Anna Arendt – Vanishing – PhotoBook Journal

Review by Gerhard Clausing •

The press release for this photobook states, “Vanishing is an unforgettable depiction of how beauty and brutality coexist in the hearts of men and beasts.” I would go even further: Vanishing is the definitive depiction of the range from every imaginable positive daydream through the weightiest nightmares possible, from the innocent expectations of early childhood to the heavy weight of fears regarding emotional and physical violence that some adults continue to inflict upon each other.

Anna Arendt uses the forest as a witness:

Arendt has seen and has been part of several generations, and has also experienced several types of government and periods of influence. As a German, she is intensely aware of 20th century history, all the strife, discrimination, persecution,warfare, and atrocities that have transpired, and that are still continuing in various parts of the world even now. She states that while the Stasi (‘East’ German secret police) is gone, new current fears have arisen since then. The forest is one of her strong reminders of eternal memory of all that has happened and is happening. In this photobook she presents photographic images of many memorable impressions from locations around Germany and Poland that were shared by previous generations of her family, friends, and others. Her photographs generate associations between the world of nature out there, in societies, and what is in our daily lives and in our hearts and minds.

The images are all in black and white. Negative spaces – white, unprinted pages – give us the necessary pauses to ponder the memorable images that follow, intended to rattle our awareness, especially regarding what we may have lost along the way – our innocence, the possibility of our kindness toward each other. This is a gripping project that presents the eternal struggle between cunning violence and kind benevolence and everything in between.

Some of the images involve combinations, such as the family portrait collage shown below, and others from long ago that are followed by photos from our current time. This technique establishes a continuity that spans the generations. People’s appearances may change over time, but their mindset and attitudes may not be so dissimilar. Arendt also builds a connection between unbridled forces of nature and extreme violence that is part of our human behaviors. Thus, she is able to establish the connection that has puzzled many of us as we ponder the 20th century and compare it with our present time. Warfare and discriminatory behavior and other forms of violence, especially involving minorities, are indeed what humans are capable of, among other things.

Arendt’s images are full of ambiguity. That is precisely what a good photobook should do: raise a lot of questions. Who have we been and who are we to be? What is the purpose of our existence? Why are we fighting each other and not negotiating a peaceful coexistence? What kind of a world are we leaving for future generations? Where has our humanity gone?

Arendt’s Vanishing can serve as an important warning: a superb project that touches our minds as well as our hearts!

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Gerhard Clausing, Editorial Consultant, is an author and artist from Southern California.

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Anna Arendt – Vanishing

Photographer: Anna Arendt (born in the German Democratic Republic, lives in Germany)

Texts: Anna Arendt

Language: English

Design: Anna Arendt and Jesse Lenz

Producer: Jesse Lenz

Hardcover, linen with faux leather and tipped-in image; 144 pages; 7.5 x 9.75 inches (19 x 25 cm); first edition, printed in China; ISBN 978-1-7362345-5-9

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