A few days ago Moni Basu of CNN published a provocative piece comparing the photography of War to the photography of Fashion.
Whether this is an absurd evocation, an intellectual exercise, or an astute reflection I’m not calling it. I can’t. But the idea of taking an individual photographer who has shot both war and fashion and juxtaposing images from the two bodies of work, was curious and very disturbing. At one end, sure, there’s the composition and technique – brilliantly and noticably similar…at the other end of the spectrum is the danger of belittling such a weighty topic as war with such a flippant topic as fashion. All in all, plenty of tension, which is why I thought this a worthy share.
I still don’t know what to think. Generally speaking its not a surprise that popular reactions worldwide to this piece have been swift and, dare I say it, overwhelmingly unflattering. Basu has been quick to defend herself by explaining:
We are not comparing war to fashion. We are comparing the photos that come from those disparate circumstances.
But can you compare the photos taken of disparate circumstances without comparing the circumstances themselves? It’s a big stretch to take for the sake of alliteration. Just as Basu took the scales to the two forms of photography, we should take them to her project. On the one hand, I understand the goal of juxtaposition for being evocative. Whether bravery or naiveté, it takes a large dose of both in large doses to dive right into the deep end, which is what she did.
This project will always be an invitation for serious criticism and judgment. Write what words you may write around the images, but sitting an image of American soldiers at the same table as runway models with the title “War & Fashion” at the head is a guaranteed poke with a sharp stick for many. Even for those opposed to war (or fashion for that matter).
I wrote about wartime photojournalists a few weeks ago in part to celebrate the individuals who took the photos but also to appreciate the work itself. Although I threw up a sequence of shots, each photo really deserves to stand on its own — such is the emotional impact they have. It’s hard to imagine comparing say, Eddie Adams’ iconic Vietnam photo to a model having her makeup put on.
I guess I “get” it, but I’m not sure on the issue of taste. But then, I’m no Moni Basu.
[If this topic is unsettling to begin with, please don’t scroll down to look at the photos. And please no ranting. Opinion yes, thrashing, no. This is intended/shared with the goal of critical reflection and respectful discussion only.]
Baghdad, Iraq. 2003. Photo by Christopher Anderson / Magnum Photos.
NYC, USA. February, 2008. Photo by Christopher Anderson / Magnum Photos.
Beirut, Lebanon. August, 2006. Photo by Christopher Anderson / Magnum Photos.
NYC, USA. February, 2008. Photo by Christopher Anderson / Magnum Photos.
Cairo, Eqypt. 2011. Photo by Paolo Pellegrin / Magnum Photos.
New York, 2005. Photo by Paolo Pellegrin / Magnum Photos.
Baghdad, Iraq. November, 2004. Photo by Jerome Sessini / Magnum Photos.
Milan, Italy. September, 2012. Photo by Jerome Sessini / Magnum Photos.
Cairo, Egypt. February, 2011. Photo by Alex Majoli / Magnum Photos.
NYC, USA. 2009. Photo by Alex Majoli / Magnum Photos.
In war and fashion, it’s still about capturing the moment. If you’re not there when it happens, you won’t get it.
As someone who grew up in a conflict zone (Israel) I always avoided taking pictures of conflict, colleagues of mine won awards because they photographed the conflict, occupation, explosions, terror and decided to concentrate on the beauty life has to offer.
I’d shoot a boring fashion shot any day, over dead bodies and injured.
War is horrible, especially when its on your front door, fashion is beautiful, is art, is pure
(and yes, I am aware of anorexia and egos and distortion)
I can’t understand why some people come across all self righteous about the juxtaposition of these images. War, killing and murder are a natural human condition, one that can be traced back through history. World peace is the unnatural state, it’s not normal, a state that humanity has never had and never will. People must except that photography (a modern form of communication) is available to document what man does. These images show something that might at first seem a comparison between a facile industry (fashion) and a serious condition (war) but both have one thing in common, other than the apparent link between compositions. Both reflect our culture and history, both act as a record of mankind. Don’t belittle the intellectual exercise, if you go beyond the surface you might find something new or you might pause and think about what we are doing to each other. If images of war produce such a charged response, then ask yourself why there are so many wars fought today. The image has changed nothing; we sit back and consume them just like fashion. So maybe this juxtaposition of fashion and war images has more power together, than if they were separate, think about that.
