Photographer-Artist or Artist-Photographer? The Permanence of Contestations in the Field of Art Photography in Italy

Identifying three key re-categorisation processes – detachment, emulation, and sublimation – this article provides a situated analysis of the persistent legitimation attempts of Italian photographer-artists, despite photography’s widespread recognition as an artistic medium. Drawing on a two-year ethnography in Milan, Italy, and interviews with 23 members of the art photography field, the article argues that social categorisation plays an important role in the on-going artistic legitimation of photography, as it supports the coexistence of competing legitimating discourses and status hierarchies. In particular, the article discusses how these three processes of re-categorisation, in combination with each other, foster the legitimacy of photographer-artists while avoiding risks of contestation.