As a pioneering and innovative autonomous photographer questions are asked constantly about the medium. Of what a picture should be made? How should that picture be presented? Can a non-journalistic picture still interest and move people?
For some time now he believes that conceptual photography has to be an event.
Not just one or more pictures but images embedded in a set of activities linked to a relevant issue in society.
His project “The most beautiful people in the world” is a good example of his holistic theory.
The subject is relevant. Because of materialism, globalism and hedonism people are loosing traditional values and social skills. They acquire material wealth but become socially and humanly poor. His project “The most beautiful people in the world” confronts the audience with sincerity, solidarity, caring and other aspects of inside beauty many people had forgotten about.
His project “The most beautiful people in the world” is happening on different levels. First of all there is the announcement in the newspapers that makes people ask them if they are beautiful and what it means.
Second, there is the event that takes place in the homes of the persons who made themselves candidates.
Third, there is the press which each time got curious about his project “The most beautiful people in the world”: they would write about it in newspapers, magazines and on websites and devote radio and TV programs to it.
Fourth, magazines would publish the results of this project and exhibitions were organised.
Conclusion is that a lot is happening with this project. And some of it happens without that people actually see the images.
The purpose of the project is to promote in society a discussion. To initiate new thinking. To influence a certain development.
Paradoxically, the focus is not immediately on the photography anymore when creating a new photo-project. It is much more researching and imagining and predicting what the audience is or shall be occupied with and what is the best way to reach them.
Most people don’t live anymore in a reality where visual consumption is by tradition and proxy photography. They are informed and entertained in other ways. The brains are conditioned now to see news flashes of a few seconds consisting of moving images with sound. Entertainment is also quick, superficial and not photography.
It has become a challenge to have the ambition with photography to propagate a relevant issue.
And an even more important challenge to find ways to reach the audience.
How the new project “The Tree” fits in all this, loyal bloggers will read in “The Tree part 3”.
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