Thank you. Your comment is the most intelligent thing said about this juxtaposition that I’ve come across. The comment thread on the CNN page that Chase linked makes me sad for our species.
I find it odd that when looking at a photographic presentation like this, most people are unable to separate the photographs from the reality depicted. Magritte’s “this is not a pipe” painting comes to mind.
@Jeremy, I too was thinking of Magritte’s Pipe painting when I wrote those comments, how spooky. The threads on the actual link posted also make me sad for our future. I suppose that is nature of the internet, which is why a rarely post comments. However I believe we are living in a world where written text is being taken over by the visual image, we therefore need to educate people about reading images and their function and not to react blindly to knee jerk opinion. Thanks to Chase for posting it here, where debate might prevail in an orderly fashion (no pun intended). Can you tell I am a Lecturer?
First interesting critic I have read too. Thank you very much, my eyes were beginning to hurt from the quantity of rubbish publish on the CNN website.
As for any daring juxtaposition, I reckon, misunderstanding is a common response. However for this particular juxtaposition, I would have expected I warmer welcome since bleeding war victims and repainted fashion models often share an even tighter space in newsstands, where one might consider they are literally juxtaposed, whereas only co-adjacent on websites.
To me this juxtaposition is indeed fructose. By alining tow press images, from obvious opposite environments, one lends a new meaning to those pictures. In this case, art in the form of a critic of modern photojournalism. It suggests the ruthless consumption of visual communication in our information era, where the news menu integrates human rights violations on the same plater as frivolous fashion concerns. The very ethic of photojournalism is questioned by the alignment of such images since one photographer can address two opposite topics in one point of view.
What can we say about a society that looks upon to very opposites with the same eyes, that is to me the real question emerging from this juxtaposition. Hence what can one observe from the reaction of most person unaware of this very same juxtaposition in there news stand?
Thanks Chase for posting this piece. Most interesting.
I can appreciate people taking offense to this, but I think it makes an interesting statement that we live in a world where both of these coexist.
Another example of art I don’t understand. It’s like I’m looking at algebra, it just doesn’t do anything for me. Maybe I need to take an art class because things like this I never see what the art is. The idea, sure, but as for art, I’m neither offended nor impressed. I just don’t get it. One could do photos of war and porn together just for the sake of saying, “Here, look at me.” Is that the point? To get the photographer noticed? No offence, I’m saying I am the one who doesn’t understand the “brilliance” here.
Hey, I have a similar opinion. I don’t know much about the project so I don’t know whether the fashion photos have been taken deliberately for this project knowing what war photos were to be used or just looked up on the internet. Anyway I don’t get it… I mean the war photos feel so much different to the fashion ones – which feel to me like they have been taken just to make them look as similar to the other ones as possible but they are somewhat empty to me.
But just like you said, I guess it’s marketing, trying to get attention and provoke a discussion (which will be pointless and likely angry – especially from people who either have been in war or even lost someone close in one – but that, I suspect, is not the point of the project) but it will get her noticed.
As much as I hate war, I don’t think people who happen to risk their lives in one diserve respect, and no fence, but I don’t think comparing those two worlds is very respectful.
I’m sorry, I wrote that last sentence wrong – “As much as I hate war, I DO think people who happen to risk their lives in one diserve respect, and no fence, but I DON’T think comparing those two worlds is very respectful.”
Hope noone took that as an insult..
Agreed. How silly this exercise in self masochism is, I will never be able to fully materialize the proper adjectives to satisfyingly and succinctly describe it.