Thierry Maindrault’s Monthly Chronicle
By the thousands, even millions, creative photographers as a lot of geeks rushed towards the few jars of digital jam that caught their eye. The Holy Grail within reach, the unexpected opportunity to make oneself known to the whole World and even beyond, who knows. The temptation was very strong and too bad if their works found themselves terribly disfigured after their various passages (with or without information loss), in the pipes of the large network. Apart from the small inconvenience of their work being massacred, to be on video screens, there were only apparent advantages.
To be seen (valid for many!), to be recognized, even to be admired by three to four billion individuals connected to the immense web which is installed between 1,000 and 36,800 km above us to better suffocate us. When it is not this oceanic octopus of various cables which extends like the Fatal Hydra. How can the useful become diabolical? How did the adventure of “the sorcerer’s apprentice” escaped us?
The barrier to our illusions was already in place; but, it seemed so distant to us, expected only in twenty years, and then the short-sightedness the prerogative of the crowds. Even photographers, although renowned for having good visual acuity and keen curiosity, were caught in these “sfumatos” which seemed to hide glory and wealth. The singing tomorrows were within reach of the keyboards. The emancipation of culture appeared to be available to everyone. Especially for those who had nothing to say who transformed themselves, with the click of a mouse, into geniuses of Art. Nothing less ! So many wonderful artworks to disseminate, to share, to offer to awaken all these uneducated masses.
Today, the time has come to “sound alarms and set sirens screaming”! The smoke clears and dreams of treasure islands look like a gigantic trap to capture our knowledge, our behaviour and essentially our creativity, this common thread in the history of humanity.
For the most informed and the most insightful of you, who have followed me in my rantings towards the target. In May, the Meta group informed all its European Facebook and Instagram subscribers that as of June 26, 2024, everything (or almost) that had been posted on its sites and its databases became its property. This acquisition shall be essential for the operation of its “gas factory” of its own artificial intelligence, for the well-being of our humanity. The spell is Broken, goodbye to your texts, your musics, and your photographs, they will fall into the gigantic cauldron in order to extract a magic potion to wash away our small part of brain that still works.
Because the object of this kidnapping, in due form, is not only to steal your works to reproduce them, to disarticulate them, to disfigure them, to massacre them. No, the limits do not stop at prohibited use of your work. The object of this patrimonial bellicose appropriation is also learning how you work to ensure reproductions as closely as possible and to make people believe in a substitution of your creation. Binary design remains incapable of creating on its own. It is lucky! There will still be a little something left to do for those who have managed to preserve a small part of the brain and a few images.
Since the entire planet is not blind, some opposition quickly emerged. Initially, Meta proposed a right for an individual reasoned objection regarding each opened account. Hiatus, the refusal to fall into its pernicious data safe could only be done with a procedure put in place by their own group and your refusal could be refused by them. More, besides the formalities to be completed to try to win your case, the Minotaur’s labyrinth was a lot of fun. Then, faced with this mind-blowing situation, Brussels (European Union) woke up and let a few words emerge. Miracle for us, Meta quickly suspended its taking possession of information and works deposited in personal accounts. This last action is only valid for Europe and is only announced as a temporary suspension. Some Asian countries also seem worried.
No cries of victory or jubilation, it is clear that many photographers, even among the most prestigious, have already found themselves in the clutches of these virtual predators. Well, not totally virtual, for the billions who fall into the hands of these network vampires.
The times have come when we must no longer dream. Our works — including photographic ones — escape us, both their sale and their various uses. Accepted compromises on rights and uses, with sharing which essentially benefits all kinds of intermediaries, leaving only a few crumbs for the authors. The scandalous “Uberizations” of many professions, including that of photographers, with the “we take care of everything for you”. Renters of linear meters of picture rails without visitors, and editors of book layout with no other interest than a name on the cover. This evolution, with great bursts of financial speculation, is already too far advanced in the midst of blinded social and cultural masses of individualists eager for recognition. One day soon, the (spider) web will have fulfilled its function and allowed the disappearance of those who took it for a panacea, out of pride or laziness.
There you have it, an extraordinary tool for knowledge and for the development of the imagination which was transformed, by the merchants of the temple, into a very lucrative way of life for them, in terms of remuneration. This promise of always more is transformed, day after day, into a collective intellectual weakening.
We already have the photographic computer, here we are with the social networks laboratories.
These words are not a nostalgic return to prosperous photographic periods. There is no question, either, of denigrating the evolution of increasingly sophisticated work tools (although often the results do not live up to this expensive sophistication). It is forbidden to cast stones at the younger generations who have been taught that the acquisition of technical know-how was useless since technology would do it for them.
It is true that our good and former thieves of light know perfectly well that great technical mastery and instinctive creativity are essential to the creation of an artwork destined to become lasting. Is it still possible to do what is necessary for the young enthusiasts I meet regularly? A clear choice awaits our profession between the transmission of intelligence or the so-called magic potion of the universal cauldron. This time, we will have to choose, the split will certainly be impossible.
Thierry Maindrault, July 12, 2024
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