E d i t o r ’s L e t t e r
While thinking of the next assignment to give my class, a question I asked a friend of mine came to mind, “What is your greatest fear?” to which he replied, “that no one will come to my funeral.” Upon hearing his response I began to list my own fears: Getting eaten by a shark, being buried alive, going blind. Before I knew it I had a list of 13 fears, each one as provoking as the one that came before it. In acknowledging my own fears, I decided that for their next assignment my students were to photograph their fears or to depict that which provokes fear in others. Within a week’s time, the class had produced images that were poignant, thought-provoking, and utterly frightening. For the second issue of Musée Magazine the theme is fear. For this issue we have selected two guests artists, Andres Serrano and Trevor Paglen. Andres Serrano, who US senator, Jesse Helms, accused of ‘taunting the American people’, is an ever-evolving artist who shows us the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Fearless himself, Serrano constantly tests the boundaries through shocking imagery, often dealing with provocative subjects like religion, sexuality and social issues. Our second guest artist, Trevor Paglen, whose work is greatly influenced by his scientific and artistic background, is interested in photography as a means of ‘truth telling’. His project, “Invisible: Covert Operations and Classified Landscapes”, documents the inner workings of U.S. military and other intelligence agencies, through the use of non-traditional photographic techniques, such as satellite imagery. Both of these artists have made me think and look at photography in a new way. The second issue of Musée Magazine also includes a profile of Arnold Lehman, Director of the Brooklyn Museum, written by emerging writer Dmitry Kiper. Vicente Wolf, a world-renowned interior designer, photographer, and collector, shares his perspective on his vast photography collection in his interview. Finally, I am very grateful for the 72 emerging photographers, and three creative writers, Diane Echer, Kelly Aronowitz, Dmitiry Kiper who have contributed to the newest issue of Musée Magazine.
No. 2 Musée Magazine 5