Jan 23, 2010

PHOTOGRAPHY, ARTS AND TERRORISM

This time in English



Five years ago a filmmaker called Jem Cohen (he worked, among others, with the recently deceased Vic Chesnutt and Elliott Smith -in the video-) was stopped for filming out of a train window between New York and Washington DC and had his film confiscated and turned over to the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI. He was questioned by the police and the film was never returned to him.

Today more than 2000 photographers who belong to the group 'I'm a photographer, not a terrorist' gathered in London in defense of street photography. Their manifesto says, among other things: "Photography is under attack. Across the country it that seems anyone with a camera is being targeted as a potential terrorist, whether amateur or professional, whether landscape, architectural or street photographer". They are based in the UK, but since the 9/11 attacks happened, this kind of harassment is being reported all over the western world, the so called 'free world'.



Carlos E. Ovalle, from the series of self-portraits made by the 'I'm a photographer not a terrorist' group. He says: 'In Chile they are also paranoid about this issue'.

Jem Cohen's beautiful work would have never existed if he had had to ask for a permit anytime he chose to record the outside world. After his film was confiscated he wrote a very interesting letter that was published by Filmmaker Magazine and, that, unfortunately, it didn't outdated at all. In fact, it's even more current now than it was when it was written five years ago. That scares me. You can read it all here, but I chose a few passages:

"I was filming the passing landscape as I've often done over the past 15 years. As a filmmaker who does most of my work in a documentary mode and often on the street, my role is to record the world as it is and as it unfolds. [....] I believe that it is the work and responsibility of artists to create such a record so that we can better understand, and future generations can know, how we lived, what we build, what changes, and what disappears. This has been the work of documentarians and artists including Mathew Brady, Lewis Hine, Walker Evans, Helen Levitt, Gary Winogrand, Robert Frank, and so on. Street shooting is one of the cornerstones of photography itself, and it is facing serious new threats, some declared, many not".

"As a filmmaker, I am concerned about what this kind of clampdown means both to our livelihood and to the public, historical record. As a citizen, I am concerned about a climate in which a person can be pulled off of a train and have their property confiscated without warning or redress. I am also, frankly, concerned about terrorism, and genuine threats to our lives and cities. This leads me to ask if these are efficient, intelligent allotments of limited law enforcement resources and personnel. Does stopping us from photographing a bridge make us safer when anybody can search the internet and see countless photographs of the same bridge? Are all of those photographs to be somehow suppressed? Given that anyone can purchase a video recorder with a lens the size of a shirtbutton or any number of hidden camera devices, are the people openly taking pictures such an actual threat? What about all of those cell phones with cameras? As Ben Franklin said: "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Are we even gaining any safety?
Given that intimidation and the curtailing of our freedom are exactly what terrorists want, I wonder if these infringements of our civil liberties are not in fact a form of capitulation".

PD: Cohen, along with other filmmakers, fought against City Hall to get back the rights of New York photographers to shoot freely in the streets of the their city (you can read about their battle here). They won and since 2008 the NYPD can't stop photographers and filmmakers for doing their job any more (at least that's what the city says on paper).

PD> El festival Punto de Vista (5-13 de febrero, Pamplona) le dedica a Jem Cohen una retrospectiva.

49 comments:

  1. The shutters view

    I am a camera
    My job is to capture what’s in my sight
    The camera, as you probably have heard, never lies
    And that is a risk, that the evasive want to overwrite.

    My owner alters my lenses focus
    Feeling their energetic eyelash brush my finder
    Knowing that a photo has a robust influence
    To make money, to discriminate and to be a good or bad reminder.

    All of you, have looked through your albums
    A picture has such a honest, shocking flair
    It can be moving as it can be entertaining
    Instant caught emotion without dare.

    Since every second in a persons life is not the same
    But not here in the distinctive land of celluloid
    I love my life as a camera, the way that it inhibits
    And the thoughts of it being censored makes me annoyed.

