MoCP's Crime Unseen

                On a daily basis, we view crime throughout the media, often times reading about occurrences in the newspaper or hearing about it on television. Once seen, these events are usually forgotten about. In “Crime Unseen,” powerful imagery shows the audience an extremely accurate and up-close view of crimes committed years ago. Angela Strassheim’s work depicts the old aftermath of homicides left in private residences in California. By spraying a chemical to expose blood on the walls of living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms, she exposes the history of the events and of people trying to cover up these traumatic struggles. Strassheim isn’t looking to make a difference but is bringing significant events to light through beautifully printed photographs. This raises an ethical question: is it okay to make these scenes so striking? The imagery of violence is much more effective and powerful than that of a description.

                Christian Patterson’s documentation of the Starkweather/Fugate crime is an intriguing and somewhat fictitious account of the infamous duo’s murders. Patterson photographed the route that the couple took on their killing spree, allowing viewers to get a first person perspective of the story. Through pictures and with real artifacts, he shows pieces of evidence left behind by Starkweather and Fugate, such as a bullet fired by their gun and Fugate’s beloved stuffed poodle. His display is nostalgic, as much of the documentary is from his perspective. Though Patterson is quite literal and investigative, he celebrates the mythology of the story (as America has through dramatized accounts) with metaphorical images and artifacts. Compared to other pieces in the exhibit, this series is a narrative, based on a story rather than solely on crime scenes.

                Upstairs, Corinne May Botz’s pictures of doll-like crime replications serve as a dark, cinematic view of real-life murders. The viewer is removed from the crime due to the scale and even playful quality the images have. On the contrary, Krista Wortendyke’s images of homicide locations, organized by the month they occurred, are much more straightforward and direct. This display is effective because of the quantity of images posted in a database-like form. No matter, each of the exhibit’s photographers provides a unique account of crimes read about in past years. Exaggerated or not, the photographs have shock value, and they leave viewers curious about these often forgotten crimes.