Annie, Not the Musical

Sunday I went to the Annie Leibovitz exhibit at Balboa Park.  It was truly exceptional.  I wasn't expecting that.  I mean, I know she's a stellar photographer, but I didn't expect that her non-celebrity photos would be so moving. Moving and yet ordinary.  Ordinary people doing everything things: living, laughing, dying.

She had a lot of photos of her family and I really love her mother's face and stance.  And her father's quiet dignity.  And something about the comparison of ordinary people such as Oseola McCarty or citizens of Sarajevo living amidst a war make the celebrity photos look silly and self-indulgent. 

This photo of William Burroughs brought a lot of comments.  One couple was saying he looked repentant.  I don't know exactly what  he's feeling, but I don't think it's repentance.  At least not in this photo.  I'm sort of thinking he may have dozed off a bit.

This was a favorite photo too.  Mostly because of my never ending crush on Mikhail Baryshnikov.  But I like the lines of the bodies and how concentrated they are even to the points of the their fingers.

There were a lot of photos of Sontag. The cancer photos of Sontag and of Leibovitz's father are very personal and vulnerable.  There was one of Sontag standing before the entrance into the stone city of Petra.  Really amazing.  Wish I could find it online.

Her photos are making me rethink the aging process.  There's such wisdom in these untouched faces.  it makes you want to know them and hear their stories.  They give you glimpses of too much wine in dark cafes over fierce arguments and uncontained laughter.  Of 50 year friendships and unbearable sorrows.  Of life and breath and love.

As far as celebrity photos go, I'm really partial to this one for some reason. 

Doesn't it just say "dedication" and "athleticism" to you?  Okay, well it doesn't say it me either.  All it says to me is "yum!"  But maybe if I stare at it long enough. There's another photo of Johnny Depp that is also delish as well as a really nice shot of the family Obama. 

There's a, uh, political photo featuring 7 members of our current administration which I titled Seven Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The man in front of me did not think it was funny and started to give me the stink eye until he noticed I was about six inches taller than him and "ethnic" and then he just moved on. Gave me my laugh of the day.

If the exhibit comes to your town make an effort to get to it.

I took a photo of the display outside the museum and I'm rather proud of it

The way the real trees and photo trees are positioned it almost looks like it's not a billboard.  Cool huh?  Wish I could say I noticed it before I took the picture.  But most of it's in focus so no complaints here.

This is the other side of the museum entry.  I was trying to get the detail of the hennaed hands.

Comments

[Wendy]

I have to go; my mom took me to that big exhibit of her celeb photos up in L.A. (wait, maybe it was PHX?) I like her stuff very much.

Thanks for the lovely words abt the handspun--I had no idea that was your first, oh my!

And thank you for the cupcakes, they were delish. Very rich, very yum...like lance armstrong. ;)

[crissy]

thanks for sharing wow something i will never get to see from way up here in alaska other then through your eyes down there.
love the photos and i agre i lke the real people photos alot better. something taken by the ordinary person . you did will with yours i like that totally too:)
well off to find more coffee :) you have a good day :)

[Disentangled]

I think "real people" photos are my favorite type of photography. I've been wanting to see this exhibit...now I need to see it! Thanks!

[Vera]

Great exhibit. I wish I could see in person.