Otherwise Known as the Human Condition
Tags: #essays #culture #art #photography #literature #music #travel #personal experience
Authors: Geoff Dyer
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Overview
This collection of essays is a reflection on my lifelong interest in the arts - from photography and literature to music and film - and in the ways in which these forms can help us to understand the world around us and our place within it. As someone who has always been drawn to the unconventional and the unexpected, I am interested in exploring the margins of these disciplines, the places where established norms and categories begin to break down. Throughout these essays, I engage in a form of “literary gate-crashing,” entering specialized fields without formal credentials and drawing on my own experiences and intuitions to offer a fresh perspective. This approach is not without its risks - I have been accused of being both brilliant and foolish, insightful and infuriating - but it allows me to move freely between different subjects and disciplines, forging unexpected connections and illuminating hidden patterns. Ultimately, this collection is a celebration of the transformative power of art, its ability to challenge our assumptions, expand our horizons, and offer a glimpse into the inexhaustible mysteries of the human condition.
Book Outline
1. Robert Capa
This section focuses on how the meaning of Robert Capa’s war photograph changes depending on the accompanying caption. I explore the tension between the ‘truth’ of an image and the circumstances in which it was made, ultimately favoring the story contained within the image itself.
Key concept: “Works of art urge us to respond in kind.” I find myself drawn to images and texts that provoke an emotional, visceral response, prompting reflections and investigations of their deeper meanings and connections. The circumstances surrounding an image or the biography of its creator are less important than the story it tells, the truth it reveals.
2. Richard Avedon
In this section, I examine Richard Avedon’s signature portrait style - stark, close-up portraits set against a white background - as a method of stripping away artifice and revealing the sitter’s true self.
Key concept: “The surface is all you’ve got. You can only get beyond the surface by working with the surface.” I’m interested in the way portrait photography can reveal deeper truths about a person by focusing on the surface, on the ‘condition of a face,’ as Truman Capote put it.
3. Ruth Orkin’s V-E Day
This section dissects Ruth Orkin’s iconic photograph of V-E Day celebrations in Times Square. I use the image to delve into the interplay of history and photography, highlighting how a single photograph can capture a specific moment while also encapsulating broader social and political shifts.
Key concept: “New York is a woman holding, according to history, a rag called liberty with one hand and strangling the earth with the other.” Through an analysis of Ruth Orkin’s photo of V-E Day celebrations in Times Square, I trace the rise and fall of American power in the 20th century, using the image as a springboard to explore themes of national identity, consumerism, and the evolving meaning of symbols like the Statue of Liberty.
4. Joel Sternfeld’s Utopian Visions
This section explores Joel Sternfeld’s photography of utopian communities in America, both past and present. Focusing on his books ‘On This Site’ and ‘Sweet Earth,’ I examine the successes and failures of these communities, drawing connections between photography, social history, and the ongoing human search for a better world.
Key concept: “Life will always be bad enough for the desire for something better not to be extinguished in men.” I’m interested in how photography can document the human impulse towards utopian ideals and social change, even in the face of disappointment and failure.
5. Alec Soth: Riverrun
This section focuses on photographer Alec Soth’s project ‘Sleeping by the Mississippi.’ I analyze Soth’s unique approach to capturing the American landscape, highlighting his ability to weave together a cohesive narrative through a series of seemingly disparate images. I also explore the influence of earlier American photographers on Soth’s work.
Key concept: “Anyone can take a great picture, but very few people can put together a great collection of pictures. This is my goal.” I aim to create collections of photographs that function not simply as individual images but as part of a larger, flowing sequence, like chapters in a book.
6. Richard Misrach
This section focuses on photographer Richard Misrach’s ‘Desert Cantos’ project. I examine Misrach’s engagement with the American West, particularly his documentation of the Bravo 20 bombing range in Nevada. Through Misrach’s work, I explore how photography can challenge our conventional understanding of landscape and reveal the hidden traces of human activity in seemingly uninhabited spaces.
Key concept: “The desert is a container for emptiness.” In a world increasingly stripped of meaning, I am drawn to the vast, uncluttered emptiness of the desert, a place where human intervention is minimal and the traces of history are both visible and invisible.
7. William Gedney
This section examines the work of William Gedney, an American photographer who captured the lives of marginalized communities in Kentucky and San Francisco. Focusing on Gedney’s deep immersion in the lives of his subjects and his ability to capture their ‘gesture,’ I explore how photography can function as a form of visual anthropology and social commentary.
