The Hood has amassed 2,000 photographs and photo-based works over the last decade for use in its permanent collection.
In anticipation of a major survey exhibition opening in September 2009, "Modern and Contemporary Art at Dartmouth," curator Emily Burke said she decided to put together a sampling of post-1950 photography to offer insight into the diversity, as well as the commonalities, of contemporary photography.
"What [Burke] has done with this exhibition is brilliant," said photographer Subhankar Banerjee, the current artist-in-residence at the Hopkins Center. "Instead of trying to prove one large idea or grand point, these photographs branch out to cover various topics with a sense of economy."
"Focus on Photography" addresses the theme of cultural identity through three types of photography: landscape, photojournalism and portraiture.
"I wanted to give the photographs in the Hood's permanent collection the attention they deserve," Burke explained. "By no means is this exhibit encyclopedic, but I chose photographs that explore cultural identity."
The subjects of the photographs range from commonplace to historic. Stephen Shore's "Broad Street, Regina, Saskatchewan" captures an elderly couple standing at the curb waiting to cross the street.
The print depicts an early 1970s suburban neighborhood, a classic Canadian landscape. Similarly, William Christenberry's "Post Office, Sprott, Alabama, 1971" features an isolated post office in a stark rural setting, revealing the quiet character of a small, Southern town.
These snapshots vastly differ from those like "Crewman, CH-47A (Chinook) helicopter on mission over Mekong Delta," an aerial photograph taken by Dick Durrance '65 during his time in the Army's elite combat photo unit in the Vietnam War.
The silhouette of a soldier set against the foggy outlines of a Vietnamese landscape conveys a strange sense of peace that strongly contrasts with the violence and horror associated with the war.
James Nachtwey's "Rwanda" also portrays an image of war, but this image is presented from a different perspective.
The photograph is of a prisoner released from a Hutu death camp with deep scars across his face -- the aftermath of a machete attack.
According to Nachtwey, the man's weary expression serves as a reminder that the Rwandan genocide should not be buried in history, and that crimes against humanity are still prevalent today.
The portraiture section of the exhibit features an eclectic collection of ordinary, foreign and famous individuals. One set of photographs taken by Andy Warhol includes four Polaroid portraits of notable persons: 1976 Olympic figure skating champion Dorothy Hamill, civic leader Carole "Candy" Spelling, fashion designer Giorgio Armani and singer-songwriter John Denver.Placed under a protective cover in the gallery, these portraits of famous faces demonstrate Warhol's use of the Polaroid as a personal artistic statement.
Other portraits in the exhibit, however, center on unnamed subjects.
Australian photographer Fiona Foley's "HHH #1" captures seven anonymous figures clad in colorful costumes and cone hats eerily reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan.
In reality, the pictured individuals are members of the Hedonistic Honkey Haters, a secret society founded in 1965 to oppose the KKK.
Another highlight of "Focus on Photography" is its inclusion of foreign works, a sampling of pieces by artists from 12 countries in addition to the United States.
"Having photographs taken by foreign artists provides an instantaneous global cultural exchange," Burke said. "I think the collection reflects the diversity among the students at Dartmouth. Contemporary photography shows us the diversity of the art world as well, which is no longer just centered in New York."
Regardless of their country of origin, visual similarities can still be seen among the works of foreign artists.
"An Old Man with a Penetrating Gaze (wearing a face mask)" is from the collection of Japanese photographer Hiroh Kikai's black-and-white street portraits, recognized for the subjects' facial expressions and body language, rather than celebrity.
American photographer Carrie Mae Weems' "Untitled (Make-up with daughter)" is also a black-and-white piece, but displays a domestic scene in which a daughter tries on cosmetics with her mother, depicting compliance with gender expectations.
The exhibit presents photography as a vehicle to identify the underlying connections among different cultures.
"What is our contemporary landscape? That is the question this exhibit attempts to answer," Burke said.
"Focus on Photography: Works from 1950 to Today" is open to the public at the Hood Museum until March 8.
