A Trip to the International Center of Photography: Greg Girard

ATM and Aircraft Carrier, Yokosuka Navy Base, Japan, 2008

On Saturday I visited the International Center of Photography with my mother and brother. Although I have been to several art museums before, I had never been to one that strictly focused on photography. It was very interesting to see different photographer's works and see how they look at the world through their camera.

All of the collections were very interesting, but one that really caught my eye was Greg Girard's collection of pictures from Japan. He took them at various American Army and Navy bases and documented how the bases can seem like a little slice of the U.S., even on the other side of the world.

The first picture that caught my eye (above), did exactly just that.Upon first glance, it looks like a picture that could have been taken right here in America. The familiar late night ATM window with 5 minute parking just outside. The Pepsi truck parked there, perhaps filling up a nearby vending machine. With a quick glance, no one would question its location. Certainly, the aircraft carrier isn't as ordinary as the rest of the scene, but a naval base in America certainly isn't questionable. The one thing that gives it away is the license plate on the car. With the rest of the night-time photography giving off a blue, purple, or green hue, the reds and oranges of the car's taillights really draw the eye. In this picture, the license plate is the one thing that suggests to the viewer that maybe this photograph wasn't taken in the country he or she originally thought it to be in.

Photography Studio Display, Okinawa, Japan, 2009

This next photograph has quite a different effect. When the viewer first sees it, it is easy to ascertain that this store front may be located in an Asian city. Upon closer inspection though, one will notice that one of these framed pictures is not like the others. Despite being dressed in traditional Asian clothes, the larger family portrait on the left is of an American family, unlike all the other portraits in the display. The lighting highlights the American family, and their picture more prominent. In addition, the white matte and thin frame accentuate it more than the portraits on the right with darker and more muted colors. Also, being located in the center of the picture draw the viewer's eye.

Overall, Girard's photographs were quite interesting, and I think the subject matter really made the photographs fascinating.