Week 4 (Post 2) Chapter 6 and 8 - The Photograph as Contemporary Art

As the title of the chapter suggests, the photographs in this chapter capture moments in history that are important to know. On page 173, there is a photograph entitled Halima Abdullai by Fazal Sheikh of a woman and her grandson in Kenya who were just treated for an illness or injury and this shows what sort of troubles the Somalian refugees have to experience. The following page shows a photo entitled Young Buddhist Monk by Chan Chao, of a Burmese man who is a refugee and now a monk. He was part of an armed student group. but left due to circumstances. In each case, the photograph portrays someone who was an important part of history that helps us understand the different cultures and the people from said cultures and what troubles occurred during the time of the photograph. Much of the photographs portray either some sort of desolate wasteland or construction of a new environment, all relative to history. These events shape both the present and the future and photography helps us understand these events visually. Chapter 8 was also of interest as it focused more on the physical objects. Some of these photos look more like paintings so it's extraordinary to see such beautiful pieces. Some of the pieces were edited in photoshop or some other photo editing program to make a more unrealistic feel to the picture and makes it more unique to the individual who took the photo. It ties in with our reliance on technology and how it is important to modern society.