A City That Care Forgot

It's far too late to believe that photography can tell the truth. We already know that and contemporary theory and photography has shown us repeatedly why the full truth cannot be told in a photograph. From multiple angles to manipulation. From high-minded theory to simple common sense.

And yet there is the possibility of telling the partial truth. Robert Polidori seems to know this. This articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/arts/design/22floo.html?ex=1316577600&en=2bcc0990ebbf73b7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Seems to know this as well. Repeatedly the article address Polidori's use of subtle emphasis and dry horizontality. By using a large format camera, by dragging it through the wastes, we know that Polidori's shots will be still and somewhat mellow. Anyone who has used a large format camera is aware of this. Because, let's face, that shit takes forever to set up.

So, sure, we have that to deal with the necessary changes that simply using a certain camera will impose. If he'd used a Holga, we'd expect saturated, vignetted, dark circus-like images of destruction. But perhaps by choosing this medium, Polidori is choosing to expose and not to distort a certain truth.

Or, at least a certain portion of the truth. Or, if nothing else, a certain portion of the truth of an event. Maybe.