6 planet of the arts / spring 1998 COVER Phil Borges, Yama, 8. Art Perry, Nomad in Homemade Goggles, Chang Tang, Gertse, Tibet, 1997 ..continued from previous page hair which descends in two thick braids down each side of his head to the middle of his chest. The most striking feature of the man however, is the improvised goggles with two large white rims that rest over his eyes. Within the image frame, the figure stands waist up and slightly off-centre to the right. Behind the subject is a rightward sloping hill that is part of a barren, rocky landscape. A high light-coloured wall appears further back into the composition, past the sloping hill beyond which we see a grey overcast sky. The strong shadows cast by the rays of the sun hitting the left side of the subject’s face intensify his dark, wrinkled and weathered skin. The subject seems to have leaned towards the photographer; his open mouth and impassive gaze corrobo- rating the appearance of an unrehearsed sensibility in the image. This photograph is printed, surrounded by the telltale black line of an uncropped image, from a black and white, 35mm negative. Perry seems to have made this photograph of the nomad within moments of their chance meeting by simply asking him to stand still and let his photo- graph be taken. There is no elaborate pose, artificial lighting or strategically positioned scenic backdrop — it is quite conceiv- able that this is simply the spot where Perry and this Tibetan met. Such spontaneity and unscripted interaction in image making is in keeping with the standards. of the photo docu- mentary genre. As Perry explains in the course of a conservation with Planet of the Arts, “What I want to do is, for instance, by using natural light, by not crop- ping the photographs, and by leaving whatever comes in the photos, I hope when people look at them they will see some- thing of the true Tibetans.” For him: “It’s about truth; it’s about allowing the Tibetans to come through.” The position that Perry takes is that the conventions of photojournalism largely avoid many of the negative ethical and moral issues that can be created by photographing other cultures. These issues include adding to a history of stereotypes and myths that are used justify the exploitation of non-western peoples for western ideological agendas. But beyond this Perry also believes that this method of image making is an accurate way of presenting the truth in a visu- al form. What Perry attempts to convince us of, is the truth of Tibet as a disappearing Shangri-La. Perry’s interest in Tibet, its people and its culture developed as a result of two trips he took to the Central Asian nation in 1995 and 1997. The goal of these trips was to photo document the work of eye doctors affiliated with the Seva Foundation, an international humanitarian organization that provides modern medical treatments for eye afflictions in undeveloped countries. What Perry found in Tibet was a place that, in his view, encom- passes all of the characteristics of paradise. In the introduction to his book, he states, “well, after spending much time with the Tibetans, in towns, in refugee villages, and on the isolated Chang Tang plateau, I now know that the ecological and human harmony that has been taught and practiced in Tibet for over a thousand years is not an illusion.” As a result of his travels, Perry has become an advocate of the preciousness of the Tibetan culture. It is this culture that has captured his imagination. And it is the politically motivated destruction of this culture that has caused him to put together his book, which expresses in frank and harshly worded lan- guage, his condemnation of the Chinese occupying forces in Tibet: “What is happening is a wilful half-century campaign of Chinese-orchestrated genocide against the Tibetan people. There have been over 1.2 million deaths and a campaign of cru- elty that only madmen or envoys of evil could dream up in their darkest nightmares.” Borges too, is a vocal critic of the Chinese, although he frames his advocacy not so much in terms of a love for the Tibetan culture as he does in terms of a larger, self-appointed mission to save “endangered cultures” throughout the world. Protection of human rights is the purpose by which Borges defines his photographic projects. Consequently he considers the Tibetan situation to constitute “an epic human rights strug- gle.” Borges’ real cause is human rights advocacy — he has photographed oppressed peoples all around the globe, includ- ing his most recent adventure: Kenyan tribespeople. Borges’ idea of “rights” is a notion more closely associated with people than with a place or a culture: therefore the emphasis of the individual in his portraits. What he attempts to do is create imagery that seeks to convince us of the injustices inflicted on the subject and to move us to support the cause. Borges’ inter- est in cultural representation only goes so far as to enforce his desire to address the themes of rights and activism. The indi- vidualistic terms of his representation of the Tibetans could be viewed as ignoring or taking for granted much of the collective realities