Topic: On exploitative photography (featuring Bruce Gilden)

[hookstrapped]

https://medium.com/vantage/taking-liberties-taking-shortcuts-and-taking-advantage-of-people-1d5f5bea4c55

[Photo_Utopia]

Interesting article, thanks for posting. I think the writer has an issue with Gilden's style, I try to be neutral and could never do that kind of portrait myself because it often shows the subject  in a poor light. I have no issue with the style of the photographer shaping the portrait-- after all I love Arbus and Sander; I think Gilden's style is a little too much of 'in your face' and controversial.
Thanks again for posting.

[hookstrapped]

I think he definitely doesn't like the style, in general. But he particularly doesn't like it when employed to swoop in to his home area for two days and extract stereotypical photos that simply serve to confirm people's prejudices. There's nothing new or thought-provoking about Gilden's photos in this context.

[Photo_Utopia]

I guess portraying people from that area in a way that is expected doesn't show outsiders anything more than their preconceptions which is a missed opportunity for a journalist but to be expected from a celebrity photographer who paints his canvas in a certain style.

[Francois]

FWIW, I believe Gilden simply took the easy way out. A kind of "get me out of this hell hole" approach to the project...
I know it's not the photographer's job to be liked but I think people deserve a bit of respect in the way they are presented.

I would have loved to see him on a similar project on the redneck riviera... I'm not sure he would have made it back to NY with all his body parts!

[Late Developer]

His work is definitely not my cup of tea - but that doesn't mean he shouldn't do it as I'm sure he must have an audience willing to pay for his work as he's been shooting in this style for a long time.  However, times are a-changin' and he would only need to pick the wrong, pistol-toting, individual once.....