Photojournalism imitating surrealism

A reader (Val de Texas) found something about the terribly staged looking Beiruti images of toys and mannequins terribly familiar:

As I viewed the images all I could think of was Cindy Sherman. The closing paragraph of this blurb on the photographer/conceptual artist will especially explain why:

During the 1980s Sherman began to use colour film, to exhibit very large prints, and to concentrate more on lighting and facial expression. Using prosthetic appendages and liberal amounts of makeup, Sherman moved into the realm of the grotesque and the sinister with photographs that featured mutilated bodies and reflected such concerns as eating disorders, insanity, and death. Her work became less ambiguous, focusing perhaps more on the results of society's acceptance of stereotyped roles for women than upon the roles themselves. During the 1990s Sherman returned to ironic commentary upon clichéd female identities, introducing mannequins to some of her photographs. In 1997 she directed the dark comedy film Office Killer. She followed this in 1999 with an exhibition of disturbing images of savaged dolls and doll parts that extended her interest in juxtaposing violence and artificiality.

Say it isn’t so – is reality not tried to be shown to mimic the neo-everything, searching, and thoroughly lost New York art scene of the 1980s? I hope not. Sherman herself said:

There is clear distinction between the world of media and the world of social reality.

Even when trying to ‘undo the patriarchy with art’, she knew well enough the difference between a creation with intent and remaking reality. Much of the comfort and enjoyment that comes with surrealism and dada is that one is aware that it is a contrivance, no matter what form it takes or what impact it has on the viewer. We’ll leave the attempts to revise reality to those who hide their motives. They are no longer photo-journalists, nor is it art.

The fuse is lit!