On The Streets
This experimental DSLR-created movie of animated still photographs is a byproduct of my work with time lapse photography. Using an EOS 10D and a 4×5 Super Graphic to rephotograph my black and white photographs, the first thematically related group of pictures I reached for were these images of people living on the streets of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Some are homeless, some sleep in shelters. Some exhibit advanced stages of AIDS, some are mentally ill. An overall sense of destitution pervades most of these people’s lives. I’m told the situation has improved dramatically over the past few decades, yet there continues to be widespread heroin and alcohol abuse. Bowery’s booming real estate market and entertainment scene are slowly pushing these folks out of the neighborhood. A towering museum was just completed on Bowery, the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Hanging from the front of the museum, a large rainbow-colored sign that reads “Hell, Yes!” hovers in stark contrast to the daily queue of men a few doors down outside the Bowery Mission waiting to be let in for a free meal.
“On The Streets” (duration 3:24)
Photographs: Cary Conover
Website: www.caryconover.com
brilliant treatment of a familiar subject. captivating and heartbreaking at the same time…
god damned heartbreaking….and take-the-breath stilling…..
absolutely love the treatment…and revelatory. Just 2 weeks ago, my wife and I were watching a series of old silent films (pudovkin) and both us turned at said ‘that’s it’….to use new tools and old tools are re-remembering what it is that we’ve often lost and forgotten in our quest of the now….
just as looking (earlier in the fall) the films of robert frank was a profound revelation, so too the upside-downing of Cary’s ‘film’ to reimagine and replace our own often jaded eyes…and all the newly ‘madeover’ lower ny…it’s a still a crushing indictment…as voltaire wrote, ‘the comfort of the rich rests upon an abundance of the poor.’…and amid all the propserity and rebuilding of lower ny (i didnt recognize it at all when there in october, from my childhood), the undeniable may have been unseen but it still gathers….
all the tools that, for me, make film so visceral and personal, all the ways that archive films and silent pictures still often seem to carry that which sets inside, are all here….
just heartbreaking and above all, what i cherish about this, including all the jump cuts and pans and ‘broken’ frames and projector bulb pops is that at the heart of the story there is that:
we have still and still forget and leave behind those we wist to not see….
bravo for the work and bravo for Burn for extending our opportunities…
this just opened a hole in my chest….
to dig and dig harder….
visceral, powerful and imaginative
thank you so much for giving us this Cary….
bob
Hi cary,
I absolutely love this!
the time lapse thing has been done by various photographers but not like this!
the subject matter, the composition and the way it flows is very powerful.
i’ve been experimenting with this myself but i couldn’t come close to making it like this.
really really strong.
srinivas
Oh my god, this is absolutely brilliant. Painfully heartbreakingly brilliant. Like Robert Frank’s revolutionary view of Americans in the 50s, your view of today’s people who live on city streets is groundbreaking. Yes, we have all seen a million photos of such folks but NOTHING like what you show us here. Bravo!
Patricia
You have very good photographs. I would like to see some of them with less blow up into the photo, just all the picture as they are. The one of the person going downstairs will be in my mind all the day. The old film look fits excellent. I like your style in the pictures i see in you web page. Saludos
Fantastic work!
I agree, very strong essay… or movie…
I wondering how it will looks on the walls at exhibition.
You are excellent street shooter.
Pure classic photography.
I think this is the most sensitive portrayal I’ve seen of homelessness. The surreal discrepancy of the bowery fits perfectly into this beautiful time lapse treatment. Homelessness is a familiar subject for photographers, because it keeps happening, society keeps allowing it to happen, but with all the imagery we’ve seen, people have become desensitized in a way, and don’t want to see the familiar old pictures. Using a familiar old technique, you’ve made something extremely compelling.
What a great, refreshing and inspiring way to present strong photos! So unexpected. I in particular like the final zoom to Chrysler building, it´s such clever move to reveal the location. How long did you work on this essay, Cary? May I ask what exactly did you use the 4×5 for? Thanks for sharing. And thanks, BURN, again for this surprise.
