Screening men as objects of desire
The biggest problem I see in addressing the question of the objectification of men (or the representation of men as objects of desire) is that we can’t really avoid comparing it to the objectification of women and that is such … Continue reading Screening men as objects of desire
Colour #3: Aleksandra Vajd
All that is to know about Aleksandra Vajd’s project “Friends of friends are friends” (featured below) can be find in a text by Laura Amann, here. … Continue reading Colour #3: Aleksandra Vajd
What if Maud had a camera?
Maud Dowley (1903-1970) was a Canadian artist, from Nova Scotia, who lived a harsh life (in part due to her suffering from rheumatoid arthritis). She dedicated … Continue reading What if Maud had a camera?
Colour #2: Sanne de Wilde
What’s wrong with a purple sun? It’s been challenging to write about Belgian photographer Sanne de Wilde‘s The Island of the Colorblind. I mentioned the project here once before, but at the time the book was about to be published (by … Continue reading Colour #2: Sanne de Wilde
Colour #1: Akihiko Miyoshi
Here is a selection of Akihiko Miyoshi’s profound, complex and beautifully coloured work. Photography’s impulse to depict in its most utilitarian tendencies (for example photo-journalism as … Continue reading Colour #1: Akihiko Miyoshi
Margolles, minorities and the arts
On average, I enter a shopping mall once a year, and only if I can’t avoid it. I hate everything about them. This year, I already … Continue reading Margolles, minorities and the arts
Art forgery in the XXI century
Eduardo Martins is no Wolfgang Beltracchi, but the truth is he managed to turn himself into a heroish-like-photojournalist. Regarding the substance of what was being created, … Continue reading Art forgery in the XXI century
João Pina and an idea of respect…
I came into this video when it was already 30 minutes in. I recognized the photographer but didn’t know about the series and for a couple of minutes I thought he was joking and this was some kind of absurd … Continue reading João Pina and an idea of respect…
The Observer likes to hunt
Half a dozen years ago I was a romantic. Everything bordered on being overwhelming. As I started to understand what that dark romantic feeling was all … Continue reading The Observer likes to hunt
Seeing is believing
Some years ago I was having a discussion with a friend about going to visit animals in enclosed spaces and as my friend was arguing for his position, he stated: how else can I see them? Somehow, I’ve never forgotten … Continue reading Seeing is believing
Disconnecting from your body
Most people have a very special layer around their bodies (non-scientifically described as a second-skin) that protects them from the outside menaces. I’m sure if we … Continue reading Disconnecting from your body
Photographing Corners
There’s something about a photograph of a corner that intrinsically relates to the essence of photography. Although I don’t pretend to know what that essence is, it’s clear to me that it somehow has to do with how we, as … Continue reading Photographing Corners
Jordan Gale: ‘I was lucky’
I came across Jordan Gale‘s project It is what it is @ Lenscratch. At first, it was a darkness that grabbed my attention, but then something else triggered a different engagement with his work. In what seems like a statement … Continue reading Jordan Gale: ‘I was lucky’
The devil in Terje Abusdal’s pictures: how I once dreamt I ate my family
Before today, I didn’t know Terje Abusdal’s work and I confess I fell for it. I’m not exceptionally good at anything, except at falling in love … Continue reading The devil in Terje Abusdal’s pictures: how I once dreamt I ate my family
Soham Gupta’s pictures haunt us
Soham Gupta‘s statement: Angst is my reaction to the trials through which some people must pass in our society. This work has its roots in my … Continue reading Soham Gupta’s pictures haunt us
Typifying: is this scientific approach revealing?
I once wrote a brief post about the effects of the Düsseldorf school, following Grant Scott‘s article Has the Düsseldorf school killed photography? (which I can no longer find available online). At the time, I hadn’t given much thought to the … Continue reading Typifying: is this scientific approach revealing?
No singular observer, after Marie-José Mondzain’s ‘Can images Kill?’
