ART FORUM
THE magazine asked three persons involved in the arts and a clinical psychologist to share their take on this photograph—Olive and Market Street—by Julie Blackmon. They were shown only the image—they were not told the title, medium, or name of the photographer. An exhibition of new work by Blackmon is on view at photo-eye Gallery, 376-A Garcia Street, Santa Fe. Opening reception: Friday, July 13, from 4:30 to 7 pm. An intense little girl directs us to look at
Trinity: young man, old woman, and ingénue.
to find the source of the music? Before she has
with horizontal and vertical compositional
this cityscape. She is the only emotionally
Maybe it’s Mary Magdalene and Christ and
time to decide, a boy on a bike zooms past her,
conceits, set off by an off-kilter STOP sign.
charged figure in the artwork. The other
the dog is just a fluke, or better yet, the Man
almost knocking her down and nearly hitting a
The young girl in the center of the frame
people are apathetic and disconnected
incarnate. And what about that mural on
dog in the road. The dog lets out a shrill bark.
turns to look at the viewer—human contact,
from each other, functioning in isolation.
the wall? It looks like some Socialist Realism
She stands frozen, paralyzed for the moment.
perhaps—while what might be her dog heads
A mural on the left shows a man watering
propaganda piece about how hearty Russians
She takes a deep breath and keeps walking,
for a discarded hamburger lying in the street.
a tree, the warmest part of the image—but
love tending the communal fields. I really
humming the melody in a minor key.
In a window are two children, just watching.
he too is indifferent to the other people.
want to know what the poster is on the door
A dog crossing the street and the birds above
dead center. That’s probably the key. I don’t
also show no interest in the street action.
know, but someone needs to give the girl a
The road itself is a crossroads at a dead end,
wakeup call.
echoing the somber mood of the work. A centrally located building has opaque glass
—Irene Orcott Art Tourist
windows which allow neither outsiders to
—Suzanne Sbarge Executive Director, 516 ARTS
Add a flock of birds in the sky moving right to left, juxtaposed against an airplane moving left to right, and you have an image (whether
There are many elements in this image where
a photograph or photo-realistic painting)
all of the action takes place at a T-junction.
made by an artist who is essentially a collagist
An old women with a cane walks from left to
madly in love with formal composition, one
right carrying a shopping bag, with an image
who finds beauty in imagery replete with the
see in nor insiders to see out to the street.
She looks back, trying to figure out where
on the bag of a “ripped” young man. Strange.
theme of alienation. This image is reminiscent
Two children (possibly boys) stare blankly
the music, just barely audible in the distance,
Who could it be that she has been shopping
of one of those goofy puzzles you saw when
out of the window of an apartment. Perhaps
is coming from. She finally recognizes the
for? Seen from behind is a male figure carrying
you were a kid, which asked, “What’s wrong
the artist felt depressed while creating this
Russian waltz in D minor, called Expectation.
a rolled-up newspaper. Exiting the frame on
in this picture?” Only thing that does not make
work. Homes are often interpreted as the
Her grandmother used to play it over and
the left is a partial image of a young, white man
sense in this picture to me is that the shadow
self. Metaphorically, homes represent the
over on the accordion, with a strange look of
wearing a sweatshirt, shorts, and sneakers.
of the young man in a hooded sweatshirt is
psychological experience someone “lives
concentration on her face. Time stops, as she
The hood on his sweatshirt is pulled up over
not falling in the same direction as the other
in,” in the past or present. These children
remembers the twist of her grandmother’s
his head, the same way Trayvon Martin wore
shadows. I guess that is what one might call
may signify the artist’s childhood. Blocked
mouth, the far-away look in her eyes, and the
his sweatshirt. Is he dangerous? Maybe, maybe
the artist’s prerogative.
windows are also metaphors for secrets.
muscles moving in her neck as the bellows
not. You just never know. I suspect that he is
This image is full of life, human and animal,
move in and out. Should she go back and try
simply an element in an image that is filled
—Leon Shellburne Struggling Artist
yet it fills us with a sense of detachment and apathy. Life is heartbreaking for all the people in this photograph.
—Davis K. Brimberg Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist I used to have a red coat like that, a little Red Riding Hood coat for the holidays. An old woman wears it on a clean city street, too clean to be New York. but is that a hipster? Maybe it’s Portland. Hansel and Gretel are probably in Florida sunbathing despite the trail of readily available breadcrumbs. Then there is that annoying blonde preteen looking back over her shoulder—she is so annoying. Angel-blond hair and a stellar pout, she seems to say, “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” Gosh, why did THE magazine choose this image? It’s so creepy and strange. Why is that girl staring at me? I’m sure that’s what people said about Manet. The three figures make a triangle like some Holy
22 | THE magazine
| j ul y 2012