Week 5: Gazing at Photographs
The human gaze through the camera lens is often a privileged viewpoint, sometimes an educational one, and frequently a voyeuristic intrusion or invitation.
The examples we saw this week focused largely on the portrayal of disability and vulnerability in advertising imagery. As someone who has worked for charities and fundraising schemes I am aware of the ethical dilemma’s faced by organisations trying to raise awareness. Unfortunately sometimes that message is lost or misrepresented by advertising agencies, and the effect of this can be just as detrimental to the cause as the implied benefit. The ‘shock value’ is sometimes adopted in an attempt to brutally inflict guilt on the viewer, rather than raise awareness or positivity which may be the fundamental aim of the message.
I think the eighties campaigns by the MDA were quite explicit and almost verging on exploitative (of the people depicted) in order to project that feeling of sadness and despair for those with disabilities, without actually offering the viewer anything other than pity. They were in fact to me more of a propaganda message to shame society rather than offer it a vision of equality possibilities. I equally found the Vogue Paralympian images from 2016 incredibly offensive when I found out that able bodied people had been used, with disabilities photoshopped in. Although the message may have been valid this fails for me on two points. Firstly able bodied people should not be representing or impersonating disabled people in publicity. Secondly, this was an attempt to trick the viewer of the photograph into a false scenario. For all the criticisms of Arbus’s work in the 1970’s of civilians with physical or mental conditions, there is no doubting the honesty in her work, whatever her true intentions were. There was no filter for these people, there were taken at face value, and as disturbing or exploitative the images may appear to be, they are real.
There are also many pre-conceptions and pre-judgments levied at voyeuristic photography that are of a sexual or invasive nature. There is an interesting interview Kohei Yoshiyuki who series of work called ‘The Park’ raised considerable controversy. They are often hard to interpret due to the candid and poor compositional nature of the scene.
“I went there to become a friend of the voyeurs. To photograph the voyeurs, I needed to be considered one of them. I behaved like I had the same interest as the voyeurs, but I was equipped with a small camera." Yoshiyuki
Figure 1 & 2: Yoshiyuki, (1973)
The ‘gaze’ I adopt in shooting the performing arts is frequently a very public one, shared by many others at the same time. When I am offered more intimate and private opportunities these are always with full cooperation and participation of the artist. These rare moments are very special and possibly the most enjoyable element of shooting someone be that as a portrait or in a private space. There is an almost voyeuristic nature to backstage photography, and the intent is always to be as inconspicuous as possible, whilst still exploiting that privileged position of capturing people in their personal space. In a sense I do assert some levels of control during these situations, my positioning in particular, but to a greater degree I am at the mercy of the artist and follow their lead.
Figure 3 & 4: Tipping (2019)
Additionally this week as part of my critical research I have edited and uploaded an interview I did with the Photographer Simon Annand. The interview runs for approximately 45 mins and Simon who is one of the worlds most well respected and trusted photographers was happy to discuss his work in Theatres shooting some of the worlds most famous actors. Simon also discusses here that approach of intimacy and trust where the photographers gaze is all empowering. This was incredibly useful research for me, particularly as his work informs and inspires my practice and desire to capture the performing arts. Although this element of my MA is on hold for the moment until lockdown is lifted, I plan at some stage to return to it. Simon gave me some valuable philosophies and interpretations of how photography and the arts interact.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kohei Yoshiyuki article available online at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/sep/20/kohei-yoshiyuki-voyeurs-liverpool-biennial
Figure 1 & 2: Yohei Yoshiyuki, Untitled, 1973, from The Park, Milo Gallery, New York
Figure 3 & 4: Mark Tipping, 2019, Tom Speight and the Tom Williams band, on tour.