Throughout the year
Kuzma and Ruebartsch have talked to refugees in Milwaukee and documented the stories of
individual families. Refugees differ from immigrants in that they are displaced
from their homelands by crises, often war or famine, and seek sanctuaries in
which to begin a new life. Typically this journey begins at a refugee center;
many people here are adjusting to the Midwest from countries in Southeast Asia
and Africa, including Burma,
Laos and Somalia.
The WPCA displays about
30 of Ruebartsch’s giclée prints on rag paper in which he photographs individual
and community moments without romanticizing misfortune. Though he remains
objective, Ruebartsch uses his photographs to transport observers to a
particular place to reveal the emotions of his subjects.
Kay’s Son Tends Chickens pictures a boy peering through the wire
grid of a chicken coop, a chicken clutched in his hands, in a tender
interpretation of farm life. Children
Assemble for Burmese New Year’s Blessing portrays four boys dressed in
oxford shirts with their hands held in prayer. The up-close, slightly angular
perspective dramatizes these pensive young faces, evoking great empathy for a
family suddenly finding itself in a foreign land.
Certain photographs in
the exhibition provide viewers with a phone number that will allow them to hear
the voices of the subjects. These excerpts could stand to offer more insight,
but there is pleasure in hearing the exuberance in many of the voices.
Through experiences in
their own lives, Kuzma and Ruebartsch truly relate to these portraits. A
catalog documents their process and purpose with heartfelt credibility. “Here,
There, and Elsewhere” provides a valuable introduction to new Americans by
pointing out the similarities among us. Everyone needs food, water, shelter and
acceptance, no matter what land we call home.
“Here, There, and Elsewhere: Refugee Families in Milwaukee” continues through Aug. 28 at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, 839 S. Fifth St.
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