First I want to say that I really do love this work. The photography and the concept for presenting it is excellent.
On first view though I have a feeling it is just a bit too long. There is a bit of redundancy in the images, although I realize that it would be hard to avoid that, I think by removing a few and thereby cutting it shorter, it could be even stronger.
As I said I love the presentation, but in some places it seems a little over-produced. But don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it is so much to take away from the work, I just think that after a presentation like this begins, a viewer should not continue to notice the “production” as much as the images and the message the photographer is trying to convey. I tended to “notice” the production throughout and at times found it distracting.
Again, I do love it. So much that I will link to it on The37thFrame. I think everyone should see this. I would also like to know more about the technique that was used.
Maybe this is a good subject of discussion for this edition of burn…. When does the presentation get in the way of the art, the work and the message? (again not saying it does here, I just feel it could be tweaked a bit)
When does the production or the music or the latest fad in presentation begin to take away or distract from the work itself? When should there be music? When does the Ken Burns effect help and when does it distract?
Thoughts?
….. and Cary’s website’s full of great images as well.
Cary, where have you been so far?
cheers
This hit me in the face. When I was living in NYC for 5 years, homelessness was part of the thread of the city and it’s 5 borroughs. I became immune to it rather quickly, as it was rampant all over, especially in the Lower East Side and down in the bowels of the city known as the subway and its stations. Homeless folk begging for money on every street corner morphed into something I loathed, as the city makes you cynical. I worked my ass off, and I could barely pay my rent or keep bread in my own fridge at times. It was my way of keeping myself from thinking about it too long, because if I did, it would break my heart. “Why would these people choose to continue this way of living?” is a thought that would often cross my stream-of-consciousness. This thought probably enters in through a cloud of ignorance as everyone’s story is different, filled with dreams and tragedies, hopes and struggles, and sometimes, the inability to bounce back and realize that you are worthy.
I thought that the essay was very effective, in that it stopped me dead in my tracks, and made me feel kind of ashamed at my attitude towards the homeless. I love the presentation and the music; I thought it was a nice blend for the subject matter. I do have to say, though, that I think the piece would have been more well-rounded if there were some shots of the homeless in action, perhaps begging for change or poking through garbage cans, which I bore witness to as much as seeing the homeless helpless and asleep or passed out on the ground. Overall, a very effective piece that touched me. Cary, you captivated the viewer. Great job.
visually..
I like this piece..
great job with your stills..
creative..
I would like the audio better,
if it had street sounds..
real noise
to go with your images…
I want to hear
what you captured….
very ‘Burnesque’
one question,
have you ever experimented with 8mm film?
I’d love to see what you’d do with that!!!
**
Is this a remix of Massive Attack song “Teardrop”? Works wonderfully with the images.
Beautiful work.
Teardrop.
Veba
Cary, At first I though, oh homeless people I have seen it done so many times before, but You have done it better than I have ever seen, The images are great, I love the really unusual shots with peoples heads turned upside down and where they have almost fallen in a weird position. These images make you say wow! I want to stay longer and look at them and I like when there are other things or people in the compostion that are also relating to the subject as well. And the technique you used of still together with film is so creative and well done. I agree with one comment that I would like to see more of the full frame of not many but some of the shots , only because the shots are so good. Great Essay.
I watched this several times and I just have to be honest, I find this mildly offensive. Perhaps its just the mood I am in but it looks like ‘poverty porn’ to me and while I give the creator full marks for the presentation at the end of the day when you take away the fancy footwork and you are left with the photos alone, I have the feeling there is something a little smug about the attitude.
Not ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ but ‘Wow look at that derelict/homeless person/mentally ill drug addict, gonna take me a picture’
It feels like I am viewing a tourist attraction.
I guess if I hadn’t read Mr Conover’s blog entry that he didn’t go to the Inaguration but thought it was fun to watch on his NEW high definition TV that maybe I would be a little more sympathetic, but I just find I can’t. It still looks like ‘poverty porn’ to me and I think it can actually do more harm than good.
