Preserving Culture

What was the purpose of these journeys? Initially, I think my father’s fascination with the people of the world’s highland stemmed from his association with the design of fabrics and fibers. [However], his first visits to South America not only increased his knowledge of the local designs and artisans but also brought into sharp detail the rate at which these aboriginal cultures were being overtaken by the “civilized”world. So, he began a one-man effort to immortalize, on canvas, the dress and customs of the people he encountered. I heard him say, on one occasion, that should he arrive in a village and see plastic buckets in use, he was too late.

As you view this exhibit, keep in mind that it represents the life’s work of a man on a single-minded crusade to understand and preserve traditions that were slowly fading into history.

—CARL BERMAN JR.