SIGURDUR GUDMUNDSSON, Japanese drawing, 1979
unique analogue photo print
In the 70s photographs that capture staged made only for the purpose of photography were called 'staged photography'. While this type of image-making became well-known in the mid 70s by a.o. Sigurdur Gudmundsson (he defined his photo's "Situations"), Pieter L. Mol, Ulay and Marina Abramovic, all living and working in Amsterdam, a discourse was created whether this could or should be art.
Later in the 80s through the photo work of artists such as Cindy Sherman, William Wegman and Jeff Wall, staged compositions became more and more part of the visual arts, instead of being looked at as pure photography. Hence the dispute between curator Els Barents and Stedelijk Museum director Wim Beeren over whether these acquired photographic works should be paid for from the "visual arts" budget or from the "photography" budget, for which Els Barents was responsible.