Sorry I am not normally this harsh, but I just find that I have seen lots of this type of photography, admittedly though, not so cleverly presented, but what it ultimately does is dehumanises the viewer and divests the subject of identity-indeed many of the photographs didn’t actually show the subjects face or features- just another lump of ‘wasted humanity’ and I don’t find that particularly edifying.
Carrie Roseman made the comment ‘and (it) made me feel kind of ashamed at my attitude towards the homeless.’ Well yes, what it made me feel was shame that easy and defenseless targets are being turned into a multi-media presentation for the pleasure of the internet cognescenti.
I apologise once again for what is an essentially hard critcism, but I do believe as photographers we have a responsiblity to the people we photograph to tell their story… All I see here is a bunch of people who no-one cares about and what worse no one is going to do anything about as a result of seeing this story.
Let the flaming begin…
Wow, very powerful compilation and masterful execution…
as Dylan said….
how does it feel… to be without a home… no direction known…..
I think thats why I thought hearing the street sounds,
might give these people more of a voice,
but
I dunno…
wish I could write all my thoughts better..
but what comes to mind is the responsibility of the viewer again..
if there is any..
and if so~
how much?!?!
If this has made 1 person think differently about the ‘homeless’~
is that enough?
curious what Panos thinks of this piece..
… but his lyrics would be..
…..direction known…..
I wanted to clarify when I said ” I want to look at them longer”, I actually meant the photograph and whats happening in it and not them, but the fact that I have lived in NYC my whole life and homeless people are really invisable most of the time and these photos made me realize just how devastating homelessness can be and nobody really does pay attention to them most of the time.
Maybe someone will think differently because of this essay. Maybe we should ask Cory if he plans to use it to help homeless people in anyway, if that is his intention . Or maybe he could add to the body of work by adding more photographs that are portraits which humanize the subjects more, wher he actually meets and talks to the subjects, but again if that is his intention.
The above statement was in reply to lisa’s comment
ANYA! :)_)))))
PRIVET DOROGOIYA! ;))))))…wow, i cant believe you are here too….soon, i’ll have a story here….marina and i come to russia this year :)))….
write me, will talk in emails….
bluewordsme2@gmail.com
how did you discover David’s magazine??
paka
boba
Wow! This is outstanding. Original. Couldn’t pull myself away from the images. Excellent.
I am quite astonished by the power of animated stills. I had a chance to see the similar techniques (Magnum in motion etc.) but I especially liked this movie. Very clever use of background and small details to enhance the overall impression from the image. I felt as if I followed the photographer’s eye.
Lisa, I appreciate and understand your perspective. At the same time I have a different take on it, and my perspective comes from personal experience.
No, I’ve not been homeless myself but I have spent time with people whose days were spent on the streets. Back in the 1980s my $50 a month art studio was in Detroit’s Greektown, a part of town where many fellows who stayed either in shelters or SROs (single room occupancy hotels) were apt to hang out. We became friends and I would sit out on the sidewalk with them and we’d talk while they begged. That was when I learned firsthand how it felt to be invisible. People would walk by us and it was as if we didn’t exist. It was this sense of nonexistence that hurt my friends more than anything. And yes, most of my buddies were addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. I’d never give them cash money but instead would give John at the corner Coney Island diner enough $$ every day to give out hot dogs to whomever asked.
All this to say that I looked at Cary’s essay through eyes that perhaps see into the story more than most. And I did not have the reaction you describe. If anything I was grateful that someone had finally SEEN these folks and made other people see them too. To me, Cary’s compassion shines through this essay, his commitment to raise awareness of a shameful reality in America, his insistence that we stop turning our heads away from sights that disturb us. If nothing else, those of us who have seen Cary’s essay will at least SEE the people for whom the streets of our cities are home. Now what we do with this awareness is up to us.
Patricia
At some point, photography is just photography. It’s not activism or altruism. It’s not a form of charity or advocacy. Pictures are just pictures. They can be put to charitable uses, of course, and they can appear in fundraising materials for charities. But to suggest that photographers who work among the poor and disadvantaged have some obligation to help the people they are photographing is just wrong (in a war zone, it can get the photographer killed). If the goal is to help people, then help them. If the goal is to photograph them, then photograph them. There are far better ways to help the homeless on the Lower East Side than by taking pictures of them.
