In the wake of 9/11
I went down to the print shop today to pick up a certificate I had framed. The framing looks awesome. The frame shop that I go to has a specialty department that can order almost any print in the world. For years I have dreamed of having a small collection of prints. I would like to dedicate a wall in my home to prints. I want all the prints to tell a story, the type of prints that spark conversation and debate. The one print that I have always wanted to be in the center of such a wall is a black and white photo of the man standing in front of a row of tanks in Tiannemen square in China, during the student uprising in the late eighties.
There are other prints that I would like on this wall. Marting Luther King Jr, The The Berlin Wall Falling, and yes, a photo of the World Trade Center mid fall. But it would appear that this will be a little difficult. As the specialty department manager told me that all such prints have been banned or pulled off the market. He recalls after the terrorist attack a print being available with the caption "oh shit" but it did not take long for this to get pulled.
Now I am not sure what to say about this. There is the argument that it is in bad taste to show such a grevious event. Yet as I flipped through the catalog on his desk I saw a dramatic print of the hindenburg burning like the fires of hell, and another of aushwitz with a peculiar caption "arbeit macht frei". Now it would be hard to find a more offensive print than that, but there it was. And there wasnt a print of the World Trade Center.
As can be expected, as soon as I came home I turned on the computer and googled "world trade center". Low and behold there was all kinds of images of the collapse of the towers. So then why cant I get a hard copy of the event. I mean something that is real and that can sit on my wall, and not just on the pages of cyber-space. It seems to me that we should want real hard evidense of this event. And many others.
Flipping through my photo-album I soon realized that most of the photos in it were taken long before September 11. It would appear that most of my photos as of late can only be found in digital format on the crazy little box I type endlessly into. What were to happen if the box were to get lost, stolen, or break. I would lose all my photos. I would lose all the evidense for my memories.
Now some might say, the computer is always going to be here to show us our digital images, and I am not going to play into that argument. Instead I am going to counter with the old box of Atari Video games I have stored in my closet, with no way to play. FOr no doubt, long after my youth is over. And I have stopped buying into technology and started to buy into things like family. I will lose touch with the latest gigabyte invention, or ipod movie machine, and yes I will lose all those photos of the past few years.
I dont really know where I am going with this. I dont think there is anywhere one go with this other than to say. If we are in the "information age" why is it that "hard information" and material is so hard to find. And yet one can get all the information and disinformation one needs on this little box that I type endlessly into.
With all that said, I am going to post a picture of that notorious event. For not other reason than the fact I am angry that I cannot find such a print to hang on my wall. If anyone was wondering what they can buy be for christmas....That'l Do Donkey
There are other prints that I would like on this wall. Marting Luther King Jr, The The Berlin Wall Falling, and yes, a photo of the World Trade Center mid fall. But it would appear that this will be a little difficult. As the specialty department manager told me that all such prints have been banned or pulled off the market. He recalls after the terrorist attack a print being available with the caption "oh shit" but it did not take long for this to get pulled.
Now I am not sure what to say about this. There is the argument that it is in bad taste to show such a grevious event. Yet as I flipped through the catalog on his desk I saw a dramatic print of the hindenburg burning like the fires of hell, and another of aushwitz with a peculiar caption "arbeit macht frei". Now it would be hard to find a more offensive print than that, but there it was. And there wasnt a print of the World Trade Center.
As can be expected, as soon as I came home I turned on the computer and googled "world trade center". Low and behold there was all kinds of images of the collapse of the towers. So then why cant I get a hard copy of the event. I mean something that is real and that can sit on my wall, and not just on the pages of cyber-space. It seems to me that we should want real hard evidense of this event. And many others.
Flipping through my photo-album I soon realized that most of the photos in it were taken long before September 11. It would appear that most of my photos as of late can only be found in digital format on the crazy little box I type endlessly into. What were to happen if the box were to get lost, stolen, or break. I would lose all my photos. I would lose all the evidense for my memories.
Now some might say, the computer is always going to be here to show us our digital images, and I am not going to play into that argument. Instead I am going to counter with the old box of Atari Video games I have stored in my closet, with no way to play. FOr no doubt, long after my youth is over. And I have stopped buying into technology and started to buy into things like family. I will lose touch with the latest gigabyte invention, or ipod movie machine, and yes I will lose all those photos of the past few years.
I dont really know where I am going with this. I dont think there is anywhere one go with this other than to say. If we are in the "information age" why is it that "hard information" and material is so hard to find. And yet one can get all the information and disinformation one needs on this little box that I type endlessly into.
With all that said, I am going to post a picture of that notorious event. For not other reason than the fact I am angry that I cannot find such a print to hang on my wall. If anyone was wondering what they can buy be for christmas....That'l Do Donkey
posted by NMZ at Wednesday, September 06, 2006
1 Comments:
Yeah that's all we need in our apartment, more debate. Somehow I don't think you need a print on a wall to inspire people to argue with you. Why don't you put up that poster that Richard and I got from that stripper. That would spark conversation.
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