Essay Sample on Pedro Meyer's Photography

Pedro Meyer, the Mexican photographer does a geographical exploration of the United States and Mexico. He uses digital imaging technology to bring out very strong insights about the nature of perception and human nature. He has been presenting constructed pieces of images that were sometimes taken several years apart. He uses visual metaphor, vagaries, and plain ironies to express a deeply personal reality that was not apparent in the initial photographs that had not been altered (Meyer, 1995). There have been questions on the idea of reality and fabrication regarding his photos. Meyer as a photographer has been trying to stage his photos intending to create a scene that looks natural. He uses realistic details that are exquisite to trick the viewer to believe in a fantastic notion. Meyer’s work is a reminder that there is nothing as a single truth or having an image that does not have the opinion of the editor (Meyer, 2006).In his work, he captures the images and then devotes most of the time to constructing them to have his intended effect through the use of technology.

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His work majorly focuses on two main cultures and geographies; the natives of Mexico, Oaxaca, and the residents of the Nixon era in the North American landscape. Most of the images of the native Mixtec Indians especially the children put more emphasis on the borders between reality and myth. This is mostly portrayed in the `Temptation of the Angel’ which was featured in 1991. Meyer constantly allows his inner feelings to influence is work of art. However, he says that all the images he presents are about documenting his experience in life and not mere fabrication (Meyer, 1995). According to him, the work is based on experience and not mere facts. He says that in the process of manipulating his work, he adds some images from his memory, therefore, inculcating his emotional aspect into the images. As it is in the visual form the texts also present objects that are not realistic with maximum photographic clarity. This is done to allow the emotional subtext to physically manifest itself in a scene in a fashion that is bizarre. The magical realism in the images does not revolve around emotion rather the pieces of the images are presented as smooth documented scenes (Meyer, 2006). The metaphors are literal and the opinions of the editor are apparent.

Therefore it is not possible to have a piece of art that is devoid of the emotions and the opinions of the editor. This is what happens in Meyers's work. He has priorities and personal feelings that he intends to present in his work of art. His work operates at the juncture of truth and fiction. He takes real pictures and then blends them with computer imaging technology creating images that appear conniving and real but strangely impossible (Meyer, 2006). His work subverts the photography truth myth.

References

Meyer, P. (2006). The real and the true: The digital photography of Pedro Meyer. Indianapolis, Ind.: New Riders

Meyer, P., & Fontcuberta, J. (1995). Truths & fictions: A journey from documentary to digital photography. New York, N.Y: Aperture.