TJP Without Photography We Would Be Bodies without Souls
Oy Veh!
The emphasis in The Jewish Photographer is on the ability to catch a moment. This photograph is from the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The split-second opening of the camera lens caught what could be a single frame of a video, or we could imagine one of several videos each tracking one of the five individuals we see.(Yes, count them!) It was, however, the woman on the left of the scene that attracted my attention, ‘out of the corner of my eye’ as it were.
The eyes are wonderful organs. Seeing is a key aspect of our well-being. As we are told by the Cleveland Clinic: ”Your eyes are organs that allow you to see. Many parts of your eye work together to bring objects into focus and send visual information to your brain.” My real appreciation for my eyes came a few years ago following cataract surgery that cleared up the cloudiness of my eyes so that I was able to see better for night time driving, and a fuller range of color during the day. It is through the eyes that we perceive the world, and its is through the woman’s eyes that we begin to know that all is not well with her.
There are things about the woman that informs us that all is not well with her. In a cropped closeup, her eye lids seem heavy over her eyes. We see her hand on her forehead in a pose we recognize as an expression of discomfort. The Garbage bag in front of her with its stuffed animals, the cord around what appears to be a bag holding possessions, and her facial expression, are all clues that she might be homeless.
In the photograph the other individuals by contrast seem to be more normal. The workman in the center, the man walking his dog towards the right and the two males with a produce container would appear to be going about their business. So our photograph has a dynamic to it, and a comment about society which puts disturbed individuals on the street.
But there is a broader and more pervasive aspect to this photograph in the context of the The Jewish Photographer. All the action takes place against the background of the huge advertising bill board. Beyond questions we might raise about the impact of the hamburger diet proposed by the advertisement is the impact of such media on our bodies and souls.
There is no doubt that iin our daily lives we are bombarded by visual media as witnessed by this cartoon from the 1970’s:
It is the psalmist who first warned us about the impact of idol like advertisement media in what we might consider a rationale to the 2nd Commandment prohibiting Graven Images and their worship. Describing the desensitizing nature of such idols, the words of the psalmist would seem to invite an antidotal prescription of an art form that would stimulate our bodily senses to be alive and appreciative of the world of creation.
“Eyes have they but they see not”
It is a principle of The Jewish Photographer that photography, especially the dynamic capturing of the moment, and images similar to the street scene above, serves as an antidote to the numbing visuals of the commercial media environment. A critic articulates a similar stance attributed to the kinetic pioneer and visual artist Ya’akov Agam.
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The advertising context of the street scene discussed above calls our attention to food, and the promise of satisfaction. The following image gives us a more subtle photograph to which we can respond with the traditional stance on food and eating.
“When you shall eat, are satisfied and you are to bless.” Deuteronomy 8:10
This photograph was taken in a city park in Palm Springs, California. The half eaten bagel on the table does not seem to have satisfied who ever left it there. Recognizing the need for physical nourishment, Judaism urges us to eat enough to satisfy ourselves, and then bless the creator for this nourishment. There is further recognition is a statement that tells us “if there is no bread there no Torah.”