that are essential to the meaning and history of a place and culture. Perhaps Borges is displacing this collective aspect into the notion of a shared or col- lective cause. If this is the case then the individualism of Borges’ constructions of poster people should be understood merely as a means to an end and not the photographers imposition of individualism as an ideological end-in-itself. Still, the apparent unwillingness of Borges to pro- duce imagery without overbearing signifiers of individualism (e.g. single subject, centred and closely positioned, with a generic background) prompts us to question Borges’ stated intentions for creating imagery in this manner, and to bring these clarified concerns into an examination of more of his work. Borges’ success reflects our inclination to adopt causes presented ina glossed over “advertorial” manner. In the introduction to his web site: Peoples of Endangered Cultures (http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/9367/) Borges states; “Most of us tend to either romanticize indigenous cultures or perceive them as fading anachronisms. | find in so many ways that these are people, basically like us, whose unique way of life is being threatened. Combining their individual portraits with personal anecdotes, | try to build an awareness of their cultural values and the challenges they face. Here are some of these peo- ple... the survivors of our earth’s rapidly vanishing cultural diversity.” This lip service to culture and diversity is ironic when one sees the length that Borges goes to objectify and distort these cultures in order to capture the fleeting ‘attention of Western audiences. We see this so clearly in the image of Palden, 62 (see p. 8). This elderly monk is photographed in the same style as we saw with Borges’ portrait of Yama: square frame, medium-format camera, black and white film, artificial lighting, and a majestic out-of-focus mountain peaks and heavenly sky background. Palden is seated in front of us, framed from the waist up, his body, like Yama’s, close up and reflecting the apex of a triangu- lar mountaintop. He looks at us peacefully, clothed in robes and holding a rosary of beads as reverently as Yama holds her sacred stone. Both portraits share the same sepia toned quality of luminescent skin. Palden is presented mouth is closed, his expression solemn, and with an overall appearance of a pious, holy man. By reading the caption that accompanies this image, we learn from Borges that: “Palden was arrested at his monastery in 1959 and spent 24 years in prison [in fact 33 years according to Perry], where he was tortured frequently — actually loosing 20 teeth in one beating. He managed to flee Tibet in 1987 and came to Dharamsala. He told me, ‘I no longer have anger for my cap- tors. However, I feel it is my responsibility to let the outside world know what is happening in Tibet.” The difference between Palden’s pretty image and Palden’s brutal history is extreme. This caption acts as an illustration for the portrait, producing a contrast that gives Palden the appear- ance of a heroic idol. He is both a victim (according to the text) and a transcendent person (according to the photograph). Combined, these descriptions produce a subject ready to be pitied or revered —a saint, a martyr and a clear romanticization of the Tibetan monk. The use of text-image contrast in Borges’ Tibetan Portraits engages the reader/viewer and triggers their emotions and awe. Borges also includes writings from the Dalai Lama throughout the book, which act to validate and reinforce the spiritual pre- sentation and interpretation of the Tibetans. These enlightened subjects are catalogued with captions in a book format that allows the reader to focus on the individual and at the same time interpret a simple political commentary, namely the criti- cism of the Chinese. By using this catalogue method Borges is able to criticize China in an impersonal manner that creates the impression of irrefutable fact by leaving the authors personal subjectivity hidden. This criticism of the Communists is seem- ingly presented by the subject and not by the author, who actually thinks that he is just “presenting their story.” Perry’s text usage is more self critical and honest by com- parison. Far more than anything available in Borges’ writings, Perry openly questions the validity of his motives and the appropriateness of the means by which he follows up on them. Perry asks; “But was I seeing the peace and beauty of Tibet through the rosy tint of exotic romanticism? Could I be idealiz- ing the hardship and basic human survival of the Tibetans into some sort of imposed utopia, an imagined Eden of pastoral perfection? More directly, was I seeing Tibet as a cultural cliché?” Perry does appear to take responsibility for his views by presenting a personal narrative that is open and up front. He states quite clearly and strongly his criticisms of the Chinese regime. In the construction of the book, he splits his text into two distinct themes: the beauty and the uniqueness of the Tibetan culture and the horror of China’s oppression. What Perry attempts to create