PART 1: Storyboard of Photos
The phone slipped out of my hand as the words became more clear in my head. Did it mean what I thought it meant? Could I trust what my ears were telling me? Why did this have to happen now?
My mind races as my vision blurs. I snap my head to the left and right and realize that I am here now; in public, surrounded by infinite possibilities. The world expands and shrinks and I can feel the world closing in upon me.
I have to get out of here - now. I'm not strong enough to face this reality on my own. I'm barely strong enough to keep my feet underneath my liquid knees. I hear my mind scream at my feet telling them to run, Run, RUN!
A kaleidoscope of angles flood my senses and I fall a step or two then five. The sweat on palms search for grip on the peeled paint of the rusted rail, and every moment balance seems to be leveled toward me, the metaphorical and literal gravity of the situation forces itself upon every square inch of my draining humanity. I try to focus on motor skills: leftfootrightfootleftfootrightfoot aroundandroundandroundandround......
Somehow I make it into my tiled sanctuary and slam the partition shut. I fall back upon the porcelain seat and heave the sprinting pain out of my lungs. Slowly my thoughts careen down to a manageable speed...I try to convince myself that it is going to be ok, it's going to be ok, it's SHHHHHH....what was that? It was in the stall next to me... I don't think I'm alone. I am never alone.
PART 2: Berger Analysis
In his seminal book Ways of Seeing, John Berger makes a variety of claims regarding the
nature of photography as an art and as a medium of communication. One
particular focus that Berger expanded on is the different relationships between
the subject of the photo, the photographer, and intended audience as well as
the choices, emphases, and pre-existing circumstances that may or may not
inform how the end product was conceived, created and observed. One solid claim
that Berger makes along these lines is that a photograph is simply a
reproduction of an original sight. Essentially, he argues that the photographer
and the subject are secondary to the perception of the audience that is viewing
that reproduction. He says that photos
are “detached from the place and time in which it first made its appearance and
preserved – for a few moments or a few centuries” (Berger 9-10). This means
that the original intention of the image may be completely construed by a
future viewer’s biases and personal experience.
One
of the exhibits at the Gallery of Contemporary Arts of UCCS exemplifies
Berger’s point perfectly. There was gallery that showed a progression of a
young girl’s life through a traumatic life experience. For full disclosure it’s
important to note that in this exhibit there was a written explanation of the
subject matter of the photos, but it’s safe to assume that not all people who
view the piece read the explanation, so Berger’s specific point can be taken in
full. For every viewer, the images of a pain stricken child will strike
different chords. As time passes and the images remain the same, advances in
medical technology may make the photos look gruesome and archaic. Future media
laws involving children may make the photo illegal for obscenity reasons.
The point is basically
this: Berger’s thesis that photos are reproductions that are detached from
their purpose can plainly been seen by any viewer who looks on this exhibit and
feels or sees anything that contradicts what the artist wrote on his
explanation.
Works Cited
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. British Broadcasting Cooperation and Penguin Books Ltd: London 1972. Print.
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