경제 위기 상황기 다큐멘터리 사진으로서의 마이클 윌리엄슨의 작품 연구- 80년대 미국 중부 중산층 붕괴와 관련된 사진을 중심으로

Abstract

It is believed that documentary photography can persuade viewers to care about social problems by affectively presenting the human element of those problems. In other words, documentary has a power to convince viewers to sympathize with the poor or to believe messages in pictures because of their purportedly inherent realism or truthfulness. The photographs made by FSA photographers during the Dust Bowl in the 30s had established a new tradition in documentary photography since they had succeeded in drawing public attention to tragic living condition of poor farmers. In the 80s, most of automobile factories of Mid-west towns in the United States have been shut down by the economic crisis and thousands of people lost their jobs and homes. Most mainstream media including newspapers, newsmagazines, and television news report this situation superficially, thus viewers could not see the real situation of the crisis. Michael Williamson, one of the Washing Post staff photographers, made an in-depth report on this situation and made a book entitled °”Journey to Nowehre”. It is said that his work is valuable in terms of his efforts to arouse public’s attention to national crisis. In this respect, this thesis tries to focus on his photographs concerning middle-class crisis during the economic crisis in the 80s, compared to those made by FSA photographers.