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Jeff: If you get the opportunity to stop by UW-Whitewater’s Crossman Gallery, you’ll see a new display featuring photography
from the dean of the College of Arts and Communication, Dr. Mark McPhail. Dr. McPhail, I thought we could talk about
just first of all, the photography exhibit features photos from Africa, what brought you to the continent in the first place?
I went to Tanzania (TAN-ZAHN-YAH), or as we pronounce it in this country Tanzania (TAN-ZA-NEE-YUH), in 2006
as consultant for the United Nations, for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. I was an expert witness,
and at the end of my testimony I had the opportunity to spend some time in the country, and I went and I did a little photography,
and went and did a short safari. So, a couple of the images come from that experience, and I also work with the Uganda American Partnership organization,
which is a not for profit NGO [Non Government Organization], which is providing educational and economic support to folks in Uganda.
And, since I’ve visited there a couple of times, as part of that organization, I’ve also taken some time to do some photography.
Jeff: And there’s quite a variety and subject matter too, you’ve got some photos of different animals and different people,
were you looking for certain things to photograph or did you just take what came naturally?
Dr. McPhail: Well, when I’m photographing people, I never want to just photograph them without asking permission,
so all the photographs here of individuals, are individuals who I asked if I could take their photos. Most of the work that I’ve done in the past
has been landscape photography, and some nature photography, and some fine art photography. People have always said,
“You never have any people in your photographs,” so I wanted to try something different in Africa, and because we were there to work with people.
And to actually interact with and meet with the people so when I was there for UAPO, (Uganda American Partnership Organization),
we actually worked on building an orphanage out in the middle of Uganda, so I had an opportunity to interact with a lot of the people who lived there as well as a lot of the children.
So I wanted to try and give some insight into their lives. Uganda had gone through a very difficult civil war,
so many of the people had been misplaced from their land, and were basically living in refugee camps, and so, we were trying to help
to reconnect them with the land, and give them educational opportunities that they otherwise would not have had.
Jeff: Whenever we speak with faculty and students about their study abroad opportunities, they’re always shocked,
because they go into a country with certain expectations and then they come out of it an entirely different person.
Was there something about your travel in Africa that changed you as a person, or that really surprised you upon traveling there?
Dr. McPhail: Well, the name of the exhibit is “Omowale: A Son Returns,” and I’d say, I don’t know if it changed me, as much as kinda brought me back to myself.
One of the experiences that I had when I was in Tanzania was returning to the airport, with a gentleman who
worked with the UN who was UN Security. And as we were driving he said, “Did you, you know, did you have a nice time?”
I said, “Yeah”, he said, “Have you ever been to Africa before?” and I said no, and he said,
“Well it took you a long time to come home.”
So, it really was, in my mind a homecoming. I’ve written about Africa, in my scholarship, and I’ve studied Africa over the years, but this was the first time I had ever had a chance to come.
Jeff: Well we appreciate you sharing your photography and your experiences with us.
And it will be here at Crossman Gallery from June 27 to July 14, its open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and it’s free to the public. We hope you get a chance to see it.