Drexel Exhibit Provides Perspective for Issue of Drug Use

To provide a perspective on the arresting photos exhibited in the Larry Clark Tulsa series currently in the Rincliffe Gallery, the Dornsife School of Public Health and The Drexel Collection are jointly hosting a lecture involving University professors and community members who have struggled with drug use.

Held in the Anthony J. Drexel Picture Gallery Oct. 28, the event centers around Larry Clark’s Tulsa series, on view in Main Building’s Rincliffe Gallery through Nov. 13.

Tulsa documents the lives of Clark and his friends from 1963–71, a period in which they were addicted to amphetamines. Their drug use is on display in several of the photographs.

As such, the Oct. 28 event, running from 3:30 until 5 p.m., will feature community members who have experienced the struggle of drug use providing their insight and reaction to Clark’s images, bringing the documentary photographs further into stark reality.

The event will also feature presentations by Professor Stephen E. Lankenau, PhD, and Adjunct Professor Jeanette Bowles, both of the Dornsife School of Public Health.

The Tulsa series depicts not only Clark and his friends but the consequences of their activities through a raw, unmodified style. Clark’s lived experience while taking these photographs offers a more personal view of the lives of these kids and “upped the ante for engaged photograph.”

Today, many cities and small towns face similar problems with drug abuse. The issues have become so severe in areas that community, public health and governmental resources are increasingly devoted to addressing this problem. Clark’s Tulsa shines a light on the drug use and violence from an earlier period, informing us today that these issues are enduring problems in many communities, which will be the focus of Oct. 28’s event.

For more information please contact Lynn Clouser, assistant director of The Drexel Collection, at 215-895-2414 or lynn.c.clouser@drexel.edu.