As I browsed through Columbia College's Museum of Contemporary Art on Wednesday, one particular body of work caught my eye:
"A New American Picture" shot by Doug Rickard. His photographs picture scenes from the Street View of Google Maps that he wandered through on his computer. Rickard's story caught my attention because I sometimes find myself doing the same as he did, just wandering through, exploring the country in which you live right at the convenience of your own couch! After seeing so many possible pictures, the few that Rickard chose seem to have a certain, similar connotation to them. He wanted to find perfect pictures "containing an 'apocalyptic-like brokenness.'"But out of all things America has to offer, why show the lowest of the low? Living in the North Shore of Chicago, it is hard to think that these neglected communities exist in real life, not just movies; the evidence provided by Google Maps is just a click away to prove it. This feature gives us the opportunity to explore communities much more in depth than we ever could have, going to almost every street in America. It is so interesting to think that people can explore these under-developed areas of our nation, and still not have a clue of what they are really like. Can a picture really take oneself into the scene it captures?
I also find it interesting to explore Google Maps because I am pictured on it having a lemonade stand with two of my friends at one of their houses. It was at the beginning of the Street View's introduction to Google in 2007. We found it strange that a white van was driving on the street with cameras attached to the roof, but they did buy some lemonade from us!
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My two friends and I pictured on Google Maps five
years ago during our lemonade stand. |
This is a really interesting point you bring up, Lily. Google Street View is another example of modern-day technology allowing us to travel miles away from where we are at the click of a button. I agree with your point about how although one can see what different parts of America really look like on the computer, I think they will only really understand the conditions if they actually travel there and leave their so-called ,'isolated bubble'. This reminds me of another exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art which showed buildings all over America that have the same address as the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, yet are run-down and drab. While one can learn a lot about a place from pictures, once one really experiences life there, will it become real and understood.
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