smartphones, photography, and remembering
In 2017, I visited New York for the first time. One stand out moment from that trip was seeing Van Gogh’s Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art. It’s a painting so famous that it can be seen almost as symbol of art itself. As I entered the room where this painting was, I noticed how crowded it was, everyone so eager to see. But as I stood there, I realised that it wasn’t really about seeing it at all. Phones were raised, photos snapped frantically, and people quickly moved on, satisfied they had 'captured' the moment. I don’t believe anyone was doing this without genuine excitement or interest. But it did stick out to me how much of their attention was devoted to securing a photograph, rather than experiencing the artwork in front of them. It made me wonder (as always) about the connection between photography and memory. Are we so eager to document something because we fear we’ll forget it? Or do we sometimes let the act of taking a photo replace the need to remember? The ...