This is not a criticism of Cary’s work — quite the contrary. I think it’s great and am intrigued by the form he has created.
But the intention of the photographer is irrelevant. The pictures are all that matter. It’s nice to think that the Salgados and Nachtweys of the world are trying to make it a better place through their photographs — but it’s the photos themselves that matter, not the altruism.
Another old school subject…
Another essay that only offers GUILT to the already guilty decadent consciousness…
some folks already feel guilty and need salvation…
Old school PJ’s and decadent editors from the dead “past” love misery…
Fox News, NatGeo… you name it…
A heroin addict,
skidrow,
homeless people,
A sick dog,
Abandoned animals…
but the rich or mainstream editor thinks that he is SAVING the world..
by ( once again ) exposing and profiting from the homeless and the needy…
leeching on our feelings…
i woke up this morning in the hotel and by accident i hit the control and
it was FOX channel…
syringes, homeless… i threw up… not from guilt but from the bad TASTE…
then this essay comes up… and then the usual “bravoooo”…
Outstanding… yesss….
one more passive viewer that instead of DOING SOMETHING FOR THE HOMELESS …
they only exposing them… poking the viewer…
trying to attack my feelings…
trying to make me feel “bad”, “responsible”…
balloni… a story like this is NOT disturbing…
the opposite… its suspicious…YES VERY SUSPICIOUS…
( NOT OUR PHOTOGRAPHER HERE that i dont know personally… no, this photog here is probably a great individual
and a great soul… All i wanna say is that “they” ( decadent editors ) will take advantage of your good , caring soul.. they will sell your images and the homeless soul for peanuts… be aware
yesterday i met a REAL , GREAT, mother Theresa or MAMA D….
aka KATIA ROBERTS…
KATIA helps HOMELESS kids from the streets of Seattle to recover…
SHE GOES TO THE COURT, SHE FINDS THEM HOME, SHE SUFFER WHEN THEY SUFFER…
always with a smile in her face…
she is NOT STEALING from the homeless..
when she shoots , she shoots their happiness..
not when they are laying down on the streets..
KATIA is a saint…
but Katia is not around to “please” the CONSTIPATED EDITORS from
the magazines or newspapers from the PAST…
dANGEROUS MINDS that smell like sulfur and all they care about is to stop progress…
no no no… Katia does not give a damn what YOU think, little spirit…
laughing…
are you looking for cheap thrills…
then drugs , NEWSPAPERS and cheap magazines is for you…
the ones that only LOOK , JUDGE BUT NEVER HELP… NEVER GETS INVOLVED..
never real action… ONLY WORDS…
i know, i know… I AM HOMELESS MYSELF…
and if i see you dear editor approaching my homelessness with your long zoom that obviously substitutes your tiny “unit”… you know what im gonna do??? no,no… you dont know what im gonna do…
just try it… but i know you wont come close when im aWAKE…
YOU WILL NOT RELATE…
you came to steal from me… im richer than you…
you will hide behind the bush… you will wait until i pass out on heroin,
and then , when you will feel absolutely safe…
then and only then you will click your super DSLR right on my face…
cowards….
pause…………………………………………………………..
ok…
now the “other” side…
i really enjoyed the cool different approach of this particular photog here…
the Ken Burns effect… the old look,
the perfect match with the music, excellent software,
movie like feeling… great “montage”…
i really feel motivated to download new computer gizmos etc…
yes, this is the web, new era, time to present things in a new way..
no more photos hanging on the walls,
quicktime movies and slideshows are the way to go…
I feel inspired….
pause……………………………………………………………..
KATIA,
all my love and respect to you..
i cant wait for you to finish your “STREET KIDS” essay…
and show the “dead” that there is happiness..
there is a bright side…
there is HOPE…
ENOUGH WITH THE CHEAP , MANIPULATE GUILT TRIPS..
that the mainstream has to offer…
ENOUGH WITH YOUR TIRED EYES..
