I first found this photograph when I researching the French Algerian War last semester. I was already aware of the
brutality of that war, but this photograph exceeded my expectations. My severity of inhumanity demonstrated in this photo has never left me. It makes me question current wars and conflicts, does such brutality still occur? What sort of crime constitutes such punishment. This photo is a tragic portrayal of the humiliation and exploitation of the human race in times of conflict.
I found this picture in the MIlestones of National Geographic archive. I was moved by composition of the human remains, particularly the full figure. The skin, especially the toes, is still intact in some places and in others it is entirely absent. The pose and partial-skeleton suggests the corpse is stil alive- it emulates expression and energy through its clenched fists and titled skull, almost an eagerness to have been unveiled. In contrast, the skulls surrounding the figure are clearly dead and lifeless, causing a striking contrast. This photos is striking to me because it brilliantly infuses life into a lifeless object.
I remember seeing the 3rd photo that you posted a few years back also and i am really glad that you did. When I first saw this I could not stop staring at the photo. As we talked about in class, it truly is such a horrible photograph; It captures her in her last moment but it is so beautiful in the sense that it makes you think about what she was thinking, how she was feeling, and what even brought her to that point. For the photographer to capture her in that quick moment, still alive, is so amazing.
ReplyDeleteHer body is so graceful and almost doesnt feel like it is falling- just frozen. Her arm reaching out makes you feel like, in a last minute panic, she desperately tried to save her own life.
I find this photo moving because it raises so many questions and thoughts trying to get inside her mind.
The photo of the skeleton is moving because the body expresses the struggles of the living; namely, restraint and struggle. A corpse is normally something a person shies away from, but the expressive nature of the skeleton holds my attention.
ReplyDeleteThe first picture is a powerful picture, but at the same time i wish it could have looked a little more realistic. It would be a more interesting piece if it was cropped differently and not so straightforward . It looks like a drawing.
ReplyDeleteI love all of these images, they all deal with the idea of the afterlife. "What remains after our physical selves dissolve?" Perhaps it is emotion.
ReplyDeleteThe top most photograph doesn't even look like a photo, it looks like a drawing. It's laking the strong contrast I'm used to seeing in black and white photography. Perhaps this was done on purpose to emphasize the distance this photograph is from the real sadness of the situation. How can humanity do such terrible things to itself?
I like the power of the second photograph. It's full of questions and movement beyond the grave. This person died tortured and mangled. They were uncomfortable and seeking a way to escape their misery looked upwards. Perhaps their head just fell backwards after they died. We can play archeologist by examining this photograph.
The last photograph is my favorite. It's one of those pictures where you know the photographer was at the right moment at the right time. Those are the best. They are glimpses of our world that we can share, rare instances that remain unseen, unimagined, unexperienced unless captured. The graceful fall of her body emulates the pull of gravity and yet still remains weightless, floating in mid fall. What caused this woman to want to end her life? I love this.