Review: Ancient Greece brought to life in photos by Josh Garrick

Josh Garrick’s photography show “From Both Sides Now: Photographs of the Treasures of Ancient Greece” exhibited nothing less than one would expect from an established photographer with a clear vision. Garrick displayed a living vision of Greece that demonstrated his personal love for the subject matter and his respect for past artists and architects. Most Americans are presented with these architectural achievements and ancient art through textbooks. By doing so, they appear lifeless. Garrick’s portrayal gives these historical achievements life. I had never seen Greek art or architecture presented in such a way where one could truly see the breath of life in every chisel and every piece of stone and marble used.

His photography of the Greek statues made it seem as if the statues were living creatures. Instead of presenting them as photographs of art, he chose to depict them as if they were alive and well. By doing so, he captured emotion within the art that I had not seen before. His choice to print said images on aluminum is not only unique, but brings out the contrasts within these images and helps to emphasize the importance of detail of these subjects.

The photography of the Greek architecture focused on the beauty and uniqueness of the structures. Personally, this was a treat. As a fan of architecture, viewing the historic buildings on which many of our most important American structures were based was breathtaking. The angles used and focus of many of his architectural shots are inspirational and demonstrated the importance of the historical implications.

The most fascinating part of the show was the Athens Reigns installation. Athens Reigns consisted of several “columns” of 5x7 photographs printed to transparent vinyl and pressed to Plexiglas. Hung by rope, patrons are able to interact with his photography by walking through and picking up each hanging piece as they pleased. The overall effect of this installation allowed the patron and the artist to connect. Whereas with a typical hanging, patrons cannot touch, just observe. The ability to both touch and see his artwork allowed each patron to take more in and feel as if they were a part of the exhibit instead of just an attendee.