Syria: Photograph Your Curiosity

Experiencing Syria as a Cultural Specialist (9/12/03-10/4/03)

Have you ever had one of those telephone calls where the conversation is so unexpected you keep looking at the phone to make sure at least the phone is real? Last summer I had one of those when Valentine Judge, the Marketing Director for the Chicago Cultural Center, called and said she had an opportunity for me that I would be thanking her for the rest of my life. An invitation to exhibit, teach and lecture on photography in both Aleppo and Damascus in Syria. She said that the State Department would provide my travel and program expenses, there would be a stipend for me and that the people in Syria were the most welcoming people she had ever met. This seemed too good to be true and a huge honor. Then it gets interesting, what I exhibited, taught and lectured on was up to me, a huge responsibility. Vast unknowns loomed before me. Reassurance from Ms. Judge was a sound voice. She had been, before and knew of the experience I was in for. In fact, pieces from the CITY2000 (Chicago in the Year 2000) had already been on exhibition in Damascus, on September 11, 2001.

I became interested in showing work that had a descriptive quality of regular everyday life of Americans and chose to exhibit two projects overall. One titled The Things We Carry' or "Purses,' a series of diptychs with a B&W portrait of one woman with their purse (or handbag) within the frame, paired with a color still life of the contents of their purses. The other, 'Boys Away from Home,' a series of environmental portraits of high school boarding schoolboys attending SKS (South Kent School) in their dorm rooms.

These two bodies of work were in effort to talk about our identity through things we take with us when leaving home. This seemed to be a good choice as a teaching tool. Since, through these works the Syrian Embassy folks and I were able to create a dialogue about the similarities and differences o f Syrian and American students and Women.

When I thought about the lecture topic, I knew the talk would be translated into Arabic. Never having been translated before I wanted to feel comfortable with familiar material. I learned that my audience would be diverse, so I needed to make it interesting to professionals, students and culture seekers alike. We have incredible photographers here in the Midwest. Many of them influence my work. People in Syria do not have nearly as much access to other photographic artists, magazines, books, exhibitions or the Internet as we Americans do. But they do have each other, poetic brilliance at its core. I wanted to create a sense of community that is available directly in one's own area (backyard?). The audience actively listened and looked closely at the slide presentation. They asked many questions about this photographers' intensions, which seemed to set a tone of intrigue and unity for my workshops. What may be important to keep in mind is the fact that women were rarely seen in this type of leadership role as the expert.

‘Photograph Your Curiosity' became the workshop. The skill level of participants was very unclear before I got to Syria. While researching what might be compelling and doable in a 5-day course I came learned of the profound interest and respect the Syrians have for poetry. Through a few evenings of musing I came to, the Nobel Prize winner, Wislawa Szymborska's poem, "Travel Elegy” which is all about seeing. I also found a piece from "The Art Spirit” by Robert Henri. It is from these two authors' passion about seeing that I taught ‘Photograph Your Curiosity.’

To my delight, the students were already technically accomplished. They simply had never been critiqued constructively. All I really taught was that what they already have inside them was a good idea. With added formality to the craft of photography, quality composition of the frame was easily accomplished once responsibility to all four edges was established. The students made wonderful work. The biggest challenge was to choose only one photograph from each student to exhibit alongside my work at The American Cultural Center. Three news journalists to include CNN, embassy officials, nearly all of the students and some of their families showed up for the opening. The pride the students showed, as each described their work and process out loud to the Syrian Minister of Culture, was overwhelmingly beautiful.

The number one English word I heard while traveling there was ‘Welcome’. In Syria I was warmly welcomed as a photographer exhibiting, teaching and lecturing. I was welcomed as a woman and as an American. Ms. Judge was right. I will be grateful to her for this experience the rest o f my life.

For reference: https://genius.com/Wisawa-szymborska-travel-elegy-annotated, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtqRVBV6txA, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207781.The_Art_Spirit