Proustian Dilemma

Jan, John, Colleen, Abby; Minneapolis, March, 1976 

Looking through these old images, I’m often struck by how much ‘baggage’ each one carries, not the baggage of the people pictured, but my baggage—all the things I’ve known about each of them. Truth is only a part of the equation. My own impressions are hopelessly colored by my imperfect knowledge and memory. A photograph containing people creates an involuntary reaction in the viewer. The human mind is quick to impart meaning to a scene—a short-cut to understanding. It is no doubt useful in real life when assessing a new situation but the moment passes and, as the river of time rolls on, its original import is forgotten; the image must stand on its own.

The truth of any picture remains inscrutable.