By Talia AlbertsThe Daily Northwestern
A little boy stares sadly through a gate. In the background, a wall with a watermark looms six feet above his head.
The boy is one of the 1.3 million people in China who are about to lose their homes. Photographer Clark Everett captures moments like these in his exhibit, which opened last night at the Dittmar Memorial Gallery at Norris University Center.
The exhibit, “Seeking Higher Ground: Life in the Shadow of the Three Gorges Dam” is running through May 7. It focuses on the province near Yichang, Hubei, in central China, which will be affected by the construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. The purpose of the dam is to meet the new need for electricity in the quickly developing country and to deal with flooding issues.
“I found out (about the dam) a long time ago when I was waiting in the laundry room and I picked up a National Geographic,” said Everett. “It piqued my curiosity, and as a guy I couldn’t help but be interested in such a huge construction project.”
Everett moved to China in 2000, working as an English teacher in order to pursue this project. He spent 14 months in China working on the pieces that appear in his exhibit.
Everett said his work shows the opposing views for building the dam. The subjects of his photographs range from the large-scale construction sites to personal interactions between friends and families who live in the area. In the statement that hangs on the wall, Everett describes his mission: to “capture the dignity” of the those living through the changes being made to their homes while “preserving a record” of a lifestyle that will soon be extinct once those traditional agricultural societies are developed.
Everett said he does not know if an exhibit can ever truly be completed.
“I’d love to go back and follow up on this; go to the areas and see what the new cities are like,” he said.
Meaghan Heath, a Music senior, visited the gallery Thursday. Heath said before this exhibit she did not know much about the problems created by the dam in China.
“I think (the exhibit) does a great job,” she said. “You can see the desolation. The people look lost and sad. The small children especially stand out because they look right at the camera.”
Weinberg sophomore Jessica Whitworth said she found the pieces eye-opening as well. She said she saw parallels in the displacement occurring in China and more local displacement caused by gentrification and natural disasters.
Lindsay Larsen, coordinator of the Dittmar Gallery, said people are responding well to the exhibit. By reading over the guest book in the gallery, Larsen determined that this show has drawn one of the largest crowds this year.
“We like to showcase artists who might not have a chance to show their work,” Larsen said. “We’re giving a voice to those who might not otherwise have one.”
Larsen said she is glad the gallery is exposing a situation that many people have not yet heard about. She said Everett’s work provides a personal relationship with the people experiencing the displacement.
“His work brings (the situation) to a personal level,” Larsen said. “You engage with the subjects one-on-one and get a glimpse into their lives, an intimate view that helps the viewer understand what’s happening.”
Reach Talia Alberts at [email protected].
