You People
In the lineage of prominent figures of street photography such as Henri Cartier-Bresson (I know it’s classic, but hey, too many years in Paris), who captured the "decisive moment", my work seeks to delve into the nuances of urban human encounters in the digital age. Building on Susan Sontag's assertion in "On Photography" that photographs are a means to “possess the world”, I embrace the ubiquitous presence of the mobile camera — particularly, the iPhone — to record and reflect upon our shared human experience.
The mobile camera, once dismissed by purists, has emerged as an unobtrusive companion, seamlessly integrating into the fabric of our daily interactions. Its innate ability to be at once conspicuous and inconspicuous allows me to oscillate between the roles of an observer and a participant. This dynamic mirrors what Roland Barthes discusses in "Camera Lucida", exploring the punctum and studium; while the studium provides the general theme or subject of the photograph, the punctum punctures the viewer, creating a personal resonance. The iPhone's immediacy and discretion enable me to capture such puncta with spontaneity, revealing unguarded moments and raw emotions.
Opting primarily for black and white accentuates the contrasts inherent in the human experience. It strips away the distractions of colour, allowing for an evocative play of light and shadow, reminiscent of the silver gelatin prints of yesteryears. Yet, I occasionally intersperse this monochromatic journey with bursts of colour. These moments, echoing Saul Leiter's poetic use of colour in his early street photographs, are deliberate and denote instances where colour itself becomes an inseparable narrative element.
The square format, offers a democratised frame, free from the hierarchies of portrait or landscape orientations. It also nods to the democratisation of photography itself in the digital age, where the power of image-making is more widely accessible and disseminated through platforms like Instagram.
You People is, at its core, a testament to the transient relationships we form with those who momentarily cross our paths. It's a visual journal chronicling serendipitous meetings, fleeting emotions, and the underlying interconnectedness of urban dwellers. In this ever-evolving digital age, it pays homage to the enduring essence of humanity, as seen through the unblinking eye of the mobile lens.
— Moe Louanjli, 2023