Abstract
This article presents the iProbe concept developed by the Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. This analytical tool is one of the ways to present the image of modern warfare that emerges from messages in social media and photographs taken using smartphones. Utilized to understand the approach are photographs Leistner took at the American military base in Musa Qala (Helmand province, Afghanistan) during the implementation of the “Basetrack” media project in 2011. The theoretical basis for this study is Marshall McLuhan’s media theory, which was used by the photographer to interpret her works from Afghanistan. Leistner is the first to apply the various concepts shaped by McLuhan in the second half of 20th century, such as “probe”, “extension of man”, and the “figure/ground” dichotomy, to analyze war photography. Her blog and book entitled Looking for Marshall McLuhan in Afghanistan shows the potential of using McLuhan’s concepts to interpret the image of modern warfare presented in the contemporary media. The application of McLuhan’s theory to this type of photographic analysis provides the opportunity to focus on the technological dimension of modern war and to look at warfare from a technical perspective such as what devices and communication solutions are used to solve armed conflicts as efficiently and bloodlessly as possible. Therefore, this article briefly presents twelve iProbes that Leistner created based on her experiences from working in Afghanistan concerning photography, military equipment, interpersonal relations, and various types of communication.
Highlights
This article briefly presents twelve iProbes that Leistner created based on her experiences from working in Afghanistan concerning photography, military equipment, interpersonal relations, and various types of communication
The question is whether modern media can be used to accurately present the contemporary war from a vantage point that makes it possible to view from a distance and allowing for the necessary space to reflect on it remains. Such an attempt was made by the photographer Rita Leistner, based on photographs taken during the project referred to as Basetrack
The main outline of the Basetrack project resulted from the personal experience of Kuwayama, who had worked as a freelance journalist in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir for nearly a decade and often had trouble establishing cooperation with the military stationed there
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The question is whether modern media can be used to accurately present the contemporary war from a vantage point that makes it possible to view from a distance and allowing for the necessary space to reflect on it remains Such an attempt was made by the photographer Rita Leistner, based on photographs taken during the project referred to as Basetrack.. Photography can force its viewers to form their own interpretations, as do other art forms, meaning that it can arouse substantial creative anxiety Photographers often risk their lives to witness the moment and capture it, giving future viewers a moving testimony of the unfolding events. This approach characterizes the work of Rita Leistner (Word + Images 2016, online)
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