Title: The Harvest of Death, Gettysburg Pennsylvania, July 1863. Artist: Timothy O'Sullivan.
Photo: Julie Jacobson. From the article "The Death of One Marine in Afghanistan." Photo is from Aug. 2009 article is from Sept. 2009.
Yesterday while commuting to and from work I was listening to NPR, as is my usual practice. I find it very stress relieving while driving in crazy traffic that is sprinkled by a lack of turn signals and a pinch of construction. All the talk for the majority of the day seemed focused on a rather controversial photo taken by the AP (Associated Press), a news organization that has been reporting for one-hundred and sixty-three years. This story really made me think, where do we draw the line?
In the art history and art appreciation texts I have read and that I teach from there are lots of examples of gruesome and controversial art. There are a plethora of examples where artists respond to the tragedies of war as well, but, nobody seems all in a tussle about these images anymore. Is it time that takes away the sting? I personally find the images of the dead soldiers from the Civil War just as disturbing as the ones from the war in Afghanistan, but yet one is so much more controversial than the other. They both fall into the category of documentary photography, they are both dead young men, and they both stirred discussion in their times. So, where is it exactly that we draw the line between acceptable documentary photography that captures war and something that is just too much? I don't think anybody has the right answer or if there even could be an answer that is considered "correct" but, I think it is important that we think about where the lines are drawn in situations like these to open a discourse about art, the events in our lives, and the recording of history as it is being made.
Links to the article, photograph, and discussion of the controversy can be found here: http://www.eandppub.com/2009/09/ap-photo-of-afghan-death-that-is-causing-controversy.html
May inspiration and creativity be with you!
I agree that both images are equally disturbing. But both photos are wonderful captures of a time of war. War is sad, tragic & gruesome, but by no means should it be sugar-coated or hidden. Photography is one of the best ways we have to view history and things of the past.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where we draw the line, but I don't think this is too much.
So sad and disturbibg Stopping in from Sits to say hi come on by
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