    I am aware that my purpose can be exploited
    But not everyone is a terrorist or hell bent on power
    It upsets me how untrusting everything is these days
    Watching behind our backs, permission has never tasted so sour.

    My shutters view closes and reopens to the mistakes
    The guilt that’s secluded yet they both still reappear
    So why not let people just enjoy their love of photography?
    Since if they aren’t doing something wrong, they have nothing to fear!



    © Daniel North

    ReplyDelete
  2. beautiful from beginning to the end.you captured their day perfectly.really pretty detail too!I love how you always get such fun emotional shots!thanks you for sharing your visions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your site is truly cool and this is an awesome moving article. Deep Etching Services On the off chance that more individuals that compose articles truly fretted about composing awesome substance like you, more perusers would be keen on their compositions. Much thanks to you for thinking about your substance.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A very awesome blog post. We are really grateful for your blog post. You will find a lot of approaches after visiting your post. best lenses for sony a6000

    ReplyDelete
  5. it was a wonderful chance to visit this kind of site and I am happy to know. thank you so much for giving us a chance to have this opportunity.. Canvas prints

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pixelmator is a beautifully designed, easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editor for Mac OS X has everything you need to create read here

    ReplyDelete
  7. Art therapy, as defined by the American Art Therapy Association, is the therapeutic use of making art, within a professional relationship, by people who have experienced illness, trauma or challenges that have caused varying degrees of dysfunction within their lives.realitysandwich

    ReplyDelete
  8. In quick, it is highly easy and reasonably-priced to apply designers and the consequences are frequently outstanding.nerve.org.za

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is very useful, although it will be important to help simply click that web page link:
    animation company

    ReplyDelete
  10. Food Photography Services in Dubai I cannot thank you enough for the blog.Really thank you! Fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Its a really nice blog, its nice to see someone stepping up for good,
    here is impossible quiz answer key

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have read your article, it is very informative and helpful for me.I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. Thanks for posting it.. annabel law

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Some of us really know about this guy Gem Cohen as his photography side is really rich one and the New York Arrest Records make it more worst as he is somehow related with that terrorist side.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice information, valuable and excellent design, as share good stuff with good ideas and concepts, lots of great information and inspiration, both of which I need, thanks to offer such a helpful information here.
    localgrapher.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. One of the greatest difficulties that we convey is our inability to make the refinements between our adoration for photography (re: our pleasure and energy for photography) and the matter of photography (getting purchasing and ways of managing money of individuals that are photography clients).

    ReplyDelete
  17. My friend mentioned to me your blog, so I thought I’d read it for myself. Very interesting insights, will be back for more! https://brennentopephotography.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Really I enjoy your site with effective and useful information. It is included very nice post with a lot of our resources.thanks for share. i enjoy this post. Austin Aerial Videography

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is my first time visit to your blog and I am very interested in the articles that you serve. Provide enough knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful and don't forget, keep sharing useful info: brisbane commercial photographer

    ReplyDelete
  20. these camera phones are making people exposed to photography and to visual imagery in various forms. headshots queensland

    ReplyDelete
  21. hen you're able to walk around in a virtual 3D world, meeting other members of the online dating site. corporate headshot brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  22. Most photographs are made utilizing a camera , which uses a focal point to center the scene's obvious wavelengths of light into a multiplication of what the human eye would see.brisbane professional headshots

    ReplyDelete
  23. Numerous individuals snap pictures each day at the same time, few of them realize that how these diverse photography types have been rousing picture takers?

