InternationalTalking pictures: Modern Armenian history in photographs
Published: Wednesday September 24, 2008
Self-portrait. Arsineh Khachikian
Arsineh Khachikian. Araz Artinian
Vladimir Nabokov described true art as something that hits itsaudience right between the shoulder blades, a reminder that art is not artunless someone observes it, hears it, reflects on it. Art, that moment when thecreator is able to tickle an audience's intellect, emotions, and make themshudder or feel goose bumps, is the creator and his or her audience making arttogether.
For Armenian artists touching their Armenian audiences maysometimes be easier if both the artist and audience use and understand thecultural, historic, and collective codes of the same culture and heritage.After all, how can any culturally versed Armenian not identify with the legendsof a great people who celebrated great literature as early as the 5th century,who have ruled from sea to sea, who have been victimized, who have survived,and who have found themselves together again as a people on one sliver of theirancient land?
Witness the photographs of Arsineh Khachikian, a prolificAmerican-Armenian photographer, who has published some 300 of her photographsin a book called My Nation: The Trails and Trials of an Armenian Repatriate.Witness Arsineh's audience looking carefully at the images within the pages tofollow and recognize the spark of thoughts or emotions, the spark ofrecognition, of pride, of perseverance. Witness how you, dear reader, feel andwhat you think when you see a tricolor draped and held up by dozens of smallArmenian hands. Witness the rage you feel coming from the screams for justicefrom a 21st-century rocker. Inhale the serenity and scents that come to mindwhen you see the Catholicos of All Armenians.
These memories, these reactions, the "goose bumps"are you, the consumer of art, participating in the dance of art with theartist, a photographer in this case. But how does this art happen? What drovethe artist to photograph important moments of the modern Armenian experience?What made her want to share the images of the old, young, the mourners, celebrants,the singers, and the campers?
The Armenian Reporter asked Arsineh to talk to us abouther new book, photography, and how repatriation has fueled work of art - her talkingpictures.
Paul Chaderjian: What is the story or history you setout to document with your book?
Arsineh Khachikian: The story is my life as an Armeniangrowing up in America, including decades of community involvement in cultureand politics, travels to my homeland, and eventual repatriation. The messagespertain to the Armenian experience in a modern world.
I have had endless opportunities to observe defining moments inthe diaspora and Armenia, and have spent a lifetime with my camera attached tomy neck. It only made sense to share the story of a nation's trials andachievements through the images I've collected over the years. I hope that whatpeople take away from the book is a perspective of Armenian tenacity andachievement in the diaspora and Armenia against all odds.
PC: You are a prolific photographer and must havehundreds of photos from your youth in the U.S. and since your move to thehomeland. How did you go about deciding what you share and what to leave out?
AK: I started the process by reviewing my lifetimecollection of photos, including journals and memorabilia from significantevents in my life. I've always been interested in photography, so most of my photographswere well organized and archived.
By reflecting on every tiny detail that has impacted my life, Iwas able to determine the crucial moments that influenced my personal choices,thus the directions I have taken. It was a long and emotional journey toreflect on my lifetime of experiences.
We are all products of our environments, and since myenvironment was the Armenian community and Armenia itself, I figured the photosshould represent these significant events that impacted me the most, whilebeing visually compelling to stimulate the viewer.
After slimming down my first round of edits to 4,000 photos, Irealized I had to be a little more selective. I trimmed away until findingphotos absolutely crucial to the story, the ones I couldn't live without.Editing is the hardest part of any story, especially when working with 20 yearsof photos from your own archives.
PC: Do you think you'll want to publish a second orthird volume or more editions to tell all the stories you want to tell?
AK: I would like this to be a starting point to anexploration into what defines the Armenian identity. The best way I knew how tostart was with myself, but I don't see focusing on myself in the future. As afollow up, I have several ideas of other publications involving research andmore objective views of Armenians around the world that open a larger windowinto our collective identity, and the root of all our variants.
PC: How did the idea of publishing a book of yourphotographs come about?
AK: I have always wanted to share my photos with theworld, and have done so on my website, www.drr.net/arsineh. But Istarted to see a story develop in the growing collection of photos from decadesof this personal passion.
I was inspired by a non-Armenian friend who helped me view mylife from an outsider's perspective. At that moment, I thought that my personalexperience would be a good foundation to a story told through photos. I was inthe best position to make such a book, being someone who has been exposed to somany corners of our diaspora and Armenia, and captured so many significantmoments on film/pixels. I went on the faith that others would find the perspectiveworth sharing.
PC: How many years of your photography are representedin this volume?
AK: The oldest photo from my collection dates back to1991 at a protest in front of the White House demanding aid to Armenia, an endto Turkey's blockade, and Karabakh's right to independence. I was 14 years oldat the time.
