Irwandi - Bleeding Mind

I first met Irwandi while developing my research on photography in Indonesia. He is a professor at ISI Yogyakarta, with a specialization in alternate photographic processes (resulting in his nickname, Irwandi Old Print). After learning about Irwandi's inclusion in an exhibition in Rome, I thought it would be interesting to write a little about the work he developed for this opportunity. Below, see thoughts on his piece "Bleeding Mind: The Cost of Automation."

When Kodak first released the Brownie camera in 1900, they revolutionized photography. Prior to this, photography was an art only for professionals - it required expensive equipment and a basic knowledge of chemistry. The innovative new product from Kodak, however, created a new market for amateurs. With this came a whole new genre of pictures, one in which the photographer's shadow was frequently seen in the picture (the first selfies!). In many ways, this seems like a simple and fun gesture, a way for the photographer to emphasize that they were part of the activities photographed. I think there might be something more profound going on, and as more and more people started to embrace the new technology of photography it became important for them to declare their own presence, to acknowledge their own existence in the onslaught of a faster and more mechanized culture.

As photography continued to grow and more people became captivated with the medium, so too did the need for selfies. Some estimates say that today over 90 million selfies are made every day, an astonishing number. To me, this confirms what I learned exploring these early 20th century pictures photographers made of their shadows, that as we become more and more consumed by technology, the need to mark our presence grows with it. Perhaps this is grounded in fear that we will be lost? To declare who we are as individuals still matters as our lives become increasingly consumed by technology.

The development of AI makes all of this so much more complex. We've evolved from photographers capturing their own shadows to selfie-sticks; what AI bring to this fundamental need to define ourselves amidst all of these new tools and technologies? Irwandi's image "Bleeding Mind: The Cost of Automation" offers some insight into this question. His picture is a bit crude and basic - not unlike the shadows seen in some many of those early 20th century photographs - but also offers some profound insight into the need for self representation in the ever increasing tide of technology.