Postcards From the Edge 

A Review of "Souvenir" by Allison Hersh
For the Savannah Morning News

-Photographer evokes the spirit of old Florida with 'Souvenir'


For photographer Lamoille Graybeal, family vacations served as a highlight of her childhood in the 1970s.

In "Souvenir," an exhibit of 22 color photographs shot in various locations throughout Florida, Graybeal celebrates, critiques and laments the changing nature of the American vacation experience. The photographer's exhibit, which serves as her M.F.A. thesis show for the Savannah College of Art and Design, offers a meditative, searching look at the gritty allure of the old-school Florida vacation.

"My recent travels have not been family vacations, but solo journeys," she said. "The road brought me to places of new discovery, as well as those old familiar points on the map."

Slick, large-scale theme parks like Disney World, Sea World and Busch Gardens are nowhere in sight in this clever, thought-provoking exhibit. Instead, the photographer turns her lens to the old-fashioned shell shacks, seaside motels and ramshackle tackle shops that evoke the spirit of old Florida. Interestingly, the sites immortalized in "Souvenir" are deserted and devoid of life, serving as hollow testaments to the commodified American spirit of adventure.

From the iconic Jantzen swimsuit girl, with her arms fearlessly extended to the future in mid-dive, to the bright pink plastic flamingos rising like cartoonish subtropical phoenixes out of a flooded yard, "Souvenir" is packed with references to American kitch. The exhibit immortalizes a series of near-identical low-budget seaside motels painted in shades of pastel pink or lemon yellow and celebrates palm-lined two-lane highways that seem to lead nowhere in particular.

Using a plastic Holga camera, Graybeal creates vivid, nostalgic postcards from her travels across the Sunshine State. Because Holga cameras tend to leak light, the compositions on display are framed by foggy gray edges that only serve to heighten the nostalgic appeal of the images.

"I work to compose a photograph that will remain timeless and frozen," she said. "The photograph becomes the visual cataloging and a collection to trigger the memory of that moment."

"Souvenirs of the Florida Border" focuses upon a deserted souvenir stand, now overgrown with palmetto fronds and mildew. "Dreamland," which depicts heavy construction equipment demolishing a roadside motel, mourns the changing of the guard, as the quaint, antiquated charm of old Florida gives way to new theme parks, golf communities and shopping malls. Interestingly, the motel's neon sign continues to point toward the promise of an unforgettable vacation experience, suggesting that the spirit of the old-fashioned vacation lives on.

The real charm of "Souvenir," however, lies in the attention paid to vacant tourist traps when no one is around to experience their kitchy charm. By not representing any individual tourists, Graybeal allows her photographs to become more universal, encouraging the viewer to insert his or her own personal memories into each individual composition.

Graybeal seems to critique the capitalistic overdrive of Florida's tourist attractions in "Just a Ride," a vivid color photograph of an empty ski lift ride running on wires strung over a picturesque seaside pier. This image focuses the viewer's attention on the garish red and green billboards for Go-Kart City and the Food Court plastered against the side of the wooden pier, detracting from the view and adding a layer of commercialism that is uniquely American.

Quiet compositions like "Bumper Boats" examine round inflatable vessels floating lazily atop a large aquamarine swimming pool, seemingly waiting for their passengers to arrive. Likewise, "Sandcastle Inn" depicts a motel pool with cheap plastic lounge chairs arranged overlooking the surf, patiently awaiting the next round of eager tourists.

Michael Pritchard, the owner of StarLander Coffee House, is impressed by the quality of Graybeal's work on display in the "Souvenir" exhibit. "I like the feel of a vacation to Florida and the rough edges," he said. "This exhibit conveys a feeling of nostalgia and fond memories. People really seem to relate to the images."




Local News Web posted Saturday, June 18, 2005