RP Newsletter #11: I have no idea what is happening anymore and that's ok.
Life updates, Surveying Filipino Photographers and the Diaspora, On Banal Images, and extremely late Philippine ArtFair Photo 2022 thoughts
I have no idea what is happening anymore and that's ok.
I used to have a pulse on what was happening in Manila's photography scene. I monitored book releases, visited exhibitions, participated in events and what have you. But, after the art fair, I somehow stopped looking at stuff. Turns out other things were going on in my life.
Turns out the way I live finally has taken its toll. After a heavy breakdown, I finally went to see a shrink and I got diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I always thought I had ADHD but not full on like others. Unlike ADHD or OCD, GAD can make you suffer by catastrophizing and overthinking every situation to the point of paralysis. So I had to make life adjustments here and there which I won’t get into here.
To catch up, if you’re a Filipino photographer, Based in the Philippines, or a Filipino in the diaspora, I would like you to answer this survey:
Survey on PH photo practitioners pursuing personal projects
It will take 10-15 minutes depending on how fast you answer but it’s a bit of a formal way to get a pulse of what’s happening and what folks are working on. As much as there are many things happening in PH Photoland, I’d like to concentrate in the Philippines and the diaspora. I want to give priority to those who are working or have stuff ready to show. But yes, it would be of great help if you can share and/or answer this survey as well!
On Banal Images
Ok so technically speaking, I was still looking at stuff.
I don t know how it happened but I was doing a deep dive into looking for an explainer why authoritarian publishing materials suck.
The usual suspects showed up but my favorite takes are from CS Lewis in that beauty can be achieved with the true, the sublime, and the pure. All which authoritarian artistry lacks but Lewis argues that there is a desire for beauty for every person. I also looked up Hannah Arendt's Banality of Evil.
Arendt argues that Evil is not necessarily a villain with an office swivel chair, it's usually a bureaucrat stuck on a desk annoyed in an office like us. The biggest difference is most of us are annoyed at processing invoices/forms etc for business transactions, while they are processing another set of Jews to be out in the chamber. Same banal activity but different evil outcome.
Applied to photography (or art) it leads to hyper vernacular images. There is no need for technical or critical mastery when you only need to communicate a message. The creator attempts to copy what is deemed good rather than actually pursue beauty. It creates a veneer rather than something permanent. You can notice when a work is built with sincerity and care. There is an effort in showing layers of messages and intertwining context. Coming from a place of authoritarian intent, it is banal.
So what of banal images? (Or if you want to score intelligentsia points, vernacular images.) My failure in this process was to equate all banality to evil when banality is just a trait of it. Banality is a way evil rationalizes its action but when the work is banal, it can be a different thing altogether.
Which leads me to my personal favorite dealing with banal but with beauty:
First is the aptly named "Picture lang" (Eng. Translation, Just Pictures). It is what it is. Just pictures. It is the embodiment of Winogrand's “I just want to know what things look like photographed.” I struggle to write the words on this artist's work because it is simple and pure. No projects, rationales, or anything. It is just pictures (I mean, that’s why it’s Pictures Lang). This is the embodiment of one of my tenets in Photography said by Hans Aarsman: “If you want to make interesting pictures, you shouldn’t try to make them”. This is all about the image. Of what it is and what it looks like. I don’t think i’m forcing the desire to find it beautiful but we are constantly exposed to images of various makes, contexts, and meanings. Heck, we now have images generated by artificial intelligence. There is something so humanely enjoyable at looking at somebody who is just taking pictures.
There is currently an effort by Francis (I think the name of the artist) to make a zine. I'm excited to see how it will work. Glory to the banal. Support his project here.
Super late Artfair photo report (and Vogue)
Looked at my notes from back then and I had a bunch of questions than a coherent thought:
A highlight of everything Philippine fashion
Why did it feel like a eulogy for fashion?
Whatever happened to avant-garde? Why did fashion's infrastructure crumble? Where are the editorials? Is all fashion on glossy now or on tiktok.
When something is democratized does that mean it is unmonetizable?
As for the exhibition itself, it showed fashion in all the breadths. I especially like the wall dedicated to Jo Ann Bitangcol. People in fashion tend to morph in and out from in front of the lens to behind it. She is the perfect embodiment of it.
Where the hell is fashion going? Is it digital? Is it going to be on the metaverse?
I know fashion is not my world anymore but it reaches the light of photography. When there's photography there is history.
And thus brings me to Vogue Philippines.
Brilliantly shot cover and I expected nothing else. I was positively pessimistic about it all. Positive because Yay Vogue is here and I think my dear wife has got what it takes to do make up work on their pages. It's going to be a great opportunity for a lot of people and whatnot. Pessimistic because really, do we need Vogue?
Another round of question dump:
What's the relevance of Vogue in 2022?
Why does PH fashion need western affirmation? Is it still going to be an exclusive club or are they going to be more inclusive?
How is this going to be different than other local luxury magazines?
Are creatives here going to have fair pay?
In the context of existing in the Philippines, does Vogue really have a place here?
But here's the rub: It's never for us. They are for fashion. They are not out to teach, educate, transform or what have you. It's not their role nor are they going to be interested in that. They are for all intents and purposes, Vogue is going to be Vogue. Whatever that means and however that's going to become.
The excitement is a good jolt for Philippine fashion. For those who saw this year's artfair photo, you can see Vogue Philippines as the next chapter in Philippine Fashion’s. I trust the local fashion photographers and creatives are ready and willing. I hope they get chances to take part. As for the next Artfair Photo, I like the idea of focusing into a specific topic. Let’s see what they will come up with next.
Follow
The humor is true by Charles Salazar (Tsarlyboy).
If you are still hankering for banal images but this time, slanted towards humor of a Philippine context, this is your page. I should find time to write about Tsarlyboy’s extensive work.
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Sundays with Stella. Stella Kalaw’s newsletter.
Gosh. Where do I even begin! Kidding aside, Grid made this sweet profile of this amazing practitioner.
Read
In the Philippines, Photographs of Tenderness helps us not to look away by Nicole Soriano
Beautiful (award winning) piece of writing making sense of the work of 3 of our best image makers in Geloy Concepcion, Hannah Reyes, and JL Javier. This piece made realize that if there is distinct trait we have as “Filipino Style” it might just be tenderness.
Watch
Better Call Saul.
Once again asking if you can share the survey to others! Thank you very much!
Love and Light.
Until the next!
A.g.