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Cultural Scene and Heard: Picture Perfect – 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic
By Mike Sweeney
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the photographs published by National Geographic magazine over its 125-year history are worth volumes. From stark reflections of nature’s power to candid shots of wildlife in their natural habitat to portraits of simple humanity, these are photos that have become an indelible part of the world’s public consciousness. Now you can view some of these celebrated and iconic images for yourself at the 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic exhibit, housed at the Imagine Exhibitions Gallery at The Venetian.
Photo Finish
While you may recognize many of the famous photos on display, you’ve never seen them quite like this. Each image has been significantly enlarged to provide a close look at every detail. Vivid colors leap out of the frame. You can practically feel the grit of the Afghan desert, the bite of the arctic wastes or the roar of a Lockheed jet engine. Each stunning work of art is accompanied by a brief “story behind the picture,” offering personal recollections from the photographer along with important social and historical context. A map also shows where each photo was taken, illustrating the global scope of the artists’ work, while documentary videos throughout the exhibition give even more insight into the snapshots. Some displays even feature “near frames” taken by the photographer: the sequence of images that led to the perfect photo.
Natural Selection
The incredible range of work on display highlights the wide array of subject matter that National Geographic has covered over the years, most notably the wonders of the natural world. You would be hard pressed to find a more intimate look at the animal kingdom. A half-blurred shot catches a wild elephant in mid-charge, its eyes turned an ominous red by the photographer’s flash. A herd of camels crosses the Kuwaiti desert, black silhouettes in the shadow of raging oil fires from the first Gulf War. A lion stares right into the lens with glassy eyes, his jaws locked around a rival’s throat in a fight to the death. The awesome power of nature comes alive as well, with enthralling shots of a tornado on a South Dakota highway, the sun-baked salt flats of Lake Assal in Djibouti, and a towering vertical photograph of a California redwood so massive that it had to be composited from over eighty separate shots taken from a customized camera rig.
Being Human
Aside from its evocative imagery of the world around us, the exhibit showcases a moving portrayal of humanity at its most personal and socially conscious. Faithful Muslims gather around the Kaaba at the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca. French teenagers laugh and enjoy life while riding a riverboat down the Seine. Two young girls swim in the Dead Sea on the West Bank, the violence and politics of the region forgotten in a moment of stillness. From the sadness of a young Peruvian child to a lonely cowboy in an Elko, Nevada bar to Jane Goodall interacting with her beloved chimpanzees, these photos capture the intimacy of the human condition.
But of all the stories captured by National Geographic, none is more stirring and unforgettable than Steve McCurry’s renowned photo of the “Afghan Girl,” which is given special prominence in the exhibit. Taken at a refugee camp in 1984 during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the photo portrays a young girl staring into the camera with piercing green eyes. Etched on her face, we can see the horrors of poverty and war, forever frozen in time with unforgettable austerity.
The best photographs have the power to captivate us with a single image and leave an emotional impact that we will always carry with us. Some may delight you and some may haunt you; either way, the 50 Greatest Photos of National Geographic will certainly make a lasting impression.
For tickets and more information, call 414-9000 or visit www.venetian.com.
