"Some photographs change the way we look at the world, some change the way we look at photography, and some do both. For me Roundabout, Andersonstown, Belfast, 1984, by photographer Paul Graham (above) is one such picture."
The article is by Phil Coomes, picture editor.
But looking at the pictures they seem unremarkable (and after the article was posted, there were several comments added to that effect). The roundabout one in particular could be alternatively described as a snapshot of a careworn suburban roundabout taken just after something interesting happened or looked like it was about to happen (see the soldiers scurrying off in the distance?).
I think the photos are very good photojournalism. They may seem unremarkable, but as the intriduction suggests, they need to be "read", not glanced at. They're not meant to be beautiful, just truthful.
Maybe it's a "sign of the times" thing, but I really don't have the energy to start investigating or "reading" such an ordinary or even boring looking photo like that roundabout picture. IMO there has to be something that catches the eye immediately and draws you in. I also think that picture alone should tell at least a part of the story, now I had to read the article in order to have some understanding of the roundabout pic. And I still don't feel it.
...now maybe if @flamez splashed some water over that roundabout ;-)
I have to admit that these photos did not grab a hold of me and force me to look at them and I think that the reason we expect them to is that photos, film tv are all such a constant influx into our daily lives that these pictures seem unremarkable to us at first glance.
I read the article and found myself putting these images into the correct contexts and getting mre from them. For me it felt abit like when I go to a gallery and look at works of art that caused huge contraversy and debate in their time and yet now sit in the galleries and are replicated throughout peoples homes as pretty pictures.
I personally will not go and see these poictures as part of an exhibition as I feel they worked better as part of their original context. The roundabout photo was particulary groundbreaking for the early 80's when as the article says most of the photos documenting the troubles in Ireland were standard b&w mural and propaganda shots....
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...now maybe if @flamez splashed some water over that roundabout ;-)
I read the article and found myself putting these images into the correct contexts and getting mre from them. For me it felt abit like when I go to a gallery and look at works of art that caused huge contraversy and debate in their time and yet now sit in the galleries and are replicated throughout peoples homes as pretty pictures.
I personally will not go and see these poictures as part of an exhibition as I feel they worked better as part of their original context. The roundabout photo was particulary groundbreaking for the early 80's when as the article says most of the photos documenting the troubles in Ireland were standard b&w mural and propaganda shots....