The a photograph has on the human psyche is incredible. Alfred Stieglitz once said, “A photograph is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” In his article called “Recalling the Wave of Water and Panic”, Randy Kennedy writes about how this fall, the Museum of the City of New York, with help from the International Center of Photography, will be hosting an exhibit to honor and remember the victims of Hurricane Sandy for its first Anniversary that is approaching this coming Tuesday. Over 900 different photographers, many of whom were personally affected by the storm, took the photos being displayed in the gallery. After rummaging through over 10,000 photographs, the committee chose about 200 images depicting not only the horrors of the storm itself but also the proud devastation of its aftermath. The gallery will be opening October 29th, the first anniversary of Sandy, and running through February 10th. It will also be featuring a special selection of photographs depicting “a desolate, darkened Lower Manhattan.” (Kennedy)
I personally cannot wait to attend this gallery. I think it will be an extraordinary experience, especially for people like myself, who were brutally effected uh hurricane Sandy. Living in the Sheepshead Bay Area, I experienced severe flooding, power outages, and I did not live at home for nearly two months after the storm. But the physical aftermath is nothing compared to the emotion one. Few of my friends had to carry out their little sibling and pets. One of my friends carried out his grandmother who could not swim out of his house, chin deep in water. And one of my friends experienced a tragedy like no other: she lost her father to Hurricane Sandy. He, trying to save his family and salvage some valuables, drowned amidst the streets. The tragic emotional experience these people encountered is genuinely unimaginable. It it absolutely necessary for all of us to see these photographs just to fathom the experience. We do not give Sandy victims the compassion and support they deserve, but this gallery might be a start.
Kennedy, Randy. “Recalling the Wave of Water and Panic.” New York Times. 25 Oct. 2013. Nytimes.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/arts/design/recalling-the-wave-of-water-and-panic.html>
This is a subject that could go either way. The fact that you are a victim yourself gives a perspective of how fellow victims would react to such a gallery of images. On the other hand, those affected could be put off by something like this. I remember, as I went around to affected homes asking if they needed assistance, all they wanted was to forget the terrible occurrence. Compare this to other devastating events in history as well. There is a need to revisit these difficult times, no matter how hard that may be for some. Events like these show the triumph of the human spirit, and I believe that that is the message of this gallery.
i personally was not that affected by the storm, we lost power for about a week. But I do have friends who experienced severe flooding and power outages. I do not know anyone who was killed, and you having mentioned that brought chills down my spine. It will be interesting to see those photographs, because photographs can definitely put things into perspective. I still remember pictures from the most recent Tsunami, I was in fifth grade and I started crying at the pictures. Pictures truly are worth a thousand words.
Your blog post was well thought out and emotionally stirring, I can tell that hurricane Sandy is and always will be close to your heart. Being from Florida I have endured many hurricanes in my life, and I can’t say I am used to the hardships they bring. I can genuinely appreciate the work that is being done on the victims behalf and I think using photographs is a great way to memorialize everyone affected by Sandy. I hope to attend the memorial, so thank you for letting me know about it!
I think that this exhibit is a really good idea to reach out and inform those not affected by hurricane Sandy. Like everyone else said, a picture often means more than words. My house was not that affected from hurricane Sandy but my school was. Brooklyn Tech was used as a facility for people who did not have homes to go back to. There was also a hospital that provided its services to the people on the upper floors of Tech. I saw students and facaulty both who were annoyed with the victims in Tech therefore I feel that galleries like this could open the eyes of a lot of people.
I think it’s great that they are having an exhibit based on Hurricane Sandy. We all know how terrible it was and the destruction it brought with it. I hope I can go to this and see some of these photos- I’m sure they will be very emotional. We need to remember the past so we can be better prepared for the future