Quitting Wall Street To Tell A Prostitute's Story
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zauhar
Veteran
Phil, your comments are spot on. I like the phrase 'parachute journalism'.
On the whole I also like Chris Arnade's work, I think some of his portraits are excellent. I also give him credit for making at least enough human connection to squeeze out a couple paragraphs about each subject.
But I also understand the resentment he inspires. Nice to be able to quit your Wall Street job and cavort among the down and out. Apparently he still lives in Brooklyn, no longer a place the average artist can afford to live. The article about him doesn't explain how that works, I will assume he made his 'nut', as the financial people say.
In the end, Mr. Arnade should do what he wants to do, he does not need anyone's approval. If people in the Bronx don't want him there, I am sure they can escort him out.
Randy
On the whole I also like Chris Arnade's work, I think some of his portraits are excellent. I also give him credit for making at least enough human connection to squeeze out a couple paragraphs about each subject.
But I also understand the resentment he inspires. Nice to be able to quit your Wall Street job and cavort among the down and out. Apparently he still lives in Brooklyn, no longer a place the average artist can afford to live. The article about him doesn't explain how that works, I will assume he made his 'nut', as the financial people say.
In the end, Mr. Arnade should do what he wants to do, he does not need anyone's approval. If people in the Bronx don't want him there, I am sure they can escort him out.
Randy
Michael Markey
Veteran
Me too although it sounds as if the re education program is well under way with an early draft detailing forbidden subjects such as grandchildren and the inevitable cats.
There is also a growing groundswell in pomposity and self regard which I fear may create difficulties further down the track.
As to the subject itself it sounds to be a worthy project .
Especially if it shines a light on this area of the city and the plight of its inhabitants in order to bring about some improvements.
To suggest however that its only subjects such as this that are worthy of photography is what I`m having trouble with.
I wait with interest to see the hard hitting reportage of the people who propose such an approach but I fear that it may be a long wait.
aizan
Veteran
we're talking a lot more about the photographer instead of the photos, which tells me that the work is of questionable value, intention, and rigor. 🙄
tunalegs
Pretended Artist
Well it's also really hard to look at anything on flcikr these days.
DominikDUK
Well-known
This is a photo centric forum I'll bet that the reception of these photographs would be very different on a sociology or in fact any other not technical centric forum. Quiet a few people on this forum mostly think in terms of tools and technical prowess and very little about the content of an image.
daveleo
what?
This, I think is my personal questioning of this type of project (in general, not only this particular case). Are there people of power and influence in NYC (or any big city) who don't know there are homeless and drug-addicted people in the city ? Who is not already aware of that?
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Does that mean that since there is some marginal awareness of a disenfranchised population that we shouldn't see more of it?
We (America) knew that protesting African Americans were being attacked by police dogs and "controlled" with firefighting hoses but until people saw these actions in photographs the public wasn't as shocked by the brutality.
The same goes for atrocities all over the world which continue to be committed.
The issues of poverty and addiction are ones which need so much more attention in the United States because a large number of our population live well below the arbitrarily set "poverty line." The fact that a politician knows about these social problems doesn't mean they are going to do anything about them. I think most Americans would simply put makeup over that black-eye and keep going about their day instead of actually approaching the root causes of the issues.
Phil Forrest
daveleo
what?
Phil
You should not get the idea that I don't care about these problems - you would be wrong. I am asking a legitimate question about the people in power in big US cities - what is it that they will learn from these pictures? What is it that they will they do after seeing these pictures?
I am NOT saying that we should stop photographing anything. I am questioning the reality of what do you expect will actually happen when "the powers" see pictures of the very same street people they walk by and ignore every day? Which goes to the question of "Why did you do this project, really?"
You should not get the idea that I don't care about these problems - you would be wrong. I am asking a legitimate question about the people in power in big US cities - what is it that they will learn from these pictures? What is it that they will they do after seeing these pictures?
I am NOT saying that we should stop photographing anything. I am questioning the reality of what do you expect will actually happen when "the powers" see pictures of the very same street people they walk by and ignore every day? Which goes to the question of "Why did you do this project, really?"
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
I think the folks in power know about these issues, it's the average person who doesn't. I think the possibility exists for the people to see these photos and take more than a passing interest in them; enough to write a letter to their mayor or councilman or congressman. There are 12 million possible letter-writers in the NYC area and even half of one percent is a very large amount of people in just one metropolitan area.
Sorry, your comment came across to me in a half-empty way when you really meant it in a half-full way. It's just the internet and the way I read into your comment.
Phil Forrest
Sorry, your comment came across to me in a half-empty way when you really meant it in a half-full way. It's just the internet and the way I read into your comment.
Phil Forrest
DominikDUK
Well-known
It's not about the people in power it's about the public which supposedly has the power in a democracy. The more people see it and want to do something against those condition the more will happen. The people in power (mayor etc...) only care about four things: themselves, votes, money and power nothing else.
