GabrielAdora

Assoc.Prof.NerisadelCarmenGuevara
HUM1
11October2015
Photographs:TheyLivetoTelltheTale,Forever
Photographyismorethanclickingtheshutterandcapturingobjects,people,and
landscapes;itismorethanusingmacro,wideangle,andfisheyelens;and,itisdefinitelymore
thanfocusingononesubjectandblurringthebackgroundtoaddartisticeffect.Althoughallthat
havebeenmentionedabovecoversomeofthetechnicalities,theseonlytouchthesurfaceofwhy
andwithwhatmeanspeopletakephotographs.LaurelNakadateisanartistwhodaredtobe
anathematosociety.Sheshowedhowphotographyisnotjustsomethingstagnantorstillit
canalsobeaperformance,astatement,andamessage.Inlinewithherwork,thisstudent
expoundsonthreearguments:1)thepieceiscalled365Days:ACatalogueofTearsnotonly
becauseitishonestwithregardstothecontent,butbecauseitisacollectionandaperformance;
2)itisphotographynotbecauseofhowshetookthephotos,butbecauseoftheaggression
connectedtothemuteness,andthesemblanceasSontagarguedinheressayanditis
performanceartbecauseoftheuseoftime,spontaneity,andmethodologicalemphasistherefore
itisahybridart,and3)itisartbecauseitemphasizestheduration,thecatharsis,thediscipline,
andthestatementoftheperformance.
365Days:ACatalogueofTearsisnotanordinarycatalogue.Italsocouldhavehadany
othertitle,like,AYearsWorthofCrying,or,ForAnEntireYear,ICried.Inorderforthe
studentandhisreadertoidentifywhyMs.Nakadatechosethistitle,heneedstoestablishthe

ideaoftheworkitself.AccordingtoaninterviewbySabineMirlesse,thereasonwhyshestarted
theprojectisbecauseshesawherfriendsinsocialnetworkingsitesandthoughttoherselfif
thereexistsapossibilitythatallthosepeoplearehappyeveryday.Shewantedtorespondtothe
notionthatonehastoshowhappinesseachdayforitistherightfaade,sosheretaliatedby
takingpartinsadness.Inthesameinterviewshestatedthattheperformanceopenedupother
opportunitiesforher,animportantonebeingthatpeoplehaveapproachedhertotalkabouttheir
ownsadnessandthatisafruitoftheperformance.Whatshedidliberatedwhatwasonceoff
limitstalkingaboutsadness.Inthesamesense,sheevokedsomethingrealinsidepeopleand
herpiecehelpedotherstoacceptthatsadnessisnotsomethingthatshouldbetreatedasaliento
theonesemotions.Sheentitledthepiecethatwaybecauseitembodiedthecomponentsofthe
thingsshewantedtoantagonizetears,inrepresentationofsadness,antagonizesthesupposed
happiness;thecatalogueantagonizingtheprofileswherethehappyphotoswherefound,andin
hercatalogueonewillfindtheopposite;andlastly,butequallyimportant,istheduration.Being
happyeverydayisaphenomenonsheconsideredunreal.Sheantagonizeditbycryingeveryday,
whichdoesnotmakecryingonadailybasisarealphenomenoninitself(thisisnotanattackto
theclinicallydepressed,butforthesakeofargumentation),butbytakingpartinsadnesseach
daysherevealedthatsomethingasabsurdasconditioningemotionsinordertobelongtoaworld
whererealthingsandnotionalthingsaredoneandmadewithnodistinction,shecontributedto
arttheworldofstatements,messages,feelings,andmultiplerealities.Hadshenotentitledher
workofartthewayshedid,theimpactoftheartistryasawholeislessened.
Thestudentmustthenevaluatewhythepieceisconsideredasahybridbetween
photographyandperformanceart,inaccordancewithSusanSontagsarticle,InPlatosCave

andSternandHendersonsPerformanceArtandtheTraditionsoftheAvantGarde.InSontags
essay,shehighlightedmanycharacteristicsofphotography,aswellasitsusesbothharmful
andgood,andofcourse,itssignificance,value,androleintheworld,nowandthen.Regarding
LaurelNakadatespiece,thisstudentarguesthatasanartform(thatbeingphotography),the
workslevelofvalidityisextremelyhigh.Amongthecharacteristicsofphotography,whatthe
studentutilizesaretwofactors:1)aggressionamidstmuteness,and2)semblance.
Sontagstatesthatthereisanaggressionimplicitineveryuseofthecamera.Shestated
sobecausenomatterhowplainaphotographmaybe,itproducessomethingprofoundwhichis
anadjectivefittodescribeNakadateswork.Theaggressionisquitehighwhenonebrowses
throughthepictures.Itisalmostappallingatfirstsightbecauseacynicmightdescribetheentire
catalogueasapitypartofawomanwhocannotfindsolaceinanythingmorethantakingpictures
ofherselfcrying.Furthermore,itcanbeinterpretedasattentionseekingandextremeselfloving
tobeabletohavetheconfidencetopublishsuchwork.However,theaggressionshiftsfrom
negativetopositiveoncethecontextoftheperformanceismadeknown(whichisanotherthing
thatSontagstated,Aphotographthatbringsnewsofsomeunsuspectedzoneofmiserycannot
makeadentinpublicopinionunlessthereisanappropriatecontextfeelingandattitude).
Thoughthephotosaremute,passive,andplain,theperformanceborefruitsasuccessful
retaliationagainsteverydayhappinessasarightfaadeinsocietyandthatpeoplearenow
willingtotalkaboutsadnessatabootopicasaresultofthemacceptingthattocryisapartof
lifeandnotaspecialevent.Asshedescribedinherinterview,itbecamearoutine,insomuchas
thatitwaslikebreathingorrunningorbrushingyourteethorcryingortakingthesubway.The
secondcriterionissemblance.Shetookpartinsadnesseverydayinrepresentationofher

