Wendy Ewald, a senior research associate at the Center for Documentary Studies and a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, said she has long been fascinated by the discrepancy learning disabled children face when forging the connection between what they see and what they perceive.
Her experience as a mother witnessing her son learning to read inspired her to explore this interest through photography and film.
Ewald's photograph series, On Reading, will be on display at the John Hope Franklin Center from March 19 to May 25. With subjects ranging from third to fifth grade public school students, the series features photographs of the children's eyes captured from a spy camera that recorded the children as they read out loud.
Each shot not only presents a candid view of the children's eyes, but also captures the reflections of the books they are reading. For Ewald, the subtle reflections on the pupils are symbolic of the difference between looking and seeing for these children.
The series also includes a short documentary film showing the children's successes and struggles with reading.
"When they see words that they don't understand, they simply translate it into the closest one they are familiar with," Ewald said. "These children have an amazing resilience for creating a world with what they have, even if it is different from the one most people see."
In addition to Ewald's photograph series, sculptor Christian Karkow's work will also be on display. Karkow is known for his use of discarded and "found" objects. Consisting of beads, wood and especially antique brass tags, Krakow's Ex Machina retrospective will be also open March 19.
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