This is the second part of my thoughts about a particular book that describes the life of model and photographer, Lee Miller (#Lee Miller).

The second part of this post is prompted by the other passage in the book that I have re-read many times and it came time to write down some thoughts that cross my mind each time that I read the passage.

Firstly, the passage always prompts me to think about the images I make, why i make the ones I do and what do i need to document about the images so that I can be as sure as I can that my reasons for making a particular image and what it means to me are written down. Even of people ignore them, I have at least made it clear from my point of view what I wanted to achieve and what i thought.

Back to the passage.

The time is now early 1930’s and Lee is now a successful photographer as well as working with the photographic and artistic elite of Paris, people such as Man Ray (#Man Ray). The passage describes the time spent with her father, Man Ray, Man’s newest model at the time and some of Lee’s female friends where her father continued the series of nudes of Lee, and a few of her friends. The author seems scandalized that the poses are approaching what she labels “lesbian sex”. It is particularly unfortunate that the author neither provides any examples of the images nor references to where the images are. She expects us to accept her word that they are almost pornographic in nature and are therefore more examples of the inappropriate relationship that existed between Lee and her father. In an academic work, or even a historical work, the author making such claims is obliged to substantiate these claims with a footnote or a copy of the image. Given that in the book there are photos of Lee and others that contain nudity, it is odd that the author would leave out images that support her point of view! you can’t have it both ways either you have no photographs that show nudity or you use them. to leave out images that you rely on to make a point deprives the audience of the chance to judge for themselves the validity of your arguments and come to their own conclusions. This half and half approach comes off as the author wanting to make a point, but not wanting the reader to think about it, but to just accept it.

The author also puts herself in the place of one of the most famous artists of all, Man Ray. Miller was his muse for a while and learned a lot from him and came to be very close to him. The author writes about how Man saw the relationship between Lee and her father as if she was looking at the photographic session through his eyes, Lee’s eyes and those of everyone else present. She again makes claims about what people thought, interpreted, gave, received etc all from no listed sources of images taken at the session in question.

It is here in this passage of text that the author returns to the relationship between Lee and her father and infers that somehow now, in the passing of years, that the their relationship is clearly close, but yet now complicit. They are creating images together and with other adults that (by the means of the author leaving them out) not only are too shocking to print in the book, but which also clearly make others at the time uncomfortable! there is no evidence of this and there is also no explanation for the continued duality of the the authors opinion that despite no evidence one way or the other that the closeness of their relationship was due to the undue and sleazy influence Lee’s father held over her.

I guess what I am saying here is that no matter what you think was happening, no matter ho tempting it is to say what you want to have been the case at the time, you were not there, nor do you know for sure. You cannot describe the content of an image an make claims for that content without allowing an audience to view the image for themselves or to explain why the image could not be used, yet provide a link to where the image may be found.

I think that is enough for now, if anyone wants the page numbers of the passages I can provide them. I always say, look for yourself, and if an author wont let you then you need to ask yourself why?

Derek.