Why do people love New Orleans so much? Tourists descend upon New
Orleans for the fabulous restaurants, smoky jazz halls and the bounty
of good times the city promises. While these things may explain
why people keep coming back to New Orleans, these are not the reasons
why locals fiercely defend the city, no matter what; why folks hate
to leave town and when away, complain constantly of having to get
back to my house. Even people who have never been to New Orleans
perk up a little when you say you're from there and everyone outside
of New Orleans is trying to get there before they die.
Tourists
and locals love New Orleans for very different reasons; they occupy
two separate worlds really and it isnít often that those worlds
meet. The city scenes captured by Christopher Porché-West's photography
illustrate the New Orleans that locals love. Porché West is an award-winning
photographer known for his portraits of the Mardi Gras Indians.
In dramatic black and white tones, Porché West's latest work captures
the subtle, more solemn spirit of the city; the sense of strength,
joy and resilience that sustains New Orleans and her people.
Few
of Porche' West's latest images reflect the cursory, conventional
New Orleans. Storefronts, churches and statuary, porches and stoops
reflect the timeless communal aspects of many sleepy Southern towns.
But a closer look reveals a uniquely New Orleans story: the careful
commitment we make to tending our graves; devotion to the saints;
corner eateries that sell "cowain" and "ya-ca-mein."
A young woman with a baby stands boldly in white against a cloudy
sky and cut-off jeans drying in the sun are reminiscent of the Crescent
City's endless summer days.
Even
in his occasional return to New Orleans standards, Porche' West
manages to find sublime, intimate moments. The tender vulnerability
of two young Mardi Gras Indians contrasts sharply with the complexity
of the tradition they carrry. A grand marshal, usually the regal
sharp-stepping head of the jazz procession, rests reflectively in
a church pew.
A
cadre of street revelers advances pointedly on their way, serious
about their fun and all about a good time. Porche' West's New Orleans
understands struggle and has seen its share of hard times. But there
are no tragedies here and we are not a people to dwell in self pity.
Along
with the striking quality and beauty of Porche' West's photography,
each image is exhibited in found materials that usually originate
from deteriorating homes and facades from thorughout the city. Porche'
West recycles craps of wrought iron, aged cypress and window frames
into one-of-a-kind ensembles that provide the context through which
to view his work (See the assemblages
section for these).
In
some instances, wooden boxes lined with stained glass form reliquaries
underscoring the sacred dimensions of New Orleans' religious customs
and secular rights. Through the meticulous craftsmanship of his
pieces and the conscientious visions they inscribe, Porche West's
work manifests the timeless, indestructable spirit of New Orleans.
Quarter 
