criticism and essays

Mitchell's book might be thought of as two books. It is mainly about the meaning of photography at a time when pictures can be so easily manipulated and changed. It's really a philosophical discussion of truth and ethics. However, the middle section of the book is more about the technical aspects of 2D and 3D graphics, with explanations of the fundamental concepts that underlie digital images and compositing techniques, as well as computer modeled and rendered scenes.

And fortunately, both sections are great. THE RECONFIGURED EYE is valuable both as a reconsideration of photographic truth in a the context of new technologies, and as a book to help photographers, graphic designers, architects, and anyone working with photographs to understand how the basic functions of 2D and 3D software work and why. Though I wish there were even more photos of some of the paintings and photographs he refers to, there are many great pictures of paintings, photos, and rendered scenes to illustrate what he describes in the text. This is definitely one of the more thoughtful books on digital images and there's a lot of good stuff here to think about.

I can't believe that no one has written a review here of this essential book! Anyone creating, curating, writing about, or simply trying to appreciate computer-based art work should own this text. Mitchell weaves together theory, history, and technique to explain the fundamentals of this new field. His scholarship and knowledge of the area are unbeatable.