By
Kate VonderPorten
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Controversial photographer Joel-Peter Witkin to lecture at
The work of renowned photographer Joel-Peter Witkin is often considered controversial for its explicit depiction of violence, but the artist said he is only portraying an inevitable part of life.
Witkin, who will lecture Jan. 30 at the Center for Creative Photography, said that as a photographer his duty is to portray modern life as it really is - violent and fleeting.
"Violence resonates the world we live in," Witkin said. He likened the world to "a snowball full of glass," saying it is not the snowball that is dangerous, but the glass inside of it.
"The purpose of my individual life is to create a sense of purification of life," he said. "How we express ourselves should have meaning and be interesting. There is nothing worse than hollow or soulless people."
"What distinguishes me from other people is that I really, truly believe that I don't use photography, but make use of it to heal," he added.
Trudy Wilner Stack, curator of exhibitions and collections at the CCP, said Witkin's photography helps to lessen the stigma surrounding the often glossed-over subjects of age, decay and death.
"Photography, like all the arts, necessarily reflects upon all aspects of human experience, some of which are difficult and dark," she stated in an e-mail. "Joel-Peter Witkin embraces some of life's most untouchable topics, which can alienate and distract viewers, but in no way lessens his importance to the history of art and American culture.
Though his images stir up controversy, Witkin said his photographs are created out of a vein of good intention.
"The reason I create my work is that I was given a gift providentially of a vision of life that I support photographically," he said.
Witkin further emphasized the distinction between a job and a calling.
"I don't make photography as a career but as a vocation - how I engage the world is through photography," he said.
Born into a poor family in Brooklyn, N.Y. to a Russian-Jewish father and Italian-Catholic mother, Witkin said he tries to "combine those cultural phenomena to resonate reality" and in the process pays homage to his diverse background.
Witkin described a happy childhood - one devoid of material wealth - where he had to make toys out of garbage. He recalled a winter when he wore socks on his hands to school because he did not have gloves.
"I was the only kid that had athlete's foot of the hands," he said. "We can't escape certain qualities and attributes we are given and have to use and love them."
Since he is one of the world's most sought after photographers, these experiences, which some would insist hinder potential, only added to Witkin's drive Witkin said he adheres to an eight-day work week, finding sustenance in spirituality.
"The world I live in is highly spiritual - being poor was not a big deal," he said.
Witkin's images portray a world often ignored by American society. Although not for the faint of heart, Witkin said his art is created "in a context of love and giving."
Kate VonderPorten can be reached at catalyst@wildcat.arizona.edu.
