Philip Jones Griffiths - Amazing Photojournalist

I went on a mini adventure on campus today, attempting to meet up with a local Korean conversational group. I didn't get ahold of my contact so I decided just to show up in person... epic failure. The building they meet at is f'in huge so I was SOL. I don't really understand what the building is, it's like part library part study hall part student union. I wandered around for a while and was impressed and depressed at the same time; I had no idea that "real" college campuses look like this compared to my alma mater.

Anyway... I decided to check out their magazine selection, specifically the art and architecture area. I grabbed a magazine called Aperture and started thumbing thru until a few pictures caught my eye. I thumbed back and read an interview of a Welsh photographer named Philip Jones Griffiths (you can actually read the interview here), most famous for his work during the Vietnam War.

I was surprised as I've never seen any of Philip's work before. His book, Vietnam Inc., was credited on having an influence on the anti war movement. I could "judge" the influence by my ignorance, but the few photos I saw and the captions I read speak for themselves. If anything, I've probably never seen any of his work in a mainstream outlet because it would be too emotional for the average American. One example would be the photo of a mother with her two daughters, born with obvious birth defects as a result to their parents' exposure to Agent Orange. To be honest, I don't think I have to stomach to try to read Vietnam Inc.

Philip's whit, cynicism, and blunt honesty are refreshing; Phillip keeps it REAL! His social commentary, such as his opinions of the mass media, "art" photography, consumerism, and war, make for a very entertaining and inspiring read. I hope that I can stay as sharp when I'm his age, and I'm interested to see how his opinions affect my photography in the future.

I'll leave you with this...

"For me, using the simplest of words, I want to look at a photograph and learn something; I want to receive a message and the message should be comprehensible not just to an incestuous cabal of "artists," but to everyone. Real photography is a wonderfully inclusive democratic medium, whereas "art photography is more often a private pursuit by conmen." - Philip Jones Griffiths

I looked up Andreas Gursky, one of the "art" photographers hated on in the interview. His photo, 99 Cent, went for $2 million... "wallpaper" indeed!