TED Prize Goes to Mr Anonymity

I smiled this morning when I read the latest TED Prize was awarded to an "anonymous photographer." The man (since everyone refers to him) is like his work, composed of light, but takes shape in the shadows. He is anonymous, or semi-anoymous, the Parisian is referred to only as "JR." I smiled because I have always felt the work should be the celebrity, not the artist.

TED's Director of the Prize Amy Novogratz said, "The winner of the 2011 TED Prize is JR, a provocative and enigmatic artist who puts a human face on some of the most critical social issues of our day and redefines how we view, make and display art."

Mr Anonymonity's projects vary, but have one underlying cause which resonates the TED mantra, "Wishes big enough to change the world". JR's self-described photograffure indeed provokes change by fostering community. "Portrait Of A Generation" showed giant photos of suburban "thugs" outside of Paris. "Face 2 Face," which, as the Ted site explains, "some consider the biggest illegal photo exhibition ever," explored Israeli-Palestinian tensions. "Women Are Heroes" was an effort to empower women by showing their faces.

One of JR's more incredible project, is in the huge slum of Kibera, on the edge of Nairobi, Kenya. (Kibera is one of the largest slums not only in Africa, but in the world.) Perhaps more meaningful to me because I did my Wild Orphans elephant project in the orphanage just beyond Kibera and would pass the slum many mornings for two years.

JR installed his huge suffocatingly tight black and white portraits on the rooftops of the slum (photo above). His, the slum's, images stare skyward, depicting women who's lives are trapped there. Proving art can be functional as well as provocative, the giant photograffures, printed on tarp, also safe guard the frail falling-apart huts from rain. Poetically the images can best be seen by the wealthy tourists and politicians flying in and out of neighboring Wilson airfield. They are even large enough to be viewed on Google Earth. He also installed the top portions of the portraits on the sides of the train that passes twice daily through the slum. As the portrait clad cars chug through the metal and cardboard huts that press right up against the tracks, they momentarily align with the bottom portions installed on the hillside to complete the image. (Now that was a brilliant idea!)

From JR's website:

"As he remains anonymous and doesn't explain his huge full frame portraits of people making faces, JR leaves the space empty for an encounter between the subject/protagonist and the passer-by/interpreter."

Photo above copyright JR from project: Women are Heroes. You can learn more about JR on the TED site or on JR's own site.

I've posted here before about the TED, but if you missed that, you should check out the deep archive of TED speakers - there are some truly wonderful and thought-provoking video clips worth discovering.