is a clash of stories that both shock and engage the reader. This is part of his overt agenda: to describe in writing the truth of the Tibetan struggle to endure Chinese occupation. He explains in the introduction to his book: A picture book of praying monks and nomadic tribespeople with their herds set before startling mountain backdrops would avoid the ugly truth by pack- aging contemporary history in a pleasing way. Stories of torture, murder and imprisonment are not the commercial fare of most coffee table books. No matter how otherworldly or romantic my photographs of Tibetans may seem to Western eyes, the Tibetans’ survival against decades of well-planned destruction of their very culture and spirit is the reason these photographs should be viewed in the first place. It is the reason I travelled to Tibet. continued on page 8... & plonet of the arts / spring 1998 COVER Phi Borges, Yama 8 ‘Art ery, Nomad in Homemade Goggles, Chang Tang, Gertse, bet, 987 Within the image frame, the Figure stands waist up and slightly of-centee tothe right. Bchind the subjet fa rig ir sloping hl that spat ren, rocky landscape. A high light-coloured wall appears fur her back into the competion, past the sloping hill beyond which we sce grey overcast sky The strong shadows cst bythe ays ofthe sun hitting the leftside of the subject’ ace intensify his dark, wrinkled weathered skin The subject seems to have lane tod the photographer hi i ‘open mouth and impasive ga co rating the appearance of an unecheatsed sensibility in the image Ths photograph sprinted, surrounded bythe tllale black line of an uncropped image, from a black and whit Perty seems to have made this photograph ofthe nomad within riment f ther chance meeting by simply asking him, to stand sill and let his photo raphy be taken, There is no laborate pos, atic lighting ‘or steateialy positioned senie backdrop ~ it quite conciv abl that this is simply the spot Wwhete Perry and this Tibetan met. Such. spontancity and ‘unscripted interaction in image making is in keeping with the standards of the photo docu rmentary genre. As Perry explains with Planet ofthe Aes, "What 1 want to dois for nstance, by using natura ight, by no cop. Ping the photographs, and by loving whatever comes in the hope when people look at them they will see some photos, {hing ofthe tee Tibetans” For him: “Its about truth it’s about allowing the Tibeta to come through The position that Perey taksis thatthe conventions of photojournalism lrgly avoid many ‘ofthe negative ethical and moral issues that can be created by photographing other cultures. “These issues include adding 10 a history of stereotypes and myths that are used justify the “exploitation of non-western peoples for western ideological agendas. But beyond this Perry also Ietieves that this method of image making is an accurate way of pres al form. ‘What Perry attempts to convince us of is the truth of Tibet as disappearing Shangri-La ery’ interest in Tibet, its people and its culture developed a rest of two tips he took to the Central Asian nation in 195 and 3997 The goa ofthese trips was to photo document the work of eye doctors affiliated with the Seva Foundation, an international humanitarian organization that provides modern ‘medical treatments for eyealictions in undeveloped counties What Perry found in Tibet was place that, in his view, encom passes all ofthe characteristics of paradise. Inthe introduction to hisbook, he states, “wel after spending much time with the ‘Tibetans, in towns, in refugee villages, and on the ioated CChang'Tang plateau, [now know thatthe ecological and human harmony that has ben taught and practiced in Tibet for over a thousand years isnot a illusion” ‘Asa result of his travels, Perry has become an advocate of the preciousness ofthe Tibetan culture. tsthis culture that has captured his imagination. And it i the politically motivated destruction of this culture that has caused him to pu together his book, which expreses in frank and harshly worded lan age, his condemnation ofthe Chinese occupying forces in et: "What is happening ia wilful half-century campaign of Chinese-orchestrated. genocide agninst the Tibetan. people “There have been over 1.2 million deaths anda campaign of cr cit that only madmen or envoys of ei could dream up in their darkest nightmares” ing the truth i vs Borges 100, isa vocal critic of the Chinese, although he frames his advocacy not s0 mich in terms ofa lve for the Tibetan culture ashe docs in tems ofa larger, sl appointed smision to save “endangered cultures” throughout the word Protection of human rights isthe purpose by which Borges Aefnes his photographic projets. Consequently he considers the Tibetan situation to constitte“an epic human rights tr: fle” Borges’ real cause is human ights advocacy ~ he as Photographed oppresed peoples all around the globe, nc ing his most recent adventure: Kenyan trbespeople. Borges’ idea of rights" isa notion more closely associated wih people than witha plce ora culture: therefore the emphasis of the Individual in his portraits. What he attempts to do is create Jmagery that scks to convince us ofthe injustices