The environment and politics

Environmental issues are unfortunately always going to be a part of man kinds ever swelling population, and its economic system required to sustain this population.

Personally I am usually more moved by images depicting the plight of the innocent wildlife, and as much as I'd like to think that I already tread as lightly as I can on the planet, seeing such images always pushes my thoughts towards having an even lesser impact.

That brings to light that, with any environmental campaign which results in or includes a series of images, there are two avenues of impact and influence and potential change. They being political and personal, in as much as changes can be initiated on a larger scale national/international policy basis and/or a resultant shift brought about by the change in behaviors and attitudes by individuals.

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://fredvidal.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/oilsoakedbird-1.jpeg

http://oceans.greenpeace.org/raw/image_full/en/photo-audio-video/photos/holiday-beach-jbeil.jpg

I like how this shot includes in the background the "idyllic" beach-side resort resplendent with straw umbrellas and the resort hotel over looking the coast, and have that contrasted with the damage caused by the oil spill.

Either way, the quality, dissemination and ultimately the impact of these images is vital in the delivery of a message  and awareness of a situation or cause. If the public is saturated by masses of low quality, un-emotive imagery then there is a propensity to not only  being desensitised  but also the real possibility of feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. Resigned to "thats the way things are" with a sense of futility  regarding  any  contribution of time or money to a cause.

Similarly, images that attempt capture the beauty of an endangered subject (wilderness or wildlife), really need to be well conceived and constructed encouraging the viewer to imagine the loss of that subject matter. This is not just a matter of recording what is there, but doing so to sell the idea of preserving it with the hidden spectre/subtext  of doom if action is not taken.

Truthfulness is also a key component for environmental /political  photography.  Images can not be too heavily altered or modified (if at all)  because, as with political parties, environmental organisations could too be accused of propaganda and manipulation and can be detrimental to their profile and to their cause.

That said, all the  above relates primarily to the preservation of that which is those parts of nature and the planet that are deemed to be attractive or otherwise of pleasing aesthetic. So what of those unheralded, forgettable but just as important regions/species. Can they/should they be the subject of a visual campaign? and if so how would such a campaign work in its favour, let alone not against it.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sLpl_6CbHoA/0.jpg

For example:

It difficult to imagine an environmental group gathering much support to protect an area as above, if it was to become subject to some un-eco-friendly development or the like.. 

Even if it had the rarest of insects or vegetation owing to both its ugly barren landscape and this poorly captured image its fate may be well sealed.

Tableau-Vivant Photography

For me, Tableau-vivant occupies a fascinating and compelling space in the field of photography. Its allegorical nature, not only permit the viewer to invest more time contemplating the image, but to an extent, almost demands a narrative. The space is also very fluid limited only by imagination.


Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Thousand

Gianni

Hustler Series

I chose to contemplate these 3 images by DiCorcia as they represented different styles within the Tableau genre. One of DiCorsia's methods is his shift from simple Tableau into the real world. A blending of the cinematic and the realistic, again highlighting how fluid this genre can be. This is very evident in the first of his images above (thousand), but to me this image fails the genre and doesnt captivate or draw me in to any narrative interpretation nor wonder, and thus I think in this instance he has crossed the indefinable line between Tableau and stylised general art photography.

The second of the two images to my way of thinking is pure Tableau-vivant. Its Kitsch, ambiguous and almost bizarre scene, leaves you wondering both what's gone on, what's happening and what's going to unfold. Its dark camp humour, has a relaxed intensity. It is 100% constructed and contrived.

The last of the 3 shots above is from his street hustler series, and makes a powerful comment about survival on the streets. The somewhat juxtaposed model is positioned/staged in amongst the visual clues of suburbia, and "normal"  everyday folk habitat. Placed in the shadows, the protagonist only daring to emerge at dusk into the urban jungle. This image is a blending of the former 2 techniques in as much as it is partially staged/lit and partially vernacular.

Izima Kaoru

From my initial research it appears a though Izima Kaoru has a pre-occupation with death, specifically younger females. This is evident in many of his series. With these series some are landscape directed, and some are retail, and some series are street for instance. Since this seems to be his primary albeit macabre specialty, I chose 2 of these such images that held my attention longer than the others

Corpse Death

The first one I chose because it has a dark comedic quality, which as much as some other examples of tableau have humour, they are none the less NOT comedic. So this image is quite a rarity in the genre. Also unlike others in the genre the "what happened here" narrative could be very obvious. But the models undignified death was perhaps only eclipsed by her undignified life. Hence the title Corse death, adding weight to her having existed a living death. Visually tied to the empty booths of diners who have sated themselves, and then left, its a sad indictment of the human condition.  This human element/struggle is a common identifier with tableau, and forces us to reflect on our own behaviours.

The second and third  images I chose because it emphasises Kaoru's use of vibrant colours, strong compositions  and lighting in so far as if it wasnt for the dead female in the images they could possibly pass as everyday images. In this series he took both an image from close up and one from a considerable distance, again both with the absence of other humans. The allegory is one of isolation, loneliness and futility.

