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Top 100 Photos of All Time
Bosnia - Ron Haviv - 1992
The image shows a Serb kicking a Muslim woman before the modern Bosnian war.
I chose this image because of the title in relation to the photo shown. As a Croatian, I've heard of the many conflicts that happened around Yugoslavia all too well, and seeing all the photos that show off the brutality taking place makes me respond intensely. There's a certain pang of sorrow that fills my heart, knowing that the conflicts in that area affected my extended family, and that no one really talks about the Balkan wars when it comes to international conflicts. This picture captures the most tragic fact of the war very well: cruel acts of brutalism normalized by the opposition, ignored by those who could really help the innocent. This image needs to be remembered and succeeds in doing so, because a slew of wars as catastrophic as the Balkan wars can't afford to be forgotten.
The image shows a Serb kicking a Muslim woman before the modern Bosnian war.
I chose this image because of the title in relation to the photo shown. As a Croatian, I've heard of the many conflicts that happened around Yugoslavia all too well, and seeing all the photos that show off the brutality taking place makes me respond intensely. There's a certain pang of sorrow that fills my heart, knowing that the conflicts in that area affected my extended family, and that no one really talks about the Balkan wars when it comes to international conflicts. This picture captures the most tragic fact of the war very well: cruel acts of brutalism normalized by the opposition, ignored by those who could really help the innocent. This image needs to be remembered and succeeds in doing so, because a slew of wars as catastrophic as the Balkan wars can't afford to be forgotten.
Earthrise - William Anders - 1968
The image shows Earth from the surface of the Moon during the Apollo 8 mission. I chose this image because of how awe-inspiring it is just on visuals alone. Without context, I get an air of curiosity from both the perspective of the person peeking over the moon and Earth itself peering out of the shadows, as if meeting for the first time. When learning that this is the first image of Earth from the moon, it exemplifies the feeling of beauty by introducing the home we all live on from the perspective of the celestial body that we've admired from Earth since the dawn of mankind. Memorable is an understatement, as any person lucky enough to see the view for themselves have their entire perspective rocked by the experience the view grants them, and every person can easily remember the look of the Earth thanks to the pictures taken from this elusive angle. This is one of the most important images of all time, because seeing the Earth in such a way has collectively instilled the humanitarian desire to protect this planet into any compassionate human. |
The Horse in Motion - Eadweard Muybridge - 1878
The image shows 12 frames of a horses gallop captures in real time. I chose this image due to how groundbreaking it is form our perspective. The portrayal of photography used to further the knowledge of humanity has a strong presence here, allowing you to almost feel the "eureka" moment that was captured in the third frame. In addition, this style of sequence photography gives the viewer an obvious illusion of motion that only furthers when skimming the images in rapid succession like a flipbook. While the image itself is incredibly straightforward in a compositional sense, the impact of what this image has lead to can't be understated in the slightest. Being the first true example of a motion picture broke new ground and created an entirely new genre of media that has only improved dramatically over time. Among the many motion pictures that followed, the birth of animation was inevitable, giving the picture incredible merit as one of the most important images of all time. |
Immersions (Piss Christ) - Andres Serrano - 1987
The image shows a plastic crucifix submerged in a container of urine. I chose this image after the realization of the subject matter appalled me so swiftly. The obvious initial reaction is nausea, with the religious subject surrounded by a universally unsanitary liquid not being the most pleasant sight. After a while, however, a bizarre sense of understanding seems to seep over you when you look past the physical and into the metaphysical, seeing the objects in a symbolic sense, rather than literal. Taking a spiritual perspective to analyzing the photo ironically makes it more religious, acknowledging that the ideals set by a dogma need to be called into question by those who follow it. A photo like this is important to human culture purely because of how counter-culture it is, expressing the punk idea of questioning and dismantling the institutions that smother the perspectives of others in order to impose a regressive status quo. If we couldn't produce images like this without censorship due to its challenging of convention, it creates a gateway to the fascist regimes that pine for control over its people. |
Guerillero Heroico - Alberto Korda - 1960
The image shows Che Guevara, a Cuban revolutionary. I chose this image due to how iconic it has become within pop culture. The photo itself feels stone cold and brutalist, but the face is almost wistful in comparison to the rugged uniform and monochromatic tones. Seeing the face of a rebellion THE face of rebellion, as a young and determined man stirs the desire to reject conformity in every teen and young adult, which is innate to every new generation. Modern culture has become more and more resistant against the rise of unchecked power across the globe, and this image has been vindicated by time as a symbol of the martyred youth. Even without the context of who Che Guevara was, the portrait emanates an aura of counter cultural imagery with a young man clad in the clothes of a determined soldier, an image that young people can project and reflect onto. This image deserves to be called one of the most important images of all time because of how emblematic it feels to the rebels and outcasts of society, unwilling to give up without a fight for what they believe in. |