mikialynn

Despite the illusion that the style of photo-documentary merely captures existing characters and settings, these images cannot exist without biases.  The photographer will always carry his or her preconceptions and intentions into a photograph, even if the setting is not staged and the subjects are unaware they are being photographed.  With this project, I aimed to step outside the boundaries of traditional photo-documentary and acknowledge the limitations and superficiality that can come with images produced in this manner.  I do this by posing a vague, open-ended question to a variety of people encountered on the streets of New York City in order to provide the space for subjects to express their individuality.  The question presented was, “If you could change one thing—in your own life or in the world—what would it be?”  The unique and unexpected qualities of the responses observed challenges the assumptions we make about the thoughts and beliefs of people with certain appearances and in certain locations.  My work is particularly inspired by Gillian Wearing whose white poster-board images created a tool in photography that has been used in a variety of similar artistic projects.  This growing genre of photography bridges the gap between the photographer and the subject by involving the subject in the creation of the final piece and allowing them to have more control over the message that is taken away from the photo.  In this way, I find this style of photo-documentary to be more honest and, ultimately, a more accurate reflection of society.