Again to me this technique doesn't quite resonate as strongly as other Tableau styles but never the less has its place.

Assignment #3

This debate centres on the exploitation/abuse of children in commercial and artistic arenas and the blurring of lines between art and pornography. 


Both the work of Bill Henson and that of  the Vogue issue are as socially provocative as each other in their own ways. It is the sort of debate that can polarize a community, and generate such strong emotions and opinion that can be paralleled to the wars fought over "opposing" religious beliefs.  And similar too is that in both cases either side is fundamentally fighting for the same thing, that being an acceptable universal standard that betters mankind. Like most laws or socially enforceable ethos they need to be "written" to deal with the absolute fringe dwellers. but, as I don't consider myself part of that subset/subculture that  a value judgement itself. Who am I or anyone to decide  where that line is drawn? Furthermore this is only the strand of the debate that deals largely with  the audience of the  images and the context in which they are viewed, and the implied direct harm to the children involved that can ensue.  However as David Marr points out research has failed to conclude that viewing of such material leads to paedophilia. It is this aspect of the debate that seems to create the most hysteria and fear amongst the general public, which leads to calls for unrealistic reactionary censorship, that cannot be feasibly enforced, if for nothing else but the many exceptions that would need to be considered.


David Marr's central point returned to one of the need for calm well considered discussion, rather than panic from the public and rhetoric from the governments. As much as I agree with this notion in principle, I cannot see such a  forum being able to formulate a working solution to what is such a dilemma. 


A second aspect of the debate comes down to the rights of the children models being eroded by their innocence being commercialised and or compromised by experiences/exposures that may accelerate their childhood. Together with, (whether such images are used as parody of of culture or not), targeted distribution can influence the peers of these models to conform and fast track their maturity. 


Finally, but by no means exhaustively, there is the controversy that we as a culture are one of an unhealthy youth/beauty worship culture, and continue to push the envelope of what is the accepted bench mark of attractiveness and desirability. Perpetuating  in motion  the unrealistic goals and body images of not only our youth but also of the adult community by in large. Creating a pandemic of sorts in respect to low self esteem and social worth(less-ness) if these unattainable standards are not lived up to.

Assignment #2

The main idea I gleaned from reading the text, was that the debate on ethics in Photojournalism has so many variables that is is not possible to delineate what is ethical and what is not ethical. This applies to  exploitation and/or manipulation of a situation/scene for personal gain or glory

The main problem is that everyone has a different frame of reference and this will ultimately effect ones judgement in terms of what is considered ethical. Basically the line in the sand differs from person to person depending on many factors. These factors may include genetics, up-bringing, life events, life style, subculture and personal current agenda as well as the intended audience.

Even at, what most of a given cross section of society would consider the "lower end" of the ethical spectrum, it could be argued that the photographer took the shot and chose to publish it in all good faith that no line was crossed, especially so if the target audience was similarly pre-disposed. Majority consensus cannot be used as the benchmark, as this is yet another arbitrary viewpoint.

It comes back around to the trinity involved with every photograph (I have forgotten the term) wherein there is the photographer, the subject/story and the viewer;  but this debate has added complication and inherent variables associated with the 4th party being those who critique an image for its ethical worthiness. As clear as day as it may seem to you that a photo has breached and transcended (your levels of) integrity, you cannot make others adopt  your standards and values,  else you may well have your own "puritan" output likewise scrutinised.

Assignment 1

I get inspired by many different types of photographic images I happen upon. So it is easy to get somewhat overwhelmed by such a simple assignment as this one. I recently saw the Annie Leibovitz exhibition and was pulled in many directions, so ultimately I ended up eliminating choosing any one of her pieces that were on display.

Inspiration or to be inspired  can  be laced with much ambiguity. Is one inspired by the image in a sense to create work of a similar genre/style or quality?  Or is inspiration from an image "merely" being that this image captivates and resonates with you more so than others. So i decided to gather a collection of  strong quality images at random and set about seeing which ones drew me in, and then to decide from the short list which is the most inspirational to me.

I ended up choosing an image by Codrin Lupei. from a series titled, appropriately enough, "those questions". The actual name of the image was "those questions II/III (cut)"..... Which then led me to his similar image "those questions II/III".. that engaged me even more.

Why this one..?

It has many elements that captivate me ..and it DOES inspire me. I have always been drawn to the esoteric, the surreal,  to juxtaposition, high contrast almost low key moody imagery. But not only is it's aesthetic compelling to me, it has many layers of story and sub-text, that simply CANNOT be fully articulated. However the strongest element in the subject matter for me creates a mood of  instant melancholy. It tells of displacement, isolation, futility and shattered dreams. What was-what is....and potentially what will be.

There is also a bitter sweet sense of hope as the past is reflected but now behind and distorted yet movement is towards a new horizon which, still unsure and cloudy, represents change and the human spirit..

So yes, I know why I was drawn to "those questions II/III (cut)" out of all the others from my random collection which led me to "those questions II/III". It spoke to me immediately and then we metaphorically conversed and more was revealed.