objectivetobeanathematothefakenesspeopleneedtocommitinordertobelongbutnot
necessarilybecauseshehadfeltsadeveryday.Itwasanact,apresentation,andastatement.In
allphotos,meaningonadailybasis,sheseemedsadindeed.Inthatsense,therefore,sadnesswas
madeavailabletotheworldthroughthepicturessheproduced.Itisperformanceart,ontheother
hand,becauseitmakesuseoftimeasanimportantvariable.Itisayearlongperformance
compactedinsideamagazineandinthissense,timeitselfbecomespartofit.Onemayreadit
inaday,butitcannotbesaidthatitwasonlyperformedforaday;onemayreadhalfofitinan
hour,butstill,thedurationoftheperformanceisequivalenttooneyear.Itisalsospontaneous
insofarastheimageisconcerned,shetookpicturesofherselfthemomentshestartscryingshe
doesnotprepareherfacefortheshotnordoesshedressupforit.Whenthefeelingarises,she
simplyshoots,andthatisadaysworthoutofthreehundredandsixtyfive.Lastly,shestated
thatshecouldnotsolelyrelyonherpersonallifewhenitcomestocryingshehadtothinkof
events,objects,andfeelingsinorderfortheperformancetobeconsistent.Thisentailsthatshe
placedemphasisonhermethod,despitetheoutcomenothavingtolooklikesuch.Thecatalogue
ofpictureslookedtrueandeffortlesstothepointthatNakadateslevelofsadnessseemed
incomprehensible,anditsboundariesunidentifiable.Intruth,however,theperformancewas
plannedandshesuccessfullycarrieditout.
Finally,thestudentevaluatesNakadatesphotographyonthebasisofart,withthe
questionbeing,Didshereallyproduceart?usingJeanetteWintersonsessay,Imaginationand
Reality.Theessayisaprovocativeoneforitdeclaresdifferencesbetweenrealandnotional,and
itcanbeaslapinthefacegovernments,education,massmediabeinginstitutionsthat
conditionmantobenothingbutacontainerofinformationandaprocessorofknowledgethatis

thrownawayonceheorsheisofnouse.Additionally,theessaystatesthatthesameinstitutions
turnpeopleintonotionalbeingsthatdesireworldlythingswithoutknowingtruthsaboutthe
world.Theessayalsogivescharacteristicsofwhatmakesartreal,andthestudentwillexpound
onthesecharacteristics:1)noncommodificationthroughtheuseoftime,2)catharsis,3)self
discipline,and4)thestatementoftheperformance.
ThefirstfactorthatthestudentnoticedisthatNakadatedidnothurryherworkinorder
forittobepublishedandboughtbyotherpeopletheconceptoftheperformanceitself
demandstimeandthusthedurationoftheperformancedictatesthatitcannotbehurriedbyany
producerorpublisherduetoits(orsotheymightclaim)relevancetotodayssociety.Unlike
thenotionalworld,forexample,theiPhoneseriesgetsupgradedannuallybecauseitneedstobe
onparwiththecompetition.Thispiecedoesnotcompeteintermsofmoneyitcompeteswith
themindandwiththeheart,whichbridgesthestudenttothenextcharacteristic.Thecathartic
natureofthepiecemakesitavalidartwork,which,accordingtoSontagonherbookOn
Photography,mustinvolvelisteningtofeelings,togutreactioninthefaceofphotographs.
Indeed,itdoesmakesonepersonfeel,andwhateverviolentorsnidereactionapersonmight
commitonceviewingthecataloguewithoutcontextisenoughproofforit.Inherinterview,she
alsogotaskediftherewasanyspecificmethodthatshehadtodoinordertoconsistentlydeliver
theperformance,towhichsheansweredthatsheconstantlythoughtofsadthingsinorderforher
emotionstobeprovoked,andsometimesitwaspersonal.Thisentailedselfdisciplineinherpart,
becauseeverydayshehadtoconvinceherselftocry,andWintersonstatedthatbesidestime,
dreamingandidlenessanddedicationarethemeansthatmustbepossessedbytheartistandthat
throughthese,theartistlives.Finally,itisimportantthataworkofartemphasizestruths.Her

workatbestisastatementthatonedoesnottoshoweveryonethattheyarehappyeverydayjust
tobelongtotheworld,tobeapartofit.Tobesadandtocryisasmuchasanaturaloccurrence
ashappiness,andpeopleshouldnotbeashamedofthat.Sadnessisahumanemotion,andman
mustbeallowedtofeelregardlessofwhatotherpeoplemightthink.Thisisthestatementthat
LaurelNakadatehasestablished.