Features
All Consuming Dean Dampney
Blood Orange Alessandro Franzetti
Light Night Stephen Connell
Rags to Riches Justin Jin
Body of Evidence Guillaume Herbaut
What Immortal Hand? Q Sakamaki
A Room of Their Own Andrea Dapueto
Toxicity Sophie Gerrard
Cry for Me Alberto Giuliani
Close Encounters Jacob Holdt + more
Editor’s Letter
In the blue corner stands the stalwart of photography, a ruggedly obstinate but reliable comrade in the struggle for free speech and better conditions for all. He champions the independent voice and supports the camera in its quest to unearth the truth and present the facts, however unpalatable, for the public record. His pockets are lined with the names and numbers of friends who, though not wealthy, are ready to stand up and be counted so that the truth can be told.
In the red corner stands the darling of the rich and powerful, an obliging companion who dutifully moulds to your every flight of fancy. His role in society is quite undefined yet his influence extends into the halls and drawing rooms of the eminent and influential. His jacket pocket contains an invitation to a gala ball and a list of all the names of his patrons’ children so that he may never make a faux pas in such esteemed company.
The two, journalism and art, face each other in today’s world of photography. Both seek the same prize – acclaim, attention and a place in history. Into this face-off steps a third party, EI8HT, a self-appointed referee, whose job it is to mediate the protagonists in their ensuing struggle for supremacy while maintaining that photography must have meaning as well as form. In the heat of this debate it is easy to loose sight of the goal. Does art really stand in one corner and journalism in the other? It no longer looks as though the two are so opposed but I do know that when it comes to photography it’s art that needs photojournalism more than photojournalism needs art.
And so to Dirty, the issue that sits before you. Thanks to the dedication of our contributors and the care of the people at EI8HT, the magazine continues to showcase the very best of photography anywhere in the world today. In the toxic towns where your old computer contaminates the people and environment of India, to the workshops where a blue mist heralds a capitalist dream as Chinese workers distress your latest pair of jeans. In the mud that we celebrate and the muck of politics that we wipe off our conscious – this issue is an exploration of dirty and a celebration of photography.