By Rosemary Ford
Staff writer
May 14, 2008 12:29 pm It was 18 months after Hurricane Katrina hit that North Andover photographer Goodloe Suttler headed to New Orleans. Neighborhoods still stood empty. Debris still filled the streets. Vacant houses still bore the marks of search teams. The ghostly atmosphere evoked a creepy setting. Yet it was here that Suttler found inspiration for his art. He took out his camera, documenting the devastation at that moment, caused by the August 2005 hurricane. Of the 1,600 photos he took, 45 are on display as part of "Symbols of Search" at the Essex Art Center's Beland Gallery. This gallery at the art center is known for work that challenges the audience. Suttler feels his photographs fit in perfectly. "It's uncomfortable subject matter because New Orleans is still torn up," Suttler said. "It's been almost three years now, and New Orleans is still in tough shape." His colorful, 16-by-24-inch prints are displayed on black backgrounds, hung closely together in a grid. "I wanted to create a somber mood, and to do it mausoleum-style, to represent the death of many neighborhoods," Suttler said. In February 2007, Suttler went down to New Orleans with a youth group from North Parish Unitarian Church in North Andover. His job was to document the group's efforts helping hurricane survivors. "No one was around. The whole block was still evacuated," Suttler said. He had time to look around, and while he did that, he was struck by the images of the homes around him — some looked ravaged by the storm, others completely untouched. Yet, each bore the shorthand used by rescuers. As he walked the ghost town around him, he discovered the meaning behind the shorthand — the search dates, the areas searched, the bodies found and often notes to other groups. "The principal purpose was to indicate the house had been searched to some extent," Suttler said. The symbols on the homes reminded Suttler of the Passover story — when the enslaved Jews inscribed their doorways with the blood of a spring lamb to avoid the 10th plague God visited upon ancient Egypt, the killing of firstborn sons by the Holy Spirit. He noted the symbols appeared on new houses, old houses, big houses and small houses. Katrina had been a great equalizer. Suttler hopes people think about all the wonderful things lost in Hurricane Katrina — from lives to priceless historic treasures — after seeing this exhibit. He also hopes they think about those who are still suffering because of the disaster, without their homes and without their families. He also hopes that people see a hint of a bright future that can still await the Big Easy. "Even in tragedy there are still things of beauty you can find if you look carefully," Suttler said.
About Goodloe Suttler Born in Washington, D.C. in 1951. Received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University in 1974, and a masters in business administration from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1976. Worked at Analog Devices from 1976 to 2000. Since 2000 he has been working part time with New England and New York high-tech start-ups. Shot for his high school and college yearbooks. During college summers, he earned money for the school year by shooting portraits of children and families in outdoor settings. Had several exhibits of his black and white portraits in Alexandria, Va., where he lived prior to moving to Boston in 1976. The Beland Gallery exhibit "Symbols of Search" at the Essex Art Center is Suttler's second color print show and first solo color exhibit. It was shot with Nikon D2X, printed on Epson 9800 with Epson Premium Luster Photo paper.
If you go What: "Symbols of Search" photography of Hurricane Katrina When: Through June 20 Where: Elizabeth A. Beland Gallery, Essex Art Center, 56 Island St., Lawrence How: Admission is free. Visit www.essexartcenter.com for more information, or call 978-685-2343
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