the concept of Stasis can be understood as “ an effortful equilibrium achieved through a laboured balancing of opposing forces and flows ” ( 2017 : 51 ). It was Stasis I was experiencing . As much I was looking at Ken , with my own ‘ forces ’, he was looking back at me with his . My intrigue , curiosity and passion for this subject was matched by an intense amount of pain , fear and overall force , held in the click of the camera , causing a high frequency between spectator and photographic subject . For this Stasis , according to Campt , it is required to “ listen to the infrasonic frequencies of images that register through feeling rather than vision or audible sound ” ( 2017 : 52 )
As established in prior paragraphs , this photograph is one of atrocity . However , precisely the extent and definition of this atrocity is subtly blurred in this particular photograph . Although beautiful and striking , Ken Meeks portrait , does not offer a clear response on which atrocity it wishes to represent . There are two possible narratives , framed in the photograph : the personal tragedy of Ken Meeks , a patient who is suffering from a serious illness and whose days are numbered , and the broader context of an individual who is one of many affected by a large epidemic that is killing many more . Assuming one or the other , this photograph fails to fully represent both , the personal narrative and the ‘ bigger picture ’.
For instance taking the overall AIDS crisis as the main atrocity , Ken Meeks and his seropositivity , inevitably stand for the multitude of narratives of the victims of this crisis . Reininger “ thought of Meeks as a single character in a much bigger story and placed the picture within a broader context ” ( MOCP , n . d .). As moving as Ken Meeks ’ photo might be , it simply can not and should not stand singularly as a symbol for the representation of the many victims of this epidemic . “ While gay white men were at first the most visible cases , they were never the only communities affected ” ( Brier , 2018 : 96 ). These initial numbers of white cases steadily changed and currently AIDS “ remains primarily an epidemic affecting MSM and racial / ethnic minorities ” ( CDC , 2001 ).
In regards to Ken ’ s personal condition , the photograph leaves a lot unsaid and unrepresented , as it was not able to capture the full extent of his narrative . His position as a member of the board of directors at the GHMC , his achievements as an activist and even his relation to that friend , are all left out of to the shot .
Certain formal elements of the photograph conceal personal aspects of the subject ' s narrative . As mentioned before , in the darker background , there is a man reading a newspaper while sat on the couch . By the title “... Being Cared For By a Friend ...” one could suggest , that man in the back , is in fact the friend taking care of Meeks . If this is the case , his visual representation contrasts his real life purpose . From the captured angle , he seems distant , almost complacent with the status quo , by doing something so mundane like reading the newspaper while his friend goes through such a delicate moment . The concept of queer kinship and the adopted family , in the context of the epidemic , often explored for example in films and documentaries ( such as The Normal Heart ( 2014 ), Buddies ( 1984 ), We Were Here ( 2010 ) and many more ), is completely backgrounded .
One might easily mistake the AIDS epidemic in the US , as a wholly natural atrocity . However , in reality it was equally a product of deliberate , ideological and political misconduct . According to Brier , “ state silence and inaction magnified the fear and isolation experienced by people living
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