Faculty Profile

Writing History Through Images

When J. Tomás López rides the subway he doesn’t sit quietly and mind his own business. He moves about the car, intruding on other passengers’ personal space and generally disturbing the peace. Though some may call this behavior obnoxious, he is actually just doing his job.

López, a professor of art and art history at the University of Miami, is a photographer who has recorded life in the London, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, New York, and Rome subways. The resulting collection, called Le Métro (the subway), is now included in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France), which contains the world’s largest repository of photographs, and is one of two López portfolios that were recently added to the U.S. Library of Congress.

Just as he defies social conventions in the subway, López uses photography to challenge tradition and entice observers to consider the world in new ways. Thus while Le Métro documents the seemingly ordinary moments of travel, he tries in his photos to persuade viewers to see the reality of a situation in which people are hurtling through an underground tunnel surrounded by strangers from all walks of life.

In another collection, also included in the Library of Congress, López documents protesters in Paris. Called Les Manifestations (strikes), the photos capture the emotions of remonstrating Palestinians, Israelis, communists, socialists, and Green Party members.

“It is one thing to write history,” he said, “but images have more impact.” And if it is measured by the ubiquity of the artist’s work, López’s impact is considerable. His photos have been shown in over 150 exhibitions worldwide, including a show at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and one at the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York. A traveling exhibit, called Unbroken Ties: Dialogues in Cuban Art, is currently on display at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art. López is the keynote speaker for this event. Also on display through the end of May is a solo exhibition of Le Métro at the University’s Lowe Art Museum.

“Tomás is always experimenting and coming up with new concepts,” said Jorge H. Santis, curator at the Fort Lauderdale Museum. “So many artists stick with a particular formula and never try anything new, but Tomás is different. He likes to take risks.” Santis likes López’s work so much that over the years he has purchased seven portfolios for the museum’s permanent collection.

But displaying his photos in prominent places isn’t the only way in which the artist exerts his influence. López was a chapter editor in the 2007 Focal Encyclopedia of Photography and he has been nominated to serve as curator for the Korean Photo Biennial. The job would allow him to select the best photography from around the world for display in the prestigious show.

López also is a teacher of photography and art history. In one course, which has steadily grown in popularity, he takes University of Miami students to Spain to visit some of the world’s greatest art museums. He also reaches out to high-school students by teaching photography workshops that help them build portfolios for use in college applications.

Whether teaching or doing on-the-ground photography, López exudes enthusiasm. “I’m just fortunate,” he said, “that my job is my hobby.”