PLEASE RETIRE…
SOMEONE please open the doors and the windows…
it smells… we are suffocating…
THE TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGING…………………………………………………
enough
A very excellent work both technically and artistically. I think the goal of these types of photos are to invoke strong emotions and I believe Mr. Conover did that quite well. I enjoyed reading his blog about his making of this work. Well done!
Lisa all my love to U…
dont apologize to “them”… they dont deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wendy
love you also… yes you guessed right…
i see them HIDING behind the bushes with their long zooms…
ready to RAPE ME…. when i’m down…
Katia,
i love you ( and i say this with tears in my eyes…)
Hello Cary,
I love your work… a very original presentation… for many, we do not see the face… The misery is at the bottom of to us every day and can we give them a face? We pass and we do not see them… Your essay is very poignant…
all the best, audrey
Wow! Very strong and creative use of multimedia. To me, the panning method has the effect of walking down the street and instead of averting your gaze to avoid the reality of our homeless, you do a sharp double-take and actually ponder what it must be like to live that way. That said, I don’t think this project would work if the pictures weren’t stellar, which they are! Very strong images. My only criticism is that it is a touch too long. I think bringing it down to about 2:30 or so would only make it more potent. Nice work!
Preston, maybe I do not get your point, but I would say that intention is all that matters, something that goes beyond the technical quality of a photograph (or a series of photographs). I would think that intention is what binds a series of photographs. In the case of Salgados or Nachtwey or any photographer, the intention (be it altruism or whatever) to me seems indissolubly connected to the photographs themselves (and vice versa).
This reminds me of the movie “Potemkine”. With maybe the shopping carts replacing the baby carriage? Also, i saw it in silent mode (not sure if there was sound, no speakers where I watch it), which may explain seeing it as a silent movie.
In a way, the multiplication of images does not add potency/poignancy to the subject, i suspect one picture of one homeless or derelict would carry that potency very well, but what works here, thanks to the treatement, is that somehow we seem to be watching the after effects of a conflict, a conflagration, even if only social, for which there is no escape, no solace. Hopeless situation and damage done. In Potemkine, or Metropolis, to speak of another silent movie with stricken, defeated people, people eventually do revolt.
Here, it seems even bleeker (street?). These people, living in the richest country on earth are even less capable of a reaction (a revolution?) than in more totalitarian, enslaving regimes.
But then again: I wouldn’t really know what the definition of intention is, other than what the dictionary tells me. Quite a pretentious word, I guess.
Right on Preston..
Spot on!
peace
Wow, thanks to all of you for your encouragement and criticisms. I take everything that is written here with gratitude and humility. This is a great forum and I’m happy to be included.
All about the technique for me. Loved it!! Wonderful concept brilliantly executed. Very well done!
Cary,
you are also a class act..
thank u for your inspiration and sharing with us…
my above criticism was going to the “editors” that are using us ( photogs )
just for profit… but im sure you got that…
peace & hugs…
ALL / Lisa / Valery..I believe that as people we are indebted to humanity, to give of ourselves as fully as is possible and to see our brother as ourself..but I take issue with the thought that as photographers we are indebted to the people we photograph in the narrow sense, ie that we launch an exhibit to raise funds to donate to their needs, or tell their story as they would want it to be told. I feel that we each have to follow our own hearts in this manner, and to know that ultimately photography only tells us about how something looked. Even if one is a photographer of social causes with the intention of bringing change, a photographer should be able to, and really must tell the story from his own perspective..As well, why isn’t it enough that we see, that we care, that we spend countless hours and dollars in order to see and document and share..
CARY,
I haven’t been around burn for a while and I’ve sort of gotten bored with photo slideshows on the internet and I’m waiting for more selected photographs here on burn. The slideshows almost all look the same and sometimes waste 3-5 minutes of my time. Then I pressed play on this one and was surprised and impressed. The best slideshow I’ve seen a while, or at least the most original! Thanks!
