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Chrysomèle du Marrube
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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

photo détournée

English translation:

(digitally) altered photo

Added to glossary by Yolanda Broad
Jan 2, 2010 17:05
14 yrs ago
4 viewers *
French term

photo détournée

French to English Art/Literary Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Il a poursuivi ses travaux d’artiste sous la forme de collages, peintures ou photo détournées.

What is photo détournées?
Proposed translations (English)
4 (digitally) altered photos
5 borrowed photos
3 +1 subversive photos
4 playful photos
3 +1 modified photos (photographs)
4 reworked photographs
3 eccentric photos
References
Marcel Duchamp
Change log

Jan 12, 2010 14:29: B D Finch Created KOG entry

Jan 31, 2010 21:52: Yolanda Broad changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/570330">B D Finch's</a> old entry - "photo détournées"" to ""(digitally) altered photos""

Jan 31, 2010 21:52: Yolanda Broad changed "Term asked" from "photo détournées" to "photo détournée"

Discussion

ormiston Jan 4, 2010:
is this about David Lynch then ? hard to know if the artwork is merely 'transposed', 're-worked' in some way or merely David Lynch quirky.
and there is surely a problem with 'photo in the sing. + détournées'.
Aude Sylvain Jan 2, 2010:
with Dr Lofthouse and Philgoddard i understand it as "photos taken out of their usual context" : photos détournées de leur contexte, de leur destination initiale (message qu'elle faisaient passer) etc. See definition A-1 d) in the TLFi : "d) Au fig., péj. Détourner un texte, le sens d'un texte, d'un mot, etc. Lui donner une signification qui s'écarte du sens véritable." http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/détourner
Travelin Ann Jan 2, 2010:
@SJLD Interesting refs! I don't think détourées fits with the other items in the list (collages et peintures).
Travelin Ann Jan 2, 2010:
détourner can also mean "modify" Please take a look at my bycarli ref to see examples of "modified photographs."
And here's an example of "modified books" which, I believe, supports my theory. http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/08/unusual-books.html
Also see: http://calliscrapcart4.free.fr/livre detourne essais/index.h...
which uses "livres détournés" in the sense of "modified books."
Dr Lofthouse Jan 2, 2010:
détourner as a transitive verb can mean 'hijacked', 'misappropriated' - I'm not sure what Travelin Ann means by 'modified photographs' - does it mean you take a picture and modify it (eg take a picture of Jesus, and put a politician's head on it???). Is this a way to avoid copyright issues?

.

Proposed translations

30 mins
French term (edited): photo détournées
Selected

(digitally) altered photos

There should, I think, be an "s" on the end of "photo".

"Pour mettre en valeur les beaux formes de ses oeuvres, je les ai pris en photo, puis les détourné avec Photoshop. J'ai réalisé cette plaquette pour montrer ..."
www.jillstrong.com/publicityPages.html -

"The image had been digitally altered using the "cloning" tool in Photoshop so that it showed more smoke. Hajj denied deliberate manipulation of the ..."
www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1867870720070118 -

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Note added at 2 days17 hrs (2010-01-05 10:35:47 GMT)
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In the light of the discussion, I suggest "digitally manipulated" as a possibly more inclusive term (given that darkrooms seem to be almost obsolete).

"... Tutorials On Photomanipulation · Digital Tampering in the Media, Politics and Law – a collection of digitally manipulated photos of political interest ..."
Types of photo manipulation - History - Political and ethical issues
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_manipulation -

"New York Times admits to publishing digitally manipulated photos ...
9 Jul 2009 ... US newspaper acknowledges Bedford-based photographer altered images published in its Sunday magazine."
www.guardian.co.uk/media/.../new-york-times-altered-photos -

Peer comment(s):
neutral SJLD : IMO in the first link the author meant "détouré" - now I'm wondering if the source text doesn't in fact read "photos détourées" http://astore.amazon.fr/photosapien01-21/detail/2742931171
27 mins
neutral Alison Sabedoria (X) : Some are VERY altered, but some are just bizarre "as they was took"
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Hi In light of the rest of the article, I believe this is the most accurate - thanks! "
+1
11 mins
French term (edited): photo détournées

subversive photos

Figuratively...
Peer comment(s):
agree Alison Sabedoria (X) : I rather like this
23 hrs
thanks.
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : Probably not, as the context is an objective description of the media used, rather than the orientation of its content.
3 days 16 hrs
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3 hrs
French term (edited): photo détournées

playful photos

Haven't found any of the photos described as détournées, but "playful" is a word used to describe the man that might well fit. His Bicycle Wheel (bike forks and wheel mounted upside-down on a wooden stool) seems to symbolize his unserious, playful style.

