Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

The paper investigates the possibilities photography as a research method broadens the empirical scope of an inquiry. Photography has played an integral role in the study of human behavior over time, with photographic inventory contributing to the study of material culture and the use of space. Drawing on the work of South Korea’s Pandora Project and Singaporean photographer Wei Leng Tay, this paper examines the significance of human relationships and aspects of environments in understanding individuals and culture from an anthropological approach in image-making. Photographing social circumstances and interactions in private and public gatherings, the photographers demonstrate that photography can be employed as a constructive method of inquiry and dissemination of research findings, as well as a powerful mode of representation.