Evaluation of Intertextuality Concept in Photography Through Ugo Mulas’s Artworks

Abstract

This research is a summary of the existence, transformation and development of the concept of intertextuality in the contemporary photographic art, which has been talked about in recent years in post-modern thought. In the postmodern era, photography moves beyond a purely technical medium to interact continuously with painting, cinema, and literature. In the context of this study, reflections of intertextuality on the photography art is investigated. Italian contemporary photographer Ugo Mulas, who use intertextual approach successfully in photography, has been examined through his works, especially “Verifications” photography series. Alongside portraits from New York and photographic interpretations of Eugenio Montale's poetry, his Verifications series systematically engages with masters such as Niépce, Herschel, Man Ray, and Duchamp. Mulas’s intertextual transactions, that he used his works, are explained and his works are analyzed in terms of context and style. The study demonstrates that intertextuality in photography offers new perspectives on earlier cultural works, preventing them from being forgotten while prompting viewers to actively draw upon their own intellectual knowledge.