The Performative Force of Photography

Abstract This review essay critically reflects upon recent contributions that have been made by scholars to a growing body of research on photography, performativity, and affect. Focusing on recent work by Diana Taylor, Susan Ash, and Ariella Azoulay, this paper explores how affect can be understood in performative terms and suggests the problems and possibilities of using this kind of performance analysis to read affect in photography. This review includes a consideration of some of the central themes in performance studies research: the photograph as speech act, the intersubjective exchange between subject and viewer, and the use of photography as a form of participatory citizenship. In the process, it illustrates how the idea of performativity can reframe current discussions about the role that photos play in the production of civic responsibility and public action.