There I was at the Steven Kasher Gallery. The first exhibition that I saw was Resurrection City. 1968 by Jill Freedman. Black and White prints of different dimensions were laid out on the white wall that seemed like an blank canvas. I noticed many of the photographs from my readings of the exhibit, but seeing these works in person was something totally different. The photographs made me feel like I was there at the protests with the Poor People’s Campaign. The expressions of the protesters were very powerful and I felt like I was there at the campaign. The campaign itself depicts the struggle and reality of poverty in America but the photographs reflect the empathic view of the people. It was a side of the homeless and poor that I, myself have never seen before. It was eye-opening for me. “In it in the others, wearing their faces like medals. Tough, proud, dignified faces. I’ve seen poorer people commuting to Wall Street. Much poorer. But not as hungry.” This quote was posted on the wall next to a photograph of smiling women marching side by side. The clothes and hair that they had showed the poor people quality. However, the expressions on their faces were by no means depressing or heartbreaking. I saw faces of hope and reassurance within these women. They might have had no place to stay, but they sure had the shoulders and support of hundreds and thousands of people in the same shoe. Another aspect of this photograph that was empowering when I looked at it was the diversity of these women. Women of different colors were helping out one another without any hesitation or discrimination. This campaign was truly a strong movement toward poverty and I can undoubtedly say that Jill Freedom was able to accomplish this through the eyes of the lens.
The next exhibit I walked into was Welcome to Camp America by Debi Cornwall. Unlike Freedman’s exhibit, the artworks by Cornwall were not only colorful but very saturated in color. Another difference I noticed between the two artists is the subject. In almost every picture in Freedom’s photographs had a person as a subject. However in Cornwall’s, there were absolutely no signs of people. The quotes that were posted on the walls were quite disturbing to me because of my past knowledge regarding Guantanamo Bay or Gitmo. Right above Liberty Center Band Room, “Gitmo is the best posting a soldier could have. There’s so much fun here!” I could not help but to feel scared with this statement. Gitmo is a very controversial prison camp and many of the detained prisoners are often tortured and kept without any evidence or trial. The prison itself takes away the freedom and natural rights of the people, whom many are innocent, and also takes away the values that the United States has as a country. The photographs that Debi Cornwall took show a juxtaposition of how drastic the lives of the guards and prisoners are. One photograph that stayed in my mind was Djamel, Berber, Looking Homeward outside Algiers, 2015 show the back of a Algerian that was detained for over 11 years and released without any charges. Knowing all the restrictions that Cornwall faced, I can only see the mental and physical battle that this innocent individual had to go through. It is easy to forget or to look away from many of the things that are going outside the country. I think it is important to continually remind ourselves the controversial problem that is going on through the United States Government and to be aware when to take action when the time comes.
