Browsing by Author "Ross, Reuben Connolly"
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- Learning from Lisbon or, how postmodernism conquered PortugalPublication . Ross, Reuben ConnollyThe Amoreiras shopping centre in Lisbon is an icon of Portuguese postmodernism. When it first opened in 1985, its kitsch design stood out conspicuously amidst a landscape of smart Pombaline shopping streets, social housing tower blocks and tourist-friendly houses clad in “traditional” azulejo tiles. But it also reflect-ed a pivotal moment in Portuguese history and still stands today as a reminder of the consum-erist aspirations of post-revolutionary Portu-gal, the neoliberal policies that have come to dominate life in many Western nations and the stark contradictions of global capital-ism. Departing from an initial discussion of Amoreiras, this short essay critically explores recent transformations to Lisbon’s urban and architectural landscape and traces their politi-cal and economic origins. In so doing, it sug-gests ways in which postmodernism might be considered a relevant concept for describing contemporary Portuguese society.
- The photographer photographed: a conversation with Jean MohrPublication . Ross, Reuben ConnollyThe Swiss photographer Jean Mohr, who died in November 2018 at the age of 93, is well known for his long career documenting the plight of the displaced and dispossessed. Especially noteworthy are his collaborations with major intellectual figures, through which he experimented with the construction of visual narratives. His celebrated books with John Berger include *A Fortunate Man*, an intimate portrait of an English country doctor, and A Seventh Man, a meditation on migrant labour in 1970s Europe; with Edward Said, he published After the Last Sky, a reflection on Palestinian life through the fusion of text and photography. Partially based on a short interview conducted with Mohr in early 2018, this paper reflects on his life and work, taking the reader on a journey mediated by our conversation. In particular, I explore the development of his unique approach to photography and the experimental construction of visual narratives. In so doing, I argue that Mohr’s work offers social scientists, particularly those engaged in studying processes of migration or zones of conflict, ways of constructing more effective, more engaged, and more experiential accounts of complex social realities.