Term 2: Week 4 Digital Technology Richard Mosse Exercise

Richard Mosse

http://www.designboom.com 

What genre/s does Richard Mosse’s ‘The Enclave’ fit into?

Documentary | Fine Art

What is the history that relates to this project?

War-torn Congo Richard Mosse: Making visible an invisible conflict

Is there anything in his own history that influences this work?

Richard Mosse is from Ireland and grew up as a Quacker. He no longer practices being a Quacker but uses a lot of the morals and ethics taught in his childhood. This comes through in his work. Experiences in his childhood and teens could have had some influence to his work coming from a country of conflict.

Why did he choose to use the Kodak infrared film for the project?

The army used the infrared film to detect hiding or camouflaged area of conflict. Richard breaks the norm of documenting images with the infrared film. Creates amazing photo's capturing the viewers attention. With the bright pink colours. 

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org (In 2007 Kodak announced that production of the 35 mm version of their color infrared film (Ektachrome Professional Infrared/EIR) would cease as there was insufficient demand. It is assumed that the 70 mm Aerographic format will continue.

There is no currently available digital camera that will produce the same results as Kodak color infrared film although the equivalent images can be produced by taking two exposures, one infrared and the other full-color, and combining in post-production. The color images produced by digital still cameras using infrared-pass filters are not equivalent to those produced on color infrared film. The colors result from varying amounts of infrared passing through the color filters on the photo sites, further amended by the Bayer filtering. While this makes such images unsuitable for the kind of applications for which the film was used, such as remote sensing of plant health, the resulting color tonality has proved popular artistically.

Color digital infrared, as part of full spectrum photography is gaining popularity. The ease of creating a softly colored photo with infrared characteristics has found interest among hobbyists and professionals.)

How does the use of this film fit into the documentary genre? 
This does not fit into film documentary genre.

How many times has he been to the Eastern Congo for this project?  Why do you think he has been back so many times?

http://www.designboom.com

Richard Mosse returned 8 times over 4 years. He has an amazing connection and respect of the people and being able to document the different events. He is drawn too the war-torn Congo as he said on the video it is his calling not the correct choice of words. But this explains his passion to be photograph the Eastern Congo.  

What justification does he have for creating such beautiful images to represent such horrific events?  Why would he be criticized for this? How does this differ from other war photographs you have seen?

The first impression he would like the viewer to see is the beautiful and full of life country. But on a closer look they see the distraction and devastation of the people in the Congo.  One could defiantly criticise Richard as words cannot explain the horrific things that have being and still are going on.
I don't think at any time does he want to down play the event going on but the need to bring some beauty into the photo's help with the healing he has experienced.


War photographs are cold and express death and distraction. This is so meaningless. A lot of war photos are in black and white. Film was used and often no time to compose the photo just point and shoot.