The Brief

Read the article by C. McKinney: “Leibovitz and Sontag: picturing an ethics of queer domesticity.” Shift Journal [online]. 

Reflect on and summarise the ethical considerations of the case study (150 words) andpost this to your learning log.

Reflection

McKinney raises the problematic nature of photographing outwardly private people, against a backdrop of homophobic perspectives on domestic life, perpetuated by Sontag’s blood family.  We see how consent, first implied in the posed portraits, is questioned when Sontag became perceivably too ill to comprehend being photographed.  All evidence points to her tacit understanding of pictures having distribution as their primary purpose, so how do modern sensitivities around privacy and respect for the dead influence our view of art? A point is made that family see themselves as the owner of a loved-one’s posthumous representation above all others, this case including Sontag’s 15 year romantic partner. Core themes of ‘disrespect’ run through criticism of Liebowitz, possibly because her photographic craft often transgresses perceived decency, but also because of her gender and sexuality.  The piece highlights the strength of family influence, and how this must be considered in the context of gaining, and maintaining, consent.