Finding Her Voice In a Photograph
Written by Dakota Walker

A photographer for nearly 20 years Donna Hurt has always held environmentalism, social activism, and community issues close to heart when it comes to her creations. She grew up in a home where there was very little communication. Photography became her visual poetry and a way of capturing the things she saw, more so than words ever could.

The weekend of August 29th, 2005 Donna was to return home after spending two years finishing her masters program for Fine Art at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Her home, however, was New Orleans and there was another visitor that same weekend, Katrina.

What ended up being a catastrophe for many, including many of her friends, also ended up being a catalyst for Donna's new journey which ultimately landed her and her partner, Rena, in Charleston. However distant they were in miles from the aftermath of Katrina, their hearts were not and in a struggle to make sense of something so horrifying Donna turned once again to the one medium she could  find her voice, her camera. "The devastation was so overwhelming so taking photos was my way to deal with the tragedy." she said. The photos she began taking reflected our society and our attachment to materialism as a whole. She focused not on the crumbled houses, but the little things, the collectibles, kitschy objects, toys that were strewn about. To her it demonstrated a larger scale problem within our society and how we surround ourselves with stuff. Images from her Katrina series have now been published in NOMA's book, "Katrina Exposed, A Photographic Reckoning" and are now part of a traveling exhibition, "Katrina: Catastrophe and Catharsis" and is currently on view until April 29th in Colorado Springs.

Donna's work has always inspired change and activism, social responsibility and awareness. She hopes for her art to raise new questions by the viewer such as why this, why that? Her views of the world are complex and multi faceted and her photography is a means of accessing the truth about herself and the world. Her work, she hopes, explores the issues but also highlights the beauty that is beyond what we feel is troublesome or dark. To find that beauty she spends time in nature recharging her creative battery and appreciating those things we take for granted or forget in the aftermaths. Her partner, Rena, has also been supportive of her career offering her feedback and emotional support. "She validates me, she is an artist in her own right." Donna says,  "If I'm editing a body of work, I run it by her to get her final stamp of approval."

It took time before either of them could face Katrina though. The  images sat on her computer and in negative binders long after the winds swept away New Orleans. But from here she is ready to move on to her next project perhaps dealing with race relations. It is something she will mill around in her own head and heart before she begins the process of moving the thoughts into action. Whatever the end result will be, one thing is for sure, it will surely produce images that will leave us all questioning something about our own life, our own morals, or ideals and if it does, then she has succeeded with her art.

Perhaps it is the kind of tragedy such as Hurricane Katrina that transforms the strongest into a voice for awareness, perspective and fortitude. And maybe then growing up in a home void of dialog is justified when you see the voice within her art now.

Donna Hurt, you are indeed a powerful woman!