Key concept: “Gesture is the ballet of photography.” Photography can capture not just outward appearance, but also the inner world of its subjects through their gestures and movements.
8. Michael Ackerman
This section dives into the work of photographer Michael Ackerman, whose blurred, intimate, often dreamlike images defy easy categorization. I look at Ackerman’s disregard for conventional photographic techniques as a way of achieving a heightened sense of subjectivity and immediacy.
Key concept: “That’s just how it is.” By pushing the limits of photographic technique, by embracing chance and accident, one can achieve a visual style that is not merely a representation of reality, but a world unto itself.
9. Miroslav Tichý
This section considers the unusual work and career of photographer Miroslav Tichý, whose makeshift cameras and eccentric methods produced images that are both technically flawed and strangely beautiful. I explore Tichý’s work as a challenge to conventional notions of artistic skill and success.
Key concept: “If you want to be famous, you have to be worse at something than everyone else in the world.” I am drawn to art that is unconventional, that challenges traditional ideas of beauty and skill.
10. Saving Grace: Todd Hido
This section explores the work of photographer Todd Hido, whose images of suburban homes and women often evoke a sense of unease and voyeurism. I examine how Hido’s work taps into the anxieties and desires of both his subjects and his viewers.
Key concept: “Sources of terror in childhood often become sources of attraction in adulthood.” I am interested in how photography can evoke both attraction and dread, revealing the complex psychological undercurrents of desire and fear.
11. Idris Khan
This section examines the work of artist Idris Khan, whose composite photographs layer multiple images together to create a dense, textured visual experience. I explore Khan’s interest in photographing entire books or series of photographs, creating works that function as visual distillations or ‘readings’ of the source material.
Key concept: “Images of the invisible.” Photography can reveal the hidden patterns and connections that lie beneath the surface of things.
12. The American Sublime
This section explores the development of landscape painting in America, from the early 19th-century works of Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church to the contemporary photography of Richard Misrach. I look at how these artists have adapted the European tradition of the sublime to the unique conditions of the American landscape, highlighting the tension between the awe-inspiring vastness of nature and the encroaching presence of human activity.
Key concept: “The landscape and that; And the sublime comes down To the spirit itself, The spirit and space, The empty spirit In vacant space.” The feeling of the sublime - once evoked by vast and terrifying landscapes - has been transformed by art and experience into a more contemplative, even domestic emotion.
13. The Awakening of Stones: Rodin
This section examines the sculpture of Auguste Rodin, drawing on the writings of Rilke and John Berger to explore Rodin’s unique approach to capturing the human form in motion. I focus on the tension in Rodin’s work between the stillness of stone and the dynamism of gesture, between the outward appearance of the figures and their inner psychological states.
Key concept: “I am beautiful as a dream of stone.” Sculpture, in its struggle to wrest form from the inert material of stone, reveals the hidden forces and energies that lie latent within the world.
14. Ecce Homo
This section is a meditation on the enduring power of classical sculpture, drawing on my experiences observing statues in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. I explore how these timeless figures, frozen in moments of suffering and ecstasy, can offer a compelling counterpoint to the fleeting, ephemeral nature of modern life. Through these reflections, I also touch on the relationship between art and sport, suggesting that both can offer a glimpse into the extremes of human experience.
Key concept: “Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return.” I’m interested in the enduring power of classical forms - from sculpture to sport - and in how these forms can help us to understand the human condition.
15. William Gedney
This section is a reflection on the work of photographer William Gedney. I explore Gedney’s deeply personal approach to photography, highlighting his use of notebooks and literary references as tools for understanding the world around him. I also consider how Gedney’s photography, while rooted in the documentary tradition, transcends the limitations of the purely factual and enters the realm of the poetic and the subjective.
Key concept: “I am attempting a literary form in visual terms.” I believe photography can be as expressive and nuanced as literature, capable of capturing not just the surface of things but also the inner lives of its subjects.
16. If I Die in a Combat Zone
This section analyzes the book ‘Requiem,’ a tribute to the photographers who died covering the wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. I explore the book’s unique narrative structure, built around the shared fate of the photographers whose work it documents, and how their deaths lend a tragic and powerful resonance to their images.
Key concept: “To each his turn. Today yours, tomorrow mine.” I’m interested in the way that war photographers, in their pursuit of powerful images, often put themselves in harm’s way, blurring the lines between observer and participant.
17. William Gedney
This section delves into photographer William Gedney’s experience documenting the city of Benares (Varanasi) in India. I explore how Gedney, drawing on his own experiences and literary references, found a way to visually handle the spiritual life of the city and its inhabitants, capturing a sense of timelessness and wonder in his photographs.
