bad pictures of bad subjects

Lyle Rexer presented much of what he would call 'bad pictures of bad subjects'. In a different way, he might say that we are being forced to pay attention to things that we take for granted in these so-called 'bad pictures'. The numerous pictures presented contained swans, things stuck in fences, goofy portraits, and animals. 

Rexer then mentions a key piece of information that caught my attention: "Social media has shown us that there is no simple definition of vernacular photography." I feel this idea is crucial for understanding visual culture these days. Everyone becomes an 'artist' and everyone carries around a camera. All types of media overload us with stimulation and this experience of allatonceness. Although they have these qualities I feel that we don't often recognize through social media the aesthetic of these images because they are all found in the same format; on computers, or our handheld devices. While listening to the presentation another key piece of information came to light: everyone becomes an author because we are unburdened by the idea of originality. Barthes would probably disagree but how can you come to an understanding that you are not an author without borrowing his ideas of authorship? Perhaps you can, but Barthes might say that he thought of it first; thus making you unoriginal.

The beauty of the images Rexer presented is that the individual who took the picture came across them as objects of interest. He said: "The situation in which you encounter the picture is important." We will view images differently depending on where they are situated and what they are next to. Perhaps you come across a beautiful photographic triptych in a gallery, or maybe you encounter a ridiculous scene in a cityscape. The environment changes our perceptions and in turn, the photograph changes us.