaches and methodologies, the volume will appeal to visual culture specialists in French studies and cognate disciplines. It brings together art historical, socio-cultural, political, postcolonial and literary perspectives on the medium, spanning trends and developments from the 1970s to the present day.Key FeaturesA wide-ranging treatment of the multi-faceted reality of photography in French and francophone contextsAddresses individual photographers and writers (including Bruno Boudjelal, Stéphane Couturier, Raymond Depardon, Valerie Jouve and Roland Barthes, Sophie Calle, J.M.G. Le Clézio, Annie Ernaux, Hervé Guibert, Denis Roche)Includes an original interview iwht Jean-Luc Monterosso, Director of the Maison européenne de la photographie, ParisIncludes 15 colour and black/white illustrations
