The On The Twin Towers - 1634 Words

One of the most photographed, videoed and telecast events in human history(QUOTE), the attacks of September 11 (9/11/2001) on the Twin Towers, provide a case study for the power of an image, in this case, an image of disaster. Images are defined as a â€Å"visual impression† (QUOTE) something that captures the essence of a moment. With reference to images of disaster, these photographs aim to capture the grief, the loss and the immeasurable suffering of those involved. So what, it may be asked, is the formula for a successful image of disaster? The formula which results in a singular image that will naturally be adopted by society as representation of that horrific time. An image such as the one of the little girl running from the napalm bomb†¦show more content†¦The circulation of 9/11 images was, as a result of the technological age, almost immediate; with the attack of the South Tower being broadcast live across the world. The initial images were those of the plane on impact, the smoke and flames of the towers, the people trapped hanging out of the window, those jumping and falling from the buildings, the work of rescuers and firemen and the final collapse of the two towers. The night of the attack and the following day, these images including that of the ‘Falling Man’ covered newspapers, TV stations and were reported on air globally, with obsessive repetition. The reception of the ‘Jumper’ images was universally one of complete outrage and anger in America; whilst the rest of the world fixated their eyes upon these images. The American public claimed that these images, specifically the Falling Man ‘exploited a man’s death, stripped in of his dignity, invaded his privacy’ and ‘turned tragedy into leering pornography’ (QUOTE JUNOD – page 2). This united backlash from American society resulted in a ‘self censorship’ (QUOTE) of these images, determining them taboo an d resulting in the disappearance of these images almost altogether (QUOTE JUNOD). The ‘Falling Man’ image DESCRIPTION. Replacing these Jumper images was the repetition of collapsing towers and the contact of the planes, and as the days past heroic images of rescuers, firefighters and police officers (the noble servicemen) began to