Abstract
“What we need is different stories, about different people, told in different ways…that means diversity of storytellers, diversity of media and discipline…” (Anastasia Taylor Lynd: 2015) This paper presents a series of ‘Imagined Photos’ collated during fieldwork with NGO communication staff at the border in Calais, France from 2018-2020. I argue that the archive of ‘imagined photographs’ offer a way of expanding the humanitarian framework (Azoulay, 2018) as they ask audiences to become an active participant and engage with a different representation of a refugee, one which allows the right to opacity (Sliwinski, 2024). To contextualise this project the paper explores pertinent questions relating to the creation and dissemination of photographs of migration by humanitarian organisations. Such as, what images of migration are photographed, who is allowed to be seen and by whom? In/visibility is discussed in relation to the imagined photo series which seeks to offer an alternative visualisation of a refugee through mental images. The paper points to the great need for audiences to engage their imagination in our visual literacy of humanitarian images to ‘look’ (Linfield, 2010) beyond the frame presented. It calls for creative projects that create new narratives that are more horizontal in their process (Fairey, T 2024) by asking their audience to engage and participate in what they are ‘looking at’ in new and meaningful ways.
Presenters
Anna GormleyLecturer. Deputy Ethics Lead for School of Arts, Photography, University of Goucestershire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
REPRESENTATION, POWER, MEDIA, AUDIENCE, IDENTITIES
