News & Events
Exposure: what did we learn thanks
- April 21, 2023
- Posted by: Susan Fawehinmi
- Category: ! Without a column
No, I’m not about the fact that now many people know about the existence of such a photographer, not about how the exhibition has stopped working, and it was not about whether children’s pornography was on it (according to all the data – it was not). After three days of debate, I hardly say something new, but it is useful to formulate the questions that this scandal to us as a result.
These questions do not concern children, nudity or creativity, namely this exposition “without embarrassment” in Moscow, in the center of the photo named after the Lumiere brothers, those photos of Jok Rodges who were presented on it, and those people who saw them (not)that is all of us. We have no answer that suits all the questions yet.
Whether the pictures cause psychological harm to those models that are depicted on them?
This is perhaps a key question if we approach this story from the point of view of psychology. “Children of a certain age cannot fully be responsible for their actions;Their feeling of personal boundaries is still shaky, and therefore they are increased victimized, ”said the clinical psychologist Elena T. Sokolova.
The child’s body cannot be made with an erotic object, this can lead to his hypersexualization at an early age. In addition, no consent of the child and his parents can take into account what emotions he will cause these pictures when he matures whether they will become traumatic experience or remain a natural part of his family lifestyle.
It is possible to object to this, as some psychologists do, that the fact of photography does not violate borders and is not to any extent by violence, even soft, given that the models of the nudists lived in the communes and spent all the warm season of the year with naked. They did not undress for filming, did not pose, but simply allowed them to shoot them to the man who lived among them and whom they had long known for a long time.
What do the audience feel when looking at these photos?
And here, apparently, there are as many sensations as people. The spectrum is extremely wide: admiration, peace
, enjoyment of beauty, the return of the memories and sensations of childhood, interest, curiosity, indignation, rejection, sexual excitement, anger.
Some see cleanliness and rejoice that the body can not be portrayed as an object, others feel just objectivation in the photographer’s gaze
Some see cleanliness and rejoice that the human body can be portrayed and not perceived as an object, others feel just objectivation, subtle depravity and violation of the boundaries in the view of the photographer.
“The eye of a modern citizen to one degree or another is cultivated, globalization led us to greater literacy in relation to the development of children, and most of us, like the Western cultural viewer, are permeated with psychoanalytic allusions,” Elena T thinks. Sokolova. – And if not, then our primitive feelings can respond directly to “”.
The most amazing thing is that some commentators are trying to dispute the reality of other people’s feelings, do not believe the impressions, the words of other people, They suspect each other of hypocrisy, barbarism, sexual perversions and other mortal sins.
What happens in society, where such an exhibition is taking place without hindrance?
We see two points of view. One of them is that in such a society there are no more important taboos, there are no moral boundaries and everything is allowed. This society is deeply painful, it is unable to protect the best and clean eyes from lustful eyes that there are children in it. It is insensitive to the injury inflicted on models, and indulges in people with unhealthy inclinations that rush to this exhibition because it satisfies their low instincts.
The society in which such an exhibition is possible trusts himself and believes that adults can afford to experience different feelings
There is another point of view. The society in which such an exhibition is possible trusts itself. It believes that adult free people can afford to experience different feelings, even the most controversial, even frightening, to realize and analyze them. Such people are able to understand why these pictures are provocative and what kind of reactions provoke, separate their own sexual fantasies and impulses from depraved actions, naked nature from nudity in public places, art from life.
In other words, society as a whole considers itself healthy, enlightened and does not consider everyone who comes to the exhibition as latent or active pedophiles.
And what can be said about a society where an attempt to hold such an exhibition failed?
And here, which is quite natural, there are also two points of view. Either this society is extremely morally integral, firm in its beliefs, distinguishing between good and evil, rejecting any hint of the sexual exploitation of children and protecting children’s innocence with all means, even if we are talking about children from another country who grew up in another culture. The very fact of showing a naked children’s body in the artistic space seems unacceptable for ethical reasons.