Also, his persona as Rrose Sélavy indicates a certain kind of sense of humour. Not to mention the epitaph on his tombstone: D'ailleurs, c'est toujours les autres qui meurent.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2010-01-02 20:48:33 GMT)
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OFF-BEAT

Marcel Duchamps, described as "an artist who broke down the boundaries between works of art and everyday objects", famously said "I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste".

While "zany" might be taking things a bit far, maybe "off-beat" would translate détourné here.
Peer comment(s):
neutral SJLD : I think the artist in question is david Lynch - Asker is doing a very tricky translation about the man (judging by the number of questions) - Marcel Duchamp was just a suggestion for understanding the meaning of "détourné"
11 mins
Ach so!
Something went wrong...
+1
8 mins
French term (edited): photo détournées

modified photos (photographs)

modified books have been in vogue as art in recent years, so modified photographs makes sense, IMO

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Note added at 10 mins (2010-01-02 17:15:45 GMT)
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http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/detourner/2484...

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Note added at 21 mins (2010-01-02 17:27:06 GMT)
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photoS in the source text, to agree with the adjective, as well as the other items in the list?

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Note added at 7 hrs (2010-01-03 00:39:42 GMT)
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the book version is also sometimes called "altered books," so altered photographs might be another possibility.
http://www.alteredbookartists.com/
http://www.altered-book.com/alter-photographs.html
Reference:

http://www.bycarli.com/category/recent-modified-photographs/

Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : I think it could also mean taken out of their usual context.
17 mins
Thanks, Phil. Happy New Year!
neutral Bourth (X) : "Taken out of their usual context" is my thinking too.
3 hrs
neutral Alison Sabedoria (X) : Out of context - certainly much of the time, but not always modified
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
20 hrs
French term (edited): photos détournées

eccentric photos

A suggestion which reflects the sense in the French of Lynch's photos being twisted (not in the perverted sense) or quirky. They are certainly playful, but I'm not sure this says enough.

Difficult one!
Something went wrong...
21 hrs
French term (edited): photo détournées

borrowed photos

*Euphemism?

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Note added at 21 heures (2010-01-03 14:10:50 GMT)
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5 level just to attract attention.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Alison Sabedoria (X) : You attention seeker, you! =) Some do use borrowed images, but many don't
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
2 days 5 hrs
French term (edited): photo détournées

reworked photographs

detourne (pls excuse lack of accents due to keyboard) is a word I've struggled with in the past - never having found le mot juste in English to perfectly capture the meaning - - - think Duchamp, 60/70/80s photomontage/collage, culture jamming, Adbusters and fashion - it may or may not be digital, may or may not be subversive, tho often is... I have seen the term 'reworking of ...' used in connection with many of these - it's not perfect but it is neutral and does not add any extra interpretation
Example sentence:

Godwin explores Duchamp's constant reworking of imagery and themes

ADBUSTERS is notorious for promoting "Culture Jamming" -- or practicing the art of "creative resistance" through parodically reworking advertisements

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Reference comments

57 mins
Reference:

Marcel Duchamp

I suggest you read up about Marcel Duchamp and his "readymades" from "objects détournées".

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Note added at 58 mins (2010-01-02 18:04:32 GMT)
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"objets détournés" sorry

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-02 18:13:48 GMT)
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Are you sure it's "détournées" and not "détourées"?

See error here: http://astore.amazon.fr/photosapien01-21/detail/2742931171
c.f. heading with book cover

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-02 18:15:24 GMT)
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http://utopia.tice.ac-orleans-tours.fr/php5//IMG/pdf/Objet_d...
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