FRESH VISION OF UNITED STATES: Photography Series by Hidemi Takagi

When she was a teenager in Japan, Hidemi Takagi saw "American Graffiti” on television. She was amazed by the color in the film.  Everybody was dressed in bright clothes; all of the cars and furniture were extremely colorful. She felt it was very American and it filled her with happy feelings.  When she moved to New York City in 1997, she experienced the kind of bright colors which she had only seen previously in films. This series expressed her amazement with those colors that she was now witnessing in person in America.    

Nowhere is there such an intersection of cultures as in New York City. Store awnings with messages in entirely unfamiliar alphabets are common. Many of them advertise goods catering to specific nationalities and cultures, especially foods that were brought here or requested by immigrants. Blender is a project which includes photos of the packaging of food products from neighborhoods with a large immigrant influence.  The look of these food packages often has an old-fashioned feel: bright, saturated colors and outmoded designs. The Blender project included an interactive element called the “Blender Cart.” The artist gave out samples from the cart of various international foods and culturally-connected products.  Then the public could take them home and learn more about those different cultures through the imported products.

Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York has been historically a home to African-American and Caribbean communities. Many of the artist's neighbors were born and raised in this tight-knit, working class community.  She created a pop-up photography studio in her front yard where she offered free portraits to members of the community.  Many are people who would never have the opportunity to be in the spotlight, and she wanted to treat them like superstars.  She prepared unique props and colorful backgrounds that people could pick for their portraits.  One of the best parts was that many people got involved in the project, cheering on other subjects, and helping with the studio set-up and styling of the subjects.  

This series began as a part of More Art’s Engaging Artists Residency, when the artist began to make regular visits to some senior housing sites in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  She developed great friendships with some of the seniors who lived in these places.  They began sharing their family narratives, as well as talking about current events that are shaping their neighborhoods.  The result was a collaborative multimedia installation, where each image was paired with an audio recording of the participant’s story in her own voice. The project provided the residents an opportunity to recollect and narrate their personal memories, while allowing future generations to learn about their roots through a multi-sensory experience.