SEARCY, Ark. — Stevens Art Gallery at Harding University opens Wednesday, Sept. 5 with a photo exhibit previewing the upcoming book “A Touristof Saints: A Photo Graphic Journal of Haiti” by photojournalistPhilip Holsinger.
The show comprises a collection of corresponding photos,sound recordings and excerpts from Holsinger’s personal travel journal thatjoin to glimpse the secret lives of laymen in pre- and post-earthquake Haiti.Having spent six years on the island, Holsinger was able to form relationshipswith people beyond the lens of his camera.
He said that his motivation for exploring the world throughphotojournalism is not to capture moments but to spend time with people ofevery culture and every class, sharing common humanity and the beauty ofeveryday life.
“All I know of places is what I have seen or heard, but aplace is never as simple as it seems,” he said. “While bombs are dropping in Baghdad, people are stillfalling in love and arranging goods to sell in the market. People all over theworld are dreaming of becoming a rock star or marrying the girl next door.”
He said this propels his search for truth and reality behindthe caricatures of stereotypes by which people are hindered.
Holsinger has worked throughout the Americas, Eastern Europe and Asia.His photos have appeared in newspapers, galleries, wire services, books andmagazines including National Geographic Online. While he has worked for anumber of prestigious press organizations, the photojournalist now worksprimarily with Caractere Inc., his photojournalism cooperative, and as thefounder of The Haiti Workshop for Foreign Field Service Training in Journalism.
Stevens Art Gallery is open forviewing Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After-hour viewing orguided tours are available by special request. The exhibit, “A Tourist ofSaints: A Photo Graphic Journal of Haiti,” will be free and open to the publicfrom Sept. 4 through Oct. 5.
While the gallery features 14 stories, the book expands asit follows Holsinger’s time in Haitithrough 300 pages of his telling artwork alongside unedited journal excerptsgiving unparalleled insight to the cultures and lives discovered in thefascinating journey of an international photographer.
