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LECTURE 4
Title
Zonezero.com and its importance in the field
of photography
Audience:
To all types of audiences interested in getting to know more
about zonezero.com, understanding its content, the way
it works, its contributions, and its worth in the field
of photography.
Subject
matter:
In 1993 zonezero.com was founded to create
an Internet forum to disseminate photography free-of-charge.
Aimed at both photographers and any members of the public interested
in the subject, it has become a site to see, learn about, and
discuss photography, for it offers everyone the possibility
of a space for self expression.
This website is an online museum
that gives photographers the opportunity to exhibit their work
without having to depend on a physical place to display their
photos and without having to conform to restrictive schedules.
It also allows them to show their work to many more people
than those who could have visited a museum or gallery.
The website
has several sections: Editorials, Galleries, Magazine, Portfolios,
Electronic Books, and Forums, among others. The function of
all of these sections is to show, disseminate, and reflect
on the photographic image and its evolution from analog to
digital.
The Editorials are short essays by Pedro Meyer and
in this last year by other photographers and researchers, who
speak of the technological changes that photography is undergoing.
Its objective is to be a forum to discuss topics fundamental
for photographic images, such as the importance of this switch
from analog to digital, advances in cameras, software and
hardware, and anecdotes to help people stay up-to-date.
One
of the main sections of zonezero.com is Galleries. It serves
as an online museum. Professional photographers from all over
the world propose projects and if they come up with an interesting
proposal and quality work, a Gallery is designed for them.
Each one is independent and its aesthetic is born as a function
of each project. Photographers turn in their images with a
brief text that helps to contextualize them; they are also
encouraged to contribute audio and video so the public can
better appreciate and understand the work.
In a world in which
the artist is a mythical figure with whom the public cannot
interact, at ZoneZero the viewer can better relate to the work
and its creator. This section stimulates the public to establish
a dialogue with the photographers, so each one includes their
e-mail address for feedback and to clarify doubts.
The Magazine
section is where diverse individuals publish articles, book
reviews, texts in homage to photographers who have passed away,
and contributions on any topic relevant to technological advances.
Zonezero.com
has made it possible to offer a space to anyone who engages
in photography. In the Portfolios section, anyone who wishes
to show a group of five photos may do so, without the need
to submit work to a jury that might reject it for not fulfilling
certain expectations. This section is a forum that makes it
possible to see all types of interesting images.
In addition
to giving many photographers an opportunity to spread awareness
of their work, which otherwise would not have been possible,
ZoneZero is an educational tool. Several universities use it
at class as research material.
One of the advantages of the
Internet is that it allows a group of fewer than seven people
to prepare one of the most important photography websites in
the world, from a small corner of one city. This website is
a project devised by Pedro Meyer, who from his studio in Coyoacan
in Mexico City works with a group of young designers pooling
their creativity to make it possible.
Duration:
About an hour.
Speaker Profile:
Someone who has broad knowledge of photography and who can
conduct meticulous research with the help of the zonezero.com
team to be able to clearly explain and analyze its function
and contributions to the world of photography.
Materials:
A video projector and computer, depending on the speaker’s
needs. |
