Photos of American turmoil – The Washington Post

There has always been a tug of war between those who want to control our perception of reality. I don’t know off the top of my head who originally said it, but the notion that winners control history isn’t an old one although it may be an inadvertent admission of the slippery nature of reality—power wins, everytime, evidence be damned. Nestled in the nucleus of this idea is that might means right and trampling on others is okay when it contributes to “winning.”

Photographer Alan Chin’s new book, “Infinity Goes Up on Trial” (Jet Age Books, 2022) strikes me as an attempt to provide an antidote to that kind of thinking. In fact, a lot of documentary or photojournalistic work exists for this very purpose—to shed some light, even a glimmer, on facts. There’s a reason why this paper’s motto is “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” It really does.

Propelled by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the rage it sparked across the nation, “Infinity Goes Up on Trial” is a collection of images surrounding the powder keg that the U.S. became in the aftermath of a multiplicity of stunning events that brought the most venal aspects of the country to light: white supremacism, misogyny and the increasing gap between the have and have nots.

Ordinarily, with a book like this, one hopes that there is a tinge, at least, of hope. And I think there is, but perhaps not in the way you might expect. As Chin throws himself into the tumult of the country, there are little reminders that ground us in things other than the meltdown of civility that has become so pervasive.

These respites come in personal photos of that Chin includes of family, loved ones and his extended community, namely New York City’s Chinatown. And though they are also caught up in all of the turmoil, family, friends and community are anchors and harbors in rough waters.

One of my favorite things about the book is that the cover is from artwork that Chin’s daughter, Hannah, made. It’s a tacit acknowledgment that there is a future, there is hope, maybe it’s just up to future generations. It’s also an acknowledgment, or punctuation mark, that reminds us that all of the turmoil swirling around directly affects our personal lives, loved ones included.

When I first encountered “Infinity Goes Up on Trial” I was immediately struck by it’s thickness and somewhat chaotic feel. The heft and paper choice of the book is reminiscent of a novel. I wasn’t sure it really worked but as I kept paging through, my opinion was transformed. It works.

There is nothing neat and tidy about the myriad issues roiling this country, you’ve just got to dive in and try and tread water—clinging on to whatever hope you can muster. “Infinity Goes Up on Trial” is a compendium of roiling issues and its form reflects that.

In the end, this book is one man’s testimony as a witness to events that many people seem to want to forget or paint in a very different light. Right now, and in the years to come, there will be a reckoning. We’ll need to forge a path ahead, but what direction will we take? That seems to be the biggest question of all.

One last thing about the book. It’s title is a glancing reference to a Bob Dylan song called “Visions of Johanna,” which has variously been described as a song about how one man is being pushed to the brink and about to burst emotionally. I am no Bob Dylan aficianado but this strikes be as being a potent metaphor for what this country is going through.

You can find out more about the book and buy it, here.

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