Untitled, From the series "The Cybernetic Tourist" by Elizabeth Obert

Contender Liz Obert's series, The Cybernetic Tourist, is a wonderful exercise in meta-photography: pictures of tourists taking pictures. Liz writes,

We use devices such as cell phones and cameras to connect to the world, but by doing so we become disconnected and removed from our immediate surroundings. I find this behavior particularly ironic in settings where people go to escape their usual hectic lives, but are unable to fully disengage. . . .This body of work is about observing and documenting people interacting in these spaces who are more concerned with the framing of the moment rather than the experience itself.

Her series is so interesting to me because, as a photographer myself, I often have trouble reconciling my desire to be on both sides of the camera at the same time. Back in August there was a great article by New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman titled At Louvre, Many Stop to Snap but Few Stay to Focus. Kimmelman writes,

Cameras replaced sketching by the last century; convenience trumped engagement, the viewfinder afforded emotional distance and many people no longer felt the same urgency to look. It became possible to imagine that because a reproduction of an image was safely squirreled away in a camera or cell phone, or because it was eternally available on the Web, dawdling before an original was a waste of time, especially with so much ground to cover.

Kimmelman and Obert both suggest that in our frenzy to see as many attractions as possible, we're losing out on the subtleties of the experience. All this talk, it turns out, is quite timely because tomorrow, October 17th, is Slow Art day at the Smithsonian Museum. According to the Smithsonian, the average person pauses "less than 8 seconds to take in a work of art." (5 seconds of which might be spent snapping a picture.) Tomorrow, the museum will celebrate art the slow way by encouraging visitors to reflect at length upon a few pieces of art and then participate in a group discussion at lunchtime!

Whether or not you can make it to the Smithsonian tomorrow, I urge you to stop by Liz's website, the Jen Bekman Gallery, or another favorite gallery or museum to take in some art, slowly.

I'd like to conclude with a quote from Ms. Bekman herself, a strong advocate of all things slow:

If we really take the time to savor what we consume, we're more inclined to be discerning about what exactly the input is. Conversely, if the makers of what we consume know that we're paying attention, they're more likely to give us the good stuff. Oh yes, my theory is riddled with flaws, I realize as I type this, but allow me some idealism, won't you please? Work with me people!