Helping or Hurting?
April 6, 2008 On Long Island today there was an article written in our local newspaper about a photographer named Rob Goldman. This is the same photographer that I have been going to for photography classes. Rob recently opened an exhibit locally which showcased the photography of homeless men. He gave them disposable cameras along with weekly guidance over a fresh plate of breakfast.
I can recall a conversation I had with Rob with how proud and stressed he was about pulling the exhibit together. That he did not want to get into it but that he could not believe the level of controversy that was going to be surrounded by his opening.
I was anxious to see why or what was going to spark controversy out of an act of kindness. When I flipped the paper open this morning I read the article and viewed the photos. I then jumped online because I could not "see" what would be such an outrage. Then I saw some of the online comments such as, "Hello stupid ! Their NOT HOMELESS they're Illegal Aliens who have homes they won't go to !!! Who the hell is paying for this ??? It better not be more tax dollars for Illegals !!! " or "I would have been impressed if Goldman had simply cooked the meals for the homeless and not added the photography angle. In doing this, he was helping himself, probably more than his once-a-week meal duty helped those homeless people. Self-serving disguised as a good deed is inexcusable. I'm also wondering if Goldman should win a Pulitzer, will he share the prize with the homeless people who took the photos?"
I was outraged to see such anger, or such negative ugly comments. Knowing Rob Goldman I can say with pretty strong conviction that he was not looking for an angle. I get amazed at people that will leave such negative comments but do not step forward to help their community and chose to hide behind anonymity. I am not trying to say that as a country that we do not have an immigrant problem, because we definitely do. But what has me all fired up is that why do we need to pick apart everything? Rob's duty as a volunteer was to serve breakfast once a week which he did for a year. During his time he chose to think of a creative way to fuse his talents with the homeless he encountered week after week. Suppose his talent was a dance instructor and they did a spin off of Dancing Homeless with the Stars?
Here is the article Homeless Capture Their Street Lives. What are your thoughts?
Reader Comments (24)
I think that everyone has an opinion, and sometimes people can't see last the end of theirs, unfortunately.
Geez Some people really are just jerks. Sorry for your friend...
This is a fascinating project he's undertaken, and people who choose to criticize seem to me to be pretty short sighted. I don't know that the men's photos will change their lives. But Goldman's cooking for them every week certainly helped. And having something to feel proud of, to feel is theirs, might help a tiny bit too. Self-righteous people who don't do anything to help such situations themselves seem to me often to be the loudest to critique. Unless they have a better solution, though, I find it hard to find their arguments compelling.
Completely unrelated, I tagged you for a different meme here. Hope you had a nice weekend!
Well, it isn't art if it doesn't piss someone off.
The pictures were fantastic. Long Island can really suck sometimes with their shallow, close-minded, racists views.
Hehee, Don't be outraged! Be ecstatic! Rob should be too!
You are getting the attetion of the public. I would be more concerned if nobody cared at all, but obviously people care and it's their voices that will bring attention from the right people!
Anybody who can stir up controversy with an act of kindness is doing the right thing, IMHO
i'm echoing mr lady, some people have differing opinions and others' actions or lack there of are just wrong. personally, i think this is a great program - think of the pride that these men likely felt, continually being slammed by society and having something they helped to create, their own art, displayed for the masses to wonder over. i think the slagging is worth it for those men who usually might be invisible, at best.
but that's my opinion...and i'm willing to read and hear others :P
My first actual encounter with a "homeless" person happened when I delivered a load of boxed beef to a meat market that was located next to the George Washington Bridge on the Manhattan side and I showed-up a couple of hours before the place opened really early one morning years ago. After asking one of the men who were gathered around a trash barrel that had a fire burning in it if he knew what time the place usually started taking deliveries: I wound-up talking to him for a few minutes. It turned-out that he was on his way to the first of the two full-time jobs that he held at the time; and that the only reason why he was living out of his car under the bridge was because he couldn't see paying $600.00 a month (this has been almost 20 years ago) for a room with no running water. He also added that he hoped to leave the area as soon as he could afford it. Be assured that all of my preconceived notions of all "homeless" people surely being the dregs of society went right out the window.
I think the endeavor was an interesting and creative idea - however I can also see why it sparks debate. Some might see it as an effort to create sympathy for the plight of illegal aliens, even though I do not think that was his goal.
Most artists are attracted to issues that stir debate or play on the heart strings, whether it be a photo or a song. Criticism will always be a by product of one's work.
What seems a little more disturbing to me, are those who are willing to start calling anyone with an opposing view or opinion - close minded racist.
It's too bad that seems to be the direction this post is headed towards.
I see no reason why the issue couldn't be explored or debated without going down that road.
It seems lately,the word racist seems to be more and more a political tool to shut down someone else's opinion, and that's a bit extreme I think.
I guess I don't get it. Why would people be so offended by what he did? Ultimately, he was trying to teach his craft to others. Honestly, I didn't think this was an illegal alien issue at all.
I guess others were just looking for something to be upset about.
Sounds to me like you are taking classes from a talented and wonderful person.
Sorry his exhibit has caused such issues, but I guess Maria is right.
I think it was a good idea! I have always wondered what it would be like to be homeless. I would never want to try it, but I am always curious how the homeless see the world. Definitely a different view than you or I....
My thought is this:
People are ASSHOLES.
The end.
Kudos to him for showing a dark & sad side of the USA, and of the world.
I think it was a good project. I can certainly see why it would stir debate. But it's not like there are lines of illegals sneaking across the border simply to get a camera from your friend!
Sure they were likely illegals, sure it's a problem our nation faces, but no I don't see any harm in what was done. If nothing else it provided these men with some self-worth and provided the public with some art and a discussion spark. Well done.
You know, some of those pictures are amazing. I would have loved to have seen the exhibit.
First off... kudos for you taking some classes.
Second... I can;t believe there are so many horrible people in our world. Like they have nothing better to do then complain. Ugh! this project is so interesting. Incredible. Kudos to him too!
So true, Kim. I think people will say just about anything under the protection of anonymity. Difference of opinion is one thing, but people just get UGLY.
It sounds like a unique idea for an awesome exhibit- I'd surely go see it!
Screw mean people..
Never underestimate the stupidity of the general public. It is a shame that these photographs and Rob's attempt to give the world this art are besmirched by these ignoramuses (ignorami?)
I am a strong believer in the saying: If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.. People with such anger as you describe are simply making one sided observations and waisting their breath/ energy so they don;t have to do anything productive. That sort of hate and unwillingness to help the situation really bugs me.
You just can't please everyone. Someone always has to have their panties in a wad about something. I think your friend had a very amazing project and kudos to him for doing it!
Some people are just not happy unless they can tear someone else down. The photos were stunning.
I'm constantly shocked at the negativity that lives inside of people and they ways that they express their negative energy.
Art is beauty and to see that beauty is an art form in itself.
How profound of me...
Slap me back in to reality sarcasm!
Art can be thought-provoking. We are left to THINK about what we've seen and maybe, maybe to wrestle with our conscious, maybe DO something. How can that be bad?
And, if the art bothers them that much--stop LOOKING at it! When will people learn???
On a side note . . . it is wonderful that you are taking a photography class. I imagine you are creating some thought-provoking ART yourself!
People. Chill.
Give me a break. Don't people have anything better to do than beat up on a sincere artist?