Interesting concept which, with the addition of textual commentary,
clearly leaves the realm of photography alone and moves into the realm
of intentional art. The technical style of the photography doesn't
appeal to me much. the choice of B&W for the subject is interesting, to
say the least. For me, it flattens the affect, distancing from the red
color of blood with its underlying symbolic meaning of passionate
feeling and life. Is this the only way the feeling can get out; only be
heard by being seen? Is cutting an effort to end life by letting it flow
out and away or a letting of life out of a prison so that the existence
of more life below the surface can be seen, yearning to come into
relationship with other hidden life? For me, the B&W flattens the whole
subject into a cool, rather lifeless abstraction.
I have cleaned the blood from the wall, ceiling, floor and fixtures of a
bathroom in the middle of the night while others took the cutter to the
ER. I believe most of those who really wish to end their life are
successful rather soon. Those who continue cutting without seriously
threatening their life are involved in something far more subtle and
complex. I don't know about other cutters, but I'm not sure that the one
I knew would feel positive about these images as any sort of act of
solidarity and/or compassion. Certainly the text has a certain glib
quality that could imply that something so deep, old and powerful can be
understood easily through a minimal exercise in recreating the external
symptom. Perhaps so, but I'm not convinced by the photos in this case.
Nonetheless, emotionally involving images. Superb title. I appreciate
the opportunity to react to it and examine my projections onto it.
BTW, the cutter I speak of has not done so for many years now, has
rejoined 'normal' society and is a successful office and personnel
manager for a small firm.
IMHO,
Moose
Scott Gomez wrote:
Getting directly to the point:
I liked Dizel's images. A lot. Disturbing? Yep. But no one ever said
photography always has to be nice...
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