inflicted on the subject ad to move us to support the cause. Borges inter «st in cultural representation only goes so far as to enforce his ese to addres the themes of rights and activism. The indi- ‘vidualistic terms of his representation of the Tibetans could be viewed 3s ignoring or taking for granted much ofthe collective realities that are essential othe meaning and history ofa place and culture. Perhaps Borges is displacing this collective aypect lective aus. If this the ease then the individualism of Borge’ constructions of poster people o the notion ofa shared oF col- should be understood merely asa means to an end and not the photographers imposition of individualism a an ideological end-in-itself. ul, the apparent unvllingnes of Borges to pro: duce imagery without overbeatng signifies of individualism (eg ingle subject, cetted and closely positioned with generic background) prompts us for crating imagery inthis manner, and to bing these clarified concerns into an examination of more of his work. uestion Borge’ sated intentions Borges’ success reflects our inclination to adopt causes presented ina glossed over “advertorial” manner. ‘Most of us tend to iter romantic indig perceive them as fdng anachronism. | find in many ways that thes are people, basicly like ws, whose unique way of ie isbn threatened. Combining thei individual portrait with personal anedote. Itt build an aarenes oftheir ultra values an the challenges they fae, Here ae some ofthese poo ple... the survivors of our cath rapidly vanishing cultral livery This ip service to ealtareand diversity ionic when cone sees the length that Borges goes to objetfy and distort these cultures in order to capture the Meeting atention of Westen audiences scaly in the image of Palen, 42 (sep. 8) This elderly monk is photographed in the same syle as we se with Borge portrait of Yama: square frame, medium-format amr, black and white i, artificial ighting, and a majestic ‘out-of focus mountain. peaks and heavenly sky background, Palen i seated in font of ws, framed from the wast up, his boy, ike refletng the apex ofa tang: lar mountaintop Heooks at us mts closeup and peaceflly clothed in robes and hoking a rosary of beads 3s reverenly as Yama holds her sacred. stone. share the same sepia toned ‘quality of luminescent skin, oth porteits Palden is presented mouth is close, his expression solemn, swith an vera appearance of aplous, holy By reading the caption that accompanis this image, we lear from Borges that "Palen was arcested at his monastery in 1959 and spent 24 years in prison [in Fat 33 years according to Perry, where he was tortured frequently ~ actully loosing 20 teeth in oe beating, He managed to fle Tibet in 1987 and came to Dharamsala He told me, no longer have ange oe my ap tors. However, I fel i is my responsibility to let world know what is happening in Tibet.” The difeence between Paldens pretty image and Paldens brutal history is extreme. This caption ats san the portrait, producing a contrast that gives Palen the appear ance ofa heroic idol. Hes both vet (according to the tet) land a transcendent person (according to the photograph). ‘Combined, these descriptions produce a subject ready to be Pited or revered ~asint.a martyr anda leat romantcization ‘ofthe Tibetan monk. The use of text-image contrast in Borges Tibetan Portraits ‘engages the readerviewer and triggers their emotions and awe. Borges als includes writings from the Dalai Lama throughout the book, which at to validate and reinforce the spiritual pre sentation and interpretation ofthe Tibetans. These enlightened subjects are catalogued with captions in a book format that allows the reader to focus on the individual and atthe same time interpreta simple political commentary, namely the crit «sm ofthe Chinese. By using this catalogue method Borges i able to ritcine China in an impersonal manner that crates the impression ofirefatble fact by leaving the authors personal subjectivity hidden. This eicism of the Communist sem: ingly presented by the subject and not by the author, who actualy thinks that hei just "present © outside tation for estory” Perrys text usage is more self rite and honest by com: parson. Far more than anything available in Borge’ writings, Perry openly questions the validity of his motives and the appropriateness ofthe means by which he follows up on them. Perry asks "But was I seeing the peace and beauty of Tibet through the rsy tnt of exotic romanticism? Could Ibe ideal ing the hardship and basic human survival ofthe Tibetans ito Some sort of imposed utopia, an imagined Eden of pastoral perfection? More ditety, wis 1 seeing Tibet as a cul lich erty does appear to take responsiblity for his views by presenting a personal narrative that is open and upfront. He ‘stats quite clearly and strongly his criticisms ofthe Chinese regime. In the construction ofthe book, he splits his txt into two distinct themes: the beauty and the uniqueness of the Tibetan culture and the horror of Chinas oppresion. What Peery atempts to create isa cash of sores that both shock and es agends: to reader. This is part of his ove sigan istry in pling oy, Seif tte, mrad