What I gather from this is that people need people. However, the woman is so pre-occupied with living her life on her cellphone. How can she acknowledge those whom she shares company? Fear and laziness have an amazing grip on our own abilities to make a difference. What we need in America is a new kind of charity that isn’t about giving dollars, but of giving one’s self. We’re a convenience society of which I’m a guilty participant. Somehow we have to find a way to give even when it’s inconvenient.
While the technical aspects of this essay are kind of cool, I find the treatment of this very common subject to be quite average. Most photographs are of people sleeping. The homeless are too often seen as “easy pickings” for gut-wrenching photos, that in all honesty don’t serve any purpose other than to satisfy the whims of the photographer.
I agree with Panos’ comparison to Katia’s work and I would also add that Mike Brodie, aka the Polaroid Kidd ( http://www.needles-pens.com/polaroidkidd.html ) has produced much more intriguing photos, which reflect a more active desire to engage with, and perhaps help these desperate people.
…this piece hit me on so many levels, I really don’t know where to start.
Aesthetics:
1) Stop action seems to be the “hot” new thing at the moment. Most of the time, it strikes me as a photographer trying to squeeze water from a stone. (video from stills) This does not.
2) Reminded me of WPA work, which I feel is beginning to find parallels to today’s “great depression” I’m currently trying to find my own way with this comparison and I am inspired by this approach to it.
Technique:
1) Cary – how did you light this? (the stop action that is) – was is projected onto the ground glass?
2) I am someone who rarely showers people with compliments – I find myself being a much harsher critic than I would wish on myself. That said, Cary, you’re overall body of work is stellar. It’s rare to find someone who really “gets” street photography (myself included) and you obviously have the gift.
Subject Matter:
1) Correct me if I’m wrong, Cary, but I assume you shot most of these images on the “daily hunt” so-to-speak. Single shots caught in the moment. Perhaps this is why some folks here see these images as dehumanizing their subjects. I think the criticism here would have to revolve around Cary’s approach then. Street photography is simply a different beast from social documentation where humanizing the subject really thrives – embedding, getting to know the subject through hours/days/years of experience with them and their world a la Eugene Richards.
2) Good photojournalism fosters questions, arguments, debate… Obviously Cary has done that with these images. For me, the photos say more about us (the viewer) than they do about the subject matter.
Hi, Niels. Here’s an example. I’m pretty sure that when Steve McCurry spotted 13-year-old Sharbat Gula in a refugee camp in Afghanistan, he was thinking about her electric green eyes and the light around her (we can ask him if he stops by Burn, as he did last week). I doubt he was thinking that he could snap this portrait of “The Afghan Girl” and have it become a symbol of the plight of Afghans in their fight against the Soviets and that the world would be moved to care, and therefore act, to improve the lives of people like her. No, he snapped the photo and sent it to NatGeo with the rest of the slides from his assignment; the editors placed it on the cover. Millions of people saw it. It became a modern-day Mona Lisa, easily one of the most famous photographs of all time, and we would like to think that the world started to care a little but more about Afghanistan.
But the reaction to the photograph had nothing to do with McCurry’s intention in snapping it. He was just trying to make a portrait.
I think it’s a mistake to try to read too much into a photographer’s intention. Most of us, unless we are paparazzi, photograph with a goal of being sympathetic to our subjects, presenting them with dignity or grace. We photograph subjects we are drawn to, those for which we feel a connection. It is often disturbing to see photos where the relationship between the photographer and subject is unclear — this seems to be the reaction against Cary’s presentation. But regardless of what he thinks about the issue of homelessness, his intention was no different from that of any other photographer. It was just to take the best photos he could.