If they have to fear that they will lose one of those four things if they don't fight these bad conditions they will act.
If they have to fear that they will lose one of those four things if they don't fight these bad conditions they will act.
Michael Markey
Veteran
I too am sceptical about the influence that photography can exert in these circumstances.
Unfortunately it seems to require some added shock value for people to take notice.
Does this mean that we shouldn`t continue to bring such issues to the attention of society ?
I`m not sure that I`d go that far but I think we need to be realistic .
However worthy the intentions of this chap are , unless he has access to a major news outlet , I don`t think posting on Flickr will cause any wheels to turn in local government.
daveleo
what?
We're cool. It's hard to read emotions from text, I know.
I would almost (??) like to see a credible newspaper take up the topic as (how do I word this? ) "street person of the day" or something that would humanize these folks. But that borders on exploitation I too guess, maybe.
I have a lot more questions than I have answers, for sure.
tunalegs
Pretended Artist
The problem here is that there's already a lot of work on the subject. It's no secret. It's just not popular. It's a lot easier to just sit back in an armchair and repeat "it's because they're lazy" ad nauseum. Thinking about such things is just "too hard" (read: inconvenient) for a lot of people.
One more photographer just isn't going to change the way Americans think.
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
How I wish it was only Americans..
MCTuomey
Veteran
+1+ And I think it's fair to emphasize he went beyond simply learning about his subjects. Arnade met them, spoke with them, listened to them. His photographs and writing bring them to us. I've never met 25 year veteran sex workers in my urban photography, let alone photo'd or documented their lives. Arnade does. Kudos to Arnade.
Well said. How to construct a "valid social network" won't be answered easily, but apparently we need reminders like Arnade's, which tell the tale and document the harshness of such lives and how resilient the human spirit can be.
Dan Daniel
Well-known
I was taught a simple question about 'documentary' projects: Who will get more from this project, the subjects or the photographer? This gets into the power dynamics and such.
The thing that really gets me about people like the photographer is that he worked for Wall St. for 20 years, it took him 4 years after 2008 to quit. He is obviously very slow or very blind to where damage is inflicted in this society. Wall St. has been a force for destruction in this culture for a couple of decades now at least. Anyone paying attention knew where it was taking us, what it would lead to.
He can be seen as trying to look at the real world manifestation of the abstract financial work of Wall St., and this is good. We are now a nation of whores and addicts, doing whatever it takes to get our next fix, cobbling together lives of limited materials and limited relationships in pursuit of the next iPhone or TV or plane trip or car lease....
I guess he didn't quit before 2012 because he needed a few more years of bonuses to fund his early retirement. Gee, what an honorable guy.....
The photos are well-done. The context is limited. I hope that he and others can use this experience to make the world richer for those so affected. And he is among those affected- there is no way you can take photos like that day after day and not be touched. I wish him the best in the next phase of his life.It's easy to snipe, but he may buckle down and live in the real world he has found and engage in the struggles that need to happen for those around him. As we all need to do.
The thing that really gets me about people like the photographer is that he worked for Wall St. for 20 years, it took him 4 years after 2008 to quit. He is obviously very slow or very blind to where damage is inflicted in this society. Wall St. has been a force for destruction in this culture for a couple of decades now at least. Anyone paying attention knew where it was taking us, what it would lead to.
He can be seen as trying to look at the real world manifestation of the abstract financial work of Wall St., and this is good. We are now a nation of whores and addicts, doing whatever it takes to get our next fix, cobbling together lives of limited materials and limited relationships in pursuit of the next iPhone or TV or plane trip or car lease....
I guess he didn't quit before 2012 because he needed a few more years of bonuses to fund his early retirement. Gee, what an honorable guy.....
The photos are well-done. The context is limited. I hope that he and others can use this experience to make the world richer for those so affected. And he is among those affected- there is no way you can take photos like that day after day and not be touched. I wish him the best in the next phase of his life.It's easy to snipe, but he may buckle down and live in the real world he has found and engage in the struggles that need to happen for those around him. As we all need to do.
DominikDUK
Well-known
I agree with you andrea In the LFI issue of September 2013 there was a portofolio of Angelos Tzortzinis work about the effects of the economic crisis in Greece meaning extreme rise of illegal prostitution and drug use often combined. I have to admit I felt extremely ashamed as we northern and central europeans constantly badmouthed the greek population and in reality they got screwed first by the banksters, second by the EU and third by their own government. Here's a link to an online video showcasing his work. http://vimeo.com/74857948
fireblade
Vincenzo.
Thank God there was no cameras around just before Sodom and Gomorrah burnt down....can you imagine 😱
😀
😀
fireblade
Vincenzo.
surname?...or are you from Taurisano?
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