Bob Gates is in his element. He strolls the intersection of Fayette and South Salina streets, chatting with individuals waiting for the bus. He asks how they are doing, talks about the day and laughs about his reflection in one man’s sunglasses. He moves from group to group, blending in with the crowd on the busy streets. Before he moves on, he snaps a photograph or two with the Canon digital camera that is always at his side.

‘I know well-known photographers who go to India to take pictures of the people because they’re exotic and interesting,’ he said.  ‘But I say, come to downtown Syracuse if you want to see interesting faces. You don’t have to go to India. Come right down in your own town and talk to people and see what you get.’

After his retirement as an English professor at Syracuse University two years ago, Gates now spends his time documenting the people of downtown Syracuse at the largest bus transfer station in the city. The photographer, who has titled this project ‘Last Transfer: The Soul of Syracuse,’ will speak Tuesday as part of the Syracuse Symposium lecture series at 7 p.m. in Gifford Auditorium.

The ‘Last Transfer’ project includes more than 1,800 photographs of people who come and go from the bus stop. One day, Gates walked downtown, saw the area and remembered a news story about the bus station changing locations. The current station will move to a new location in early 2012, and this project is Gates’ attempt to document the people and the atmosphere of the intersection while it remains a hubbub of activity.

‘I thought, ‘Gee, that’s interesting, but what’s going to happen to this corner?’ because this corner is very lively, very engaged,’ said Gates, who loves the diversity downtown Syracuse offers. 

First, Gates approaches his subjects and begins a conversation with them. He is not conspicuous; he’s wearing jeans, sneakers and a well-worn polo. Only the camera slung over his shoulder sets him apart. He picks a target and moves so that he intercepts them, almost as if by accident. He stops the person, tells him or her about his project and says something like, ‘I don’t have you in my project yet. Can I take your picture?’ 

‘Sure,’ the person says, usually a little hesitant. Some look around to see if this is normal. Others on the street may curiously watch, but the exchange often goes unnoticed. Gates takes two or three pictures, hands them a slip of paper that explains the project and how they can find the photos on his blog and wishes them a good day. For those who say no, he thanks them and moves on to the next potential subject. 

In the lecture Tuesday, titled ‘Last Transfer: Identity and Liminality,’ Gates will explain the project and show students his photos.  The lecture coincides with a photo exhibit in Panasci Lounge on the second floor of the Schine Student Center that showcases more than 30 of the photographs from the ‘Last Transfer’ project.

During the lecture, Gates will recount growing up in a housing project in Newark, N.J., and explain how it shaped his understanding of his current venture. The photographer will also discuss the idea of liminality, a term Gates said anthropologists use to talk about spaces that are in between defined areas. Gates said this concept is apparent in his photos; his subjects lose the specifics of their identity and take on a more general, universal persona.

 ‘I’m trying to show that in these photographs, that we can all be related to all of these people,’ he said. ‘Mostly it’s a matter of seeing, a matter of opening your eyes and being willing to see what’s really there rather than coming with your prejudices, your preconceptions or your stereotypes.’

When Robbi Farschman, the director of the Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development who oversees the Connective Corridor project, discovered Gates’ photos, she suggested he display his photos in the buses. Currently, two Connective Corridor buses that connect the campus to downtown host several of his works. 

Though the people at the bus stop have warmed up to Gates’ endeavor, he met some resistance at first. One individual, Curtis Ruffin, frequents the intersection and said he was not open to the project at first. 

‘I told him no,’ Ruffin said. ‘I thought he was the police.’ 

Ruffin, whose eyes show mistrust as a consequence of run-ins with authorities, said he felt unsure sure about Gates’ motives. But after seeing the photographer downtown frequently, Ruffin allowed Gates to take his photograph.  Now accepting of Gates’ work, Ruffin hopes the photographs will reveal unexpected sides of those who wait at the downtown bus stop.

‘People drive down here and they see me and think I’m some kind of thug,’ he said.  ‘I want (us) to be seen as viable people in the community who need a chance.’

Gates’ eldest daughter Laura Gates said that through the project, her father tries to do just that.

 ‘He’s doing this from a place of love and contribution,’ she said. ‘Love of the art of photography, love of photography as a medium, and I really think he has a love for these people.’

nlsnader@syr.edu

Published on October 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm