I love photography. Photography was one of those things I always wanted to learn more about, but since I didn’t get around to it before we left, taking pictures mostly on the auto setting will have to do. Since I am not an expert photographer, sometimes I settle by being in awe of other people’s pictures. When we learned that the Maison Européenne de la Photographie was free Wednesdays after five, we decided to go.
My friend Tony always says I need my art spoon fed to me. I don’t disagree with this statement. So I was a little creeped out by an exhibit that demonstrated the photographer’s clear obsession with horses, and I didn’t know what to make of the exhibit with posed pictures simulating murder accompanied by punk music and giant bullets. But I really enjoyed, and understood, the exhibit featuring the work of the Swiss photographer Michael von Graffenried. von Graffenried is a photojournalist of sorts. The exhibit covered a range of his work, including photos from his year following Peter and Astrid, two Swiss herion addicts. These photos were shown in the park where junkies hung out upon the project’s completion. There were also photos from his time covering people in Algeria, and some from his time covering people in Cairo. The Cairo photos were also displayed on rooftops in the projects.
We were amused by his photos from a nude camp. The photos of a naked people mowing the grass, playing tennis, riding a bike, and other such activities made me think of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry told George that some activities just shouldn’t be done naked.
We also were intrigued, and horrified, by his photos from New Bern, North Carolina. New Bern is the sister city to Bern, Switzerland. von Graffenried spent some time observing life in New Bern, outside the big cities. Life in New Bern included men completing drills at the army base, a boy playing basketball, the mayor in a taxi, religious signs outside a church, a not-so-attractive stripper leaning over a man at a strip club, and a myriad of other pictures. The horrifying part was a picture depicting people walking down a main street. One of those people was a woman, wearing nothing but a white bikini and wedge flip flops, with her gut hanging out and cell phone strapped to her bikini bottoms. That’s America right there, on display for all of Europe to see.
Interestingly, despite free press in America, the newspapers in New Bern refused to reprint his photos, and he experienced a lot of flak for the exhibit at the time. Yet unlike the photos in the murder exhibit, these were not staged – all he did was take pictures of what was happening around him.
Don’t you wonder what those people think when they see themselves? I think most of them are blind to the madness. Did you make it to any other museums?
Hi Amy and Sean
Todd here, friend of you Moms (Joan).
Just wanted to say hi and let you know that I am really enjoying your blog and your writing and photos.
I look forward to reading more and really look forward to your wonderful photos.
Hi Todd. Merci beaucoup! Thanks for visiting.