Pulitzer Winning Photographer Tamas Revesz, who spoke at Salt Lake Community College on Feb. 10, 2012, grew up in Hungary where the Roma, or Gypsies, lived such different lifestyles that he wanted to document them.
His book on the Gypsies, a taboo subject in Communist Hungary, was published in 1977. Revesz has seen violence increase against the Gypsies in the last few years and he wants to help.
“Nothing has been changed. In fact, it’s gotten worse,” says Revesz.
He calls the racism against the Roma a time bomb that existed in Hungary and all of Eastern Europe.
Revesz went back to the town where he took photos for his 1977 “A Farewell to the Gypsy Colony.”
He was able to find some of his subjects still alive, even though the life expectancy in the town is about 45 years. He photographed the subjects in poses similar to the original photos.
“I was just trying to avoid stereotypes. My aim is rather to show their dignity,” says Revesz. “This is just the beginning of the project.”
Revesz hopes to be able to put a book together that will increase empathy and understanding with photos and life stories of the Roma.
“Empathy is needed to stop the civil war against the Roma,” says Revesz.
