NY Times, today

Angelo

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/arts/design/22floo.html?hp&ex=1158897600&en=b90ef2a900efe393&ei=5094&partner=homepage

wxwax

I'm lost. I admit it. I look at the shots in their gallery and I don't see anything special about them.

This has happened before: celebrated work that leaves me scratching my head.

Angelo

I agree; they don't appear particularly special except perhaps for the size of the prints and his capitalizing on the sentiments surrounding Katrina

Justiceiro

The photographs are sort of interesting for a few seconds, but that's pretty far below the quality I expect from the Met. Also, I found the reviewers glowing praise for the composition of the photo with the green and white house to be completely overblown. That photo is awful; anchoring lines producing tranquility? If by the word "tranquility" you mean "completely boring, with no interesting features whatsoever", then yeah, I guess its tranquil.

Much success in the Art World is about going to the right parties. This guy obviously did that.

saurora

Hmmmm....why do I feel like I'm viewing shots taken by an insurance claims adjuster??? Seems in such a catastrophe as that, there would be plenty of opportunities to convey massive devastation. These just don't do that. Perhaps in person they come across better?

gluwater

saurora wrote:

Hmmmm....why do I feel like I'm viewing shots taken by an insurance claims adjuster???

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought that.

These photos could have come from any flood. They didn't capture my attention or spark an emotion.

New York Times wrote:

They are unpeopled scenes: New Orleans as our modern Pompeii.

I think not having those affected by the destruction was the downfall of these images. I saw a Pompeii exhibit here in Chicago last year and would not compare the two. The thing that grabbed me at the Pompeii exhibit was the human element, not just some buildings covered in ash. So you can count me in as another that just doesn't "get" this exhibit.

Angelo

I'll be in NYC next month so I'll get a chance to see these in-person. I'll report back on what I think of the actual prints.