TV82 Unattainable and Unspoken
Reality is Human
This essay contrasts black and white film photographs of actual TV
screens, drawn from 80s TV programs, of a desired but usually
unobtainable item or situation, with contemporary analogous views from real life. Each duo is
presented as paired silver gelatin prints.
The original impetus of this
project was simply the desire of a young photographer to find
interesting subjects and concepts to photograph. As such, it can fairly
be said to represent, in some degree, the interests and desires of the
photographer at that time. Later contemplation can indeed partially
unravel some of the threads running through the selection of subjects.
Television and digital worlds can represent our desires, our ideals. But
mostly, these are not attainable for us. Dare we speak of them? How do
we reconcile our unattainables and our unspoken desires with life? We go
about the real world, comparing our hopes with our reality. Is this
futile? Not if we keep a clear head and attend to reality. There are
lessons in the world; let us heed them!
Some of the comparisons presented here may seem a
bit incongruous, but can be connected at some level. Many times things don’t turn out as planned. We don’t end up where
we would want. “How did I get here” can be our thought. Reality, though,
has a way of providing a base for our desires, and what we have,
although not what we might want, is still better than nothing. Can we
make our reality the same as the fantasy? Not usually, but the trial is
the thing. Regroup, retry, and push forward.
Sometimes things are so
impressive on the big scale, but seem tiny on our scale. Our life,
however, mirrors the universe in many particulars that are not always
obvious. We are drawn to the exotic, objectify it, and often wish to
capture it for personal admiration. Can we see the exotic in our own lives,
and learn to make the best of ourselves, regardless as to where that
leads?
