Photography and Sociality. Between Banfi and the Selfie

The main purpose of this article is to analyse the relationship between photography and sociality. Since its beginnings, the photographical language was in close proximity to society and therefore was able to depict significant aspects of the everyday life through images. In contemporary times, the photographical image developed new variables and nuances that will be analysed in this article. The relationship with social issues changed in the last decades, especially considering the advent of the social media. Because of it, the photographical image went through different transformations and it obtained new socio-psychological nuances. In the first section of the article, the analysis is broader and more philosophical, aiming to capture the nature of photography and its relation to contemporary society but also to solitude. The works of Antonio Banfi are quite relevant here and especially his concept of “sociality” related to aesthetics. Afterwards, in the second section of this article, the author will focus on a narrower analysis, applied to the selfie and to how this type of image constructs the virtual identity of its users. The focus will be placed both on the psychological and sociological aspects.