‘Arrogant, absurd and offensive’

That’s what the photojournalist and founder of photo agency VII, Gary Knight, thinks about duckrabbit (so does duckrabbit’s wife).

We’ll let you be the judge of that … but really … honestly, its a bit pathetic it always comes back to individuals rather than the issue about diversity in the photo industry, which is an important one.

During an interesting and generally positive debate on Lightstalkers about the lack of diversity in the industry somebody made this comment:

“The member/owners of these collectives (agencies) are also quite comfortable talking about their interest in recruiting more female members, but seem much less concerned about diversifying beyond gender…..”

Knight took offense to the comment on Lightstalkers and wrote:

‘So for the record I would like to say that when it comes to VII – personally (thats important because we are all different at that pIace and I don’t speak for anyone else) – I don’t give a shit about diversity based on gender – or colour – they are way to trivial and limiting factors to consider when isolated like that – diversity based on culture, curiosity, interests, class, education, nationality, politics, spirituality, life experience, age, sexuality (not sex), geographical location – now you are talking – they are way more interesting than gender and skin colour – lets celebrate someone because of who they are not what they look like.‘

He goes on to make a number of further points (please take the trouble to read the post in full)

In my post yesterday duckrabbit wrote:

Gary Knight is the latest to dismiss issues of race and gender in what can only be described as a very defensive post.  No surprise since less than twenty percent of his agency are female. That said plenty of people of color at his agency VII, its just that they’re in the pictures getting shot (dead).

Knight responded by commenting

Your assertion that I “dismiss race and gender” is arrogant, absurd  and offensive. Moreover it is absolutely not what my post is about and I suggest that you read it again in context. My family is mixed race and the suggestion that I dismiss the issue of race or gender is pitifully ill informed.

My post argues for a more inclusive stage not a less inclusive one. What the original Lightstalker post ignores – and what most western journalists and photographers  ignore – largely because they are so protectionist – is the value of having photographers/journalists from the majority world sitting at the table. You view the conversation about racial equality in our profession through the prism of the western economies.  That is  like the Tories telling us they are not racist because they have a black neighbour – give me a break.  To limit the conversation to one about race and gender in the US/Western context marginalizes anyone living outside those boundries yet they are the people who are grinding out the words and images we need to put the world in its proper context. The photography and media business has changed and its time to include the rest of the world in our dialogue whether you like it or not.

John Edwin Masons article that you suggest I read was well written, well formed and articulate, and I think there is little he and I would disagree on. Your point of view is a far more protectionist one than I have ever had which you would have known if you did your research and looked beyond the colour of my skin.

Clearly there is a difference from what Knight actually thinks and feels and what he wrote.  duckrabbit has never met Knight and therefore can only refer to what he has written in his post which, in our and others opinions is dismissive of the race and gender debate taking place on Lightstalkers.

duckrabbit won’t defend itself from the ‘my dads bigger than your dad’ charge that we’re ‘far more protectionist’ than Knight (whatever that means).  As we said before this isn’t about us.  That said we’re pleased that Knight took the time to read John Edwin Mason’s blog. Its far more intelligent and thoughtful than this one.  Can I also suggest that he reads another more intelligent and thoughtful blog.  Stan Banos’s Reciprocity Failure. Today Stan wrote this:

Gary- I don’t believe anyone’s suggesting having people on any jury solely and simply because of race. That has never been the issue, and frankly, I’m surprised someone as accomplished and “enlightened” as yourself would actually repeat it. You go through great pains to delineate just how diverse the backgrounds are at VII- gender, age, class, etc, etc. Every which way but… race, where diversity remains very conspicuously in front of the lens.

Every top photo organization and publication would never, ever think of fronting a 100% all male roster in 2009. They damn well know the hell they’d catch, and rightfully so! But when it comes to race, it all gets poo-pooed into one very inflammatory “non issue.” Hey, it’s just the way things are, there are more important things- don’t worry, be happy! Bottom line– If qualified women ain’t buying it- why the hell should we!?

Yes, it’s great other countries and cultures are now stepping up and doing for themselves. And wouldn’t it be grand if they could all look up and see just how a truly diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-gender and multi-racial organization can function and thrive- think of how that would further set the example for their fledgling organizations in a world divided by Tutsi and Hutu, Serb and Croat, Muslim and Jew..

REPSONSE

SCOTT ROBERT COLLINS rightly points out that Knight has done a lot of fabulous work, then goes personal:

Gary Knight is very much NOT out of touch with reality. His very job depends on finding ways to probe and explore a changing reality that this world is. VII Agency is not a strictly American endeavor, with members from Italy, France, Britain, Czech Republic, as well as the USA, it does offer a dynamic and varied view of the world. Most members have spent most of their lives away from their birth countries, working for the continuation and growth of media in nations that have traditionally had very little professional media. For people to accuse him of being out of touch “racially” because he is a white male speaks greatly of the disconnect between the reality of how the media is, and how it wants to be seen.

I understand for sake of argument that there is a disproportional amount of northern european upper-middle class males in the fields of journalism, but this has far more to do with economics that it does with race. Money has far more often been the determining factor in occupational choices. Cameras, training, travel and higher education are luxuries that most working media professionals are aware of. I see no evidence what so ever of Mr. Knight, (whom I have had the privilege of learning from) is being a “white power media elite.” Such a statement is both ignorant and foolish.

Gary himself has been teaching photography and journalism for many years now, and there are substantial discounts or nearly free workshops given to media professionals or students who reside in the countries where the studies take place. Cambodia and India are two places I know that he has had tremendous success in with regards to local photographers working on local stories.

From my understanding, Gary is IN NO WAY tolerating a white man’s only club approach to the media. Because VII agency has more men than women and no brown, black, red, yellow, purple green or fuchsia people does not mean that they are insulting minorities. (I have a problem with using the term minority, because it is a term so ethnocentric to WASP’s, who actually believe that they are a majority in the world, which is ridiculous to say the least.)

The unfortunate truth is that resorting to a banal post on a blog offers little creative solutions to a perceived problem. Instead of taking the inflammatory north american standard approach to devaluing a person by resorting to race or sex, (issues that were supposedly addressed in the 1960’s and 1970’s…) why does nobody try to look at a more global opinion for solutions.

Gary Knight and VII are not out of touch with reality. What is out of touch with reality is the fat and lazy blog obsessed self righteous westerner who would rather flame posts online that go out and change the status quo.

David White Responds:

“the fat and lazy blog obsessed self righteous westerner who would rather flame posts online that go out and change the status quo.”

Scott…come on…. that’s lame.

Ben’s not THAT fat.

STAN B’s blog Reciprocity Failure started this whole debate.  He’s asking Scot to inform himself:

Scott- I’ve never actually met the man, so I can’t really address Benjamin’s physical stature- but you really should familiarize yourself with the work he’s actually done (as you have with Mr. Knight’s) before criticizing. And in all fairness, I’m betting both have at least tried to leave this world a better place. But I really take offense to Mr. Knight’s assertion that he would have to comb the far corners of the earth if he really wanted to diversify VII. Sometimes the most well meaning of people can be blind to the fact that they can enact significant change much (much) closer to home.