I Photograph to Remember (1992)
CD-ROM for Mac & Windows
Truths and Fictions (1995)
CD-ROM for Mac
The Voyager Company
Distinguishing itself amidst the glut of shoot ’em-up games and “edutainment”
pabulum which dominate today’s software marketplace, The Voyager Company has
taken the high road in CD-ROM publishing. Their intelligent, content-rich
catalog includes works by foremost contemporary artists and authors including
Laurie Anderson, Stephen Jay Gould, and Art Spiegelman. I discovered this
innovative CD publisher through two titles by Mexican photographer Pedro
Meyer.
I Photograph to Remember, Meyer’s first attempt to put his work on
CD-ROM, is a gripping human documentary. In words and pictures, the
photographer masterfully chronicles the very personal trials and triumphs of
his own mother and father as they struggle with cancer, capturing the poignant
intensity of joyful and painful moments throughout their ordeal. His skillful
narrative makes this true story all the more engaging, especially for those who
have come to experience the loss of a parent. While equally compelling as a
gallery exhibit of photographic stills, this work feels more like a fine film
documentary, and the CD-ROM presentation allows us to spend as much time as we
need to reconcile Meyer’s images with our own notions of family, aging, and
loss. If somewhat brief — the narrative slide-show presentation lasts only
about 30 minutes — this intimate tour is a remarkable look into the human
condition on the precipice between life and death.
Meyer’s most recent work, Truths and Fictions, is a drastic departure
from his first work, both in intent and scope. Originally designed as an
electronic catalogue for a traveling exhibit, this has quickly become landmark
for its contributions to the debate over the use of digital processing
techniques to alter and combine photographic images. In it, we are challenged
to consider that, although intentionally constructed, the artist’s works are
valid windows into a greater truth than pure photographic reality can
provide.
Meyer claims it takes about 18 hours to get through all of the material on
Truths and Fictions — there are over 2,000 images here. Also included
are invitations into the process behind his work. Personal explanations of the
ways he created many of the images for the project are complemented by
objective commentary by California Museum of Photography curator Jonathan
Green. (It’s perhaps worth mentioning that the curator’s track had minor audio
problems on the Power Macintosh machine used for this review.)
On both of these discs, the interface never gets in the way of the art. If
you’ve come to expect CD-ROMs as click-click-click exercises for your
index finger, you might be impressed, as I was, with the clarity and simplicity
of the options available to you. Make no mistake, however: While they have each
grown out of gallery exhibitions, these are interactive titles well-suited to
the medium. With excellent navigational aids and, in the case of Truths and
Fictions, hefty amounts of supplemental material, these discs are unique
because they allow us to explore the treasures of gallery-quality photography
within the contemplative privacy of our own, personal environments. Fully
narrated in both English and Spanish, these bilingual discs have a large
potential reach among North American audiences. I recommend them both,
with perhaps greater emphasis towards his latest work as an exceptionally
noteworthy use of this new medium. — L.G.
This article appears in November 24 • 1995 and November 24 • 1995 (Cover).