Craig J. Barber (American, b. 1947)
EDEN IN THE MEKONG, 1998. ©2006 Craig J. Barber
George Eastman House presents Ghosts in the Landscape: Vietnam Revisited, an
exhibition of 46 prints by photographer and ex-combat marine Craig J. Barber, on
view Feb. 17 through May 20, 2007. Barber spent 20 months in Vietnam as a
teenager and returned three times to traverse many of his former military routes
with an 8x10 pinhole camera. His return to the land where he once fought
resulted in a dreamlike and introspective study of place.
"Memory runs deep in my veins as I wind my way along narrow dirt paths
and bamboo groves, past straw houses and barking dogs. More than once, as I
wander the small hamlets, I have felt on patrol, the weight of my pack
reminiscent of those days and the tripod feeling like a weapon. But now I am
searching for images instead of 'Charlie.'" — Craig J. Barber
In 1995 Barber first revisited the battered and distant country where he had
come of age, returning twice more over four years. His photographs take us
toward some other Vietnam, far and near from the place we have pictured for many
years. The majority of the exhibition's images are platinum prints, created by
Barber, who is an accomplished platinum printer. The tonality of the platinum
process produces stunningly rich blacks and a full spectrum of delicately
nuanced shades of gray. Barber created diptych and triptych panorama images that
capture serene beauty and, at times, for him, the all-too memorable landscapes.
"These profound and dreamlike photographs are far from the horrific images we
carry inside us that reduce Vietnam to a place of perpetual guerilla war," said
Dr. Alison Nordström, George Eastman House's curator of photographs. "These
pictures look like dreams imperfectly remembered. Still and slow as they are,
they suggest an imminent scream of fear or anger beneath an apparent
tranquility."
When stationed in Vietnam, Barber was not a serious photographer, but carried
an instamatic with his combat gear throughout his tour of duty. His career as a
photographer blossomed in the 1970s and took off in the 1980s. Today he is best
known for his provocative landscape photographs and is recognized as one of
America's premiere landscape photographers. His work has been featured in more
than 60 solo exhibitions and is represented in numerous collections including
George Eastman House, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Brooklyn Museum of
Art, and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris. A native of Honeoye
Falls, N.Y., Barber lives in the Hudson Valley and teaches photograph workshops
throughout the United States and Europe.
Accompanying the exhibition is a 60-page catalogue of the same title, with an
essay by Nordström (Umbrage Editions, 2006). The exhibition will begin a
worldwide tour upon closing at George Eastman House. Major sponsors for Ghosts
in the Landscape are Bank of America and Dominion, with additional support from
Bostick & Sullivan. The exhibition is part of the Eastman House series titled
"Witness: Know War/Know Genocide."
Related Programs
Opening Event/Lecture and Booksigning
2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17
An opening event for Ghosts in the Landscape: Vietnam Revisited will feature an
illustrated lecture in the Dryden Theatre with photographer Craig J. Barber. The
lecture will be followed by an exhibition viewing and booksigning. Included with
museum admission (free to members). Click here
to purchase the book in advance.
Photography Lecture
6:30 p.m. Thursday April 12
Lecture with Vietnam veteran Don Fox, who will present photographs from his
time serving in Vietnam. Curtis Theatre. Included with museum admission (free to
members).
View press release
Part of the Eastman House series titled “Witness: Know War/Know Genocide.”
