A perspective unattainable to us

If you can (it's very hard, I think), imagine a world in present time and space where photography (still and moving) had never been invented.

What would the world look like? Different to ours?

What would aesthetically and visually satisfy us in this world? What would art be like?

Would other forms of image take the role of photos in a non-photographic 2009? How would we advertise? Would we advertise?

How would we express ourselves in a world where the concept of photographic image was non-existant?

Would perceptions of 'self' and 'other' be different if there were no photos?

Would we aspire to the same things in this non-photographic world as we do in our current one? How would we know what we wanted?

Would our desire to travel be the same? Would we say, "I wish I went to New York before the Twin Towers fell, just to see them" (which I have said)?

Would our memory work in a different way?

Could we see the world for ourselves?

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Here are some images created before photography was invented. Does their world look different?

Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin c.1770


Philippe de Champaigne c.1655 & c.1646


Jean-Baptiste Greuze c.1757


Jean-Antoine Watteau c.1716