no strangers

"no strangers: ancient wisdom in a modern world" is the newest exhibit to grace the halls of the Annenberg Space for Photography. Returning to its ties with National Geographic and scientific photojournalism, this new exhibit is guest curated by the astounding Wade Davis. The goal, according to the customary booklet handed out upon first entering the gallery, is to show the plight of indigenous cultures around the world, and how they express a shared humanity with all of us. Throughout the hall, there are several categories and sections, from language to rituals, that highlight this theme amazingly well.

My first thoughts, after seeing so many exhibits at the gallery, is that the prints themselves have set a new standard. Quite simply, many of these photographs look absolutely gorgeous in digital pigment print. The color and clarity on the majority of the displays easily outshines many of the Annenberg's past endeavors. Whether looking at the smiling faces of Wodaabe men, grinning widely as they attempt to woo a bride with dance, or Steve McCurry's always-impressive shots of Bhuddist monks wall-running, the gallery has made no effort to shy away from gigantic prints, allowing the viewer to take in every inch of the canvas. With the amount of color shown in this exhibit, the choice was a great one, and I hope to see more like it in the future.

The next obvious part of the display is the sheer amount of sections explored, which was a bit of a mixed bag for me. According to my notes, I counted no less than 10 different areas the photographs were placed in, with themes such as "Circle of Life" highlighting family values, or "Sacred Geography" discussing the ways cultures revere the environment they live in. I did feel that some of these categories, based on the actual photos themselves rather than any attached meaning, could have been combined easily. I did find the "Shared Origins" section interesting, as it highlights the San Bushmen tribe, supposedly one of the few peoples able to trace back to the very origins of humanity.

There are lots of people in these photographs, too, which may seem an odd complaint. However, I feel culture is a term that encompasses much more than portrait shots of rituals and families. It involves art, architecture, music, and so much more that I feel were lacking a bit of a presence. Many of the photographs began to feel very similar after exploring for some time, and I had much more enjoyment of the photographs of the ancient library in Timbuktu than of the countless still shots of faces.

That's not too say that all the people shots were similar, of course. In fact, the shots capturing action and life were extremely fun to look at. Perhaps some of my favorites were the photographs of Hamid Sardar-Afkhi, who seems to specialize in the nomads in Mongolia. I had, sadly, never heard of this gentleman before, but his shots of eagle trainers and fur-clad people playing in the Mongolian snow were beautiful. Maybe it's because I am already interested in their culture and landscape, but these photographs will long stay with me. I also enjoyed the shots from A Yin, a photographer who made comparison shots of Chinese families in their traditional garb several years ago, then in their current, modernized clothes today. Of all of the shots in the gallery, these drove home the theme of the gallery more than any other.

The new video for the gallery was also quite interesting and filled with photographers who are legends in their own right. Wade Davis and Lynn Johnson shared their experiences in the field, and I particularly loved Randy Olsen's comparisons between Portland and his work with the bush tribes of the Amazon. Several hit the note that we really aren't all that different from many of these tribes or people, with many of the same basic needs, principles, and understanding of our environments.

Overall, I did quite enjoy "no strangers," despite the emphasis on portraits and subcategories. Wade Davis did a great job exploring he common themes of so many different cultures. It would have been easy to simply talk about Africa or the Amazon, but here we see Chinese, Mongolian, Hawai'ian, Indian, Native American and many other cultures. And, as I mentioned, the prints are stunning in person and really need to be seen up-close to be enjoyed.

The exhibit just opened recently and will run through February 24th. As always, please support this free gallery and keep photography alive and well!