Saturday, October 1, 2016

Rhinoceros: Readings - Nicolas Lampert

A People's Art History of the United States
Nicolas Lampert

   This reading talks about how photographers have the power to change anything that is going on in a photo, which means that photos often tell us more about the photographer than what is being photographed. In this reading they talk specifically about Native Americans being photographed as if they were untouched by white society, which was seen as problematic by many people because it is a false representation of the reality Native Americans live. The Native Americans became angered by all of this and started resisting the camera and protesting against photographers. Natives took matters into their own hands and became photographers to document their culture in a correct way that only they could do. 
   I can totally understand why the Natives were angered by these outside photographers documenting them in a false way. I completely agree that photos turn out way better when they are truly one hundred percent authentic as opposed to staged. When a photo is staged it loses so much meaning versus actually capturing a real moment in time and portraying things how they actually are.

No comments:

Post a Comment