Visual Trophies

The December 24 & 31, 2007 issue of The New Yorker had a book review by John Updike on the catalogue that has been published in conjunction with the exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, The Art of the American Snapshot 1888-1978.

"A little halo of photographic illumination, in other words, accompanies us in our traversal of the decades, and any aesthetic or sociological values that the photographs possess are incidental. With a poignancy peculiar to photographic images, the past is captured while its obliteration is strongly implied."

It is an interesting read, as much commentary as critique.

This was the Winter Fiction issue and coincidentally includes a piece by Lore Segal, The Arbus Factor. I am disappointed I can't provide a link (it is not included in their free archive) because it is a lovely piece. If you are able to get your hands on a copy, the spare one page bit of prose might make you smile.

(Once again, I apologize for being unable to take Blogger's wonky line spacing in hand.)

Update: The National Gallery has an interactive slide show here. I understand the design concept of making this sort of thing interactive, but am I the only one who finds these a little awkward?