From Doug Rickard’s terrific site American Suburb X, haunting portraits of Cambodian prisoners at Tuol Sleng taken soon before their execution by the Khmer Rouge (the images were published by Twin Palms in Killing Fields). What is most incredible and most terrifying about these images is the lack of emotion on most of the subjects’ faces. Since these images were taken for prison record keeping, their lack of affect might be taken as a form of resistance; perhaps the prisoners gave no quarter to their tormentors by denying them any permanent evidence of submission. But what if the prisoners didn’t view these photos as photos? Or the photographer as photographer? Perhaps their gazes show no affect because they didn’t imagine these images would ever really be seen. They ceased to be images and became simply information. What the images really show is a medium losing its traditional meaning, being stripped of its power as a mode of communication. Only when we can use these images for good, as way of showing, and preventing, atrocities, can any true power be regained.