    ReplyDelete

  24. The facts confirm that there is riches to be made in photography and I'm not going to down play that or make a contribute to the inverse in light of the fact that each case, it's been up to the person. Clipping Path Service

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for this great post, i find it very interesting and very well thought out and put together. I look forward to reading your work in the future. ghost mannequin

    ReplyDelete
  26. In the time of camera telephones, individuals continually snap and offer their photos; these camera telephones are making individuals presented to photography and to visual symbolism in different structures.photo editing

    ReplyDelete
  27. The photography business once operating in a studio or retail location can now be successfully managed as a home studio, on location, at customers' homes, or as a hybrid. The changes in the photography business model are apparent in all seven components.quality clipping path service

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is a great post. I like this topic.This site has lots of advantage.I found many interesting things from this site. It helps me in many ways.Thanks for posting this again. photo retouching services

    ReplyDelete
  29. Photography is an impressive ability outline that comprises more than simply portrayal, scenery or glamour taking pictures.iPhone 11 Pro Camera

    ReplyDelete
  30. Photography is a creative endeavor, if you removethe pressure to capture every angle and view of a location, you free yourself up to be more creative and your results will be much better. Photography is not art any more than oil paint is art. Some photographers used it to create art.drop shadow photoshop

    ReplyDelete
  31. If you are worried about your academic career and you need a help to save your grades then i would like to suggest you to seek help from Dissertation Writing Service

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. 360 tours

    ReplyDelete
  33. Photo shop goes in cost from around $50 to more than $200. The more you spend on the photo altering programming the more it will do however except if you are an expert photographer a mid-grade photo shop ought to have all you will require to make your photo's look acceptable. Editing car photos

    ReplyDelete
  34. On the basis of the given factors in this article, it can be said that normal photography encompasses a wide range of photography techniques. Portrait photography is a specific type of photography where in main focus is the subject being photographed. photo booth

    ReplyDelete
  35. photography is utilized to convey or to communicate to the watcher. Many individuals click pictures each day yet, http://marcovannini.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Likewise, a 1968 oil painting by Gerhard Richter has established another standard at the most elevated sale cost accomplished by a living craftsman. Richter's photograph painting Domplatz, Mailand (Cathedral Square, Milan) sold for $37.1 million (£24.4 million). Sotheby's portrayed Domplatz, Mailand, which portrays a cityscape painted in a style that proposes an obscured photo, as a "show-stopper of twentieth Century craftsmanship" and the "encapsulation" of the craftsman's 1960s photograph painting group. Wear Bryant, author of Napa Valley's Bryant Family Vineyard and the canvas' new proprietor, said the work "simply pushes me over". pintores zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  37. Throughout history, Visual articulation has been utilized for the reasons for recuperating, however art treatment didn't arise as a particular calling until the 1940s. pintores en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  38. In art from outside the western world, wild creatures and birds have been depicted substantially more as often as possible since forever.
    pintores en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  39. This kind of photography is basically the same as that of narrative photography. This incorporate the photography of the occasions are going on the present moment and afterward it is educated to the entire world. Filming Location

    ReplyDelete
  40. This article we are going to talk about a solution to measure.Thank you for every other magnificent post.

    ReplyDelete
  41. It can be top notch, in contrast evaluate the information and facts on this appropriate. KAWS TOGETHER – BLACK

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks for the blog article. Much thanks again. Cool.Hilarious Funny Pictures

    ReplyDelete
  43. Peruse on to find the most effective method to integrate metal art complements into your home.
    watercolor painting

    ReplyDelete
  44. It happens to be critical, still it truly is fundamental to assist you to crown in the online site the idea weblink: Professional headshots

    ReplyDelete
  45. Very well-said. All photographers are not a terrorist. click here

    ReplyDelete

  46. Thank you for your comment! Indeed, the impact of technology on society has been profound and continues to shape the way we live, work, communicate, and interact with the world around us. From the advent of the internet to the proliferation of smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, and beyond, technology has revolutionized nearly every aspect of our lives.
    I'm glad to hear you find the information valuable! It's essential to critically evaluate information, especially in today's digital age where misinformation and fake news can spread rapidly. By being discerning and fact-checking information from multiple reliable sources, we can ensure that we're well-informed and equipped to make sound decisions.https://www.rockymountainoils.com/blogs/diys/treat-yourself-diy-diffuser-blend

    ReplyDelete