I felt I should mention the recent events involving the photographer Bill Henson who's exhibition was shut down due to its content. Theres a really good piece here on the conscientious blog. There are also links to stories of similar cases including Tierney Gearon who I wanted to write a little about on my own blog.
I first met Tierney when I was an apprentice black and went printer (not again I hear you cry...). Over the years I printed hundreds of her B&W images (she shot solely B&W early in her career) for Tierney, probably thousands come to think of it. She would shoot so much film that I would sometimes help her with editing and was always amazed by her natural talent at capturing the most uplifting images, mostly of her own two children. I did assist Tierney a few times and to put it bluntly it was always a nightmare. But the images she produced where remarkable.
During my time printing Tierney's work there where many photographs of her children running around naked, and of course it was just part of growing up. Never questioned it, never found it odd, the images where great (as where my prints it has to be said). When Tierney switched to colour I never really seen much of her until she was in the news regarding her exhibition at the Saatchi gallery (see links).
Like Mr. Colberg over on the Conscientious blog, I too am tired of the same old story regarding exhibitions of naked children being shut down and creating a big 'hoo haa' and without diving into the political area I have several thoughts on the subject:
As a photographer I totally understand the concept of wanting to photograph kids in all situations recording there natural little lives. I also understand how a photographer who believes in there work rarely thinks of the consequences of people who do not share the same views and how they may react to certain images. This is something I discovered when I showed my 100 year old grannie a nude of a male model I shot at college, she never ate for a week....
As much as I agree with the likes of Tierney in her views and as much as I understand what artists like her are trying to say there will always be people who do not understand why anyone would put a naked picture of a child on a gallery wall and even though I think the problem lies with the viewer, I think it is something that will always happen within society and there is no simple answer.
I am sure a lot of you wouldn't understand when I announce that I hate wedding photographs and really think they should be kept in albums, not put on view for all to see. I realise there is no comparison with the above subject but hopefully you will grasp what I am trying to say...
I also hate other peoples holiday 'snaps,' but dont we all.......
1 comment:
Its a hard one really! But what I will say is with Tierney's work her kids are naked more than they ever have clothes on! And if my kids wanted to have a piss in the snow I think I would find a corner for them to piss in rather than in the wide open! I tell you now the last thing on my mind would be to take a photo of it happening as well! My 4 year old would love to strip off and walk around naked most of the time because she is innocent and we have allowed her to do so in our house and garden. The reason why I would not let her do that in public is because I am protecting her from pedeophilic adults that would love to take that innocence away from a child.
Neither would I put photo's of my children naked in the public eye for exactly the same reason.
There is nothing wrong with Tierneys photo's! Indeed the problem is with the viewer, but unless you can be sure that the only people viewing are people you trust then it is completely irresponsible of Tierney to publish naked photo's of her children!
She has some nice work, I myself am not offended, but to me she is a complete and utter fruitcake for showing her own children naked publicly in the kind of world we live in today!
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