Egypt: Reflections on Continuity

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. (Oct.)