Metamorphoses: Photography in the Electronic Age.

Issued as catalog for exhibition at Fashion Institute of Technology, 1994. [Contents similar to Aperture No. 136.] Aperture, 1994. Introduction by Mark Haworth-Booth. Articles on digital photography by Timothy Druckrey, Jonathan Green, Vincent Katz, Geoffrey Batchen, and others. Images by Eva Sutton, Martina Lopez, Shelly J. Smith, Anil Melnick, Roshini Kempadoo, Osamu James Nakagaw, Esther Parada, Pedro Meyer, Graham Nash, Robert Heinecken, David Byrne, Jonathan Reff, Eileen Cowin, Olivia Parker, Lynn Butler, Diane Fenster, MANUAL, Deanne Sokolin, Annette Weintraub, Kathleen Ruiz, Peter Campus, Barbara Kasten, Paul Thorel, Nancy Burson. Letters by Robert Adams, Adam Fuss, and Joel-Peter Witkin.  VG+ copy, stiff illustrated wraps, minor scratches and rubs. Summary:

Metamorphoses: Photography in the Electronic Age is a seminal volume that documents the early 1990s revolution of digital imaging. Serving as both an exhibition catalog and a philosophical monograph, it examines how the dawn of widespread computer technology, digital manipulation, and software like Adobe Photoshop began altering the traditional landscape of photography.

Key Focus Areas

• The Core Theme: The publication acts as a real-time investigation into a medium in transition. It explores the conceptual shift from photography as a purely objective tool for capturing reality to a fluid, digital playground where images are routinely layered, enhanced, and synthesized.

• The Death of Photographic Truth: A major critical thread of the book is the interrogation of "photographic truth." Essays explore how seamless digital manipulation erodes the camera's traditional role as a factual documentarian, giving rise to "documentary fictions" where viewers can no longer automatically trust what they see.

• The Historical Continuum: Rather than viewing digital imaging as a sudden anomaly, the publication contextually frames computer manipulation within art history. It tracks the evolution of image assembly, drawing direct thematic links from early 20th-century Dadaist photo-montages to late-century digital pixel manipulation.

• The Featured Portfolios: The book showcases an array of prominent artists and tech-pioneers bridging art and technology. It highlights digital portfolios from creators like Martina Lopez, Pedro Meyer, David Byrne, Barbara Kasten, and Peter Campus, alongside a feature on Nash Editions.