I finally made it to Dia Beacon to see Zoe Leonard’s exhibition, “You see, I am here after all,” which closed this week. I had wanted to tell you VSM readers about the show so you would take a trip to Dia to see it for yourselves. But in the words of the Steve Miller Band, time keeps on slipping into the future. My bad.
Leonard’s piece is made up of four thousand vintage postcards of Niagara Falls, hanging on a long white wall in Dia Beacon’s beautiful Riggio Galleries. It is incredible. I walked along the grids and groupings, staring at the various scenes of Niagara, imagining all the visitors over the years who had bought picture postcards and mailed them out to friends and family- proof that they had visited this famous locale. Some people had written messages on the picture side of the postcard, their words and unique handwriting adding to the image. Some of my favorite notes were:
“Write me a letter From Sullie A True Friend.”
“The Sassafras is good to eat. Bought it from an Indian.”
“In Remembrance of your trip. Edna.”
I also thought about how all of these cards made their way into Leonard’s collection, which she mostly sourced online. The volume of vintage postcards that exists reflects the last century’s fascination with and ability to reproduce the photographic image. And many of those postcards have found their way to flea markets and thrift stores, just waiting to be mailed and re-mailed. This past weekend I visited an antique store in New London, CT and sifted through boxes of 50 cent, vintage postcards. I found some good ones to send out. Will my grandchildren willfully sift through vintage digital data, finding kitschy gems to share with their friends or turn into art?
