ICP: Susan Meiselas

The International Center of Photography’s recent exhibit on Susan Meiselas was both riveting and inspirational. The haunting photos were visually engaging but disturbing at the same time. As a viewer, the gruesome, raw, grittiness of her images really evoked the horrors that she was trying to portray. The series set in Nicaragua was especially striking.
Meiselas’ photos all have a message or try to depict something important. Many of the situations are dealing with war, refugees, and social strife. It would be safe to assume that most people do no know of the “Kurds” in Eastern Europe, or of the discord in Nicaragua. These series not only were eye opening, but also extremely graphic and intense to see. Some of Meiselas’ images evoked such emotion that one could not help but develop a lump in their throat while viewing them. Of her numerous series, I found the photos documenting the situation in Nicaragua to be particularly moving.
One particularly poignant photograph depicted a mother carrying her naked son on an empty street. On her back she carries a large sack, which most likely contains all of the family’s belongings. This photo is entitled “Fleeing the Bomb to Seek Refuge Outside of Estelí” and there is a sense of urgency in the photo, evoked by the boy’s naked body. They are in such a hurry to leave that his mother doesn’t even have time to clothe him.
The most disturbing photo in this series would have to be the one with a dismembered body. The body’s spine is completely exposed and limbs lie lifeless surrounding the carcass. This photo titled “Cuesta del Plomo” was taken on a hillside where many murders were committed. It was said that people would go to search for missing persons here.
These grisly and distressing scenes depict a life that we, as Americans know little about. We are very sheltered from these realities. The topics that Meiselas documented were completely unknown to me. I had never heard of “Kurdistan”, and certainly never saw the turmoil that existed in Nicaragua. Without photographers like Meiselas to expose these situations, they would probably be kept secret from the world.