Event: Edward Sheriff Curtis Photo Exhibition. Place: Bentara Budaya, Jakarta-Indonesia. Date: January 15-29, 2008. Organizer: United States Embassy in Indonesia.
I was amazed when visiting this photo exhibition. All photos which showed true greatness of pictorial photography. What I most amazed is, those photo taken in the beginning of this century! Wow! How perfect the techniques had by it’s photographer, shown here. As stated in this exhibition brochure, this photographic exhibition explores the extraordinary diversity among Native American peoples, their culture and history, the diversity of American society, and the technical and aesthetic achievement of Edward S. Curtis.
Like the photo shown as illlustration above, shown one Indian ethnic chief using regalia or crown and given title as Crater Lake. The picture like gold, appearing sepia tone color. For you who live in Jakarta, especially who like photography, I think you should visit this exhibition.
ES Curtis’s works are represented well in ‘The Indian Picture Opera’(Amazon,dvd). It’s a re-creation of his 1911 lecture and slide show.
His work reverberates on through history because he knew how to capture character and soul on camera.
Curtis has turned into a subject of controversy because of the tug of war between documentary and art. Many people try to hold him accountable for 50 years before, and 100 years after his images were taken.
The images speak for themselves.