Cold as Hell

Opposites are true...
It can be said as a characterization of photography that it is a breaking down of a series of fundamental propositions.  It is deconstructing the essence of the message (not the subject) at deeper and deeper levels. Ultimately, we have nothing left but Derrida's "freeplay of the signifier".  This is to say that all normative statements, photographic or otherwise, can be undermined.  For any characterization that can be made, you can also make the opposite characterization.  For example; digital will kill the art of photography/creativity will thrive with advances in digital photography; an image is ugly & useless/that same image is meaningful & beautiful; people hate extremes/"extreme" is more popular than ever; Dave Matthews' music is terrible/Dave Matthews is a musical genius; the profit motive corrupts/buy my prints.  We get nowhere going around pointing out contradictions or seeking to prove that the basis for deeply-held beliefs can be easily undermined.  We have to learn to coexist with with the contradictions and decide how to live our lives despite them.

In the end, we all want the same thing.  We want to find happiness and meaning in life.  Do what makes you happy.  But do learn to distinguish happiness from momentary pleasure, which has value but of a different sort. Don't stop expressing what you believe in but always question your beliefs.  And when deep down you feel something is right, try to be true to that value.

All images on this site are copyrighted and the sole property of
Paul Bracey, unless otherwise noted and may not be copied or used without permission.

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire;
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost