Alfredo Boulton and the conception of photography as an artistic expression

Abstract

In 1952, the Shell Magazine published an article by Alfredo Boulton titled "Is Photography an Art?" This was an internationally recognized critical contribution to specialized academic literature. It included an analysis of photography as an art form, going beyond the mere mechanical reproduction of the camera and incorporating it into the unique and personal work of the photographer. The publication of this essay took place during a time when photography had moved past its pictorialist nature, becoming part of the artistic avant-garde of the 20th century. In the Venezuelan context, it also embraced a social and cultural contribution, akin to American photography of the 1930s.