Alison Bennett - The Desire of a Third Dimension in Photography

The Desire of a Third Dimension in Photography

3D applications such as light-field photography, photogrammetry and NeRF are examples of emergent phenomenon in 21C photography. However, there are historical threads to these technical trajectories. In 1860s Paris, François Willème developed a brief but astonishing practice of photosculpture in a studio not dissimilar to a photogrammetry rig. It consisted of a circular room with cameras embedded in the walls that triggered simultaneously. He then projected the plates onto a screen and translated the silhouettes to sculpture. The results are astonishingly accurate, like steam-punk 3d printing. His photosculpture studio had a short but wildly popular impact internationally. I propose that it was Willeme’s understanding of the affordances of photography that led him to this innovative approach. I speculate that Willeme was able to imagine the potential application of photography to realise three dimensional ‘photographic’ representation. Photogrammetry has deeper antecedents than the current 21st century expression.

Bio: Alison Bennett is an artist academic whose research considers the ontological implications of technologies intersecting with theoretical frameworks. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Dr Bennett is head of photography at RMIT University as Associate Dean, Photography, RMIT School of Art; and the director of the RMIT Imaging Futures Lab.

Presented as part of 'Photography in Virtual Culture', a two day conference in May 2024 to develop a communal discussion, and inform critiques and thinking on the making of ‘virtual photography’. Organised by the University of Westminster and The Photographers' Gallery.