While visiting the High and Dry Show at the Centennial Museum in El Paso, I had the opportunity of seeing work border photography by Bruce Berman. Berman committed himself to photographing the border area of El Paso and Juarez in the 1980′s and has been on it ever since. He has made is mark in this area, on both sides of the border with an understanding of the people earned over time. The images are powerful and made with compassion and involvement with his subjects. An activist photojournalist, Berman now is a professor of journalism at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Previously, he was a professor of photography at University of Texas at El Paso for many years.
Bruce Berman's images show a great involvement with his subjects in El Paso and Juarez.
The exhibit, Border Stories, runs till March 13th at UTEP
All of the images come with a long – from the heart – caption that puts photo, subject and place in knife edge context for the viewer. Much of the work is right at the border and highlights the struggles of colonias in Lomas del Poleo, the the women of Juarez to the border fence.
Border Sisters, 11-7-07, Shows a meeting of sisters from Anapra,NM and Colonia Anapra, Juarez at the border fence.
Black Crosses on the FBA, Segundo Barrio, El Paso, 2007 pays tribute to the killings of young women in Jauarez.
If you are in El Paso and interested in border issues, humanitarian issues and photography, this is a must see exhibit. For more info on Bruce Berman and his work, see www.border-blog.com. A book is due out soon – stay tuned.
