Thursday, 30 January 2014

Entry 3 – Popular Photography

I was introduced to a series of interesting photographs in one of the courses I took last year. Among the artists who created these images, I remarked on two of the photographers, Dina Goldstein and Dulce Pinzón, who both deal with surreal thematic photography.

Dina Goldstein is a Canadian pop photographer who engages in projects that voice her disagreement to the popular culture media. By offering a mixture of fairy tales and the reality, Goldstein’s series of Fallen Princesses brings a focus on the contemplation of social issues – failed dreams, pollution and ocean degradation, war, obesity, the extinction of indigenous cultures, cancer and the fallacy of chasing eternal youth.The aim of this project is not only to challenge the underline messages in these fairy tales but also to question our perception of ‘good’ life.

Dulce Pinzón is a Mexican photographer who is involved in projects that take a closer look at people’s lives and stories. Her “Real Stories of Superheroes” series reveals the untold stories of Mexican immigrants who work in New York. These labourers work countless hours in extreme conditions for low wages in order to send money home in Mexico to families who rely on them to survive. The purpose of this project is to show respect and appreciation to these selfless urban heroes who dedicate their time and effort to their families and communities.

I love how these two artists employ black humor in their photographs to communicate their ideas in depth. It not only entertains the viewers but at the same time makes us contemplate on the issues we face today and examine closer to ours and other people’s lives.


References
Goldstein, D. (2008) Snowy [Photograph]
  Retrieved from URL (http://dinagoldstein.com/fallen-princesses/)

Pinzón, D. (12011) Bernabe Mendez [Photograph]
  Retrieved from URL (http://www.dulcepinzon.com/superheroes.htm)

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