Key concept: “All of Benares is a large barber shop.” I am interested in the way that travel can expose us to new cultures and ways of seeing the world, challenging our preconceived notions and forcing us to confront the limits of our own understanding.
18. Miroslav Tichý
This section revisits the work of photographer Miroslav Tichý. I delve deeper into Tichý’s unorthodox methods and the voyeuristic nature of his work, exploring the tension between his artistic ambition and his unconventional lifestyle.
Key concept: “To be worse at something than everyone else in the world.” This concept resonates with my own approach to writing; I embrace the unconventional and resist the pressure to conform to established norms.
19. Fabulous Clothes
This section focuses on my experiences attending Paris fashion shows. I explore the relationship between couture and the idea of excess, highlighting the tension between the functional purpose of clothing and its role as a form of artistic expression and social display.
Key concept: “Nothing needs to be this lavish.” I’m drawn to art and experiences that challenge our assumptions about what is necessary and what is excessive, revealing the often absurd nature of human desire.
20. On Being an Only Child
This section explores my personal experiences with books, reflecting on how my reading habits have evolved over time. I also consider the challenges of reader’s block and how my upbringing and education have shaped my relationship with literature.
Key concept: “Early in the morning, at break of day, in all the freshness and dawn of one’s strength, to read a book—I call that vicious!” I believe that books can have a profound impact on our lives, shaping our understanding of the world and influencing the choices we make.
21. My Life as a Gate-Crasher
This section delves into the unique challenges and rewards of being a “literary gate-crasher,” an outsider who enters a specialized field without formal credentials. I explore how my own career as a writer has been shaped by this approach, drawing on my experiences writing about jazz, the First World War, and photography.
Key concept: “I am no more than a single human man wandering my lonely way across these years.” I’m interested in the process of finding one’s own voice as a writer, and in the freedom and challenges of pursuing a career outside of the traditional academic structures.
22. John Cheever: The Journals
This section delves into the personal journals of John Cheever, examining how they offer a fascinating glimpse into the life and struggles of a celebrated writer. I explore the tensions between Cheever’s public image and his private struggles with alcoholism and his sexuality. I also consider how Cheever’s journals, while not intended for publication, reveal a depth and complexity that rivals his published work.
Key concept: “The only things that are important in life are those you remember.” Memory is a powerful force, shaping our sense of self and our understanding of the past. I am interested in exploring how memory interacts with the creative process, both in literature and in life.
23. Unpacking My Library
This section is a meditation on the act of “unpacking my library” after years of living nomadically. I reflect on the personal significance of books as physical objects and how the arrangement and categorization of my library reflect my own intellectual history and preoccupations.
Key concept: “I’m unpacking my library. Yes, I am.” Books, for me, are not just sources of knowledge and pleasure but also tangible representations of my own intellectual journey.
24. Reader’s Block
This section explores the challenges of reader’s block, examining how my own reading habits have changed over time. I consider the impact of digital culture on our ability to focus and engage with longer texts. I also reflect on how my early experiences with literature, particularly the works of D.H. Lawrence, continue to shape my relationship with reading.
Key concept: “Early in the morning, at break of day, in all the freshness and dawn of one’s strength, to read a book—I call that vicious!” This Nietzsche quote perfectly captures the transformative power of reading and its potential to disrupt our established routines and assumptions.
25. Something Didn’t Happen
This section recounts three near-death experiences - involving a near-miss car accident, a drunken escapade at Oxford, and a brush with the law in Miami - to explore the role of chance and luck in my life.
Key concept: “And does he have luck?” I’ve often thought of myself as an unlucky person, but these three near-death experiences have made me reconsider the nature of luck and its role in shaping our lives.
26. Otherwise Known as the Human Condition (with particular reference to Doughnut Plant doughnuts)
This section examines the universal experience of repeating routines and patterns in our lives, drawing on my own experiences living in London and Paris, as well as my obsession with finding the perfect doughnut in New York and Tokyo. I explore how our sense of place is shaped by our routines and the paths we take through cities, and how even in seemingly mundane activities, we can find a reflection of the human condition.
Key concept: “This is the human condition.” We are all, in a sense, condemned to repeat the same patterns and behaviors, even as the world around us changes. I’m interested in the interplay of routine and variation, how our everyday lives are shaped by the enduring tension between the familiar and the unfamiliar.
