Poverty Porn and Pop Culture
Glamorizing the poor: when photography becomes an abusive tool of repression
Interdisciplinary artist and scholar Ruston Banal talks about the proper use of the camera beyond the techniques. Let's discuss theory and ethics and why it is never okay to glamorize poverty through photographs.
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Ruston Banal is an interdisciplinary artist whose specialization focuses on photography, filmmaking, feature writing, design, and concept-building for creative industries. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He took up his master’s degree in designing education at the University of London. He is also a multi-awardee of Ani ng Dangal from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. He went home to Betis, Pampanga in 2006 and has been staying there ever since in pursuit of his Kapampangan cultural advocacies where he has a great passion.
Since 2014, he has been involved in the International Photography Awards and Lucie Technical Awards as a visual effects artist. He collaborated with IPA’s founder and President, Hossein Farmani, in setting up the IPA Philippines competition – considered the largest regional photography awards in Southeast Asia. He currently manages the IPA Philippines Gallery Center for Photography in Pampanga put up by Farmani and handles the support team of IPA.
He has also worked as a contributing writer and photographer of Philippines’ leading online news organizations since 2013. He was a lecturer of Art History and Theory at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Design Foundation. He also taught at Far Eastern University, University of the East College of Fine Arts, and Ateneo de Manila University.