There is something dangerous about creating romantic images of modern military forces. To apply a Rockwellian gloss to the faces, machinery and images of the military is an undertaking that could go terribly wrong. Any portrayal of US military forces abroad risks two unfortunate fates: being an uncritical valorization of US militarism or, even worse, being a heavy-handed, simplistic critic of US imperialism. Artist An-My Lê avoids both over-simplification and over-romanticization in stunning fashion in her photographs of the women, men, ships and efforts of the US military abroad taken in 2009 and 2010.
Lê’s large scale photographs of sailors, soldiers, ship decks, training exercises, medical ships and humanitarian interventions around the world are romantic, beautiful, and already achingly historical. Lê seems to deliberately court both over-simplification and over-romanticization in her work while skillfully avoiding either. The images are undeniable romantic, something difficult to avoid when photographing the iconic images of the US Navy.
Lê’s use of a historical, archival method and simply composed, and almost stark subjects is inherently critical. The work is unusual and shocking in its simplicity. Through this simplicity the images maintain a deeply human and respectful perspective on the US military and military personnel while at the same time applying a critical eye. The work forces the viewer to question the reality of what they are viewing and by extension what they feel and know of US military interventions around the world.
Lê’s work is split between two small rooms in the Murray Guy gallery with the large prints taking up much of the wall space. The galley showcases the work well; allowing the work to remain the focus of all attention. The work could benefit from being shown in a larger space that would allow viewers to experience the scale of the work without bumping into with gallery goers.
A portion of the exhibit consists of a series of portraits of military women: engineers, mechanics, and sailors. These portraits, while stunning, are not as impressive as those that show the expanse, simplicity and romance of life on the ocean. Three images in particular do stand out: Manning the Rail, USS Tortuga, Java Sea, 2010, US Naval Hospital Ship Mercy, Vietnam, 2009, and Ship Security, US Naval Hospital Ship Comfort, Haiti, 2010 are all images of sky, ocean and ships. Each image drives home the loneliness of the ocean and by extension the loneliness of the soldiers spending months at sea. All three images show a misty soft blue ocean, a sky mirroring the soft blueness of the sea and a ship amidst it all.
US Naval Hospital Ship Mercy, Vietnam, 2009 is a photograph of striking simplicity. A single white ship with the red crosses sails under a fluffy white sky on a soft green sea. The print is large (40” x 56.5”), the composition is basic (two thirds sky, one third water and a boat at centre), and the effect is mesmerizing.
Ship Security, US Naval Hospital Ship Comfort, Haiti, 2010 takes the conceptual simplicity of Ship Mercy and complicates things. Lê composes the image simply: the top third sky, mountain and shore, the middle third sea and the bottom third the deck of a ship. A camouflaged male soldier stands at the centre of the deck facing towards the sea, to his left a spotlight, to his right a large gun, both mounted on the rail. In the sky a helicopter flies. The impact comes from the softness of the image contrasting with the harshness of the subject matter. This contrast forces the viewer to engage with the image, not just ‘look’ at it.
The most striking image of the show is Manning the Rail, USS Tortuga, Java Sea, 2010. This photo takes the subject matter and style of Ship Mercy and Ship Comfort and complicates them. Once again the top third of the image is filled with a soft, dreamy sky, below that the sea is filled with dozens of ships and finally in the bottom right of the image is the deck of a ship with seven military members manning the rail. All but one of the men are looking towards the sea. The effect is mesmerizing.
Lê’s work shows a respect for individual sailors and soldiers. With that respect, in combination with her use of a soft, dreamy, Americana style of photography, Lê she makes it clear that she is aware of the ease with which her work could tip into romanticization or simplification. She plays with this possibility while providing the viewer with an engrossing, complex and rewarding experience.
An-My Lê’s work is on display until October 30th at Murray Guy gallery in Manhattan.
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