Community Corner
"Picture: Positivity" Exhibit: Robert Smart
An exhibit currently open in San Jose depicts local men and women living with HIV or AIDS. It features the work of Santa Clara University students.
(Picture: Positivity, an exhibition of photographs, biographies and artist statements can be seen at the Santa Clara County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding, San Jose, now until June 20. The photographs are taken by Santa Clara University students. Here is background information about one of the subjects, and a statement from the student about their photograph on exhibit.)
Robert Smart
62
Santiago, Cuba/San Jose
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Robert Smart’s home is the world. “I have lived in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, London, you name it,” Robert says. After such a full life, he has chosen San Jose as his place to give back.
Robert’s family moved to Miami in 1959 and soon settled in Los Angeles, where he would spend the majority of his youth. Robert attended city schools and went on to get a college degree from UCLA. He graduated and found a teaching job, but after six months, he knew that this job was not for him.
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When he came upon an opportunity to be a flight attendant for Pan American airlines, Robert found a much better fit. He traveled the globe on routes throughout Asia, Europe, South America -- you name it, he says. He enjoyed a fast-paced lifestyle in many different places. He loved flying to exotic locales, enjoying the complimentary hotel service that went along with his job, partying in different cities until dawn.
Robert’s fun-filled life, he says now, caught up to him eventually. He learned he had contracted the HIV virus a few days before Christmas, but did not tell a soul about it until six months later. By this time he was so weak that he felt he could not go on. He did make it to the doctor and learned that he only had a T-cell count of 20, which is dangerously low. Robert thought he was going to die and began planning funeral arrangements.
He finally had been slowed down so much by the virus that Robert felt it was time to tell a loved one. He chose his brother. His brother encouraged him not to give in, to fight the virus, and this is exactly what Robert did. He started treatment and revived his T-cell count to over 500.
After returning to a healthier state, Robert began educating and helping others living with HIV.
He now works in the jails of Santa Clara County, making sure that prisoners with HIV get the medical attention that they need. He also goes to schools and gives talks, making sure that future generations have the information that they need to protect themselves from this dangerous virus.
Robert says he wants to make sure that kids in schools do not think they are invincible.
This disease can be catastrophic, Robert says, but at the same time it is eye-opening in important ways. “It made me realize that nothing is guaranteed,” Robert says. “You have to live life to the fullest and enjoy the time that you have.”
Photographer’s Statement
When I first learned that we were going to do a project on HIV/AIDS I was disappointed. I was disappointed because I thought this effort would not let me focus on my photographic work and my development as a photographer.
It turned out, however, that this project opened up an entirely new perspective for me in the way I see not only photography, but people.
No matter who we are, we all have things that we hide. It is only rare that we find individuals who are completely open. I was able to experience this first hand.
In a classroom full of San Jose 8th graders, I watched Robert Smart engage the classroom in a fascinating story of his life and his experience with AIDS. Robert spoke with absolute comfort. He did not hold back. His confidence and demeanor made him seem impervious to judgment, which in turn freed his audience to fully envelop themselves in his extraordinary journey.
I did my best to capture Robert in the midst of his speech and his charismatic personality made it quite easy. When I first talked to him about his work in schools, I knew that I would end up with a photo similar to this one.
He walked freely throughout the room, personally addressing individuals in the class. His speech was educational, and he touched upon key components of safety in terms of protecting oneself against HIV transmission. But even more, he gave reality and personality to the issue.
We are so used to hearing statistics and secondhand accounts of this virus. Robert presented it in a way that made it personal and relatable. Robert is real. This topic is real. Now I am a part of it and I will never forget.
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