Decolonizing Images
A New History of Photographic Cultures in Egypt
Will be published approx. on 20. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-5261-9473-2 (ISBN)
Description
The 2011 revolution put Egypt at the centre of discussions around radical transformations in global photographic cultures. But Egypt and photography share a longer, richer history rarely included in western accounts of the medium. Decolonizing images focuses on the country's local visual heritage, continuing the urgent process of decolonizing the canon of photography. It presents a new account of the visual cultures produced and exhibited in Egypt by interpreting the camera's ability to conceal as much as it reveals. The book moves from the initial encounters between local knowledge and western-led modernity to explore how the image intersects with the politics of representation, censorship, activism and aesthetics. It overturns Eurocentric understandings of the photograph through a compelling narrative of contemporary Egypt's indigenous visual culture. -- .
Reviews / Votes
'By returning to the local, Ronnie Close encourages us to see lived experience as a value for photography in Egypt. This shift situates decolonization as a way of seeing.'Farida Youssef, independent curator and critic
'That imperialism and photography are closely entwined is by now no secret; but how do we navigate and unpick that complex legacy today? In this engaging, accessible and important book, Ronnie Close introduces a series of compelling responses, using rich examples from Egyptian cultural production to destabilise and radically expand established histories of photography.'
Benedict Burbridge, Professor of Visual Culture, University of Sussex
'Identifying the decolonial image as neither de-linked from the western historiography of photography nor constrained by the limitations of its frameworks of interpretation, Ronnie Close provides a compelling alternative reading of Egypt's visual heritage. Tracing the decolonial across Egyptian photographic culture, this wide-ranging account demonstrates Dipesh Chakrabarty's claim that our historical differences actually make a difference.'
Justin Carville, Lecturer in Photography, IADT Dun Laoghaire -- .
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Illustrations
14 black & white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
342 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5261-9473-2 (9781526194732)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ronnie Close is an Associate Professor at the American University in Cairo -- .
Content
Introduction: unruly photography
1 Rethinking the histories of photography
2 Decolonizing the lens
3 National images
4 Histories of the street
5 Censorship gazes on female portraiture
6 Contemporary lenses within Egypt
Conclusion: decolonial aesthetic futures
Index -- .
1 Rethinking the histories of photography
2 Decolonizing the lens
3 National images
4 Histories of the street
5 Censorship gazes on female portraiture
6 Contemporary lenses within Egypt
Conclusion: decolonial aesthetic futures
Index -- .