Katrina At Two

On the second anniversary of the Katrina disaster, we are fortunate to have a photographer as talented as Louisianian, Lee Celano, supplying material for Reuters.

The anniversary presents a mandatory backdrop for a parade of political figures.  Obama was prominent on the scene on Monday, and Alberto Gonzales was a big visual magnet yesterday, as was the arrival of Karl Rove.  Of course, last night's arrival of the President was the most ignominious.

As counterpoint, I offer you a shot by Celano that is circulating, hoping as many of his pictures as possible get picked up from the newswire.

The image above is a wonderfully "woven" play of two parts, evoking such tried-but-true metaphors as "the difference between day and night" and "being left in the dark."  Among the stew of elements, it collages:  (a.) Lower Ninth Ward residents gathered near (b.) an illuminated crucifix, which is leaning against (c.) a (supposedly temporary) trailer, as (d.) George Bush's (e.) helicopter fleet flies into New Orleans.  (Since Katrina, Bush exclusively helicopters into disaster areas.)

Regarding the catch of the copter, it's a clever way of cutting a PR mission off at the trail, this "pre-photo op" photo embodying the true orientation of Bush and the government to the reality on the ground, which stands out, as shown, as distant and peripheral.

I know Celano happens to like religious iconography.  In this case, given the Administration's  full-court appropriation of Christianity and its symbolism (which the Katrina non-response stopped dead in its tracks), it is only fitting the cross -- placed so informally, and crafted by hand -- is absolutely situated within the community (and, in its centrality, offering the only source of illumination).

The fact the figures are in silhouette references another, if obvious point -- that the largely poor and black population has remained mostly faceless to recovery.  Less obviously, the shot creates an interesting twist on an observation photography blogger Joerg Colberg made in response to this week's BAG post regarding the absence of people in recent magazine updates on New Orleans.  Quoting an interview with photographer Simon Norfolk, Joerg writes:

Once you include people in a photograph, they "become what the photograph is." ...Thus, photographing the people who still suffer from the ongoing neglect and mismanagement would exclude those people from the picture - figuratively and literally speaking - who are responsible for that mismanagement (and vice versa).

In this case, managing to capture both the people who suffer and those responsible, and doing so with with abstraction and symbolism (juxtaposing the power on high with people in the community -- while placing them closer to us and more discernible, but still obscured), Celano manages not just to grab hold of but amplify the human and political tension, with increasing dignity "toward the bottom."

For related coverage of Katrina then and now, I direct you to this three-post series from last week featuring Alan Chin's photographs from from FEMA's Renaissance Trailer Park outside Baton Rouge, including: Renaissance Village From The Outside (8/16/07);  Renaissance Clash (8/17/07); and Renaissance From The Inside (8/18/07).  For Chin's remarkable photos immediately after the hurricane, see And Then I Saw These (9/27/05) and St. Rita Ongoing (10/8/05).

(Here is the link to "Celano New Orleans" at YahooNews Photos for as long as it lasts. Lee Celano website here.)

(image: Lee Celano/Reuters.  August 28, 2007. New Orleans. via YahooNews)

Comments

[margaret]

There is also that pole (a flag pole?) dividing the picture in two, further
emphasizing the "two Americas'" which John Edwards always refers to. The official heliocopter on one side, the poor on the other. Also, the vent on the trailer for sewer gases from the bathroom inside....what a metaphor for this Administration's handling of Katrina!

[margaret]

Just found this, which is part of the whole stream of corruption in the Gulf following Katrina. From Steve Clemon's website, discussing the Gov. of Mississippi.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/

[jtfromBC]

Great photograph, looks like the mans on time, this time, for what thats worth.

HE GETS HIS WEEK OFF TO A SLOW START

It is Sunday, an unbelievable disaster is striking the Big Easy
the Governor says, get out if you can
and a million people do
and those who can’t are stuck.

The guy wants to go bike-riding but certainly not
talk to a soldier’s mom waiting for him.

It is Monday and people caught by the hurricane
are dying and dead and unknown
and the people in charge of disasters
are taking their usual steps.

The guy is today making sure of arrangements
to offend an important visitor from China
by withholding customary formalities of respect.

It is Tuesday and the disaster is beyond all bounds
people drown in sewage…

And the guy flies away to make a speech, about
staying the course with his invasion.

J. Kellogg Burnham

http://www.thelongshadowofthebush.com/excerpt.html

[PTate in FR]

The interview with Simon Norfolk is fantastic, very exciting. Norfolk talks about something I have wondered about--the lack of artistic exploration of what is happening in Iraq, America, the world today. He reminded me that the most interesting artwork being done right now is that done by photographers--one of the reasons I am a loyal BAGnewsNotes reader.

Nice analysis, BAG. I looked at this picture out of context...all I knew was "Katrina at 2." What caught my attention was the cross, with its lightbulbs. It provides a serene, almost comforting center in the midst of the dark, clouded sky and the darkened beige background. The silouetted individuals have a kind of tension about them--their gaze draws my attention to the helicopter (I didn't know that it was GWB descending.) The helicopter is small and distant.

I am reminded of Psalm 46:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea..."

The image provides a sad metaphor for New Orleans: The lighted cross suggests their faith in God on high. Lo and behold, a helicopter/POTUS full of power appears on high. Alas, while God may be an ever-present help in trouble, this POTUS is not.

[demit]

I'm thinking of the little man in that helicopter who once said, "There's a higher Father that I appeal to." And so must the people in New Orleans, who know there's more likelihood of help from heaven than from the little man.

[PTate in FR]

demit's phrase, "little man in that helicopter" reminded me that helicopters at a distance like this always look like biting insects to me, mosquitos or wasps. Something to be swatted. Not a very reassuring, helpful or humane image.

[M. Kuether-Ulberg]

I like that the photo seems to be split left and right by the pole, and top and bottom by the trailer. Bush's "biting insect..." (PTate in FR) hovering remote and miniscule on the right; while the people, silouetted/obscured as they may be (almost underground), are evenly spaced and gathered around light (the cross remade and mostly on the left, though reaching to both sides).