The pen is

mightier than the sword, but a picture is worth a

thousand words.

Humans can

communicate better when they can relate to something

visually. "Don't just tell me - show me,"

is a common refrain.

Gordon

Parks communicated with Americans visually, starting as

the first African American photographer for Life

magazine. Parks examined the contrasting relationships

that existed, such as rich and poor, black and white,

journalism and art.

The Michael

C. Carlos Museum at Emory University will showcase the

enormous talent of the artist with Half Past Autumn: The

Art of Gordon Parks Feb. 5-April 30.

The exhibit

will be presented at 15 venues as part of a national

touring program. The show will highlight Parks'

achievements as a filmmaker, photographer, novelist,

musician, poet and humanist. The retrospective brings

together for the first time more than 200 of his

photographs along with his work as a filmmaker (he

directed numerous documentaries plus popular action

flicks such as "Shaft"), his books (he has

written five on is life), his numerous volumes of poetry

and his music, which includes a symphony, sonatas,

concertos and a ballet.

"The

Carlos Museum is delighted to be able to present to the

Atlanta-area audience a compelling overview of one of the

great figures of 20th-century American cultural

life," said museum director Anthony Hirschel.

Parks

overcame a background of racism and poverty to become an

influential photographer for both Vogue and Life

magazines. One of his more famous works is a series

called "American Gothic, Washington D.C." The

series of 85 photographs depicts a government-employed

African-American cleaning woman. The series is in sharp

contrast to his fashion work

"Parks'

work echoes the tension of modern society," said

Phillip Brookman, exhibit co-curator and curator of media

and photography arts at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in

Washington, D.C. "In one frame, the art presses

social issues, such as poverty, race, segregation and

crime, while it also enhances our understanding of

beauty, nature, childhood, music, fashion and

memory."

The Michael

C. Carlos Museum at Emory University is open 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Admission to the exhibit is free, but a $3 donation is

suggested.

For

information, phone 404-727-4282. Other information about

the Parks exhibit and the Michael C. Carlos Museum can be

found at www.emory.edu/CARLOS

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