Entrepreneurship undisguised by any pretense to journalism was baked into the Day in the Life paradigm, not only in the superficiality of its origins among San Francisco’s technophiles but, more deeply, in the quest for profits while conceding the rest — esthetics, syntax, semantics, emotions, accuracy — for a piñata stuffed with penny candy and meaningless trinkets. […]
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[Editor’s Note: Here we continue “The Dannin Papers,” a series of Guest Posts by Robert Dannin, who served as Editorial Director of Magnum Photos from 1985-90. This second chapter — Dannin’s first-hand observations of the evolution and impact on the profession of the “A Day in the Life of …” book series (DITLO) as conceived […] No one even attempted to conceal that A Day in the Life of China was a de facto joint venture with the ruling Communist Party. Teaching the young Collins maestros how to fiddle, the apparatchiks crafted A Day in the Life of China as “a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.” Key partners in executing this lofty theme were to be the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese National Publishing Industry Trading Corporation, and the Great Wall Publishing House. […] “A Day in the Life of America” was a classic bait-and-switch maneuver, directing the public gaze toward nonsense images while the Reagan administration savagely attacked ordinary working people. Lacking spontaneity, decontextualized, and bordering on puffery, the artless Day in the Life of America remains arguably the most embarrassing collection of images in the annals of photography. […] |
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Cabin Fever 2018: Bits & Pieces (a)
If, in the not too distant future, someone needs vivid illustrations of the decline of American culture, they can simply juxtapose an image of Donald Trump frothing at the mouth over some peeve du jour with one of a teenager bubbling over with Tide. […]