considering "post media" information environment

There is something amazing about media, which is their power of connecting us as audiences and also the artists with the subject within crossing space and time. They also spread beauty, development and inheritance of different cultures.

After reading Hovagimyan’s article on his belief on the society entering into a ‘Post Media’ environment, I especially want to response to his points of view that the forms of photographies and films endow more depth and meanings to art works. I believe for most of the time, photography and film provide more visual impact and detailed information than paintings as media in conveying mythos and meanings. In the beginning of 20th century when photography first emerged, photographies are shot in a more objective perspective since the photographers were not so skilled enough to insert connotation in their art works. However, as photography become a rather common tool for recording and reproducing, photographers are able to communicate more subjective connotations. As what Hovagimyan explains, “Meaning for any art work is a communication process, a shared tribal agreement on the meaning of any icon, symbol, etc.” Sure, photography and film can do that better. However I think comparing to paining, as photographs gets more experienced, the fancy of techniques  in photographs might lead to the neglect ion of content and details. This happens especially when color photography appears. Ted Grant once said that “when you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and White, you photograph their souls”. Without the effect of the color on photographs and films, the content, composition, imagination and inner conflict in the black-and-white photographs themselves get to their highlights. Therefore I don’t completely agree on Hovagimyan’s statement that “the symbolic language of representational painting just doesn’t compare with the information of a photograph.”

The following link is a documentary video on two war photographers Michael Kamber and louie Palu on their journeys of taking photos of wars happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is amazing of how powerful their photographs is in their details and the stories behind.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCXsekzcRm8