Regienick Canta
Chris Johns, "John and Josie Adams"
1980s
Chris Johns started his career as a field reporter before becoming an editor-in-chief for the National Geographic Magazine. In this photograph, Johns captured James caring for his mother, Josie, inside an old car situated on the hilltop in British Columbia.
The photo depicts the documentation by Johns about the North American society being once renowned for its transportation, a car being its symbolic figure. Johns also cleverly identified through this photo the emerging ecological issues that National Geographic Magazine became more watchful of during the 1980s, also the time when this photo appeared in the magazine.
Although the photo was specifically taken to document the North American mobility, the photo tells me a different story. The whole image rather gives me a visual representation of what a genuine treasured moment free from the influence of material things really is. The two smiling individuals framed by the car window share a happy moment despite of being encased in a broken and nonfunctional car. It is hard not to notice that love truly is the key element in this strong mother-and-son bonding moment.
As a family-oriented guy, seeing individuals valuing each other more than anything else reminds me of how wonderful it is to live surrounded by love ones even through the test of time.
