Posts Tagged ‘Photography as Public Diplomacy’

One of the first pieces of advice I received upon arriving in Los Angeles over two and half years ago was that every once in a while, you gotta get out.  Take a trip—and no, I don’t mean the kind that involves hallucinations.  I mean like a real trip, be it to Joshua Tree or Jamaica, just anywhere that doesn’t have an equal ratio of movie-billboards to people.

But if you’re like me, then maybe you just don’t have the time or gas money for a weekend romp in Wichita, or a Sunday simmer in the desert sands.  What if you’re just too darn busy?  In that case, I have the perfect solution, and though it does involve a trip, it’s a short one, with a big payoff, and can be spelled out in three letters: U.S.C.

Nestled within the walking J-Crew catalog of bicycles and ‘Fight On’ T-shirts is the Annenberg School of Communication building, where on the second floor until May 17th is the 21st Century Family of Man exhibit, subtitled Photography as Pubic Diplomacy.  This striking series of photographs, all taken by Paul S. Rockower, attempts to emulate the now famous 1955 Museum of Modern Art exhibition of the same name (minus the 21st Century part).  The original collection represented the work of 273 photographers spanning 68 countries around the world, and aimed to illustrate the often-overlooked similarities in human experience.  Rockower strives for the same, but provides a much more subjective point of view.

He studied Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies as an undergrad, and afterwards traveled for two years as a freelance journalist and photographer, visiting almost 45 countries in total.  He separates the images into four categories—Children of Man, Faith of Man, Cities of Man, and Wonders of Man—all highlighting the one-ness of modern humanity.  A boy from Lesotho wearing a Britney Spears T-shirt, he more clothed than her.  A photograph of an Indian woman in traditional bridal garments and beautiful, metallic jewelry right next to a picture of a Jordanian soldier—he too encrusted by decorative metal, yet his are bullets and knives.

The selection on display does tend to focus on mainly Middle-Eastern and Asian nations, and you can sense Rockower’s fascination with this part of the world, as some of his most potent portraits stem from countries like Jordan, Egypt, and India.  In fact, there is no American-ness to be had in this exhibition, save for you, the viewer, of course.  The photographs seen as a whole give the impression of the world looking back at you, wondering where you are, what you may be wearing, and what your reaction might be upon seeing them.  So go ahead, take the trip.

21st Century Family of Man exhibit will be on view through May 17 at the USC Annenberg School of Communication building. For more information, please click here.