Photo exhibit transcends
"the otherness of fear"

What do peace journalism images look like?

The easiest answer begins with discussing what PJ photos aren’t. They aren’t sensational, exploitative, inflammatory, or stereotype-reinforcing, and they don’t distort reality (like misrepresenting the size of a crowd attending a rally).

Conversely, peace journalism style photos would accurately reflect events while offering unique, counternarrative perspectives that would seek to humanize subjects and build bridges between those from different national, racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.

Put more simply, peace journalism-style photos look a lot like the work being done by young photographer Carlos Gregory, whose work is on display at Park University in an exhibit titled “Images of Kenya.”

Gregory, who runs Carl Gregory Studio photography, graduated from Park University in 2011, and was one of my students. I wish I could take credit for his work, but can’t, since he came to my classes already possessing a fertile mind and intellectual curiosity that are evident in his photos.

In Gregory’s self-description of his current display, he writes that he hopes it “provokes joy, curiosity, respect, and dispels the otherness of fear” while reflecting the uniqueness of each ethnic group represented. Sounds like peace photojournalism to me.

Gregory’s “Images of Kenya” accomplishes his goal of rejecting “the otherness of fear” while planting the seeds of understanding in the viewer. The photos are more than aesthetically pleasing. The subjects almost leap off of the canvas to impart stories about themselves, their lives, and their cultures.

“Images of Kenya” is on display on the Park University campus in Parkville, MO at the Campanella Gallery inside the Norrington Center. The exhibit runs through July 27, and will be open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except for July 4). A reception for Gregory will be held on Friday, July 6, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the gallery.