Knowing about my fixation with the ethics of photography, particularly when it comes to documentary images, a friend suggested I might be interested in a portuguese edition of Marie-José Mondzain‘s ‘Can images Kill’. As I went searching online, I came … Continue reading No singular observer, after Marie-José Mondzain’s ‘Can images Kill?’
Marco Breuer: brightness can fool you
Breuer has been making abstract photographs since the early 1990s. However, in contrast to Aaron Siskind, whose black-and-white photographs of walls were linked to the gestural paintings … Continue reading Marco Breuer: brightness can fool you
‘Pictures of atrocity’ and ‘Pornographic imagery’, a conversation with Alfredo Jaar
Still regarding the fires in Portugal and the choices made by the media, a well known Portuguese historian, Pacheco Pereira, said overall the journalists had entered into a sort of “pain masturbation”. In cases of tragedy, where human drama in … Continue reading ‘Pictures of atrocity’ and ‘Pornographic imagery’, a conversation with Alfredo Jaar
Photojournalism under fire
I don’t doubt the need for photojournalism and I’m aware that what I’m about to do is, in a lot of senses, offensive, particularly to the experiences photojournalists go through in order to document situations that are horrible, unimaginable, experiences … Continue reading Photojournalism under fire
Pitch-black
It’s a dark day in Portugal. A huge fire hit a central region of the country and the worst happened. Because a part of my family … Continue reading Pitch-black
Pornography in a month
I noticed it’s been almost a month since my last publication. During that period I attempted three different posts and none made it to the end, the reason being Propeller, a project I was invited (by Hélice) to collaborate with. Propeller … Continue reading Pornography in a month
When is a picture of atrocity “needed”?
This past March, a painting by white american author Dana Schutz triggered an interesting discussion that ultimately lead to a debate about freedom of expression. The painting in question (featured below) is titled Open Casket and was exhibited at the Whitney Biennial, … Continue reading When is a picture of atrocity “needed”?
How Souvid Datta’s unethical behavior is exposing photojournalism’s lack of ethics
For me, it all started last Monday, when I came across a post, by BENJAMIN CHESTERTON, entitled LENSCULTURE AND THE COMMODIFICATION OF RAPE, in which the author addressed a photo-contest created by Magnum Photos and LensCulture. The core of the problem was, … Continue reading How Souvid Datta’s unethical behavior is exposing photojournalism’s lack of ethics
Between performance and theater
Vito Acconci passed away last Friday, the 28th, at 77. Acconci’s performances were partly responsible for my interest in staged photography, which then developed into an … Continue reading Between performance and theater
Photo-catharsis by Leif Sandberg
So much has been said about Leif Sandberg‘s project Ending that words fail me. Still, the quality of his work and the importance it has for those, like me, who embrace photography both as a means of artistic expression, but … Continue reading Photo-catharsis by Leif Sandberg
Love as muscle
In an interview conducted by Heather Davis & Paige Sarlin and published on No More Potlucks, Michael Hardt invokes Spinoza to explain love. There, he states: When I get confused about love, or other things in the world, thinking about … Continue reading Love as muscle
SHE and ‘the nude’
Being a teacher is an everyday learning experience. We’re challenged in very different ways: either because we need to learn how to teach, either because we need to find ways to potentiate their vision. They trust us and that’s a huge responsibility. When … Continue reading SHE and ‘the nude’
Cha Cha, Bang Bang
I’ve been meaning to watch this for some time, but was lacking the courage, until today. I knew I would be troubled and conflicted about the project, so I was struggling to decide whether I should even see it, to … Continue reading Cha Cha, Bang Bang
Photography and Feminism (here we go again)
If there’s one thing different kinds of feminism can agree upon is their will to “empower women”. But, that’s it; once we get started on the meaning of that “empowerment” the apparent cohesion starts to fall apart. Some co-called feminists think … Continue reading Photography and Feminism (here we go again)
