CULTURAL DIALECTICS spring 1998 / planet of the arts 37 Film Review Worth 1,000 Words Titanic: An Animator’s Perspective by Lucas Gustafson i “Ss, aes by a 4 Se pores Al That’s Me There ...continued from page 33 ideological shift necessary for such a change to be effected. In her book On Photography; Susan Sontag submits: A capitalist society requires a culture based on images. It needs to furnish vast amounts of enter- tainment in order to stimulate buying and anes- thetize the injuries of class, race and sex. And it needs to gather unlimited amounts of informa- tion, the better to exploit natural resources, keep order, make war, give jobs to bureaucrats.3 By the early part of this century many groups were trafficking photographs and contributing to the formation of the “subject”. Such modern artists as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams proclaimed their belief in essentialism through the photograph. In their modernist rationale, the photograph became the ideal object with which to apolitically distil all of life’s “things” (e.g. women, green peppers and nature), regardless of context, down to their formal attributes. The photograph also provided a means with which to fuel consumer’s desires for emerging mar- ket commodity sectors such as transportation (e.g. Ford, Esso, Michelin), household appliances (e.g. General Electric, RCA, Kodak) and consum- ables (e.g. Coca-Cola, Marlboro, Jim Beam). Publications such as Life, National Geographic and Time (all heavily indebted to the communicative potency of the photograph) were born through the selling of advertising space to such corporations. Not only were these corporations able to propagate the lifestyle-value of their products, but these pub- lications also circulated the progressivist ideologies of the corporations which funded them. Globally distributed periodicals such as National Geographic had the power to portray some cultures as “primitive”, and therefore inferior, lending legitimacy to Western governments in their colonization schemes in Africa, India, Caribbean and elsewhere. Governments also came to realize the command that photojournalism could have over public opinion (i.e. to promote nationalism and win support for particular political, economic and social agendas). In the end, photography would become an enormously effective and virtually trans- parent tool for ideological dissemination. Consequently, after a hundred and fifty years and several generations of looking at these kinds of photographs, we have come to see the photograph in a particular way. A way which simultaneously marks the presence of the author and the absence of the viewer. Roland Barthes in Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography submits that “the photo- graph is the advent of myself as other: a cunning dissociation of consciousness from identity" This mediated distance between the viewer and “real” experience, expressed in the content of the image, manifests itself in a feeling of visual disembodi- ment, a sort of “non-experience” experience. However, in order to participate in a culture which trades in images, the viewer inevitably comes to accept this split between consciousness and iden- tity, and comes to respect its authority. According to Seremetakis, “the paradox is that, in the repeated performance of consumption, the commodity form, despite its episodic character and the ongoing obsolesce of the new, is elaborated as the dominant »d perceptual logic of things.”” In other words, in seemingly varied representations, we adopt an unvaried or dominant ideology. As a result, our con- sciousness, and hence our “subjectivity”, has been constructed, in part, by the dominant vision of the photograph. After generations of looking at photographs it has become a common filter through which to understand the uncommon world around us, and a space in which to comprehend our uncertain place in it. The photograph not only marks the political, economic and social histories of nations in the throes of construction, but it also notes equal changes placed on the individual. One of these changes includes the simultaneous destruction / construction of not only the “subject’s” relationship to the culture of the nation, but his or her relation- ship to the culture of the family. Sontag proposes that “photography becomes a rite of family life just when, in the industrializing countries of Europe and America, the very institution of the family starts undergoing radical surgery.”° This rupture provides the consummate moment in the history of the family for the photograph to suture the genera- tional fragments back to a former whole, in an attempt to reassemble the family body. It is here that the snapshot stakes its meaningful place in the his- tory of the family myth. ‘Taking’ Snapshots “The camera is my tool. Through it | give meaning to everything around me.” —André Kertesz Throughout its history the photograph has either been employed as a apparatus in which to promote the “American (Industrial) Dream” and “pursuit of happiness” myth from within the com- plex of Western expansionism, or as a tool to demo- nize any ideological opposition to the political, eco- nomic and cultural structures promoting these myths (i.e. Communism and the Cold War). Naturally, when the camera was ultimately made available to the “subject”, after generations of pho- tographic consumption, people modelled them- selves in “his” own image, the image of the Creator. If Ford’s mass production of the automobile lib- erated the individual to realize the “American Dream’, then Kodak’s mass production of the cam- era enabled the individual to record the dream. As authors of the photograph, we have come to mirror the positivist representations found in the cultural myths of photographic history, as well as those found in television and film. Whether the dream ever actually existed is beside the point. With the camera, we are able to perpetuate the illusion that it presents. But one must believe in the myth if it is to possess any possibility of coming true. Armed with the camera we make it possible. But even as the dream began to sour in the early 1960's the snapshot did not lose its importance in the manufacturing of the illusory dream. In fact, it faced its greatest challenge. The snapshot shifted from the valorization of the dream as it might have existed for some, to a nostalgia for the dream that once was. The notion of the nuclear family, if it ever existed, was at the centre of this fixation. Through the snapshot we saw the family unit move from