Old Dog/New Trick

Photo: Jeff Mermelstein

Jeff Mermelstein is a famous, name street/art photographer/professor. And as of late, he has undergone a rather drastic metamorphosis. For one thing, this rather traditional sixty yr old has traded in his Leica for a smart phone- in an era when many a 25 yr old photo enthusiast is opting to buy said camera to practice what he spent time perfecting some... 25 yrs ago. It's also interesting to note that many established artists that change styles as they mature also tend to minimalize their art to those most basic, essential parts that best expedite the delivery of the goods. Perhaps acknowledgement of certain days remaining causes them to streamline a delivery system that maximizes the message sans the wasted time and effort.

Well, Mr. Mermelstein certainly has cut to the chase in his most recent photo project. Technical expertise: minimal. Composition: minimalist. Lighting: supplied by subject matter. The guy's literally using his cell phone to take pictures of... other cell phones, more specifically- actual, on screen text  messages. 

Now, some will scream: Unlawful invasion of privacy! But every so called "street photographer" well knows that pretty much anything within public view is fair game- and very much, perfectly legal. But these are private messages between private individuals! True- but again, done in public view, in a public setting (identifying info deleted). N'est-ce pas? Hey, I can hear it either way to be perfectly honest. And perhaps this will, in fact, all be settled on down the road by two very angry litigants standing before someone with a much higher pay scale. I know I'd instinctively react with a few choice words if I caught Ol' Jeff peering down my shoulder up close and personal! I'm surprised no one as of yet, has responded with something considerably... more forceful. Also, strange how the critics at large out there are still not crowing one way or the other about something so timely, unique and potentially subversive; surprisingly little has been made of it (see latter half of post). Perhaps this is something so divisive, enough people (like myself) don't quite know where to stand!

So.... is it art? Most definitely! Inarguably a new way of seeing- an insanely simple, direct and revelatory way of documenting what is going on in the very hearts and minds of early 21st Century earthlings, of whom a good third now occupy every public space and cranny faces buried deep in their miniature communication mirrors. And... it's all so inherently controversial; tres magnifique- art at it's grandest!

Ahhhh... but is it good photography, ask the photo purists. No, most definitely not. But it's certainly one damn good use of photography!