Thierry Maindrault ‘s Monthly Cogitations
It is the holidays, everyone’s talking about it. It’s all anyone ever talks about, even the others. Originally, holidays were obtained to give workers a chance to rest and recuperate. Today, the reversal is complete, with as much so-called leisure time as possible, including for the unemployed. Paradoxically, during this parenthesis from work, for a lot of people it is essential to expend as much energy as possible in a wide variety of activities, provided they are exhausting. There are still a few people who take advantage of this lull to reflect on their personal journey. Since this is a time for meditation, I should like to propose a few comments about my ramblings in past columns. I am not being nostalgic, just making a few small points on subjects that were, at the time, over-hyped in the media, without much hindsight as to their foreseeable future consequences.
As this summer period allows, let’s take a critical look at some of our past interests.
• Suspiria de profundis of copyrights
We have repeatedly expressed our concern about the slow but inevitable impoverishment of the photography business. Indeed, it is undeniable that, first through the mutualisation of rights and then through their outright abolition, many photographic activities are withering away. Professionals can no longer find the economic vitality to ensure their survival. It is interesting to note that some rather clever photographers, who thought they could turn this phenomenon to their (often personal) advantage, have found themselves up against the wall. Now they are back in the thick of it. This new descent stems from the exponential daily growth in the number of photographic geniuses. The nail has been hammered home by the introduction of financial systems that are gradually replacing the few remunerative approaches they had left.
• the fantastic NFT
These immaterial purchases of totally digitised works seemed as beautiful as they were promising! But what a great source of profitability for those who are always on the lookout for a good opportunity to get fleeced. The speculative cascades that were supposed to save our works and our bank accounts, at least for the most creative among them, have dried up. In order to pull off great scams, it is essential that the proposed parameters travel with credibility. This was far from the case, given the inherent flaws in the NFT principle. The huge financial setbacks suffered by a few famous sportsmen and show-business stars quickly scattered those in search of substantial gains. As in any speculative chain, the reality of the artworks, even in pictures, was absent.
• the miraculous artificial intelligence
It is beautiful, it is marvellous, it is extraordinary, this development of digital tools that some insist on calling “artificial intelligence”. We have often talked about the importance of this basic binary functioning, without an ounce of intelligence. This name can only be associated with a deleterious intellectual proposition. Certainly, quantitative capacities (virtually inexhaustible and indefinite information storage) are linked to qualitative functioning, resulting from an improbable speed of communication. All this can do is improve tools that were already working identically a few decades ago, but nothing more. Back in the 50s, we were already talking about binary storage and conditional data transfer. It is true that disks were imposing for a few megabytes, and transmission speeds through processors were relatively slow. Today, data centers are gigantic, and transmission speeds are regulated by a light wave. However, the tool remains exactly the same, with neither more nor less intelligence, as it was three quarters of a century ago, only more powerful. The systematic hype of “it is good of mankind” is exclusively for certain portfolios or political hopes. According to some fairly serious scientific studies, the heralded miracle is completely at odds with normal human brain development. As a recent anecdote, just last week, a major European TV channel expressed concern at having published (unknowingly, it admitted!) and validated, with commentary, a series of photographs. The concern was justified, as all the images they presented were totally doctored and unverifiable as to how they were made. Photomontages have existed since the birth of our photographic tools for constructing images with light. But it remained the very limited domain of few craftsmen in the labs, hyper-talented at deconstructing and reconstructing an image. Today, the new montages are still somewhat imperfect, but tomorrow’s computing speeds and data sources suggest the complete chaos of what will remain of human intelligence.
• breeding parasites on every floor
The mention of parasites on every floor does not refer to bedbugs or lice, which have re-established themselves in force, even in the most hygienically protected areas of our so-called Western civilisations. Photographic parasitism is a phenomenon that has been well known for half a century. It is made of disruptive elements that bring no added value and systematically interfere with the relationship between supply and demand. A growing number of people are interested in photography. There was a time when two protagonists (a lover of images and a photographer) met, appreciated each other, exchanged and ended up getting along so that their works were appreciated. It became clear that the artwork, in itself, was no longer sufficient for this cordial relationship; the two parties were, it seemed, no longer intelligent enough. Whenever I’ve raised the subject, many of you have shared your experiences with me, often with great amusement. Your list of humanoids that are invading (sometimes imposing themselves) the scene is so long that I am only going to give you a very short “trendy” extract. The coach you absolutely need to press a shutter release (with or without workshops, masterclasses, assisted trips, etc.) to sanctify your shot. The influencer who is absolutely essential when comes the time to choose a laboratory (analog or digital), so that he can save the production of your masterpiece. The art director (a former high ranking civil servant, if possible, with an expired address book) is absolutely essential for finding an exhibition venue or a publishing buddy (in the form of an author’s book, of course). The absolutely incompetent curator (formerly exhibitions curator) to get his name in bold characters on your poster. The scenographer (freshly minted from an art school gone adrift), absolutely incapable, able to render even the Mona Lisa invisible. The new art mediator (formerly known as a guide or museum guard, or both), absolutely impregnated with the concentrated literature on display at the entrance of the exhibition, or sometimes in the catalog. This list is inexhaustible, but all these middlemen devour the added value, and end up killing the photographer. Our images are siphoned off by this bevy of intruders, quietly driving all authors into poverty.
• multiplication of jurors in the mood
Everyone has an opinion on everything. It has to be said that for powerful financial interests, it is important to make everyone believe that they are highly gifted and possess all the appropriate qualities to make definitive and judicious judgements. This is how we see the emergence, at many events, of sponsors who encourage this, with undisguised self-interest, for their flocks of sheep, in order to have their opinions and choices confirmed. It is particularly disconcerting to note that the number of competitions and star distributions has multiplied by leaps and bounds to make Olympus accessible to all. I have come across few personal photographic websites without mention of more than one prize, award or other citation. How they have collected all these trophies? You wonder why, when you discover the photographic contents of the same site! All judges, there is no need to be initiated to the image, to learn about the objects being compared or even to be physically present. The Internet (when it is not a paid SMS) has officially taken on the role of ballot box.
It is always interesting to take a look in the rearview mirror to see what has become of the statements, evolutions and thoughts, of a human society, that we have tried to reflect on. Time remains a merciless selector. It is always surprising to see whether our critical analysis, at a given time, is no longer well-founded or, on the contrary, whether the astonishing offer that has appeared has become a popular and lasting success.
Thierry Maindrault – August 08, 2025
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