Exhibit reveals harsh truth of Cuba life
Landon Fry
Issue date: 9/5/03 Section: Diversions
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Both the beauty and the poverty of Cuba can be seen at the photography exhibit in the Spiva Art Gallery until Sept. 19.
The showing, a collection of photos taken in Cuba the past seven years, marked the start of the Cuba Semester. The exhibit features Mary Crabb's City on the Edge of Forever, Havana 1998 collection.
Contributed were 63 photos by faculty and students from Missouri Southern; Crabb, an anthropology professor from the University of Oklahoma; John Sleezer, a photographer from the Kansas City Star; and Dr. John Couper from Pittsburg State University.
This type of showing is something David Locher, associate professor of sociology and contributor to the exhibit, thinks is important to any international semester.
"It's good to give some sort of idea of what the place is like visually," he said. "People are very visual, and so seeing photographs, I think, works better than hearing descriptions or reading about a place."
People are always interested in photography exhibits, according to Dr. Chad Stebbins, director of the Institute of International Studies. He said while other showings may include pieces too abstract for some, most photos have an appeal to all. Still, everybody will have his or her own preference.
"For me, it's interesting to compare the black and white photos with the color ones," Stebbins said. "You look at the black and white photos and they're quite striking, and then some of the color photos, too, are fabulous with their use of shadows and light."
Having so many photographers participating gives viewers a range of perspectives to see Cuba from, Locher said.
"I think if you really wanted to, you could spend a long time in Cuba taking photographs only of what you wanted to see," Locher said.
One could also take pictures of people living in abject poverty, he said.
He took two trips to Cuba, one over winter break and one over spring break. He saw buildings that had crumbled since his first visit.