--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since 1970, I've been using text and…" description: "\"Since 1970, I've been using text and ephemera as well as photographs in order to tell stories of one kind or another. There's a thread that runs throug..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/jim-goldberg-28596_about_since-1970-i-ve-been-using-text-and-ephe_2563797.jpg" --- # Since 1970, I've been using text and ephemera as well as… ![“Since 1970, I've been using text and ephemera as well as photographs in order to tell stories of one kind or another. There's a thread that runs through all the work that is to do with bearing witness. The photographs are about asking questions, though, not answering them.” quote by Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/jim-goldberg-28596_about_since-1970-i-ve-been-using-text-and-ephe_2563797.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/jim-goldberg-28596_about_since-1970-i-ve-been-using-text-and-ephe_2563797.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/jim-goldberg-28596_about_since-1970-i-ve-been-using-text-and-ephe_2563797.jpg) > “Since 1970, I've been using text and ephemera as well as photographs in order to tell stories of one kind or another. There's a thread that runs through all the work that is to do with bearing witness. The photographs are about asking questions, though, not answering them.” [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using varied media to document, the work asks questions rather than provides answers, emphasizing witness over narrative. **In simple terms:** Stories are told through questions, not answers. Key Takeaway Document, then question. Themes art memory witnessing Mood reflective provocative Type artistic documentary When to use this quote - museum curation - community projects - historical archives Key Concepts visual storytelling documentary theory Questions to Reflect On - What questions does your work raise? - How can you balance inquiry with closure? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on questioning can leave audiences unsettled. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bearing witness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bearing-witness/) [Ephemera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ephemera/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Photographs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographs/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“If today is not your day, then be happy for this day shall never return. And if today is your day, then be happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/if-today-is-not-your-day-then-be-happy-for-this-day-shall-never/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I take it that a monograph of this sort belongs to the ephemera literature of science. The studied care which is warranted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-n-lewis/i-take-it-that-a-monograph-of-this-sort-belongs-to-the-ephemera/) [Gilbert N. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-n-lewis/) > [My workspace is defined by books, ephemera, quiet and light. I don't have a computer, telephone or a fax machine there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/my-workspace-is-defined-by-books-ephemera-quiet-and-light-i-don-t/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [You find a lot of junk when you're searching through lost and tossed photo ephemera, but every so often you'll find a gem, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/you-find-a-lot-of-junk-when-you-re-searching-through-lost-and-tossed/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [In all of my universe I have seen no law of nature, unchanging and inexorable. This universe presents only changing relationships which are sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/in-all-of-my-universe-i-have-seen-no-law-of-nature-unchanging-and/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [I think that the collectible ephemera craze/awareness is probably driven by a reverse market, rebounding off the sense of everything being mass-produced. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-think-that-the-collectible-ephemera-craze-awareness-is-probably/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“I write our names on the page. What of it, if the paper will be burned? I write our names in the sand. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/i-write-our-names-on-the-page-what-of-it-if-the-paper-will-be-burned/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Events are the ephemera of history; they pass across its stage like fireflies, hardly glimpsed before they settle back into darkness and as often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernand-braudel/events-are-the-ephemera-of-history-they-pass-across-its-stage-like/) [Fernand Braudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernand-braudel/) > [I know the difference now between dedication and infatuation. That doesn't mean I don't still get an enormous kick out of infatuation;: the exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-know-the-difference-now-between-dedication-and-infatuation-that/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [ We \[Americans\] continue to be harangued by politicians about how Americans must fight this war because we're being attacked because we have freedoms and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/we-americans-continue-to-be-harangued-by-politicians-about-how/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I've always spent money on books. I've always enjoyed handling books - the size, the format. I feel very strongly about original ephemera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/i-ve-always-spent-money-on-books-i-ve-always-enjoyed-handling-books/) [Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/) > [“It is not that I have no past. Rather, it continually fragments on the terrible and vivid ephemera of now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/it-is-not-that-i-have-no-past-rather-it-continually-fragments-on-the/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“Sit here, so I may write you into a poem and make you eternal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/sit-here-so-i-may-write-you-into-a-poem-and-make-you-eternal/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/motherhood-is-more-than-bearing-children-though-it-is-certainly-that/) [Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/) > [We may be masters of our every lot By bearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/we-may-be-masters-of-our-every-lot-by-bearing-it/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) ## More by Jim Goldberg > [This was in San Francisco, in 1987. A bunch of kids were camped out in the Riviera Hotel - boy hustlers and their sugar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/this-was-in-san-francisco-in-1987-a-bunch-of-kids-were-camped-out-in/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [Every single immigrant is part of a larger history that needs to be communicated in all its ambivalences and complexities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/every-single-immigrant-is-part-of-a-larger-history-that-needs-to-be/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [I'm not a politically radical person. In fact, I'm much more interested in being radical aesthetically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/i-m-not-a-politically-radical-person-in-fact-i-m-much-more-interested/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [ \[A photograph\] is a part of the evidence. I'm not saying it's the truth - it's part of the evidence. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/a-photograph-is-a-part-of-the-evidence-i-m-not-saying-it-s-the-truth/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [“I mean, they say they've gotta change the street kids' lives. Well, that's true. 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Echo:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/dave-will-you-ever-be-happy-echo-echo-i-don-t-know-i-haven-t-tried-it/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [“I show Dave the dummy for my book. He reads every bit of writing, looks at every picture, and asks no questions. When he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/i-show-dave-the-dummy-for-my-book-he-reads-every-bit-of-writing-looks/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [“Quit looking for an answer, Jim. There fuckin' ain't one. Fuck yeah, I'm still looking for God's telephone number.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/quit-looking-for-an-answer-jim-there-fuckin-ain-t-one-fuck-yeah-i-m/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [There are many images which I miss on purpose. I've done too many of them before and photographing them again doesn't change the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/there-are-many-images-which-i-miss-on-purpose-i-ve-done-too-many-of/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [In Europe, I am an outsider. I don't really understand anything that I am seeing. I can be welcomed into people's homes, I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/in-europe-i-am-an-outsider-i-don-t-really-understand-anything-that-i/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [Before I even took pictures I knew that I wanted to have them as hard copy memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/before-i-even-took-pictures-i-knew-that-i-wanted-to-have-them-as-hard/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [“I don't know why he isn't dead, maybe he's lucky. Certainly his physical self is dead. Before the streets, drugs, IV use, and hustling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/i-don-t-know-why-he-isn-t-dead-maybe-he-s-lucky-certainly-his/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) > [The photograph is kind of a proof - a proof that I actually met these people, that they actually have lives, and that they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goldberg/the-photograph-is-kind-of-a-proof-a-proof-that-i-actually-met-these/) [Jim Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) [Explore all 19 Jim Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goldberg/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Since 1970, I've been using text and ephemera as well as photographs in order to tell stories of one kind or another. There's a thread that runs through all the work that is to do with bearing witness. 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