The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Alford displays ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ in Contemporary Art Gallery

    Attendees look at photographs at Michael Alford's exhibit, "A Different Kind of Truth," in the Contemporary Art Gallery. The exhibit runs Sept. 6 to Sept. 29 and features pictures documenting Charity Hospital in New Orleans' since Hurricane Katrina. Sarah Hess/The Lion's Roar

    The Contemporary Art Gallery is hosting an exhibit titled “A Different Kind of Truth” by Louisiana photographer Michael Alford.

    After being postponed by weather, the exhibit opened Wednesday, Sept. 6.

    Alford is a veteran of the United States Airforce and was trained in special operations and in search and rescue. The skill set he acquired from his time in the military helps him as a documentary photographer. “A Different Kind of Truth” documents the results of Hurricane Katrina on the Charity Hospital in New Orleans and its years of neglect since. The exhibit is a long-term project that Alford began after his previous work from 2002 to 2006 for the World Trade Center documenting Ground Zero’s development from the aftermath of 9/11 into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

    “I was looking for another project to actively engage in and found the history of New Orleans and the history of the building itself,” said Alford. “It was the second oldest and second largest level one trauma center in U.S. history. It operated for 300 contentious years and weathered dozens of storms and one storm shut it down. It’s kind of an unusual sequence of events.”

    There has been three exhibitions of the work, the first being in 2016 in Mexico City. The opening exhibit at the university is the first time ever the public was seeing some of the pieces in the exhibit. Alford’s work on Charity Hospital is kept in chronological order, and it is normally difficult to find a facility that can hold it and properly display it. Alford was very impressed because it is hard to find a space that can accommodate the size of his work. His work serves as an archival record and the support that he’s received for the exhibition had been enormous.

    “I’ve had people in this exhibition or previous exhibitions that say ‘I was born there’ or people who say ‘my children were born there’ or people who say ‘I had heart surgery there,” said Alford. “A lady told me earlier today ‘I had heart surgery there in 1979. They saved my life’ and she broke into tears and she’s like, ‘Thank you for reminding me I’m still alive.’”

    Alexandra Bond, an art major described her thoughts on the exhibit.

     “It’s very different from stuff we’ve had in the past,” said Bond. “We’ve never had anything shot in the same location. So that’s what’s interesting about it is that all of this came out of the same building.”

    Bond also goes on to explain why it’s great that this exhibition is on campus.

    “I think it’s good because it’s part of our history ’cause it came straight from New Orleans,” said Bond. “I know most of us here on campus were kids during Katrina, but it’s still impacted us and it’s kind of like seeing the long standing effects of Katrina today that stool haven’t been cleaned up and repaired, and I think it’s important for us to take notice of that,” said Bond.

    “A Different Kind of Truth” is on display at the Contemporary Art Gallery and will run until Sept. 29. 

    View Comments (1)
    Donate to The Lion's Roar
    $600
    $1000
    Contributed
    Our Goal

    Your donation will support The Lion's Roar student journalists at Southeastern Louisiana University.
    In addition, your contribution will allow us to cover our annual website hosting costs.
    No gift is too small.

    Donate to The Lion's Roar
    $600
    $1000
    Contributed
    Our Goal

    Comments (1)

    Comments and other submissions are encouraged but are subject to The Lion's Roar Comments and Moderation Policy. All views expressed are those of the author and should not be interpreted as the views of The Lion's Roar, the administration, faculty, staff, or students of Southeastern Louisiana University.
    All The Lion's Roar Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    • P

      Pam KasterJan 1, 2020 at 9:02 pm

      I am the Programs Coordinator for the Louisiana Photographic Society and would like to contact Michael Alford to speak to our club about Documentary Photography sometime in 2020. We meet at 7 PM on the third Thursday of every month at the Main Library in Baton Rouge on Goodwood Blvd. I hope to hear from Mr. Alford. Pam Kaster

      Reply