As We Searched, Children Played

Craig J. Barber

born 1947

As We Searched, Children Played, 1998

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: palladium print; platinum print

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 20 x 50 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 7 7/8 x 19 11/16 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 32.3 x 57.3 cm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 12 11/16 x 22 9/16 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 19 x 32 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: Museum of Art Acquisition Fund

Accession number: 2000.0008

Not on display

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Images

Label texts

Past Presence

Three decades after artist Craig Barber witnessed the devastation of the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marine Corps, he revisited Vietnam with a pinhole camera to document the changes that had transpired in the once war-torn land. Barber creates spectral shadows and blurred visions of the region by using a lengthy exposure time. According to the artist, the ghostly effect of the photographs is intentional: “The idea of ghosts felt like the perfect metaphor for my ghosts, America’s ghosts and Vietnam’s as well.” Despite the tranquility of the images, their eerie effect suggests the residual damage done to Vietnam.

Exhibition Label: "Views of Vietnam," Oct-2006, Steve Goddard Three decades after Craig Barber witnessed the devastation of the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marine Corps, he revisited a region of central Vietnam between Ðà Nẵng and Chu Lai in order to document the changes that had transpired in this once war-torn land. Much to his surprise, Barber found an undeveloped region dotted with small villages that were virtually unchanged. His photographs exemplify the isolation and tranquility of the region. By utilizing a lengthy exposure time, Barber creates ghostly shadows and blurred visions of village inhabitants that add to the ethereality and intangibility of the photographs. The panoramic format is reminiscent of mid-nineteenth-century photographic cityscapes, bolstering the impression of a region frozen in an earlier era of Vietnamese history.