War on photography
Photography on war
When Sun Tzu wrote “The Art of War”, he was trying to distinguish the “art” of strategy and tactics from the leadership and politics of war. Most artists don’t really associate art with war. But there is an art that has had a profound impact on war, and it’s execution. The art of Photography.
The American Civil War was one of the first conflicts enthusiastically photographed by both sides http://ushistoryscene.com/article/civil-war-photography. Newspapers sought out the sensational photographs of battles aftermath. Soldiers carried pictures of loved ones to battle. While action photos were rare (see photo above), the casualty strewn fields from battles became visible to the casual reader as never before. That visceral shock had a profound effect on how war was viewed.
Today countries around the world expend vast effort to control how photographs limit their ability to make war. Photographers are targeted. Countries secure the internet to stop the transmission of photos and video. Outrageous claims of success can be refuted by the leak of only a few snapshots, causing embarrassment to those in power. And more recently, rapid assessment by the public on the progress of war is visible from space. Photography influenced society and how it views and tolerates war. It also, unlike many art forms, can influence a population enough to prevent one.
This art has teeth!
The American Civil War was one of the first conflicts enthusiastically photographed by both sides http://ushistoryscene.com/article/civil-war-photography. Newspapers sought out the sensational photographs of battles aftermath. Soldiers carried pictures of loved ones to battle. While action photos were rare (see photo above), the casualty strewn fields from battles became visible to the casual reader as never before. That visceral shock had a profound effect on how war was viewed.
Today countries around the world expend vast effort to control how photographs limit their ability to make war. Photographers are targeted. Countries secure the internet to stop the transmission of photos and video. Outrageous claims of success can be refuted by the leak of only a few snapshots, causing embarrassment to those in power. And more recently, rapid assessment by the public on the progress of war is visible from space. Photography influenced society and how it views and tolerates war. It also, unlike many art forms, can influence a population enough to prevent one.
This art has teeth!