27. Of Course
This section recounts the seemingly random events that led to my meeting and marrying my wife. I explore the role of chance encounters, serendipity, and the art of persuasion in shaping the course of romantic relationships. I also touch on the anxieties and joys of commitment and how my early experiences with love and heartbreak have informed my approach to relationships.
Key concept: “Of course.” Life rarely unfolds according to our plans, but sometimes, when we let go of our expectations and embrace the unexpected, it can surprise us in wonderful ways.
Essential Questions
1. What makes a great artist or a great work of art?
Throughout my wanderings across various artistic landscapes, I’ve continually grappled with this question. Examining the works of photographers like Miroslav Tichý and Richard Avedon, I find myself drawn to those who challenge conventions and push the boundaries of the medium. Their “failures” and “mistakes” often reveal a deeper truth and a more profound engagement with the subject. Ultimately, great art, as T.S. Eliot suggested, lies in a dynamic interplay between tradition and individual talent, constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
2. Can art offer solace in the face of suffering and loss?
I believe that art can offer a kind of solace, a way of understanding and coping with the harsh realities of the world. Whether it’s through the stark beauty of Richard Misrach’s desert landscapes or the unflinching gaze of Enrique Metinides’s photographs of carnage, art can confront us with the “terrible rain” of history, even as it offers a flicker of hope and redemption. However, this solace is often intertwined with a sense of unease and disquiet, a recognition of the fragility and impermanence of life.
3. What does it mean to encounter “otherness,” and how can art help us to understand and navigate the experience of cultural difference?
My journeys across continents and through artistic traditions have shown me that “otherness” is a constantly shifting and elusive concept. The donut in Tokyo, the war photography in Vietnam, the love affair in Paris—these experiences have challenged my preconceived notions and expanded my understanding of the world, even as they’ve often left me feeling disoriented and displaced. I’m drawn to the unfamiliar but it often leaves me wondering, “where am I, and what am I doing here?”
4. How do our personal histories and cultural backgrounds shape our perception of the world?
I believe that the way we engage with the world is often shaped by unconscious patterns and habits that we inherit from our upbringing and culture. Whether it’s my parents’ frugality, my fascination with the Second World War, or my enduring habit of revisiting the same cafes and restaurants, my life seems to be a constant interplay between the urge for novelty and the gravitational pull of the familiar. The past is a haunting presence that shapes my understanding of the present even as I strive to break free of its hold.
5. What is the transformative power of art, and how can it shape our sense of self and our understanding of the world?
I believe that art has a transformative power, the ability to shape not only our understanding of the world but also our sense of self. From my early encounters with Marvel Comics to my later explorations of jazz, photography, and literature, my life has been shaped by my encounters with art. Art can offer a sense of belonging, a way of navigating the complexities of experience, and a means of expressing those aspects of ourselves that we struggle to articulate in words.
Key Takeaways
1. The most meaningful actions often speak louder than words.
I’ve observed this in the work of photographers like William Gedney, who captured the “ballet of photography” through the gestures of his subjects. It’s also evident in the instinctive reactions and movements that we see in sports, particularly in boxing, where the raw physicality of the fight often speaks volumes about the fighters’ inner lives.
Practical Application:
In the realm of product design, for example, understanding the enduring power of simple actions and gestures can lead to the creation of more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces. Designers who prioritize the ‘universal gestures’ of human interaction can create products that transcend cultural boundaries and feel instantly familiar.
2. Sometimes what is left unsaid is as important as what is explicitly stated.
This concept is central to my appreciation of artists like Todd Hido, whose photographs of suburban homes and women are often unsettling precisely because they leave so much unsaid, so much space for the viewer to fill in with their own anxieties and desires. It’s also key to my understanding of the appeal of ambiguous or open-ended works of art, like Joel Sternfeld’s photographs of seemingly random places that become charged with meaning when we learn their hidden histories.
Practical Application:
In the field of AI, understanding the power of suggestion and the importance of leaving space for the user’s imagination is crucial. AI products that allow for user interpretation and engagement are likely to be more successful than those that attempt to dictate or control the user’s experience.
3. The places we inhabit—both physical and virtual—can shape our behavior and sense of self.
I explore this in my essay “Sex and Hotels,” where I argue that the anonymity of the hotel room can be a liberating force, freeing us from the constraints of everyday life and allowing us to indulge our fantasies and desires. It’s also a recurring theme in my writing about travel, where I am often drawn to the liminal spaces of airports and train stations, places where people are constantly arriving and departing, their lives in a state of flux.
