Dawoud Bey is a famous street photographer. Photography has a different meaning for him. Because he has experienced hearing loss, photography is a good way to express his voice. He has taken many works with different ways of looking at things that express the voice of black people to society. In his Night Coming Tenderly Black exhibition, the work that impressed me was “Underground Railroad.” Among these photos, there was a photo from the angle of looking up to the sky among the trees, which made me realize that the slave who ran away at that time belonged to the light that he wanted. The photo made me realize that I felt that the trees in the photo were like their difficult situation at the time, and the sky is their way out and progress in their lives; the black and white tones of the photos also made me feel depressed at the time. In his works, he expressed unfair cries for black people. Therefore, photography is a way for him to express the voice, and a way for the audience to feel that kind of silent cry.
The Kitchen table series of Carrie Mae Weems’s photography works shows the different voices from the perspective of women. In this Kitchen table series, she uses a simple kitchen table to show people’s views on women from ancient times to the present, that is women belonging to the family and belonging to the kitchen; at the same time, her work also reflects the importance of women to the family, such as gender balance and balance of family member relationships, etc. One of the photos in her work, a man is sitting reading a newspaper, and the woman is sitting with a cigarette in her hand. It seems that the two of them are thinking. Although they are on the same table, they represent different individuals. The roles played by men and women in the family are different. Through the photo, I feel that men’s indifference to the family and the kitchen table belongs to women.
Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems both use photos to convey the voice they want to express, and portray different feelings in the style of black and white photos. I think every photo conveys the voice of every photographer and the story behind the photo. Through the different photographers’ works, you will discover a different world, and you can see society and the world from the perspective of others. Therefore, looking at the world from a different perspective can make people have a different understanding. In a sense, the power of photography can bring people a new understanding which can re-shape the world.
I agree that Bey wants his audience to feel. He puts us in the position of the escaping enslaved person, alone, terrified in the dark, knowing that a wrong move will lead to suffering and death. He wants us to feel something of what they must have felt.
The Kitchen Table series is very much from the perspective of a woman. Good observation.
I agree that the power of photography is to change people’s understanding. I think both of these two photographer have been successful at this.