Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/18

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Political Correctness
From: Gary Elshaw <gary.elshaw@vuw.ac.nz>
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 18:46:15 +1200

Tina wrote:
> I learned that many galleries will not accept my
>project because it is politically incorrect

Hi Tina,

I can't believe i'm going to politically hang myself out, but there you go :-)
Please don't take offence at this, but i think your project sounds
'Politically Correct.' I would have thought examining the subject of
'family' and the disposessed of the 'third world' would have been enough
for most people to support the project: Conservatives and Liberals alike.

The sort of 'political correctness' you mention has been around since the
late 60's at least. It's not actually part of any political correctness
movement, but it sounds like the people you've been talking to have
transformed it into that. It actually has its roots in a revolutionary
cultural practice, rather than anything to do with the current PC climate.
The concept itself, which i find inspiring, comes across as very weird at
the same time. The concept is fine, but the people you mention explaining
their idea of it, seems a little-- to say the least-- distorted.

A lot of my work about cinema in 1968 is looking at the rise of 'third
world cinema,' where there was a big movement to shrug off imperialist
ideology in favour of anti-colonialist cinema, and the creation of
'indigenous images'. There are similar movements here in New Zealand right
now, which i'll happily and enthusiastically support. But the key to this
issue, particularly with what you do, is more about making people aware of
the peoples existence in the first place!

Duh, to get a grass-roots movement of any kind, generally means making
folks aware of a people's existence. I think the people you're having to
deal with have their chickens and eggs around the wrong way.

Uh, ignore the previous stuff and repeat the last sentence x2.

I wish i could offer some real help and suggestions to make this problem
better. I think the voice recordings are a great idea, but the people you
mention will probably have a problem with translation of the material, if
you need to do that as well. In that case, you'd need to do both verbal
recordings, a transcription of the original and a subsequent translation.
I've seen this sort of thing done in galleries, and it can work really
well. Especially if the sound is by choice of the listener. If you do
decide to do a book, the original speech with translation can work really
well too. Don't give up, you've got lots of support here, and, by all
means--the people who lost their lives in Mitch need representing too.

Good luck, Tina, and if they give you any more trouble, send 'em over to
the LUG and we'll sort 'em out!

I'm in trouble aren't i?

Take care,
Gary








_____________________________________________________________

"The difficulty now is that unexceptional adults believe the loss of
youthful dreaming is itself "growing up," as though adulthood were
the passive conclusion to a doomed activity and hope during
adolescence."


OO             The Uses of Disorder
[_]<|          Personal Identity and City Life -- Richard Sennett
  /|\
Gary Elshaw
Post-Grad Film Student
Victoria University
New Zealand
http://elshaw.tripod.com/
http://elshaw.tripod.com/photointro.html
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