Discuss: iDubai

I liked these images of Dubai, but they give such a slanted, cordoned off view of the place. The city is fundamentally a contradiction and this is not at all conveyed. In the palaces of commerce, the richest Emiratis mingle with western contract workers. Almost anything can be had for money: alcohol, of course,beautiful women, Faberge eggs, Patek watches, luxury automobiles that come with surprisingly low price tags since there is no sales tax. But across the city there are other areas, Indian workers’ shopping areas and ghettos where the real business of life transpires. My favorite spots are outdoor Pakistani restaurants where you can eat Dahl, drink masala chai and order the hottest food you’ve eaten outside of India. There are outdoor cafes where you can smoke shisha, drink strong tea and read a book or newspaper (Times of London) while taking in the street life unmolested. Dubai is not all steel and glass, but this is the most facile vision of it. About 1 1/2 hours down the road is the capital, Abu Dhabi, a much more Arab town whose character is like a combination of Monaco and Muskat. I like it better. But if you want to see the world of the Arabian Gulf from 20 or 30 years ago, visit Oman; (Yemen is better but probably unwise these days). Dubai seen through the shopping mall is an Arab vision, not of Utopia, but of what they think of the west. It is shopping and accumulation as diversion and preoccupation. It is their way of giving people what they think they want. And what they fundamentally believe most about Westerners is that we are materialistic, arrogant and impatient. They take this and turn it into tourist attractions that resemble shopping Disney Lands. I love Dubai for it’s tolerance and openness; it is unique among Arab cities. But for character drive to Al Ain or visit Abu Dhabi and tuck a rolled-up prayer rug in the back window of your car. This will get you discounts and a much warmer welcome. Most of all, be willing to spend time with whoever you encounter. Arabs still have the luxury of time and for this single reason their quality of life is much higher than ours.

I agree with Giles Slade’s comments. I appreciated your photo essay but found it more evocative of a disney image of Dubai without the backstory of what keeps the “magic kingdom” afloat. The following article link to the Independent gives that presentation.

The dark side of Dubai
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

The story is a good one… very interesting. But I have a question…

I don’t intend this to be an insult to any single photographer. Please take this as a genuine desire to understand and not criticize.

Can someone please, politely, explain to me how snapshots became the favorite art form today? Images where no time or thought was spent on composition, use of light, etc. seem to be the popular expression in photography of late. I understand intentionally creating an “amateur” style, but branding a one-second point-and-shoot as art eludes me. I probably sound like one of those art critics who bashed the expressionist painters of the past as being childish. But they had emotion, energy and passion behind their work. Today’s snapshots don’t seem to have that. And it’s not just the work seen here. It’s everywhere. The Holga camera defines it perfectly: point and shoot and hope you get something cool. Where is the creativity in that?

I’m an artist struggling to find a fit in this world. Please help me understand this phenomenon. I know many of you are going to flame me for this, but I’m seriously asking for some enlightenment without malice. Thanks.