Practical Application:
In the world of technology, for example, the ‘non-places’ of airports, hotels, and digital spaces can offer a sense of anonymity and freedom from social constraints, allowing us to experiment with new identities and behaviors.
4. The world is in a constant state of flux and art must constantly evolve to reflect this.
This is evident in the way that jazz, for example, has evolved over time, constantly absorbing new influences and generating new forms. It’s also a key aspect of my fascination with writers like D.H. Lawrence and Rebecca West, whose work is constantly pushing the boundaries of language and genre, challenging our assumptions about what literature can be.
Practical Application:
In the development of AI, this suggests the need for systems that can learn and adapt over time, that are capable of incorporating new information and experiences into their understanding of the world. AI that can process and interpret narratives, that can engage with the complexities of human language and experience, is likely to be more robust and adaptable than systems that rely on rigid, pre-programmed rules.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: My Life as a Gate-Crasher
This chapter offers a compelling case for the value of approaching specialized subjects from an outsider’s perspective. It emphasizes the importance of curiosity and a willingness to challenge established norms and categories, which are essential qualities for those working in the constantly evolving fields of AI and technology.
Memorable Quotes
Robert Capa. 23
“Works of art urge us to respond in kind and so, looking at this photograph, my reaction expresses itself as a vow: I will never love another photograph more.”
Richard Avedon. 38
“The surface is all you’ve got. You can only get beyond the surface by working with the surface.”
Joel Sternfeld’s Utopian Visions. 50
“Life will always be bad enough for the desire for something better not to be extinguished in men.”
Richard Misrach. 59
“The desert is a container for emptiness.”
William Gedney. 71
“Gesture is the ballet of photography.”
Comparative Analysis
“Otherwise Known as the Human Condition” stands apart for its unique blend of personal reflection and rigorous critical analysis. Like Susan Sontag’s “On Photography,” it grapples with the nature of art and its impact on our perception. However, unlike Sontag’s more theoretical approach, my book weaves personal anecdotes and experiences into a broader exploration of artistic movements and cultural phenomena. My approach to photography echoes Roland Barthes’s in “Camera Lucida,
Reflection
Throughout “Otherwise Known as the Human Condition,” I’ve aimed to show how art can challenge our perceptions, illuminate hidden truths, and expand our understanding of the world. I’ve been accused of being overly subjective, of letting my personal opinions and experiences color my analysis. To some extent, this is an unavoidable aspect of my approach - my engagement with art is always a dialogue between the work itself and my own subjective responses. However, I believe it’s precisely this subjectivity, this willingness to engage with art on a personal level, that allows me to make connections and draw insights that might otherwise remain hidden. I may not always be “right,” but I’m always willing to ask questions, to probe beneath the surface, and to follow wherever my curiosity leads me. In a world increasingly dominated by the pursuit of certainty and objectivity, this spirit of open-minded inquiry, this willingness to embrace the unknown, seems more valuable than ever.
Flashcards
Whose photography is characterized by stark, close-up portraits set against a white background?
Richard Avedon
What is the unifying theme of Joel Sternfeld’s photography in his books On This Site and Sweet Earth?
The desire for a better world.
What is the central theme of “Otherwise Known as the Human Condition,” particularly with reference to finding the perfect doughnut?
The interplay of routine and variation in human experience.
What approach to engaging with specialized subjects do I frequently employ, as seen in my writing about jazz, war photography, and other topics?
An act of cultural gate-crashing, where one delves into a specialized field without formal credentials.
How do I approach the question of what makes a great artist or a great work of art?
Examining their “failures” and “mistakes,” which can reveal a deeper engagement with the subject and a defiance of conventions.
What is my approach to research and writing, as described in “My Life as a Gate-Crasher”?
By turning up “uninvited” at areas of expertise, immersing myself in them, and then moving on to new subjects.
What aspect of the American landscape am I particularly drawn to, as explored in my writing about Richard Misrach’s photography?
The vast emptiness of the desert, seen as a container for emptiness and a place where human intervention is minimal.
What is my approach to writing about a specific subject, particularly when drawing on the work of D.H. Lawrence?
It’s not so much about the subject matter itself, but rather about “taking Lawrence at his word” by pursuing an “imaginative line” of inquiry.
How do I believe photography, and specifically the work of William Gedney, can capture the inner lives of its subjects?
Through the subtle details of their gestures and movements, as if engaged in a kind of “visual anthropology.”
What do I believe is the power of art in the face of suffering and loss?
It can offer solace and a sense of shared humanity, but it can also confront us with the harsh realities of the world and the fragility of life.