0.16 Earlie hudnall, jr., b. 1946  (Page 3/3)

I started painting in my freshman year before I took painting due to the fact that Kermit and Katie Oliver always came back to the art department in the evenings. They lived close to the University in a small apartment, and they would come back in the evenings to work. Kermit would paint, and I had the opportunity to watch him. So that was motivation…there was always that demonstration of what was taking place. It challenged you to be active. It challenged you to be responsible for what you was doing.

Shooting for model cities

I was in school painting a mural in Hannah Hall and a man walked up and said, “Are you Earlie Hudnall?” I said, “Yes I am.” He said, “Are you a photographer?” I said, “Yes I am.” He said, “Well, Mr. Evans [TSU photographer at that time] told me that I should come and talk to you. I need you to come to my office and see if you would be interested in being a photographer for Model Cities Program.” I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Well, come to room 102, Martin Luther King Center, and I’m Dr. Thomas L. Freedman.”

So I went and visited with Dr. Freedman. Working with the Model Cities Program, which provided city services to residents within the community—various communities—allowed me an opportunity to view Houston and see the various neighborhoods by shooting and making photographs. I was able to relate to Houston as a very rural and modern city, as well as somewhat of a Western city. Coming to Texas I was thinking that I was going to see cowboys and Indians and horses and all of that. But working for the Model Cities Program the blanket was pulled back, and the real Houston was revealed to me: Fourth Ward, Fifth Ward, Trinity Garden, the Hispanic community and all of that.

Being able to see all of this and coming from a working community has motivated me and inspired me to document life as it is. The simple things in life. How we live from day to day, what we do on special holidays, family kinds of things and so forth. And this has been my mainstay in photography.

A powerful influence

John Biggers really pushed me. He took an interest personally in me and to this day, I still don’t understand why. My first job in Houston was to clean up the painting room in the art department, and he provided that for me. He always challenged all of his students, but I kept coming back. I started to visit him in his studio. He started asking me to make photographs of certain pieces of sculpture for him and he allowed me the opportunity to experiment until I was able to get it right.

If you asked me the question, what one person touched you more than any of the others, I would have to say John Biggers, but then again, I had a supporting cast.

I went to Mr. Herbert Provost

Seeing past the lens

I never feel sorry for any of my subjects. I’ve always had respect for the individual, no matter who they were. Wherever I’ve been able to travel I’ve met people, and in every community there are so many similarities that we can find…and that is so wonderful.

It’s a rush, it’s an excitement, when you see the images of the picture and something sends off a signal that this is the moment to snap—to make the picture. That moment is very sacred and a very special kind of excitement. You are creating—you are freezing a moment in time, but you are having to work with the subject. You don’t have to speak…but there is this magical timing that [brings] you and the subject into orbit. Then that subject contributes to society in a way without even truly knowing that the image he provided at that precise moment can have an impact. To me that’s power. That’s the power. That is something given to you by God and it is the result of hard work and perseverance. It is something that is sacred and something you don’t abuse and you don’t misuse. I have to live up to that. To do less than that is not putting forth my best effort. My father used to always say if he was sick, or had to leave or go out of town, “Hey look, I have to leave, I’m putting you in charge.” And he said, “All I ask for you to do is your best.” And this is what I’m trying to do each and every day: to do my best.

Earlie Hudnall was interviewed on December 1, 2006. You can listen to the interview here .