To honor the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Brian Lanker, the Museum of Natural and Cultural History will showcase selections from his yearlong journey across the United States documenting a variety of dance styles called, “A Tribute Exhibition: Shall We Dance? Photographs by Brian Lanker.”
Lanker, a former Register-Guard employee, Life magazine, National Geographic and Sports Illustrated photographer from Eugene, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 63. The show’s open gallery is a composite portrait of dance in America, which captures his visions of his subjects as well as his keen eye for photography.
“Brian Lanker made important people feel like regular people, and he made regular people feel like important people,” said Steven Asbury of Asbury Design about his professional colleague and friend. “He always took a personal interest in everybody that he met.”
Asbury closely worked with Lanker in piecing together the photobook of “Shall We Dance?” that was published in 2008. From the touching photograph of “Ruple Ross and Joel Arellano” at the Assisted Living Center to the tempting woman in “Exotic Dancer,” the encounters Lanker came across celebrated the beauty of dance found in all cultures, personalities and emotions.
“He always wanted to show things in photojournalism that people don’t see.” Asbury said. “He does a very good job of it, and the photos are incredible.”
Lanker’s photographs on display are signed copies and available for purchase, with all the proceeds donated toward the museum’s exhibit hall expansion, “Explore Oregon!” in the name of Lanker and his wife, Lynda. Judi Pruitt, assistant director of visitor services, says the new space will be dedicated to geology, paleontology and the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.@@http://uoalumni.com/s/1202/blank.aspx?sid=1202&gid=1&pgid=557@@
Though this will be one of the museum’s premier attractions, Lanker’s exhibit has grown in popularity with former dancers, admirers and close friends coming to marvel at his vibrant images.
“I think Brian had a very different eye,” Pruitt said. “He saw art from many things. He saw it as art when he’s photographing, and that translated and expanded from there.”
Breanne Bonham, a volunteer at the museum and a senior from Springfield High School, said the exhibit is a perfect entry for learning more about dance, culture and the society of dance.@@http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/sTX5_by7S0yZhZ39IKvKUg/girls-basketball-winter-08-09/profile-breanne-bonham.htm@@
“It’s a large varying collection,” Bonham said. “It’s really cool to see that the photographer went through professional dance and a high school dance and how he tried to capture what dance really means to all of us.”
The museum is scheduled to feature “Shall We Dance?” every day until Sept. 4. For more of Lanker’s photography, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is currently presenting selections from “I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America” until Sept. 11 in the Focus Gallery. These portraits document the achievements and aspirations of the lives of black women in the fields of entertainment, civil rights, politics, athletics and other areas. They include renowned names such as Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Septima Poinsette Clark.
“Brian was a huge asset to not only the world of photography, but also Eugene and also everybody he met and touched,” Asbury said. “He will be greatly missed.”