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| Barbara Sparks. Namaste, Kagbeni, Nepal, 1986 |
Last month, Barbara Sparks’ photography exhibit entitled “Coalescence” opened in the second-floor galleries at the FAC. Its opening may have gotten lost in all the holiday and end of year affairs, but we encourage you to come look at this amazing collection of over 60 black-and-white photographs from around the world.
Sparks is a self-described “semi-native” to Colorado, moving to Colorado Springs from New Jersey 50 years ago. The unique and diverse landscape of Colorado is the subject of some Sparks’ photography, but this exhibit also displays international landscapes and cultures. Sparks’ travels have taken her to Nepal, Turkey, Italy, Guatemala and the United States Southwest.
“I have photographed unique cultures in unique geologies,” said Sparks. “In the Himalayas, I was interested in the unique geology and the overflow of Tibetan culture into northern Nepal. In Cappadocia, Turkey, I was in an area that was already settled at the time of Christ; then it became home to a large monastic community and 2,000 years later remains a fertile farming region. It was a unique geology and a unique culture. I did the same thing by going to Guatemala and photographing the Mayan villages there.”
“Coalescence” is on view – but only until Feb 19, so hurry before the exhibit comes down! Sparks photography is also at the Broadmoor’s Hayden Hays Gallery if you want to see more of her work, and maybe bring one home too.
Spark’s book, Far Flung Places: The Photography of Barbara Sparks is her first solo publication, but her work also appears in numerous books on the Colorado Rockies. Far Flung Places is available at the FAC’s museum shop.