Opening statement Conference 'Pathologies of photography' Shankar, Department of Art Why photography was invented? I will try to look beyond the insights that are known and familiar to us, that include (among others) the prolonged widespread use of the 'Camera Obscura', accompanied by optical, chemical and technological advancements, the complex development of painting, and the accelerated evolution of emerging sciences of the 17-18 centuries up to mid 19 c. My pursuit was