New Gallery Exhibitions Tout Disposable Camera Snaps

Some interesting photo exhibitions in town. Following hard upon the worldwide success of Lomography, a number of photographers are mounting shows in which all the images are snaps taken with throwaway cameras. Bill Eggleston may be said to have pioneered the overall look and source material. About half the pictures in question are taken in motel rooms and roadside stands. The shoddiness of the snaps is the whole point; it emphasizes the faddish quality of the art form. But one must seriously ask: when a consumer item has been around for thirty years (I first came across the disposal plastic camera in 1975), is the art form truly ephemeral? See gallerynews.com/05/jan/photo for brief discussion.