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The title of George Steinmetz’s solo exhibition at Anastasia Photo, “Migrations,” does and yet does not fully express the photographs on view. On the surface, the prints do indeed depict moments of animals in migration, but they are also captions of a way of life. Establishments outside our own spheres that we easily forget exist because we ourselves don’t follow such rules on a primitive level. |
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“The photographs are defined by the bold colors of the landscape that engage the viewer, yet are not overwhelming as to be unable to focus on any particular print.”
George Steinmetz, Elephants grazing in Lake Amboseli National Park, Kenya, 2005. Courtesy of the artist.
George Steinmetz Review
Janine Noelle
The title of George Steinmetz’s solo exhibition at Anastasia Photo, “Migrations,” does and yet does not fully express the photographs on view. On the surface, the prints do indeed depict moments of animals in migration, but they are also captions of a way of life. Establishments outside our own spheres that we easily forget exist because we ourselves don’t follow such rules on a primitive level.
Since the late 1990s, Steinmetz has flown over various countries and continents capturing herds roaming across empty terrain. Operating a motorized para-glider, the quietest aircraft in the world, Steinmetz has been able to document these creatures without disturbance. The photographs are defined by the bold colors of the landscape that engage the viewer, yet are not overwhelming as to be unable to focus on any particular print.
The images, taken at a substantial distance, organize the subjects not as individual animals, in which one can create relationships to each, but instead witnesses them as a unified movement; an organization unique to animals in the wild, something out of the scope of human understanding. There is no discussion, no voting, no opinions; they simply travel together because that is what is meant to be done.
The dominant hindrance with the show is at the same time a major factor that draws one to the photographs: the landscape. Though the focus is meant to be on the animals, with the landscapes so vast and the coloration dominating the paper, the actual subjects tend to be lost or at least immersed in the scenery.
