In the first of a series of trips around America, five Magnum photographers and one writer travelled from San Antonio TX to Oakland CA, between May 12-26, 2011. I’ve been following Paolo Pellegrin, Jim Goldberg, Susan Meiselas, Alec Soth, Mikhael Subotzky & Ginger Strand on tumblr everyday since they started their adventure, and it’s been an amazing experience: the American road trip made real and accessible.
The opening of their pop up show was last night in Oakland and of course I had to be there, and I don’t regret it!
The show was in the Starline Social Club and Ballroom in West Oakland. An area and a venue full of personality. The room was packed with young hipsters and photo enthusiasts chatting loudly and drinking cheap beers. The RV that the photographers traveled in was parked in front of the venue. The protagonists of the trip were there, also chatting and drinking beer. (For the anecdote, one of my friends asked Jim Goldberg where the restroom was!)
The show was in the Starline Social Club and Ballroom in West Oakland. An area and a venue full of personality. The room was packed with young hipsters and photo enthusiasts chatting loudly and drinking cheap beers. The RV that the photographers traveled in was parked in front of the venue. The protagonists of the trip were there, also chatting and drinking beer. (For the anecdote, one of my friends asked Jim Goldberg where the restroom was!)
Photos from the trip were everywhere: on the walls and on tables. You could touch them, look at them closely, search through them, and feel them. It felt like looking at your vacation pictures with a bit of nostalgia and the emotion of wonderful memories, except that unfortunately we don’t print our pictures anymore. The only difference I guess is that they were not the average tourist pictures, they were not your usual subjects, they were not random pictures and they were definitely the work of very talented photographers!
Fun, accessible, unpretentious, the event was everything I love about photography.
I can’t wait to get my book. Still copies available on: http://postcards.magnumphotos.com/
Look at the blog, stay connected to follow the next trip and make sure to go to the next pop-up show if it comes to your area… http://postcardsfromamerica.tumblr.com/
Here are a few pics of the event:
Love it. So happy to have been a part of this project.
ReplyDeleteLaRue
Hi, are you the girl in the picture??
ReplyDelete@ CB: yes shes the forth picture down
ReplyDeletewahoo that's sooo cool! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome pictures, I wish I could have gone to this.
ReplyDelete