A photo exhibit at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey is bringing glimpses of other cultures and other ways of living to Northern Michigan, and getting rave reviews. CMU Public Radio's Mary Ellen Geist visited the exhibit and spoke with the artist.
Can a photo change the way you look at life?
Chip Duncan is hoping the answer is YES, " 9-11 was a turning point on so many levels.. but it didn't need to be a turning point on fear. We really don't need to be afraid of the rest of the world. Because the vast majority of people are not extremist on anything. They're just trying to take care of their families. They're just trying to get by, and so when I say that I say "YES" to things, I look at fear as a spiritual issue"
Duncan is an Emmy award winning photojournalist , filmmaker, and adventurer, who has filmed, photographed, and reported as well as worked for several charity organizations in more than 30 countries. His theory of saying "YES" to the possibilities presented to him, in essence embracing a positive spin on life, is something he hopes people will take with them after they leave this exhibit:
"The exhibit and the photos in the book have a lot in common. in that what I was trying to do. Everyplace I went, I was look for images of hope. That could be very simple. It can just be putting an image in the book of a Muslim man smiling. Because since 9-11 in particular, but in general we tend to look at people we are unfamiliar with as threatening. That could be in a neighborhood in Chicago or Miami, or it could be international..
Though he began his career as a journalist before he became a filmmaker, he is now taking his still photos as he travels the world, and writing books, too. The photos and his just-published book of his photographs and writings from his many journeys portray people he met as he traveled to Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Africa. Gail DeMeyer, visual arts education director at Crooked Tree Arts Center, is the curator of this exhibit called "Images of Humanity and Hope".
"Hopefully, it'll empower people to think, not just within their own homes but to think outside, even if it's on a local or statewide scale. I hope they realized they can help the world, help people to make the world a better place; in a small area or in a large arena.."
The exhibit of Chip Duncan's photos and his book called "Enough to Go Around" will be at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey until Wednesday, November 11.
Can a photo change the way you look at life?
Chip Duncan is hoping the answer is YES, " 9-11 was a turning point on so many levels.. but it didn't need to be a turning point on fear. We really don't need to be afraid of the rest of the world. Because the vast majority of people are not extremist on anything. They're just trying to take care of their families. They're just trying to get by, and so when I say that I say "YES" to things, I look at fear as a spiritual issue"
Duncan is an Emmy award winning photojournalist , filmmaker, and adventurer, who has filmed, photographed, and reported as well as worked for several charity organizations in more than 30 countries. His theory of saying "YES" to the possibilities presented to him, in essence embracing a positive spin on life, is something he hopes people will take with them after they leave this exhibit:
"The exhibit and the photos in the book have a lot in common. in that what I was trying to do. Everyplace I went, I was look for images of hope. That could be very simple. It can just be putting an image in the book of a Muslim man smiling. Because since 9-11 in particular, but in general we tend to look at people we are unfamiliar with as threatening. That could be in a neighborhood in Chicago or Miami, or it could be international..
Though he began his career as a journalist before he became a filmmaker, he is now taking his still photos as he travels the world, and writing books, too. The photos and his just-published book of his photographs and writings from his many journeys portray people he met as he traveled to Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Africa. Gail DeMeyer, visual arts education director at Crooked Tree Arts Center, is the curator of this exhibit called "Images of Humanity and Hope".
"Hopefully, it'll empower people to think, not just within their own homes but to think outside, even if it's on a local or statewide scale. I hope they realized they can help the world, help people to make the world a better place; in a small area or in a large arena.."
The exhibit of Chip Duncan's photos and his book called "Enough to Go Around" will be at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey until Wednesday, November 11.