If McCurry’s Afghan girl portrait had been blurry or overexposed, or if her eyes had been closed, the photo would not have been published. The photographer’s job is to be a photographer — activism may or may not come later. The best photographers, which include Salgado, Nachtwey, McCurry, and our generous host David Harvey, display for their subjects what the poet Donald Justice called, “A love that masquerades as pure technique.”
i’ve written enough this week, not to blog up some more, so i’ll just say I second what Preston as written…particularly quoting Justice (who is a find damn poet indeed)….lots has been made of the treatment (including by yours truly) and much has been made with the appearance of using these destitute and often desolate people for photographic fodder, coldly and cowardly. I actually didnt get that sense at all. While, I tend to prefer (alot) more photographers who actively engage with their subjects (i too loath big lens and drive-by/walk-by shootings) like Kati’a work, like the magisterial John vink and his projects or, to second the comment of Asher, work by ‘insiders’ like the Polaroid Kidd….one can argue that all the photos seem to be taken on the fly, without engagement of the people (who are often asleep or drunk or lost), but that is difficult for me to judge…
I rarely rarely ‘judge’ another photographer’s intent, because it’s impossible and it’s a very very dangereous orientation to begin to criticize morally the work of others, because the truth is that if we are honest all of us, generally, are users, all of us slavishly cultivate our practice and photographs, beckoning attention for them, increasingly over the value anything. However, i view Cary’s ‘intent’ through the use of how he used the pans: he used this cinematic device to show juxtaposition, to call attention to our expectations, as an way to ‘re-see’ the suffering of these lives. the technique he’s used here actually works stronger (for me) than most of the individual images, and it is difficult to not react to content and not to be moved and none of us, NOT ONE OF US, knows Cary’s intentions or his relationships or his work (life work) outside of these images. It is a very dangeous precendent to start to judge the morality of ethic or the intent of a person’s loving kindness and goodness based on this. that’s why i tend to deal specifically with the pictures at hand…and to live as a person as richly as person, to be generous above all, it’s my personal duty..but, we cannot say that this is less a duty or more for another soley on their imagery…
i understand the passion and frustration that Panos and Lisa feel but we must be very careful to reserve our judgments but for ourselves, because we do not know anything nor anothers behvior based soley on an essay….
i think erica and preston are right on……then again, i havent looked at the blog or his website yet (no time today)….anyway….
I believe his intention was to witness and to show, especially the city that has very often forgotten the lives that still make up his waist rims, that there is still suffering abound and we must not forget that…that is still, for me, the personal measure of each of us: to look upon ourselves, rather than to cast aside others in judgement and refutation…
oh, and for those who have never seen this film: GO, TONIGHT, IMMEDIATELY, AND RENT IT
Marc Singer’s DARK DAYS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh4s78Db5OQ
running
bob
Asher…
Right on..
Thanks for the link..
Nothing to add..
U nailed it
Peace and hugs
Great job Cary, you have done it again. I hope you don’t mind that I have forwarded this to friends of ours that work with the homeless here in Wichita.
Preston, it’s difficult for me to make my point in english and not in dutch, but I’ll give it a try. Personally, I wouldn’t limit intention to activism or compassion or raising awareness nor would I limit the impact of Mccurry’s portrait (or photographs by Salgado or Nachtwey or Harvey) to just technical quality: the line you quote seems to suggest there is more to it than just pure craftsmanship. You say that the reaction to the photograph had nothing to do with McCurry’s intention in snapping it, but let me ask you: had the reaction only to do or was it only created by the technical ability of the photograph/photographer? Maybe I am overstating my point or maybe I am wrong altogether. I guess I have to give it some more thought.
I admire Cary’s Visual Diaries and have spent a good amount of time going over that work and always find surprises that make me chuckle. He’s onto something with this technique but I have to echo Lisa’s sentiments. Beyond the presentation, this is an extremely cliche depiction of homelessness and poverty.
About half way through I remembered the piece in The Onion from a few years ago….
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/54120
Because I respect Cary as an artist and enjoy his work, I guess I was expecting a bit more nuance in this piece. I would be really interested in a similar piece that utilized his more lyrical, poetic street work.
Erica, I agree with you, I was only commenting on Lisa’s comments of her taking offense to the fact that the essay lacked humanity and I absolutely am not saying that the photographer should change his perspective thats why I said only if the photographer felt he need to do so. I like the Essay very much as is. Sorry I was so unclear.