It has been the self-elected task of writers and artists for centuries to document the present and attempt to understand the particular character of their own epoch. The coincident emergence of photography and modernism gave new precedence to the role of vernacular culture in our sense of presentness, but the sheer proliferation of photographic images presents us with innumerable problems in untangling what the nature of our present is. A culture that often deplores the prevalence of vernacular imagery unfortunately announces itself as not being up to the task. But with the implications of this cultural revolution remaining unresolved, the everyday needs our attention more than ever. There is no better and no more complicated avenue for us to explore if we want to understand who we are.
Each member of this year’s Eidolon Grant jury — myself included — has offered a perspective on the importance of everyday photography. You can read them here.
The deadline for submissions in midnight August 30th! Visit their website for all the info.