Underwood Foundation Photo Exhibit Puts You in Your Place

Why is there so much suffering in the world? You might have been late for work today or your kid is sick with the flu and you’re thinking why me? Maybe you don’t even have a job anymore. Whatever might not be right with your world, you got it great compared to the exhibit I viewed this weekend.at Alverno College.

The Underwood Foundation Photography Exhibit, which runs until Feb. 22, will put you in your place. Thom Feroah, Larry D’Attilio and Robb Quinn photographed the inhabitants of three different third world countries to create a stark, yet beautiful, example of how to use photographs to tell a story. Robb photographed people in all stages of AIDS in Uganda. The first photo’s impact of unfinished wooden coffins in slum conditions is powerful.

Larry photographed women in northern Vietnam who were part of a micro loan program. In his artist’s statement he asks, Conflict is the result of people feeling trapped by their circumstances. But what if we empower them to change their circumstances and become committed to social stability?

Thom did portraits of prostitutes in Namibia. How many people reading this even know where that is? Africa somewhere, would be the reply. It’s actually on the south end of the continent, next to Botswana. His portraits told about the women who sell themselves to put food on the table. He doesn’t romanticize their work, but they have no other skills or way to make a living.

The mission of their Underwood Foundation is to create photo essays that document health care and other humanitarian efforts around the world. They also support the development of humanitarian principles of artists and their work. And plan to develop a collection of fine art photography for loan that reflects the guiding principles of the foundation.

I know the exhibitors through CoPA, the Coalition of Photographic Arts. They are all excellent photographers and have been exhibiting their work for many years. The Underwood Foundation involves several CoPA members and sprung from that association.

The one criticism I had with the exhibit was the space at Alverno. It was too small. Photos were stacked on top of each other without frames on black boards. Paragraphs describing the work were difficult to read. I would recommend a larger space or a paring down the images displayed. Also maps of the areas mentioned would help describe where these photos originated. Maybe even arts and crafts of the workers.

The Underwood Foundation Web site is http://www.theunderwoodfoundation.org. The Alverno Art & Cultures Gallery’s hours are Wed. – Sun 12-5 p.m. and Thurs. 12-7 p.m. Non-college weekends the hours are Sat 12-4 p.m. and closed on Sunday.