digital photography: October 2019

soho photo gallery
IMMIGRANTS
Artists Involved: Jon Lowenstein, F. Emmanuel Bastien, Pierre-Yves Linot, Leslie Licari, Diana Uceda, Ellen Jacob, Peter Turnley, Sarah Corbin, Cathy Wilson Ramin, Marc Hors, Paul Stetzer

Describe: When I arrived at the doors, I was expecting a wall of photographs.
Instead, it was a quiet maze of deep corners with an accompanying upstairs area.
The floors creaked as we walked around, pausing to notice all the photographs and
descriptions. The upstairs section was narrow and a bit claustrophobic feeling but
I believe that physical sense of being trapped heightened the emotion of the pieces
which, at their core, were about being trapped by a country that does not want you.
The photographs were most inkjet, though some were printed upon pieces of fabric
central to that artists' home country. Most of the photographers seem to focus on
social justice and equality in their other work. The ones featured were already
deep in their career. This was not a first show for any of the artists.
The photographs as a group: The photographs were all centered on the immigrant experience.
From life before moving, to after, they all depicted the way immigrants are treated in America.
It all felt very neat and complete. Especially in the social climate we live in now, every one of
the photographs felt important and relevant.

How does this work compare to the work of other photographers/artists?
These photographs stray from what I normally gravitate towards. Instead of pastel
pink cellphones and teenage girls sprawled out across lawns, the work presented
wasn't dreamy or pretty. It was beautiful. It felt momentous and purposeful. It was
biting and made me flinch. Compared to other photographers, the show was not
afraid of being un-instagrammable. It had something to say rather than show.
Did it evoke any feeling or response from you as a viewer? The show made me realize that
art is not about looking nice but about making somebody feel something they weren't already
feeling. It helped me with my other assignment, focusing less on aesthetics and more
on narrative and drive.

Choose a particular image from the show that stood out to you
This photograph was from a series called Mujados focused around the slur, wetbacks. It featured a series of Mexican people,
dressed in traditional clothing, drenched and soaked in water. I thought it was incredibly interesting because it can be
analyzed in so many ways. When you're wet in clothing, everybody can see through your clothing. You're visible. When you're
wet, you're also very vulnerable. You're heavy, as well. I think it was a very effective way to showcase the weight slurs have.
I think this fit in with the other photographs and even was one of the best of the ones shown. It was complex and interesting
to look at.

Your overall impressions of the show as a whole
As a child to immigrant parents, I thought the work presented was exceptionally striking. I was moved by the images and
the images stayed with me for days afterwards. I thought that in this social climate, this show was neccesary as it was
telling of where we are as a nation. I believe the artists were, collectiveley, saying "listen! we are humans who need to be treated
as such! you cannot ignore us anymore!" The show was an emotional, solid, strong stand against people who do not believe
in immigrants. The way the show was orchestrated was perfect. From the photographs chosen to the physical landscape of
the gallery, it felt right.

digital photography