Following the success of Humanitas and Humanitas II: The People of Gujarat, photographer Fredric Roberts now turns his lens to the captivating and controversial country of Burma. The result of eight years of travel throughout the region, the approximately 120 photographs in Humanitas III focus on the spiritually rich lives of the Burmese people. Featuring temples, portraits, scenes of everyday life, and incredible landscape, Humanitas III offers a rare view of a country that has been closed to --or avoided by-- many photographers due to its social isolation and reputation for political repression.
Cicero coined the term humanitas (literally, "human nature") to describe the development of human virtue in all its forms, denoting fortitude, judgment, prudence, eloquence, and even love of honor--which contrasts with our contemporary connotation of humanity (understanding, benevolence, compassion, mercy). The Latin term is certainly a fitting book title as we are struck with respect and awe for Roberts's subjects' individual fortitude and eloquence rather than pity for their plight: each photograph tells us a compelling story.
Curated by Britt Salvesen, the department head and curator of the photography department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, many of the images present subjects looking directly at the photographer and at the reader, effortlessly prompting a cross-cultural dialogue. Essays by Teri Edelstein and Emma Larkin, an expert journalist/author covering Burma, provide context for Roberts's photographs by describing the lives of the Burmese peoples. about the photographer and authors
Roberts, Fredric: -
Fredric Roberts is an award-winning photographer based in Los Angeles. His work has been exhibited in solo shows at the United Nations General Assembly, The Rubin Museum of Art, the Museum of Photographic Arts, the City of Ontario Museum of History and Art, Yale University, Stonybrook University, Lehigh University and the San Diego International Airport.
Fred is a member of the President's Circle and Photographic Arts Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors of the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. He was previously a member of the Advisory Council of the Santa Fe Center for Photography, the Patron's Circle of the Museum of Photographic Arts, the Board of Directors of the Center for Photographic Arts, and also served as the President of the Pitzer College President's Council.
In 2000, Fred retired from a distinguished 30-year career in the finance industry. In 1980, he established F.M. Roberts & Company, a Los Angeles-based investment banking company. In 1993, he served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), which then owned and operated the Nasdaq Stock Market. He later served as a member of the Nasdaq Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, Chairman of the NASD's Corporate Financing and Strategic Planning Committees, the Nasdaq Marketing Committee, and the National Nominating, Rate Formulation and Listing Qualifications Committees. Recently, he was a Director, and former Chairman of the Board, of Cost Plus, Inc., a leading specialty retailer of casual home furnishings and entertaining products.
In January 2011, he established the first Fredric Roberts Photography Workshop in Udaipur, India, and recently embarked on a continuation of these workshops across the world. The first of these took place in Bhutan in January 2014, followed by a second workshop in Nicaragua in May 2014.Fred Roberts is a graduate of Yale University and The Hill School and is an active member of the business and cultural communities in Los Angeles. He is an Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Music Center. He is also Chairman Emeritus of the Music Center's Leadership Council and Founding Chairman of the Spotlight Awards Scholarship Program. He has been a frequent lecturer for the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and the Young Presidents' Organization, and has written several articles on corporate finance for Chief Executive Magazine. He is the former Cellar Master of the Los Angeles chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux and past President of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
His work is in the collections and/or represented by the following institutions in the United States and around the world:
- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA)
- The Museum of Photographic Arts (San Diego, CA)
- The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations (New York, NY)
- The Rubin Museum of Art (New York, NY)
- Yale University (New Haven, CT)
- Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA)
- Pitzer College (Claremont, CA)
- The Stephen Cohen Gallery (Los Angeles, California)
- The Hayworth Gallery (Los Angeles, California)
- The Bougainvillaea Gallery (Udaipur, India)
Fred has received widespread recognition for his work:
- "Best Foreign Photographer for India" award from the Government of India in March 2011
- International Photography Award: 2003 (winner in two categories), 2004 (second place in the "Travel/Tourism" category)
- Foreward Magazine's "Book Of The Year" Award: In 2005, Roberts' first book, HUMANITAS Volume One, was a finalist in the Photography category
- The New York Times' 100 Notable Books of the Year: Roberts' second book, HUMANITAS II, was featured in this list in 20072007 Lucie Awards: Honorable mentions in the "Fine Art" and "People" categories
