DIAS SINGULARES: maio 2013

Muito mais do que simples imagens

Já antes escrevi sobre Vlad Dumitrescu neste blog (vide HUMANO e SUBLIME), mostrei algumas das suas fotografias e usei-as, com o seu consentimento, em vídeos (vide Real People). Há cerca de um mês atrás coloquei-lhe uma pergunta sobre os problemas éticos levantados pelo exercício de fotografar e publicar fotografias de pessoas. As fotografias de rua (street photography), especialmente as espontâneas ou tiradas de improviso, mostram as pessoas anónimas numa dimensão aparentemente mais real, mas sempre numa perspectiva proibida para o próprio observado. Ninguém pode ver-se tal como é visto pelo fotógrafo, ninguém pode ser simultaneamente duas pessoas, ser o objecto e o observador ao mesmo tempo. O que o fotógrafo captura é sempre uma imagem "roubada", um momento que parece pertencer mais à câmara do que à própria pessoa ou ao fotógrafo. A fugacidade dos olhares, a mobilidade dos gestos geram imagens únicas mas que podem não corresponder à verdade essencial do ser "roubado".

As fotografias de Vlad Dumitrescu, retratando gente simples e humilde da Roménia rural nunca suscitaram no meu espírito quaisquer dúvidas ou questões éticas. É evidente a relação afectiva que o liga àqueles que fotografa. É evidente que aquilo que move Vlad Dumitrescu não é simplesmente a busca de imagens originais e esteticamente fortes e expressivas, embora elas sejam tudo isso. O que o move é sobretudo o respeito e a admiração por aquela gente e o desejo de preservar um presente já raro e em vias de extinção, as gentes, as tradições, as paisagens da Roménia rural.

Vlad Dumitrescu respondeu gentilmente à minha pergunta há cerca de um mês atrás. Pensei em traduzir tudo para português (já que nós falamos sempre em inglês), mas para respeitar integralmente as palavras do fotógrafo, optei por deixar pergunta e resposta em inglês, tal como foram originalmente escritas. Segue-se também mais um vídeo ilustrado pelas fotografias de Vlad Dumitresco (Real People IV, com música de Rui Veloso e letra de Carlos Tê, «Sei de uma camponesa»), e mais algumas fotografias que mostram bem que as fotografias de gente de Vlad Dumitrescu não são um "exercício predatório", mas um exercício de amor por aquelas gentes e um documento etnográfico valioso de uma Roménia rural já quase extinta. Por isso mesmo, as suas fotografias fazem reflectir sobre os rumos da Humanidade contemporânea. Para onde iremos nós, quando tivermos aniquilado todas as nossas raízes, quando a globalização tiver apagado todas as pegadas reais dos nossos avós? A História escrita e as imagens preservadas bastarão para nos lembrar quem fomos e quem somos realmente?

FOTOGRAFAR PESSOAS (pergunta e resposta)

A minha pergunta

(...)

Dear Vlad Dumitrescu, I'd like to ask your opinion about a matter that has much to do with the kind of photography you produce. When I see photographs of people, especially frontal photos where people can be perfectly identified, I always ask myself: «Did they know they were being photographed? Did they allow this photo to be taken and shown? Curiously, when I look at your photos of people I never make these questions. Why? Because it's obvious that they know that they are being photographed and that they love you as much as you love them. Besides, as I've told you before, your photos capture the inner light of those gentle souls, you dignify them and give them a human value that is, in fact, invaluable. Your photos are "monuments" to these anonymous people that no one knows but make our world a better world.

My question is about photographs of people in general and street photography in particular. Certainly you know that statement by Susan Sontag who considers that to take a picture of a person is a "predatory" exercise, it's a theft of his / her identity: «(…) there is something predatory in the act of taking a picture. To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves, by having knowledge of them they can never have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically possessed. Just as the camera is a sublimation of the gun, to photograph someone is a sublimated murder – a soft murder, appropriate to a sad, frightened time.»

I agree with her. There are only a few of “street photographers” that don’t make me feel they are “predators” “shooting” people and you are one of them, the one who is able to give more identity to those who you “shoot” instead of robbing their souls. I exclude from this judgment and appreciation the photojournalists who have the mission to reveal the “truth”, the reality that is hidden or far away from us; and if to do that, to help or save people, is necessary to “shoot” someone with a camera, then that act is a little more justified.

I don’t want to bother you. You don’t have to give me a long answer or you may even not want to answer at all. Anyway, I’d like to know your opinion. Thank you for everything.

15/4/2013

Resposta de Vlad Dumitrescu

Hello! First of all, please excuse my late answer!

I also agree with the statement you sad. For example if you take a photo of a person on the street with a problem on her face. You only show that! OK you talk to her and you find out that she had an accident when she was young and you write that when you publish that image... But that's it! Nothing else. Nothing about the way that she was affected in life from it. Nothing about the experiences that she lived because of it... Only that. It is just a (very good - lets assume) image of an object in fact; an object with a problem.

And I have to admit that I also do that in a way... Although most all of the people I photograph are my friends and I know very much about them, I cannot say all "this very much". I only say a very small part. And this very small part can very in one second depends on the expression of my friend. I can show you three images taken in one minute and they say three totally different stories because of the expression... And I see this very often. Someone is saying "Oh, I am so sorry for this man, he is so sad, he must be living a very hard life ". And I know it's not his case. I know he is really a happy man, very healthy and enjoying his life. And I say it... but it's me who is saying it, not the picture...

Sometimes are my stories, just my stories...

I knew from the beginning that this is the risk with people photography, but I took it... What can I do? This is what I really like in photography! :o)

What I am really very hard trying is not to harm/ offend any one!

Thank you!

17/4/2013