Conjuring Paradise

These colorful photos of American tourists on vacation in Hawaii at first seems to be about the excesses of American culture%E2%80%94large bellies, tacky shops, and fashion don%E2%80%99ts abound. But beneath the humor is a profound and moving book about the nature of humanity. American photographer Karel (Bombay Jadoo) captures moments of tenderness, such as a boy asleep on a woman%E2%80%99s lap beneath a mural of a tropical beach, and images that evoke love: two dead fish, their mouths puckered as if blowing kisses; a parakeet staring lovingly at another on the beach; two disembodied hands with overwhelming nails and rings tenderly holding an elderly woman%E2%80%99s arm; and a woman grimacing as she sprays suntan lotion on her husband%E2%80%99s back. Even without knowing the backstory%E2%80%94that the series began on Karel%E2%80%99s final trip to Waikiki with her husband, who was losing his fight with cancer%E2%80%94viewers can sense the feelings behind her lens. Her subjects often seem entirely alone; for example, a close-up of a boy against the side of the pool with his eyes closed, whose face is lined with red indentations from an overly tight mask, as though life has already scarred his body. Though Karel%E2%80%99s work captures the explosion of tropical color and the absurdity of tourist culture, her images also display the uncertainly and complexity of life. 66 color photos. (Jan.)