The University Museum’s most recent exhibit “Of Rivers” is a collaboration between the worlds of photography and poetry. The exhibit shows the pairing of seven poets with seven photos, each responding to Langston Hughes’ famous 1921 poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”
Each poet responds with autobiographical narratives of his or her own, sparking a different conversation under the umbrella of “how to live and what to do.” Photographer Young Suh responds to each poem with photos that embody or mirror their messages.
Poems such as Derrick Harriell’s “What Kind of Blues,” convey deep rooted emotion in the lines, “I’m done with magic and prayer/ done believing Armstrong leaped across the moon/ done preaching about some renaissance in Harlem.”
Of Rivers: Photography by Young Suh, Poetry edited by Chiyuma Elliott and Katie Peterson. (Courtesy: University of Mississippi Museum)
Then there’s Chiyuma Elliott’s “List With Some Rivers In It,” which reads, “I’ve known compression / I’ve known hillsides charred black with obsidian the houses gaping open like mouths / the future percussive, everything bent with observation / My soul has grown wide with wonder / My soul has grown mesh and scales.”
Among the poems are depictions of flowing rivers, lush landscapes and even shots that stand out a bit more, such as one of a black male lying on the ground on his back and one of a pile of wood that seems to illustrate destruction and devastation.
University Museum director Robert Saarnio said he is excited to have the exhibit displayed at the University.
“It’s exciting because we don’t commonly have poetry and photography blended in this way,” Saarnio said.
The University Museum is also in partnership with the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and their 23rd-annual “Conference for the Book,” an event that brings together writers, journalists, artists, poets, publishers, teachers, students and literacy advocates for three days of conversation in the creative community of Oxford.
The “Conference for the Book” will be held March 2-4, and will feature a lecture at the Museum on Thursday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. Many of the poets who contributed to “Of Rivers” will participate in the lecture, such as Jericho Brown, Chiyuma Elliott, Derrick Harriell and Katie Peterson, as well as the photographer, Young Suh.
Museum communications coordinator Rachael Phillips said this exhibition shows visitors how the arts connect through many mediums, and that writing and photography can express the same message in different forms.
The exhibit will be on display at the University Museum until June 25.
– Alexis Neely
