"Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin," thought Alice; "but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!"
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Photographs attract false beliefs the way flypaper attracts flies. [...] Because vision is privileged in our society and our sensorium. We trust it; we place our confidence in it. Photography allows us to uncritically think. We imagine that photographs provide magic path to the truth.
Errol Morris, Believing Is Seeing: Observations on the Mysteries of Photography.
..."We imagine that photographs provide magic path to the truth."...
ReplyDeleteImagination can be a strength, as well as a deficiency. As long as your vision is anchored in reality, everyday life can notion of magic flourish. Magic then become an guide on the way.
In regard to, photography, is a good dose of self-criticism needed. Which I think many are missing.
Barbro, in some respect i agree with you, however anchor your vision in reality is not really an imagination. I would say that photography serves two aspects of human life - document and embellish. The trick is that oftentimes people mix them together and blur the boundary on purpose. When this happens it cuts deep to overall perception of photography as technical means to record the image of "reality". The picture above is also a record of reality more so than many others in this blog, however it is taken out of context and slightly manipulated colors make it look unreal (or at least that's what i got from the response in Photosig). In this context (of mixed-up roles and blurred boundaries) only communicated verbal beliefs are left for the viewer. That's what i think E. Morris meant in his book. Cheers!
ReplyDeletestunning shot.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gavin.
ReplyDelete