The Memory That Didn’t Exist: The Expression of (In)voluntary Silence in French Humanist Photography. The Case of Israel Biderman (Izis)

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Abstract

The article explores the expression of (in)voluntary silence in French humanist photography, focusing particularly on the work of Israel Biderman (Izis). The objective of this research integrates memory studies to broaden our understanding of Izis’s experiences and creativity within the broader framework of humanistic photography. Drawing on key works in memory studies, which include analyses of traumatic experiences, the chosen methodology of hermeneutics of suspicion serves to problematize images and information related to the artist. This approach helps to uncover less obvious or nuanced meanings in humanistic photography that approach or extend beyond the boundaries of the image or text, highlighting its latent, inconsistent, or contradictory aspects.

The study’s chronological scope spans the heyday of humanistic photography globally, from the 1940s to the 1960s. This period coincided with significant cultural and social upheaval following World War II, which profoundly influenced humanistic photographers’ works by often avoiding direct representations of their own traumatic experiences.

To underscore the significance of silence as a mode of expression, this study develops the concepts of voluntary and involuntary silence prevalent in post-war society. For individuals grappling with traumatic experiences, the articulation of such memories could prove too agonizing, leading them to suppress them beyond the reaches of consciousness. Rather than focusing solely on the finite nature of memory, the study emphasizes the process of memory movement prompted by trauma. Accordingly, the term “silence” is preferred over “oblivion,” which often features prominently in scholarly discourse of the era. In this study, the absence of representation of war traumas in photographic works from the 1940s to the 1960s is identified as involuntary silence. Conversely, the deliberate selection of aesthetic forms that romanticize contemporary existence represents an antipode to this silence. It is crucial to highlight the problematic nature of photography as a medium that breaks silence, as revealed through the negatives. The abundance of images can also mask absence or lack, particularly when viewed through the lens of narratives of traumatic experiences. The connection between involuntary silence and photography extends beyond the non-representation of war traumas – its primary characteristic – to encompass the romanticization of everyday life through certain aesthetic forms, sometimes rather banal, and chosen subjects.

The voluntary silence prevalent in post-war French society, driven by a desire to reshape the past, found expression in humanist photography. Here, capturing everyday life served as a poignant contrast to the senseless war deaths and the anguish of Holocaust experiences. Photography, a medium intended to depict reality, paradoxically also became a vehicle for expressing involuntary silence. Employing the hermeneutics of suspicion, Izis’s creative legacy reveals new dimensions. Specific details surrounding his works – such as titles, locations, and dates of capture – offer glimpses of involun- tary silence concealed beneath the lyrical aesthetics of humanist photography. Moreover, delving into the symbolic meanings of elements within the photographs and their connection to Izis’s biography unveils interpretive layers associated with involuntary silence.