Analog Forever Magazine is pleased to showcase 13 images in this month’s online exhibition, entitled “Simple Complexity – The Strength of a Photograph”. Curated by Analog Forever Magazine designer, writer, and curator Tim Scott, these photographs show that even in a world of millions of photographs, a few can stand out. They also show that photographs are up to the viewer’s interpretation. What you interpret or see in one way may be seen completely differently by another who has experienced life differently than you have. Yet, some images have the strength to stand on their own and make an impression or create a conversation on their own–simple in visual, but complex in story.

As our first interactive online exhibition, we are invited our viewers to comment, interrupt, and share what they think the image is about and why it is powerful to them.

Tim Scott Writes: “Impactful”, “meaningful” and “Iconic”. Three things that are nearly impossible to judge in a photograph so I have set myself up for a difficult selection of a single “winning” image by all definitions of the term.

As everyone is impacted and/or reacts to an image based on their own personal experiences, memories and emotions, I cannot judge what is impactful or memorable to you. So, I have had to review all of the comments and spend some time re-looking at the images with the comments made on our social media feeds in mind. I am not going to lie; your comments have affected how I see each image and have definitely affected how I have made my selection. However, my perspectives have obviously influenced my final selections in this wonderful series of submitted images. In fact, it was very difficult to choose a very clear “winner” as I had selected every one of these images for a reason and every single one has merit on its own. Here are my final selects and my reasoning behind each one.

Honorable mention: “Peace” by Tre Logan

This image receives an honorable mention because of the strength of the artistry, timing and how it resonates with me. As an American citizen, 2020 has been a tumultuous year filled with division and often violence. On top of all of this, the ongoing pandemic has left so many, including me, feeling very emotionally raw and uncertain. This image has captured so many of my feelings in a single, succinct moment that feels very timeless and has meaning across many moments in history no matter who you are or where you live.

Runner Up: “Fieldworkers” by Ralph Rasalan

I couldn’t get this image out of my mind. There is something so human and so innocent about the shoes to me. Are they children’s shoes? How did they get there? Were they abandoned in a rush? Are the owners of the shoes simply on the other side of the dune playing? Since there are no human faces in this image, we can all add our own face to each of the implied subjects. Since there is no specific story in the image, we all mentally add our own story to this image. That is what makes it so powerful and emotional to me. For some reason it brought to mind the now famous image of a 2-year-old girl crying as her mother was being detained by a U.S. Border agent (full story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/06/18/i-wanted-to-stop-her-crying-the-image-of-a-migrant-child-that-broke-a-photographers-heart/). There are obviously complexities to every photograph as well as truths told and many truths untold. But this image left the story and the message 100% up to the viewer and, to me anyway, that made it very powerful, memorable, and relevant to the world today.

Winning selection: “Seeing Goya” by Jesse Joseph Rodriguez

This image took a little while to grow on me. As so much is happening in the world today it’s easy to only see images that specifically trigger emotions that are the strongest reinforcements of what you’re feeling at the moment. Ultimately, this image was my “winning” selection because it was able to go so much deeper than that both for me and for other people as well (see the comments for examples). It speaks to self-identity, it speaks to insecurity, it speaks to fear and sadness, it speaks to how we and others see ourselves and so much more. The composition is unorthodox and draws your eye in to pay closer attention. The story is both complex and simple just depending on how you look at it, how you see it and how you’re feeling at the time. It can be seen one way today and an entirely different way two weeks from now. This is a photograph that I would hang on my wall and see it differently every time I looked it–and to me that is meaningful, impactful and has the potential to be iconic.

You can disagree with any and all of my thoughts and perspectives here because they’re just my perspectives and opinions and I’m 100% ok with that. What was really great about this exercise is that, if only for a short while, many of us were able to escape the realities of our own daily lives and take a look at someone else’s perspectives and stories and we are richer for it. Thank you all for your comments and for taking the time to really look and see and to comment as it helps me to see more and expand my perspectives. This is why I truly love photography as it can resonate and influence so many people in so many different ways. Please keep making photographs. Every moment and every experience is important in our short time here on this earth. You never know what moment and photograph might have the power make the world a little bit better place or to influence positive change. Photographic images are powerful. Use that power wisely.

A copy of Edition 2 of Analog Forever Magazine was awarded to Jesse Joseph Rodriguez and @lindsaywightman for their submission and interaction with out first interactive group exhibition!

Gallery 

About the Curator

Tim Scott is a working creative director in the world of advertising and design with an obsessive passion for photography. Tim’s dedication to all things visual and story-telling has led him through the top agencies in NYC as a creative director and art director working with brands, global and national. Tim now lives and works from the edge of Los Angeles County in Pomona, California with his beautiful wife Rachel. He is a writer and curator for Analog Forever Magazine. Connect with Tim Scott on his Website and on Instagram!