Using Documentary Photog in the classroom (Entry 5)

I truly appreciated how Gina L. Wenger started her article on documentary photography by mentioning : ‘Art educators have multiple roles. We are artists, researchers, and teachers.’  That saying was inspirational for me and made me reflect on how to present and how the introduction of documentary photography as a topic in the classroom could be beneficial for the students. Wenger's article mentions that this particular type of photography can be used as a powerful tool that offers the students a possibility of learning about historical artworks that relate to contemporary topics.
‘By approaching historical artworks that relate to contemporary topics,students may learn more about themselves, their world, and history. students may learn more about themselves, their world and history. `

What I found particularly interesting is how the author engages students into a reflective practice about the role of the photographer and have them think about the idea of authenticity, a topic frequently discussed in class. I personally believe that documentary photography has to display the truth, it is one of its characteristics. But again, by selecting images with the most powerful compositions aren’t we slightly modifying the meaning of the image by amplifying emotions displayed?

In the article,Wenger highlights how the three photographers, despite photographing and documenting the same subject, each approached it in unique manner. In summary, Dorothea Lange was hired by the War Relocation Authority to document the entire evacuation process of the Japanese American internees. Lange documented the difficulties in the camp (death, illness, obstacles, etc.) and the narratives of its habitants. On the other hand, photographer Ansel Adams documented the positive response of the Japanese Americans in Manzanar. Photographer Toyo Miyatake was incarcerated at Mazanar and successfully hid a lense in his bag to record every aspect of the subject and the narratives of others prisoners to make sure “this would never happen again”

I believed as discussed in the article, students  would love to reflect about the content of the images and write down what they thought the photographers might be trying to say about the event documented. It is a great way to engage everyone and to share ideas.