Observe Dallas 2015
By Ryan Javier
Time and empathy. Without a doubt, two of the most precious things that we as people, possess. They are also two reoccurring themes of a groundbreaking new art endeavor which is happening right now, in downtown D-Town.
This unprecedented undertaking, dubbed Observe Dallas 2015, is an art exhibition on a scale the likes of which this city has never seen before. Over the course of the next month and a half, world famous documentary photographer and photojournalist Richard Andrew Sharum, will be erecting massive larger-than-life prints of his work on strategically located buildings within downtown Dallas. Eight canvas prints will be placed upon five different buildings, one print per week, from now through the end of May. The first two prints are already up; One Main Place at 211 N. Ervay St. on April 10th and Metro Bar, at 800 Main St. on April 13th.
“Dallas is my home.”, says Sharum. “It looked like I could do something in Dallas that would hopefully be a 
catalyst for some type of change… for the benefit of the citizens in Dallas, for the benefit of those who express themselves professionally, and for the people who don’t…who just want to express themselves and they don’t have an outlet for that. “
“I think it (art) is something that’s so ancient, so imbedded in humans, that you can’t regulate it.” “The entire world is my canvas. “
As an emerging photographer, Sharum became disenfranchised by the state of affairs within the pre-established Art community of Dallas. In many vain attempts to get his work into Dallas galleries, the then unknown Sharum, faced closed doors and mountains of red tape. He became aware of the restrictions in which the city of Dallas had laid upon “art” and of the impact of the boundaries and invisible lines drawn within this great city, telling us all exactly where art can and can’t be displayed.
Art is about expression. Whether you’re a painter or a poet, no one wants to feel finite and rangebound, especially when it comes to expressing yourself. Sharum soon realized that the cold hard truth about the elitist galleries of this town was (and in some opinions still is), that if you’re not famous, your work isn’t getting shown in this city. Determined to have his work in Dallas galleries, Sharum did the only logical thing. He got famous.
Sharum departed Dallas with a bitter taste in his mouth and traveled, documenting downtown areas the world over. He quickly gained a massive following and became renowned for his honest, poignant and often stirring portrayals of urban life. In his relatively short but impressive career, Sharum has received a cavalcade of prestigious awards and an inordinate amount of praise for his work. He has even been recognized by the illustrious Magnum group, winning competitions and earning three masterclass grants. Sharum has had work in exhibitions across the country and across the globe. His commissions include everyone from private collectors to Harvard Law School. He’s even been published by such distinguished media outlets as the Wall Street Journal and Dallas’ own, D Magazine.
Sharum began photographing downtown areas in 2005 and as he explains, Observe Dallas 2015 is simply “a tributary of that project.” His first incarnation of “Observe Dallas” took place last year when he anonymously placed eight 38”x50” museum-quality prints on the sidewalks of downtown Dallas. Sharum’s theory was that the city was “hungry for art”, and people, upon seeing art would stop and look and ultimately, think. And people did. But only for a short while, as all eight photos were removed within a few short hours.
With Observe Dallas 2015 Sharum hopes that the placement and the sheer size of his enormous scenes of everyday life within Dallas, frozen in time, will be grab public’s attention long enough for them to stop and consider the concept of time. The preciousness of said concept is something most of us take for granted. Perhaps, if one were to stare at a 40’x40’ photo of a homeless person, one might become empathic, in effect sowing the seeds for change. While Sharum’s photos speak volumes to the mixed bag of varying and diverse socio-economic and political issues facing the people of Dallas, the art community within and the city as a whole. Sharum wants the public to interact with his prints and has created a hashtag, #observedallas2015 , in an effort to encourage people to become part of this massive project.
As with his 2014 Observe project, Sharum is not putting his name on the prints. “I’m not making a dime on this.”’ He explains. “…in fact, it’s costing me money.” Sharum didn’t do this for profit; he did this for the people.
Richard Andrew Sharum plans to expand his project of hanging supersized prints on metropolitan buildings to other cities. If he could make this idea work in Dallas, imagine how successful a similar undertaking would become in locations that are widely considered to be more art-friendly. If you’d like to know more about this amazing photographer and become informed on his upcoming projects, be sure to check out his website and Facebook page.
Article and photos by: Ryan Javier
Headshot courtesy Culture Hype, ©Justin S. Goode
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