Pathos und Passion: Ikonen des Fotojournalismus in bildwissenschaftlicher Tradition

Abstract

The media icon, as an image form of modernity and synthesis of tradition and innovation, could only emerge in the interaction with the mass media. Individual images, mostly of a photographic nature, succeed in standing out from the mass of images produced daily, capturing the attention of the media and the public alike, and attaining the status of a media icon through mass distribution, reproduction, and re-staging. At the same time, the media icon is still in a constant state of flux today: technical innovations, digitization, virtualization, and changes in image perception influence the iconization process. Despite these changes, their creative means are often based on traditional patterns and motifs that have a long history in image science. Icons of photojournalism in particular make use of these references back to familiar forms of representation. This connectivity is often the key to their success. Using three icons of photojournalism as examples, this article traces the connectivity of modern media icons to established art-historical forms of representation and elaborates their significance for the iconization process.