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Conceived and organized by:
Alice George,
Gilles Peress
Michael Shulan
Charles Traub
This would definitely be what one would call a coffee table book. It's huge; I think that for shipping purposes it comes in at something like eight pounds. It has its cardboard sleeve. The only problem is, that term somewhat denotes a book which one flips through or enjoys as one lounges about on the chaise, specialty coffee at hand. Yes...this is one highly appreciable book, but it is moving.
This book came to be because immediately after the event on September 11, 2001, Michael Shulan decided to hang a photo in his shop. Then he hung some more and others added theirs. These were ordinary people; people off the street and those directly involved in the tragedy. After time, the decision was made to select the best works and publish them in a book format.
Every possible genre is covered in this book. There are pictures of the towers before they fell; as they strutted their stuff into the blue. Some photos are of the site, as it lies in ruin and rescue personnel search desperately for any sign of life. Some are so iconic now...the dust cloud, the grey faces, the posters of the missing. One of the images that really touched me is of a woman's limb. I think she had been wearing a pair of boots and what's left of her indicates that she must have had beautiful, dancer's legs. There is nothing else of her around. In yet another, a woman stands in the gaping hole where the plane entered, looking out.
When you look at these photographs, it reminds us what that day is about. People may have their own opinions about what took the towers down. But that day itself needs to be about grief and remembrance and respect for the dead. Good art helps us understand that.
At this point I'm sick of 9/11 and all of the rememberance stuff. I also find that 9/11 is a touch stone to allow racism rule my fellow countrymen.
ReplyDeleteI still remember that day clearly. I was on vacation from my old job waiting to start my new job in about 12 days. I was flipping through the channels that morning when I happened upon CNN showing the 2nd plane flying into the 2nd tower. I was stunned so I kept flipping through the channels to find out what the hell happened. That whole day I was alone scared and crying for those poor people and what they went through. Its a day I choose to forget because I can't handle the fear I felt on behalf of the victims.
Also I hate that day not only because of the senseless violence but because it made that asshole Bush a hero for no reason at all and it gave him a blank check to start a fake war and it also made racism against all Muslims even more accetable.
Right now I gnash my teeth and grow aggitated over the fact that assholes in NYC are protesting a Mosque/community center being built 3 blocks away from ground zero. A Mosque/community center is a great thing. Americans in the US need to learn more about this religion and realize that not everyone who is Muslim is bad and full of hate and violence. All regligions have their good and bad points and followers. Somehow lily white "christians" forget this and about the role of christianity in toturing and killing so many innocent people hundres of years ago.
I still feel for all of the victims and their families, I hate senseless violence. But in 60 yrs from now it will be a fotenote in American history like Pearl Harbor is today. And I live a couple hours drive away from the site of the flight 93 crash. I'll never forget the moment a local news station broke in with that story. I freaked out even more. Fuck racism and intolerance the villians of this fucked up world. Sorry end of rant.
Ranting is good. It's better then eating Haagan Daz like I did yesterday. Not a good day.
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