Book Review: America in a Trance by Niko J. Kallianiotis

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Book Review: America in a Trance by Niko J. Kallianiotis

October 28th, 2018 by Cary Benbow

Niko J. Kallianiotis’ first monograph, America in a Trance dives into the heart and soul of Pennsylvania’s industrial regions, a place where small town values still exist and sustainable small businesses once thrived under the sheltered wings of American Industry. America in a Trance is familiar and fresh at the same time. Projects of this type are seen in documentary projects which use similar stylistic approaches; it can be seen in Joel Sternfeld’s style of witty insight, Robert Frank’s ‘outsider’ observations of America, the use of color and light in street photography by Saul Leiter, and Walker Evans’ landscapes and portraits of the area are photographic canon. The work of Kallianiotis is both an homage to these potential influences, and a departure from iconic images around the area where he lives. He deftly addresses the cultural and economic state of the nation, as seen through a number of cities and towns in Pennsylvania.

There is far more to Kallianiotis’ images than an expected patina of fading industry, waning prosperity, and portraits of the people who call this place home. His images use evocative color, and artful use of light to convey the dynamics of the scenes he encounters. Dramatic evening shadows lend a theatrical flair to a woman standing next to a bank deposit box. Flat light from an overcast afternoon helps bring out the texture of American flag-like awnings which partially obscure the alleyway side of an apartment building back porch. He captures signage and language on buildings and advertisements with visually ironic placement – both physically, and in respect to this point in history. Political references are not avoided. In the case of political campaigning by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, Kallianiotis visually pits them against each other in a two-page spread. But the end result for the book is not overtly slanted to one side or the other. Optimism for a better future and pessimistic views of the current landscape balance the scales.

Kallianiotis is Greek by birth, but is also an American citizen and has lived here for 20 years, so his commentary on the current political climate is likely influenced by strikingly different factors than your average Pennsylvanian. In a 2017 interview with PBS, Elizabeth Flock asked Kallianiotis about the meaning behind the title for his project. He replied, “The meaning is the way the country is right now,” he says. “I’m sensing that after the (Presidential) election, people walking in these towns are disoriented and alienated… including me. I’m in every picture, too, in terms of the loneliness and trying to assimilate. Trying to blend with the culture, since I have two countries. I’m a U.S. citizen and I’m Greek, and I love both. This hybrid situation is complicated. The trance is: you’re aware, you’re listening, but you can’t really respond. I think that’s where we are right now.”

That place in the middle is bitter-sweet. The decades spent in America have taught Kallianiotis how beliefs from both sides of the fence in the current political climate have a direct effect and interest in these towns. And yet, he achieves a certain level of neutrality within the work. Whether it is the hard Pennsylvania coal towns to the East, the shadows of looming steel stacks to the West, or every faded American dream in between – Kallianiotis explores an illumination of hope through his own relationship with the land. Within America in a Trance, there is the silhouette of what once was, streets and storefronts thriving, and the reflections of that time coming back to us through his mindful eye.

America in a Trance by Niko J. Kallianiotis
ISBN: 9788862085953
Hardcover, 12 x 8.5 inches
136 pages; 95 color images
Published by Damiani

To find out more about America in a Trance or to see more work by Niko J. Kallianiotis, please visit his website: www.nikokallianiotis.com.

This book is available for purchase at www.nikokallianiotis.com/book or at the publisher’s website: https://www.damianieditore.com/en-US/product/669

About Cary Benbow

Photographer, Writer, Publisher of Wobneb Magazine

View all posts by Cary Benbow →

Location: Online Type: Book Review

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