Nov. 10, 2008 - Endless Rotation

There are those who say that photographic "Art" might be best served when images depict life's realities rather than some "idealized" view of our surroundings. The argument seems to be that while there is nothing inherently wrong with photographs of unblemished natural beauty, such images misinform the viewer or, worse, will appeal only to the "Wow" reflex that resides in all of us. A photograph of a small, blue lake reflecting the rich colors of a late fall afternoon is a cliche that lulls us into believing that the world is not such a bad place after all. It acts more like a visual sedative than an intellectual stimulant, the latter being the more desired effect.

Now, I have no problem whatsoever with images that cause me to question what's happening in the world around me. There is nothing more powerful, in my opinion, than a photograph that exposes the worst characteristics of humanity, whether it be the way we treat our environment or the way we too often treat each other. It is subject matter that will never grow old and never become cliche. We will always need photographs that illustrate our darkest side since we are, literally, our own worst enemy.

But let's imagine for a moment that all photographers felt that way, that the only images ever captured by anyone were of dead streams and lakes, polluted cities and towns, and examples of the depraved, narcissistic indifference of far too many humans towards anything that did not feed their own appetites. If images of chaos, human misery and rot were the only images we ever saw, what would be the result? Would we be inspired to correct these conditions, or would we simply be "conditioned" to accept them?

The argument for non-idealized photographs is valid - we of course need to see what's not right with the world. But I think we need to see the other side as well. We need to see what will be lost if humanity continues to behave as it is currently behaving. We need to see the world as it might appear if humans no longer existed (always a distinct possibility!). Neither image type is more important than the other - it is the balance between the two that, in my opinion, offers the best hope for "Photographic Art" to have an influence on those who view what we create.