My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited
Madagascar | Monday, January 14, 2013 | 5 photos
Upon graduating, I ran away to Africa. For 7 months I traveled solo, pursuing raw experiences that I deemed more authentic than my life in America. I was running from mediation, experiences pre-fabricated to force one into thinking a certain way. Things haunted me, from ads to Google to groceries. I’d lived for art– suddenly I couldn’t tell the truth of art from the lies of media. I brought a camera to Africa. With it, I confronted my philosophy and tiptoed the negotiation of traveler/ local. I was terrified of hurting people, stealing images. Slowly, travel changed things. I saw that no matter where one was, experiences are mediated. Putting nature into a context, a myth, is how we create meaning. Once a stranger befriended me, asking for a photo. I remembered cameras can create relationships rather than be a weapon. Travel photography is a delicate dance. Beyond technical knowledge, I must learn how a professional defines his role with subjects. Resolving my conflict with mediation, I’ve given my life over to art. It seems I’ve turned coats, working now as a commercial PA. Still our world brims with media that manipulates- I yearn to use the camera to capture essential truths.
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