location to dislocation, and back again. So instead of actually being in the presence of our families, we gather snapshots to compensate for their absence. Snapshots mask certain social conditions, while at the same time they play a vital role in the construc- tion of the family’s memory. For example, today most grandparents see their grandchildren infre- quently and are resigned to tracking their grand- children’s development through photographs sent to them. continued on page 38, see “Snapshot” CULTURAL DIALECTICS spring 1998 / planet of the orts 37 Film Review Worth 1,000 Words Titanic: An Animator’s Pers by Lucas Gustafson pective pS That's Me There Ideological shit necessary for such a change to be effected. Inher book On Photography; Susan Sontag submit By the early pat ofthis century many groups were tacking photographs and contributing to the formation ofthe “subject” Such modern artists as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Ansel ‘Adams. proclaimed theie belief in ¢ through the photogeaph. rational, the photograph became the ideal object with which to apoltally distil al flies “things (eg. women, green peppers and nature), regardless ‘of contet, dove to thei formal ateibutes. talon Im their- modernist The photograph alo provided a mcans with hich to fuel consumer's d et commodity se (Ford, Esso, Michelin), household ap RCA, Kodak) a 2, Malbo if, National Geographic and cbted to the communicative (eg, General let Pablications such a Time (ll heavily i potency ofthe photograph) were horn through the seling of advertising space to such corpora [Not only were these portions 1 propagate the ifesyle-val 5 tee products, but these pub ications also circulated the prog vis ideologies ofthe corporations which funded them, Globally distributed periodicals. such as National Geographic had the power to portray Some cultures as "primitive and therefore inferoe, lending legitimacy to Westen governments in their ‘colonization schemes in Africa, India, Caribbean and elewhere. Governments alo came to realize the command that photojournalism could have ‘over public opinion (ie. to promote nationalism and win support for particular politica, economic and social agends). In the end, photography would become an enormously effective and vitally tans: patent oo for ideological dissemination, Consequently, alter a hundred and fifty years and several generations of looking at these kinds of photographs, we have come tose the photograph ina particular way. A way which simultaneously marks the pr the viewer. Roland Barthes in Camera Lucida ence ofthe author and the absence of Reflections on Photography submis that “the photo ‘raph i the advent of myself as other: a cun sociation of consciousness from identity" This cexperen the content of the image Ianifss itself in a feling of visual disembodi rment,a sort of “non-experience” experience However, in order to participate in a culture vehi tras in ima inevitably comes to accep this split betwee consciousness and iden tiyzand: tits authority, According to Seremetaks, “the paradox is that, in the repeated mance of consumption, the, commodity racterand the ongoing ofthe news elaborated asthe dominant perceptual logic of things” In other words in seemingly varied representations, we adopt an tunaredor dominant ideology. As result, ou con: sciousness, and hence our “subjectivity, has been constructed, in part, by the dominant vision ofthe photograph Alter generations of looking at photographs it has become a common filter through which to understand the uncommon world around us, and a space in which to comprehend our uncertain place The photograph not only marks the politcal, economic and social histories of nations is throes of construction, but it also notes equal changes placed on the individual, One of these changes includes the simultaneous destruction / construction of not only the “subject reatonship to the culture ofthe nation, but his or her relation: ship tothe culture of the Family, Sontag. proposes that “photography becomes arte of family if just When, in the industraizing countries of Europe and America, the very institution of the farily starts undergoing radical surgery"* This rupture provides the consummate moment in the history of the family forthe photograph to suture the genera tional fragments back to a former whole, in an atempt to reasemble the family body Its hee that, {he snapshot stakes is meaningfl place in the hs tory ofthe family myth ‘Taking’ Snapshots meaning te everything around me.” Throughout its history the photograph has either been employed as a apparatus in which to promote the “American (Industrial) Dream’ and ‘pursuit of happiness” myth from within the com plex of Westen expansionism, or asa tool demo: iz any ideoo al opposition tothe political ec ‘nomic and cultural structures promoting these ryyths (Le. Communism and the Cold. War. Naturally, when the camera was ultimately made allbl to the “subject afer generations of pho tographic consumption, people modeled them selves in “is” own image, the image ofthe Creator Ford's mass production ofthe automobile ib ‘erated the individual to realize the “American Dream’ then Kodak’s mas production ofthe cam: «ra enabed the individual to record the dream. As authors of the photograph, we have come to miro the positivist representations found in the cultural nyths of photographic history, as well a those found in television and flm. Whether the dear ver actually exited is beside the point With the «camera weare abl to perpetuate the ilasion that it prescnts. But one mus elev inthe myth if isto possess any posit of coming tru. Armed with the camera we mak it posible But even a the dream began to sour in the carly 1960' the snapshot did not lose is importance in the manufacturing ofthe lusory dream. In ict it face its greatest challenge. The snapshot shifted from the valorization ofthe dream as it might have ‘existed for some, to a nostalgia fr the dream that once was. The notion ofthe nuclear family, it ever existed, was atthe centre of ths fixation, Through the snapshot we saw the family unit move from lectin to docation and back again. So instead of acualy being in the presence of our families, we sather snapshots to compensate for thee absence ile at the same ime they pla vita rol inthe construc Snapshots mask certain social condition tion of the family’s memory. For example, today most grandparents sce their grandchildren inf quently and are resigned to tracking their grand children’s development through photographs sent to them, ontnsd on pag 3, te Snape