CAPPE Public Lecture | Ethics and the Public Use of Images of War

Do we need to see what war does to people? Ought we have to see it? When does shock give way to lazy acceptance? How do photographers decide what we see and manipulate how we see it? Nobody has asked people permission to display their pain, suffering or mutilated corpses: does that matter?

Speakers included Paul Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Photography at the University of the Arts London; award-winning war photographer Sean Smith; art historian Nicola Clewer; and Director of CAPPE, Bob Brecher.

This debate was part of Brighton Photo Biennial 2008 and was hosted in collaboration with CAPPE.

Since this event CAPPE has been working with colleagues from various universities and those working outside of academia, including photographers and film makers, to explore the ethical and moral questions raised by the public use of images of suffering through the establishment of the MARS (Morality And the Representation of Suffering) Project.