The inception of photography is usually traced to the first surviving photograph made in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. A photograph of a landscape in black and white. While at the same time, the daguerreotype was being developed by Louis Daguerre. Photography quickly became popular as a means to preserve one’s identity and place within history. Since its infancy, debates have been held about photography and its place in art, history, and science. Many dismissed it as an art form by claiming it only presented reality in a scientific way. Many counter this by stating that images can be staged.  

This debate around photography has continued since the 1830s. First with the introduction of digital cameras, then the creation of software like photoshop, and more recently with the advancement of AI generated or enhanced images.  

However, by embracing the uncertainty of photography and whether or not it depicts truth, artists are able to tackle complicated ideas about identity and history, like the artists in Narratives in Focus. By placing figures in elaborate costumes, in specific locations, by pairing one photograph with another, or by even laying an image over another, the artists in this exhibition can take the preconceptions we might have about photography and use them to reinforce the stories they attempt to tell.