Stolen Moments

“A photograph should be more interesting than the subject and
transcend its obviousness.” Jeffrey Ladd

Photography is ubiquitous, a visual language without borders. It is inconceivable that those who pioneered the medium more than 150 years ago could have ever imagined the impact of their discoveries. With estimates that a remarkable 1.3 trillion images will be made this year, photography has become a quotidian endeavor riffing on Descartes: I photograph therefore I am. And proximity of
machine and ease of execution are no guarantees for an uptick in enlightenment.

The photographs in this room distinguish themselves from the pedestrian qualities of the millions taken daily. These pictures legitimize and concretize in a way the written word does not, tapping into the perception that they provide stronger evidence than language is able to offer. Despite technological wizardry that allows an image to masterfully deceive, photography still makes us think we are experiencing the truth. Consistent with their complex nature, these photographs prefer keeping secrets to confessing them.

The title of this exhibition, Stolen Moments, seems fitting given the common claim that one has “taken” a picture. And at the same time, we might concede that a stolen moment is one of special significance, time appropriated for a treasured experience. Setting aside time by stopping it either decisively, conceptually, or strategically is the domain of the medium, The images in this room – highly subjective choices from two diverse and extensive collections – seem to this viewer to transcend their subjects’ obviousness.