Joel Meyerowitz "Aftermath"

[John Camp]

I was walking through a Borders book store this afternoon and saw a copy of Joel Meyerwitz's book on the 9/11 disaster. I'm a longtime fan of his, especially of his History of Street Photography, but I'm afraid I was disapponted with this particular work. I can't put my finger on exactly what I thought was wrong with it, except that there's no "decisive moment" here; not very much at all in the way of either movement or emotion. It was like he was so stunned by the whole thing that he just walked around and made snapshots. I know I've seen better photogaphs made at the time of the attacks, and after. I don't know. I gotta think about this.

JC

 

[ghost]

not much of his later work is "decisive moment". i don't think it would have made sense for this project.

 

[John Henry]

So much has been said about the so-called 'decisive moment' in photography but it seems to be a term with little real meaning. Meyerowitz, though a practised street shooter, has worked with the 8x10 Deardorff for much of his documentary photography in recent years. This was especially essential for the WWTC photos because the prints made for the original exhibition had to hold essential detail even at very great enlargement.

 

[RayPA]

As much as I too was disappointed in the Meyerowitz book, knowing and really liking his street work and even Cape Light, I think ghost hit it squarely. That's a high expectation for such a sudden and defning moment. You could equated it with war photography, but this I think was very different. Meyerowitz has done some amazing work. One need only pick up the Phaidon 55 book to be "blown away." Afterall, anyone who ran the streets of NYC with Garry Winogrand is OK with me. 😉


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