Why Thai Culture?

Had a friend recently ask me in a email why I was so interested in Thai culture, thought I would post my response on the blog.

Why are you so fascinated with Thai culture? Why not learn other cultures as well?

Think that's a multi leveled answer


- When your doing photography it is important to have a clear understanding of the people lives (people your photographing) to make the photos better. Jock Sturges the great photographer of naturists (exchanged several emails and phone calls with him) told me to spend much time with my subjects, years if possible to make the photos better.

- I can speak a fair amount of Thai which allows me a further insight into that world (most recently at Weaw's family house). If I went somewhere else I would have to start from scratch language wise, I think most people underestimate how important language is in understanding or starting to understand a culture. I am in my 40s, if I want to make a practical approach to my photographic vision (creating a long-time and important series of portraits) I need to get started making the photos now, not jump about from culture to culture, I am running out of time. I hope with some luck and good physical conditioning to be making photos until 70 or 75 so have a limited time period to get this done. When I am older I will be physically unable to make the photographs but hopefully can print the work for the last 5 or 15 years of my life (working in a darkroom I can be slow and unsteady, cannot be that way in the field working with people).

- Cultures are extremely complicated, to jump from one to another to another would only give a superficial understanding, by sticking with Thailand for a long period I am just beginning to get a small handle on things. To be so arrogant and full of myself that I would think I can understand the Thai culture so easily (or any other countries) would be a mistake. If you want to understand something it takes many many small steps over decades of work.

- In some ways many Southeast Asian cultures are interconnected historically, economically, religiously and politically. By studying Thai culture, I also learn a bit about Burma, Cambodia and Laos. Recently when I was on the Laos/ Thai border the connections between those cultures were obvious. I might make some photos in those places in the future as well (especially Cambodia).

- There is also a more practical side to concentrating on Thailand/Thai Culture. Khon Thai is an extended long term commitment, I hope that one day it will include 1000 strong portraits. To accomplish this goal I will need to make a lifetime commitment to Thailand. The great photographer August Sander created a great body of portraiture on the German people but when he went outside this series to work on photographs in Sicily it took away time/photographs from the most important project of his life (the German portraits). I need to learn from Sander's mistake and not spread myself to thinly.