Thursday, November 7, 1996
ART:
Collection depicts the courage and talent of the disabled
competitorsBy Amanda Miller
Daily Bruin Contributor
Photographer Carol Petersen finds courage, determination and
talent in the faces around her. Although the pictures she takes are
in black and white, the personalities she captures on film are
vivid and colorful.
"Into the Arena," a collection of Petersen’s photographs
currently on display at Kerckhoff Art Gallery, tells the story of
the first U.S. Paralympic equestrian team. The Paralympics are
Olympic games for people with handicaps. A part of UCLA Disability
Awareness month, the exhibit shows the perseverance, courage and
talent of the riders, each of whom has some sort of disability.
Far from an artist by trade, Petersen works as a special
assistant in the chancellor’s office, with particular
responsibility for diversity issues. She has practiced photography
seriously for a little more than a year but has given herself up to
this newfound hobby.
Last summer was the first time formal equestrian events were a
part of the Paralympic competitions. Petersen had seen the
preliminary horse shows, and felt compelled to offer herself as the
team photographer. Last August, she went to Atlanta for the team’s
final training, the games, and the awards. "It was the most
remarkable experience imaginable." Petersen says.
One of Petersen’s favorite photographs, "The Kiss," is a
close-up of a woman named Jane Zukas and her horse Brenan.
Positioned face to face, Jane’s light blonde hair contrasts with
the black mane of the horse. "There was an amazing connection
between Jane and her horse. The way she would talk to him and the
gentle interaction between them was something that I wanted to hold
and reflect upon and capture, so that I could give it back to Jane
and she, too, could see the magic of the moment," Petersen
recalls.
Discovering her love for photography and the experiences and
insights it has provided has been magical indeed. "What especially
intrigues me is the stillness that you find at the heart of a
passion. It’s the stillness that you can also find in moments of
silence and reflection and it’s in these moments where truth and
beauty are born. There may be great drama on either side of it, it
may be in the midst of commotion, or it may be at a time of
withdrawal and stillness … but there is just something about that
centering, that space of a breath, where things are just so direct
and so true. That is what I want to find."
But Petersen’s newfound passion for photography serves a purpose
greater than her own personal fulfillment. "It is very important
for me to give back to the people who are involved, so that I don’t
feel that I am taking something. Even the phrase, ‘taking a
photograph,’ is in a way misleading and inaccurate because it’s a
process, a flowing moment of intimacy, of intensity. It’s
incredible how somehow I am allowed inside with my camera.
"I’ve given away hundreds and hundreds of photographs. I feel
compelled to do it. That’s where the magic is, in that connection,
in those experiences, and I’m just out of my head with it. I have
found such exhilaration, joy, and passion that is really beyond
expression. Then when something works in my photography, it comes
from that place and it comes from that experience, and from that
connectedness."
Petersen knew each rider on a very personal level and
established friendships with many. The story of one rider named
Lauren McDevitt touched her deeply. When 10 years old, McDevitt
developed Transverse Myelitis, a disorder of the spine marked by
inflammation of the spinal cord. In one hour it paralyzed her.
While undergoing treatment, she began a therapeutic horsemanship
program and started riding.
Now in her early 30s, McDevitt has gone beyond what people
expected her to do. They never imagined that one day she would be
able to have and care for her own horse, which she is now doing.
She is a graduate student in rehabilitation counseling at the
University of North Carolina, and she won a bronze medal in the
Paralympics.
"From something that appeared so tragic came something that
magnified her talent, her courage, her energy, and her spirit,"
Petersen comments.
Because each rider deals with a different kind of disability,
traveling with them and watching them work helped Petersen come to
understand many things that she would never have thought about
during her everyday routine between home and campus. The exposure
to a different side of life caused Petersen to ponder opposing
views of normality in America.
"There are so many assumptions about how easily we are able to
move around, whether we can maneuver through small spaces, what
size shoes we wear, and how tall we are. Those of us who aren’t
dealing with physical disabilities don’t think twice about how
things are structured and communicated. We never have reason to
question our daily way of doing things."
Petersen expands on that idea. "How our houses and motels are
built, whether the doors are wide enough to get through … all of
these things I came to know because I was with this group of people
for an extended period of time. Indignities, inconveniences and
insults are not uncommon. Still, these people are so high-spirited
and energetic."
Perhaps it was this spirit of teamwork that helped them qualify
for world class competition. They accepted Petersen into their
community and she recorded many fascinating moments from what she
considers a "truly exhilarating and astonishing experience."
In the end, the first Paralympic equestrian team brought the
U.S. two gold medals, a bronze and 10 ribbons. The riders left
Atlanta as champions. Having overcome many challenges to get there,
they exemplified the vibrancy of human spirit. Carol Petersen
captured the colorful essence of it all through the lens of her
camera on black and white film.
PHOTOGRAPHY: "Into the Arena," sponsored by the Office for
Students with Disabilities and the Chancellor’s Office of Academic
Development, will be on display at the Kerckhoff Art Gallery
through Nov. 14. A reception will be held Thursday, Nov. 7 from 5 –
7 p.m.
SUSIE CHU/Daily Bruin
"Into the Arena," the current exhibit at Kerckhoff Art Gallery,
features Carol Petersen’s photographs of disabled horseback
riders.