Most people in this digital age love photography. They think they’re alright at it, just because with a little help from Photoshop, their amateur photos seem that tiny bit more professional, artily exaggerated in a way they hope looks like pure talent (suffice to say, it often doesn’t). But the real art behind photography lies in the thought behind the image, its message. Five Eleven Ninety Nine, a London-based collective of photographers, have done just this- returning to the root of photography by dissecting what it is trying to say. Currently indulging in a picture game named Broken Train, every day, a member will post an image that reacts to the one that has come before. In the past two weeks, the wagons of this wonderfully bizarre (albeit pretentious) photo train have been a weird assortment, ranging far and wide from expressionist drawings and Tom Jones to today’s disturbingly voyeuristic photo of Osama Bin Laden’s death bed. I’m a bit confused as to quite how that link has been made, too - but the sheer eclectic feel of this photo blog is what makes it so intriguing- and one to watch. Check it out for yourself at http://fiveelevenninetynine.com/broken-train/.
Hi there!
ReplyDeleteWe're glad you're enjoying our Broken Train. We started with the disturbing Bin Laden's bed because that day was the day of his capture [and we were all pretty shocked by some reactions to his death].
Sometimes the connection is purely visual, sometimes is more about the meaning, sometimes it's about what's happening in our collective [Martin Parr's Mexican picture was uploaded by Jonny, from Mexico]. sometimes it's just something that works only in the author's mind.
Nice blog by the way.
Simone
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Five Eleven Ninety Nine