The power of documentary photography

I have been drawn to documentary photography and film-making for as long as I can remember. To me these artforms provide some of the most poignant and honest images in the world of art. Documentary photography captures a sense of place, and in doing so plays an important role in the interpretation and development of culture.

This is why I chose this image of a child in Cambodia, captured by photographer Michael Cirelli.

I am particularly drawn to images that capture quieter moments and honest landscapes which tell the stories of individuals, places and things. These images capture a particular moment in time, they document history and culture and the human condition.

For me this is the power of the image. Although thus far our investigations in this class have focused on the power of the image to influence and persuade populations. I find another distinct power of the image is to document people and places as they are. To me, the power of the image is multi-dimensional.

As famous documentary photographer Dorothea Lange noted:
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” (American documentary photographer, 1895-1965)


Please see more of Michael Cirelli's work at:

Michael Cirelli Photography/ www.michaelcirelli.com


-Angela Lembke

"Power of Image": Photographs evoke the memory of the past strife & new anti-Japanese sentiments-

"Power of Image": Photographs evoke the memory of the past strife & new anti-Japanese sentiments-

This picture is one of the photographs about the Nanking Massacre. The Nanking Massacre is that the Japanese soldiers killed massive Chinese people. It is an unchangeable truth. However, as for this photo and the other Nanking Massacre photographs are now controversial. Some scholars proved that some of these pictures were taken by the Chinese and used for the agenda to inform the Chinese about this incident. A Chinese camera man put a crying baby on the street, and took this photo.

However, it is fact that these pictures, even though the Chinese photographers made them intentionally, made the Chinese people during the war hold the memories of the Nanking Massacre more clearly and vividly. Since The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II was published in 1997 authored by Iris Chan, a Chinese-American, these old photos came out in public again. These photos bring the young generation Chinese, who did not live during the war, strong anti-Japanese sentiments.

What if we did not have these photographs? Probably, people would forget the incident. But the number of the Chinese who hate the Japanese would decrease. Nanking Massacre is the truth that a Japanese people should not forget. However, it is sad that the current Chinese people keep talking about the incident to us.

Think about the power of image. What if the Japanese have the photographs of rape by the American army in Okinawa and keep auguring it? What if Iraqi people will keep talking about the photographs, video, and images of the American troop occupation in Iraq in the future? The Japanese, the Iraqi and the Japanese would keep being sad. Because of images, the both sides must keep holding negative emotions.

-Kyoko Shiga

Photograph

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/photos/culture/academic/081217/acd0812172107008-p1.jpg

Too Busy for Happiness.

How many times out of our day, or out of our week do we actually do something we love, for pleasure? Sometimes it feels as though we sacrifice all of our time for some "mandatory" project for class, or work. Days, hours, minutes pass by with us scrambling to get somewhere on time, running all over town crossing off check lists, picking up the kids etc.. But the truth of the matter is, if we know what makes us happy, why don't we take the time to do it? Everyone is guilty of this. Us Americans are always on the go, but where do we draw the line? How much will it take before our culture realizes we are wasting our time filling up our days with idle activities, instead if filling it by being with the people we love, or by doing the things we love?

I first found A Softer World when I was in college. One of my friends had posted an image like this on her facebook (talk about the power of new media!) and I fell in love with their take on comics. Emily Horne, takes the photos, and friend Joey Comeau writes the text. The results are always witty, thought provoking, emotional, harsh, and puzzling- all in the best way possible.

What is your secret to happiness?

Visions of Blood and Ink: Body Politics of the Maori Moko

My passion for both the Maori culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand and the art of tattoo drew me into the photography exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem last winter and I was completely captivated by the powerful images created by Hans Neleman. These images are particularly powerful because they carry with them significant representations of personal and cultural identity, ancestry and history. The Maori Moko has been a traditional art form for centuries, recently revived as the Maori struggle to regain their ethnic identity and place in New Zealand society. “The revival of Moko for many of us is really exercising our rangatiratanga—our fundamental right to exist,” says Tame Wairere Iti (http://blog.art-tistics.com/?s=maori). The choice to take a moko for Maori is not just a personal statement, but a decision which involves one's family as well.

Hans Neleman, the dutch photographer of these images, had to seek special permission to capture the Maori Moko on film, which had previously been prohibited, and careful consideration has been given for the respect and preservation of the cultural tradition.

These two images had a particularly striking effect on me. I think the first image is beautifully raw and organic and projects the strength and beauty of womanhood. The second image holds a beautiful balance between tough and delicate, intimidation and innocence, father and son. Both images also show the influence of the Rastafarian culture that has intertwined with the Maori culture which I think is very unique.

~Chandra L.

Images retrieved from:

http://blog.art-tistics.com/?s=maori

http://www.neleman.com/site/book/moko/moko.html

"Barbie Girl" by Rania Matar

 

I first saw this image, titled "Barbie Girl", last spring at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA. I was immediately struck by its power. I stealthily sneaked a shot of it with my cell phone camera. I wanted to remember it. I saw it again this past December at the Griffin Photography Museum in Winchester. And again soon thereafter in the Boston Globe, which had it featured in the daily arts and entertainment magazine (link to article here). This image is incredibly arresting in its various elements of contrast. Both stark and rich in black and white, it captures joy and pain; visions of destruction alongside visions of hope: Eastern culture juxtaposed with Western culture. This image has the ability to take its viewer from saddened to heartened and back again.

The artist is Rania Matar. Matar is originally from Lebanon, which is where this photograph was taken in 2006. It is no surprise that this image appears on the cover of Matar's new monograph, Ordinary Lives. I would highly recommend looking further into her work, which tells many fascinating stories.

It's youth and it's joy

This is the image by pencil of promise, http://www.pencilsofpromise.org and their project to help children in Laos. The first time I saw this image, it taking me back to the moment when I was in college. During my college, I sought to experience as wide a variety of experiences as I could. I had the opportunities to visit many regions of Laos and it was the most enthusiastic experience I ever had. I did not have many picture of my memory in Laos but this image became my memoir of a time that stimulated my feeling more than any other, a memory passed but not faded. To me this image involves me to feel the action, smell the air, hear the sounds of children, and feel the interactive moments that could not describe in words. Additionally, it reminds me about my youth, bringing me back to the time when I am ready to embrace on the new journey and ready to grow up. I believe that simple image can make a huge impact and tell many stories, there is nothing like being there and experiencing the real feeling by just look at the image.

Laos project Image, Retrieved from Pencil of Promise on February 2, 2010 from http://www.pencilsofpromise.org

How thin can we get?

Thanks to the miracles of image editing, (some say Photoshop) a model can attain a whole new level of stick-thin ness. This image from a Ralph Lauren ad is remarkable, not only for its very bad rendering and representation of the female body, but for the fuss (fortunately) that it's causing in the Blogosphere and on mainstream television even. (More at 11 :-). this came to light via a site called Photoshop Disasters.

Sadly, Blogger (the host of PI here) was the service that took down this image at the command of Ralph Lauren's phony Cease and Desist letter. Boing Boing put it up again on their own server based in Canada. Hopefully Blogger (AKA Google) will see the light here, and let the images and commentary here (all permissible under Fair Use) stand. Let's see how long this one stays up!

Addendum:
Evidentally these are window displays. The one above was photographed off a window display in Japan and posted on Photoshop Disasters, this one below from Australia. Here's the link from Photoshop Disasters:
http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/2009/10/ralph-lauren-hits-keep-on-coming.html