Comments on: Congo 50 years on: a study in photography and reification http://thethirdestate.net/2010/07/congo-50-years-on-a-study-in-photography-and-reification/ What Is The Third Estate? Everything. What Has It Been Until Now In The Political Order? Nothing. What Does It Want To Be? Something. Tue, 22 May 2012 14:12:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: richard http://thethirdestate.net/2010/07/congo-50-years-on-a-study-in-photography-and-reification/comment-page-1/#comment-18427 richard Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:50:37 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=4667#comment-18427 Yes, though I think the Benjamin quote really isn't deep without the context of his Trauerspiel book, in which the ideas of violence, ugliness and crudity are taken as not only symptomatic of a society, but to be treated with as much reverence and intellectual curiosity as beauty, peace and 'civilization'. To make a conceptual sidestep, I think the same thing happens with pseudo-feminist articles on 'strong women', in which the hard, embittered, lined face of the women-who-has-had-to-fight becomes reified, creating a kind of heroine sculpture. And of course the whole effect of this isn't just a politics of 'la nuda vita', but also a profound individualist attitude, even with regard to moments of high collective struggle. Yes, though I think the Benjamin quote really isn’t deep without the context of his Trauerspiel book, in which the ideas of violence, ugliness and crudity are taken as not only symptomatic of a society, but to be treated with as much reverence and intellectual curiosity as beauty, peace and ‘civilization’.

To make a conceptual sidestep, I think the same thing happens with pseudo-feminist articles on ‘strong women’, in which the hard, embittered, lined face of the women-who-has-had-to-fight becomes reified, creating a kind of heroine sculpture. And of course the whole effect of this isn’t just a politics of ‘la nuda vita’, but also a profound individualist attitude, even with regard to moments of high collective struggle.

]]> By: Jacob http://thethirdestate.net/2010/07/congo-50-years-on-a-study-in-photography-and-reification/comment-page-1/#comment-18414 Jacob Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:16:46 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=4667#comment-18414 Yes, it's a fantastic book. Yes, it’s a fantastic book.

]]> By: Steve Hayes http://thethirdestate.net/2010/07/congo-50-years-on-a-study-in-photography-and-reification/comment-page-1/#comment-18412 Steve Hayes Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:40:43 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=4667#comment-18412 There was, however, a work of fiction, <I>The poisonwood bible</i>, which perhaps did something to increase public awareness. There was, however, a work of fiction, The poisonwood bible, which perhaps did something to increase public awareness.

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