Exeter College
University of Oxford, Turl Street, Oxford, OX1 3DP
UK
Why do so many charity photos look identical? What do Apple’s design principles, World War II propaganda, the infamous MySpace mirror portrait and mobile phone video scandals all have in common? At their root is the power that has created much of our Western visual understanding of poverty – as well as the power that will allow us to change it for the better. As major international organizations struggle with the question of how to keep poverty photography relevant – and keep the money rolling in – we can look at how the era of social networks and mobile technology will allow us to personally have a hand in crafting a new, subtle and infinitely ‘smarter’ series of visuals around poverty – a critical tool in helping to spread the idea of effective charitable giving based on a more informed understanding of poverty.
Michael T. Middleton has done photography on six continents and been published internationally in print and online. His work has appeared in gallery shows in the US and France, and photos from his Absent Friends portrait series were an Official Selection in the 2011 Prix de la Photographie in Paris.
The talk is as ever FREE OF CHARGE, and there will be wine and chat afterwards.