Anthony Margulies
Prof. Judith Jablanka
MHC 100.001
9/19/10
Photography Response
New Insights in Photography
When I arrived at the MoMA I was filled with dread and regret. Art museums were never something I was too fond of. As such, I sluggishly strolled up the stairs to meet our tour guide. Upon first sight of the exhibit I yawned, knowing I was in for 2 hours of boredom and self sacrifice. However, little did I know that by the end of the tour I would walk out with a new appreciation for the art of photography
For the most part the exhibit was nothing special to me. I found the lack of inspiration and monotony of the exhibit to be sleep inducing. In fact, I didn’t even make it through the tour itself. When we reached the last room however, everything changed. There, like two diamonds in the rough, I came across two photos, both in color, and both yelling at me to notice them. They broke the mundane pattern of black and white photographs with unique characteristics that brought fourth a wave of emotion from within me.
The first of the two photographs to catch my attention was “Berlin” by Gundala Schulze. It was taken in 1987 and captured a scene of what I can only describe as chaos. In the photo, what appeared to be a homeless woman was running at Ms. Schulze with a knife. The scene was in the woods and the entire edge of the photo was dark and the center where the action was taking place was bright. It was while observing this scene of chaos that I came across a peculiar detail that everyone else had missed. The homeless lady’s boots were very similar to the modern “UGG” brand. In fact they were the same exact design. Seeing this one little almost insignificant detail suddenly brought forth a surge of thought and emotion for this lady.
When I re-analyzed her attire in the context of her boots, I suddenly realized that had she worn that exact same outfit now, she would have been considered lucky and possibly even a fashion icon. After all, UGGs are all the rage now. This seemingly lowly homeless lady had on her feet boots that young women across the world desire, except she was 20 years too early for the fashion trend. It was this fact that made me feel almost in awe. Thinking about how one idea or thing in the past or even now could be considered insignificant or worthless, yet in the future could somehow be valuable or hold prestige was inspiring. The feeling made me want to save everything I ever owned and it made me regret having thrown out some of my childhood memories under the justification that it was time for me to move on. After seeing the lady depicted in “Berlin”, I realized that there is never a right time to throw anything away. Anything, whether it be an idea or something as insignificant as an earring could at some point in the future hold value. Whether this value is intrinsic or based on current trends is unknown and it doesn’t matter. Nothing is valueless in life. That was the lesson I learned from “Berlin” and it’s a lesson I won’t soon forget.
As if the emotional upheaval caused by “Berlin” wasn’t enough, the next photograph I came across was even more enlightening. “Mother With Children, Harlan County” by Sheron Kerpo and set in Kentucky was almost impossible to decipher at first glance. I won’t lie, when I first saw the photo I thought to myself “Wow, here’s a photo of white trash if I’ve ever seen one.” In the scene, a portly mother holds a baby in her left arm, and simultaneously drapes her right arm over her daughter, who has both of her arms around a younger brother. The background is composed of a dirt road, and what can only be described as a trash heap. As I continued to gaze at the photo though, new details appeared to me that I hadn’t seen before. For instance, everyone in the photo was smiling, despite the gloomy surroundings. Also, the love between this family was evident. The way everyone was holding onto one another showed a strong family unit and lots of love. Then, despite the fact that this detail was there the whole time, I noticed that everyone’s clothes were not only spotless, but absolutely vibrant in color, especially the young daughter’s red dress.
From an archetypal perspective, red symbolizes sacrifice. I couldn’t help feeling the sacrifice that this young girl must go through. She might have dreams to be an astronaut or go to college, but most likely she’ll end up in the same position as her mom. I don’t see anything wrong with that, it’s just that given the living conditions they were in, I could tell that anyone given the opportunity would probably try to leave that place. At the same time though, I could feel the love oozing out of this photo and then I thought that it’s not just the young daughter who sacrifices, it’s the whole family. For their clothes to be that spotless, the mom must slave all day cleaning and ironing their clothes to perfection. Similarly, the young boy must play a role as well, most likely helping with chores and other household tasks. Even the baby wasn’t exempt from sacrifice. He was destined to live a life always wanting more and never quite feeling satisfied due to the economic conditions he was brought up in.
Despite the sacrifice that all the members of the family must make, they were all smiling. Seeing those smiles made me realize that the love they must have for one another is what pulls them through each day. Love is an everlasting bond, especially between family members. And at the end of the day, when you think to yourself that life sucks, having someone there for you because they love you can make all the difference in the world. This photo really touched me because it made me think about the love I have for both my mother and sister and how I wouldn’t have made it without them.
Going to the photography exhibit opened my eyes to the possibilities that photography offers. It isn’t just an act of clicking a button and capturing a scene. Photography requires taking pictures that bring forth emotion, or make the viewer think. Photography, just like any art form, isn’t easy to understand, and it’s because of this that it is really is wonderful.
