...I photographed a man, who knew a Queen, whose son was the Prince Of Wales...

To many who have seen my photograph of this Aboriginal man as a sort of testament to the way the Aboriginals are ignored in Australian society, I offer this image from a local Sydney newspaper.

Taken on Queen Elizabeth's recent tour of Australia, this press photograph, when compared to mine (taken in 1998), shows how the photographer's eye can lead the viewer to almost any conclusion concerning the "plight" and social status of his subject.

The "symbolism" of the original picture was intentional, perceived at the time of shooting, and quite deliberately constructed as such. The press picture (from a month or so ago) puts this man in a completely different social relationship with "the invaders" of his land: not necessarily a better one, but at least an alternative.

Australia recently became the only country ever to ever actually vote to accept the Queen of England as its head of state. Despite overwhelmingly pro-republican opinion polls, clever pro-monarchy politicians manipulated the referendum question so that the best alternative appeared to be to stay with the monarchy. Originally a gatecrasher on the Australian continent, the British Crown was eventually asked to stay for tea.

They say a photograph can't lie. Well, maybe not... but it can sure be selective in the reality it presents. Is this Aboriginal man really separate from his white compatriots, or is he the Queen's man? Did he care at all? Only he knows, and no photograph can tell us what's going on in his mind.

A photograph sometimes tells its viewers what is going on in the mind of the photographer, and that's about the best I can make of it.