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Angles on tragedy
Photo by Shan Jayakumar |
By LENNIE BENNETT
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 5, 2002
A photographic commemorative of 9/11 features images both colossal and commonplace, captured at every level of technical proficiency.
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TAMPA -- What makes a good memorial? People ponder that question with every war or tragedy, and the debate over a fitting tribute to victims of Sept. 11 will probably continue for years. Meanwhile, in hundreds of communities, memorials of all sorts have sprouted.
In New York, none is more moving than the storefront of Chelsea Jeans, a clothing store a block from ground zero. The owner sealed off a portion of the shop to preserve it as it looked after the explosions. Behind a wall of glass are shelves of T-shirts coated with gray ash. The floor, covered with more ash, is littered with papers that drifted down from the twin towers. It's a powerful witness to the horror of that day.
[Times photo: ]
• Photo by Peter Foley
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Among the many issues up for grabs in conceiving memorials is whether they should be literal in their evocation or abstract. So far, literal seems to be winning out in the medium of choice photography. The sheer number of photographic images taken on that day have guaranteed a proliferation of exhibits that memorialize the events.
One of the biggest, "Here Is New York," opened Wednesday at International Plaza, Tampa's newest shopping mall. It was organized by four influential New Yorkers, including Charles Traub, chairman of the photography program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Thousands of photographs were collected from professionals and amateurs -- no one who wanted to contribute an image was refused, hence its subtitle "A Democracy of Photographs."
All of the photos have been archived, but the exhibition was edited down to several hundred images. It opened in New York City to much acclaim and has traveled to other cities in the United States and Europe. Some of the photographs appear in the September issue of Vanity Fair.
They capture moments large and small -- flags, funerals, a box of lemons, grieving loved ones and exhausted relief workers. And the burning towers, of course.
They are arranged in the mall's Grand Court, and any can be purchased online at the information center for $25, with net proceeds donated to the Children's Aid Society's World Trade Center Fund.
An upscale mall may seem an unlikely venue for such wrenching images, but International Plaza took its own hit after Sept. 11. Scheduled to open on Sept. 14, the mall and many of its stores canceled most inaugural parties and special events, and the gala week turned somber.
If you can get past the disconnect in viewing the carnage of a capitalist icon while contemplating a smoked salmon pizza or Louis Vuitton dog carrier, you might agree that maybe there is no better place for such a tribute than one which celebrates the enduring power and allure of economic success.
Exhibits such as this are part of the process of recovery. Great art may come from the tragedy someday, along with permanent memorials that enshrine our loss, comfort the bereaved and help future generations remember. But one year later, we shouldn't expect much more than honest documentation, which this show delivers.
Preview
"Here is New York: A Democracy of Photographs" is at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa, through Oct. 8. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit is free. For information, log on to www.shopinternationalplaza.com or call (813) 342-3790.
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