Kevin Carter, “Struggling Girl”, Sudan 1993
In this assignment, we
are asked to provide a photograph that appealed us, and hence provide a
critical review. Through my research I have found really interesting to focus
on the photographer, Kevin Carter and his worldwide known photograph
‘Struggling Girl”.
Background
As it was mentioned
above, this photograph had been taken by Kevin Carter during his trip at Sudan
in 26 March 1993. Near the village of Ayod, (South Sudan) where starvation and
illnesses are extremely increased, Carter found a girl who was struggling to
reach United Nation centre to ask for food. The photographer approached her
carefully in order not to disturb the vulture and capture the best possible
photograph. At the moment Carter did not realised that he had captured one of
the most controversial photos in the history of photojournalism!
The photographer had
sold the photo to the New York Times
and other famous magazines and newspapers in 26 of March 1993. One year later,
on April 1994 he was awarder with one of the most popular prizes that
photographers dream for: The Pulitzer
Prize.
A lot of people, who
had contacted with the magazines and newspapers that published the photo were concerned
with the faith of the girl and hence many had blamed Carter for not helping the
girl. This was the controversial issue that came on the surface with this photo.
St. Petersburg Time in Florida had the
following comment in their magazine: ‘ the
man adjusting his lens to just take the right frame of her suffering, might
just as well a predator, another vulture on the scene’.
Kevin Carter had committed
suicide three months after his rewarding of the Pulitzer Price.A note founded
on in his car stated: "I am depressed ... I am haunted by
the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain ... of starving
or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer
executioners ... I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky."[1]
Critical Review
As examined above, the
issue of morality and the impact to the society had a major role to the review
of the photograph. Nevertheless, at this point it is crucial to examine the
photographic work.
As an image of
photojournalism, it was captured as a part of a larger scheme by which Carter
covered “the rebel movement in famine stricken Sudan”[2].
Thus it is considered to be a part of a larger body of work.
·
Interpretation:
As mentioned above the
interpretation of this image has more of a moral nature. The, viewer, is facing
the cruel reality from the worst point of view as they cannot do anything to
help. Carter, succeeded of capturing his subject in reflection to his larger
scheme intentions.
Thus the argument
arising from the review is regarding the difference between the photographic
and ethical aspect of the image.
Respectively it was provided that “The mission of photography is to
explain man to man and each man to himself”[3].
Carter did that in a very effective way, even if he affected him.
·
Evaluation:
In respect of
arguments drawn above, through the views MacLeod it is steamed that that Carter
made a mission of providing a well-constructed photograph by forgetting his
humanity side[4].
Moreover, London Sunday Mail described it as “a truly iconographic image that captured
the full horror of the famine in Sudan” [5].
In the light of the
well captured photographic elements of the photo, and the criticism on the
ethical grounds, I submit that as a photographer, a person, in some point, has
to distinguish a good photograph and morality, and to be prepared for the
impact that would have in society.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS AND ONLINE SOURCES:
Ø Agoratz
P. (2004), ‘Ethical limits on documentary
photography’ [Online] Available at:http://paulagortazar.blogspot.com/p/ethical-limits-in-documentary.html [Accessed on 3rd
of January]
Ø Photography
News. (2013), ‘Remembering Kevin Carter
and the photo that make the world weep’ [Online] Available at: http://www.photography-news.com/2013/09/remembering-kevin-carter-and-photo-that.html
[Accessed on 3rd of January]
Ø Kevin
Carter, The impact of Photojournalism: http://kevincarterpresentation.wordpress.com/ [Accessed
on 7th of January]
Ø Paul
Martin, ‘I’m really sorry I didn’t pick
the child up’, London Mail, Sunday, 16 October, 1994
Ø MacLeod,
S.The life and death of Kevin Carter, 1994, Retrieved from < http://members.home.nl/gerhardnijenhuis/msp/time.htm
>
Ø Todd
Brandow, William A. Ewing, Edward Steichen: lives in photography (Foundation
for the Exhibition of Photography,Thames & Hudson, 2007), at page 249
IMAGES:
·
Kevin Carter, “Struggling Girl”, Sudan 1993, Available at < http://cogtography.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/exampling-ethics-kevin-carter-the-struggling-girl/
>
[1]
Kevin Carter, The impact of Photojournalism:
http://kevincarterpresentation.wordpress.com/ [Accessed on 7th of January]
[2]
Kevin Carter, The impact of
Photojournalism: http://kevincarterpresentation.wordpress.com/ [Accessed on 7th of January]
[3]
Todd Brandow, William A. Ewing, Edward
Steichen: lives in photography (Foundation for the Exhibition of
Photography,Thames & Hudson, 2007), at page 249
[4]
MacLeod, S.The life and death of Kevin Carter, 1994, Retrieved from < http://members.home.nl/gerhardnijenhuis/msp/time.htm
>
[5]
Paul Martin, ‘I’m really sorry I didn’t
pick the child up’, London Mail, Sunday, 16 October, 1994, p. 40.
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