They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. This saying definitely rang true at the National Portrait Gallery this morning. The gallery is filled with hundreds of paintings, photographs, and sculptures of incredibly influential people. Out of all of the museums we have been to, I think this one is my favorite. As I roamed the rooms of the building I was struck by the gorgeous interpretations of humanity. The galleries went from standard portraits of royals of the past, to incredibly artistic and theatrical photographs from modern times. While there were many pieces that struck me, there was one in particular that stopped me in my tracks. This was the photo “Spice Girls” by Andreas Bleckmann. The photo depicts the members of the girl group Spice Girls in front of a fence. On top of the fence are a group of teenage boys looking down at them. The story is that the Spice Girls were doing a photoshoot for The Face when this group had to climb the fence to escape an angry dog. Bleckmann says “no one was hurt and I got the shot.”
I’m still trying to unpack exactly what it is about the photo that strikes me, but I think it just reminds me of living in the moment. The photo feels real and candid. I see this in everyone’s expression. Mel B has a huge grin on her face that feels completely natural and authentic, and some of the boys aren’t even looking at the camera which feels very natural and uncurated. A lot of the other portraits were clearly very posed and thought out, and while I appreciate that, it is the moments of true humanity that have the biggest impact on me. I also believe that it struck me because there seems to be a real bond between the members of each of the two groups. These legitimate friendships make me feel nostalgic and comfortable.
The photo is hitting me especially hard right now because of this trip. These past couple of weeks have truly been a dream come true. I have seen so many incredible things, made and deepened many friendships, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This photo radiates that for me. It feels like a photo that you look back on twenty years from when it was taken, and remember the good and the bad of that period of your life. You remember all of it, and that is the beautiful part. You remember it because it was real. I feel like there have been photos taken on this trip so far that will be that for me. It won’t be the most aesthetic photo, or the one with the “perfect” angle, but the photo that someone took when I didn’t even realize they were taking it. I love the candid nature of the photograph, and that is why this one drew me in. It wasn’t the photographer’s brilliant pre-planning, it was the brilliance of seeing a moment and seizing it.
These feelings of living in the moment were exacerbated by the production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that we saw this evening as well. The production was interactive in a way that I have never seen before, and this created a shared energy between audience and actors that was unparalleled to any show that we have seen on this trip. Getting to see my friends be a part of the show reminded me of just how special live art and life is. I love that this life is fleeting, because it forces you to wake up and live.
Cheers,
Thatcher
Theatre in London U of A 