Capitalism and the Camera: On Photography and Extraction

This book brings together outstanding contemporary scholars of visual culture for a provocative exploration of the relationship between photography and capitalism!

Photography was invented between the publication of "The Wealth of Nations" (1776) and "The Communist Manifesto" (1848). In other words, the technology for fixing images emerged alongside the development of capitalist economics and critical thought.

"Capitalism and the Camera: On Photography and Extraction" begins with the intertwined histories of capitalism and photography, guiding readers to re-contextualize the concept of "photography" and gain insight into its connections with the production, labor, class, violence, and desires within the capitalist system. It simultaneously explores the critical practical potential of photography, offering a profound key for understanding how to break through this world created by the power of images.