Egypt: Reflections on Continuity

Book by Pare, Richard

It is difficult to capture the many facets of Egypt, both a nation and an ancient civilization; Pare ( Courthouse ) makes a respectable effort. His theme is continuity, and though his 36 photographs comprise a limited view, they are the work of a talented artist. Pare depicts modern Cairo as a chaotic mosaic of billboards and gold-domed mosques; his timeless desert is toasty for a moment, then rosy in the changing light. In one remarkable shot that seems to graze the desert sands, with the Cairo skyline in the distance, he allows ancient minarets to share a panorama with angular office buildings. In the final section, Pare moves back in time to pharaonic Egypt, using the contrast of natural rock and man-made marvels to dramatize the well-known pyramids, as if seen for the first time. He calls on his camera to create a canvas familiar and yet recognizably his own. Pare's text adds relatively little to his true voice, a visual one.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Pare has presented a fine collection of 51 color photographs representing the timelessness of the Egyptian civilization. Taken with a large-format camera by Pare while living in Egypt from 1983 to 1985, the photos demonstrate exceptional artistry and unusual angles of both well-known and little-exposed locations. The focus in this collection is on artifacts of Egyptian culture and environment, past and present, taken in the diverse surroundings of oasis, desert, village, city, garden, and monument. Accompanied by a meager but interesting introductory narration by the photographer, the collection could have been improved with more related photographs and with the addition of scholarly interpretation of the historical and cultural significance of the captured objects and sites. Recommended for those sojourners who have ventured beyond the tourist sites.
- Paula I. Nielson, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.