Re: [Leica] Political Correctness

["Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

>Dear LUGnuts -
>
>The Project Workshop in Santa Fe with Sam Abell was very good.  Sam is a
>wonderful teacher; however, I learned something that was both enlightening
>and disturbing.
>
>My project is "Las Familias" - an exhibit (possibly book) of my photographs
>of Honduran families.  I learned that many galleries will not accept my
>project because it is politically incorrect - I am a photographer from the
>first world photographing people in the third world.  To make the project
>more acceptable it was suggested that I involve the families in the project
>by (a) giving them a camera and letting them photograph their own lives (b)
>getting them to write comments about the photographs.  (a) wouldn't work
>because the people I visit don't have time to take photographs - they spend
>all of their waking hours trying to feed their families (b) might work with
>a tape recorder but many of the people I photograph don't read or write -
>and several of the families in the project were killed by Hurricane Mitch -
>do I exclude those photographs?
>
>What do you think about political correctness?  Gallery owners and
>publishers who reviewed our work seemed to think it is an important issue,
>but it honestly never occurred to me.
>
>Leically,
>
>Tina
>
>
>Tina Manley, ASMP
>http://www.tinamanley.com

What rubbish! You are a sensitive, involved artist with a camera. The
people you photograph have other concerns in life.

Political correctness arose from a noble sentiment, but has so often been
used with the delicacy of a club that it has largely subverted its purpose.
This is certainly one of those times. Go find another gallery; one run by
people with intelligence!

   *            Henning J. Wulff
  /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
 /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
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