24th September 2015
Read David Campany’s
essay “Safety in Numbness”. Summarise the key points of the essay and note down
your own observations on the points he raises.
Source
David Campany Safety in numbness: Some remarks and problems
on Late Photography 2003
Campany, D. (ed) (2007) The Cinematic. London: Whitechapel
Campany suggests that photography may be a better medium
than television for recording official history. This is a point he refers back
to over the course of the article.
Meyerowitz was granted a special sanction by officials to
record the aftermath and clean-up of the “Twin Towers” collapse. Campany sees
this as important in that photography was the chosen medium, and the organising
body recognised that an official record needed making.
Campany raises the issue that Meyerowitz’s images were the
trace of the trace of the event. This is contemporary photography and its use
is on the increase especially within advertising. It is a “straight” image and
usually has no people in it. As it was not possible to take this type of image
at the event, it forms a different record for us, working in two ways; it
either helps us to remember the event and move on or stops progress from being
made. This image has a different relationship to memory and history than a
snapshot.
Media views moving images as the present and still images as
the past. Photograph is seen as nostalgic. It is less complicated to look at a
still image and the viewer may remember it better because of the information
which surrounds us. The photograph or still image is supported by cultural
information and open to interpretation. With television the still image could
be viewed as a period of inactivity which would not be memorable.
Photojournalists take late images after the event has
happened and the video cameras have left. The photographer sends back still images
rather than using frozen pieces of film. Only occasionally a photo breaks
through the news. Following video and newspaper reports, photographs may be
displayed in a gallery or magazine. This allows people to see what may have
been unreported.
As people understood the effects of stillness of
photographs, it seemed that this type of photography should come into its own.
But the delay needed to produce the desired effect meant it went out of fashion
and had to be redefined and fit in with other mediums. Photographers such as
Paul Seawright engaged with aftermath photography seeking out the “truth” and
showing the evidence which Campany describes as “photographic” photography
(p191). These straight images are detatched from the moment. He explains that
Meyerowitz stated that the images took themselves, although they resonate his
personal style.
Campany alludes to “late photography” being a “convincing
style in contemporary culture” (p192) because it appears superior against all the
images we are subjected to. On the other hand, it cannot be described as
enlightening or critical. The concern is that if viewed without the context of
what actually happened, the late photograph will make people behave differently
(become indifferent to politics or mourn by association). The viewer may
experience a sense of the sublime from the late photographs. Campany clarifies
that this is because banal and the sublime are linked by politics.
Some of this echoed with Roland
Barthes Camera Lucida, and writing surrounding memory which I had read in
preparation for Assignment 1 (subject-roadside memorials). However, this took
it further, in comparing photography with other mediums and specifically
looking at the issues of late photography.
Campany mentioned that Meyerowitz
was granted a special sanction to photograph the aftermath of the event. He was
a well-known photographer with a personal style. I wondered how the museum
chose him to represent the work rather than several individuals. I questioned
whether different photographers would represent the aftermath in different ways
and if this would alter the “truth” of the perceived image.
There are theories on how we
associate with images. Most people remember the image of the man falling from
the Twin Towers amongst all the video footage which was shown at the time. I
agree with Campany’s point about associating with a still image, as if it is
the pause required to make us see what is happening.
This essay looks at the rise of
late photography but there are still war photographers in war zones who do take
photographs of the areas which are published in newspapers and posted on news internet
sites. These tend to show action and people rather than the landscape (Paul
Seawright – Hidden- late photography landscape)
I wondered whether the use for
late photography was to help us understand what was happening politically.
Campany refers to Meyerowitz as being chosen, and Paul Seawright was
commissioned by The Imperial War Museum in London. The National Civil War
Centre in Newark is currently running an exhibition of war photography which
advertises that children may find it distressing. I will be visiting to find
out why! i presume this is war photography rather than "late photography".
I pondered how long after the
event is a late photograph considered a late photograph? E.g last month I came
across an essay from Alec Soth, taken 10 years after the event of Hurricane Katrina.
He did not photograph at the time with the masses of photographers. Some of his
images do show people, but how people are living and rebuilding lives in the
wake of the aftermath. Because this is in people’s memories, studying these
images when the immediate crisis is over gives people space to think about
them. http://www.newyorker.com/project/portfolio/katrina-photo-essay
Look at some of Meyerowitz’s images available from Aftermath: World
Trade Centre Archive (2006). Consider how the images differ from your own
memories of the news footage and other images of the time. Write a short
response to the work (around 300 words) noting what value you feel this “late”
approach has.
I remember moving images on the
television of the planes hitting the twin towers of the World Trade Centre
interspersed with images of the falling man. From what I recall, the news
centred on the actual event and then the search for missing persons with a huge
wall which had been created for people to post names and photographs. Personal
stories and experiences were aired.
Looking at the work of
Mererowitz, my first thoughts were how he had made use of natural lighting or search
lights to make the remains of the building look uncanny. It reminded me of
recreated images of the Titanic. Here were people at work clearing the debris
and aftermath; and he had captured touches like a bouquet of flowers laid next
to a tower, tools needed for the job. Poignancy too showed with the wreath
being suspended.
The value of this type of
photography is that it has left something behind to share with future
generations to help them come to terms with the event. My son was 10 months old at the time
and cannot recall the towers collapsing, but has a curiosity in it. As people
continue to share and relive the photographs and footage of the event they may
move forward. Friends of mine have visited the site and spoken about the
emotions raised. Maybe because these images show the beauty with the sublime,
they will help generations come to terms with the event. I would consider “late”
images to have value for this reason.
