Photos of cow hearts make Matt Spangler nauseous. Imagine that.

By Matt Spangler

“Who knows the secrets of the human heart?” a man once pondered. Peruvian photographer Ana de Orbegoso may not have stumbled upon the answer for man, but she has become intimately familiar with the inner essence of the bovine.

Purporting to translate “the clichéd language of both sweetheart and cold-hearted lover to unforgettable graphic images,” de Orbegoso snaps photos of cow hearts at Peruvian slaughterhouses. (I can only imagine how the meatpackers at my neighborhood Safeway would react to such a request!) Currently on display at Harmony Hall Regional Center in Fort Washington are her 24 selenium-toned canvas prints. While de Orbegoso’s printing may be technically flawless, after the first few shots (aside from feeling nauseous), I couldn’t help but think of those photographs of cancer-stricken lungs you see at the doctor’s office.

"With Heart in Hand"

"Queen of Hearts"

Her works range from the axiomatic (the regal heart of “Queen of Hearts” is adorned with a crown and is surrounded by genuflecting face cards) to the iterative (“With Heart in Hand” depicts a hairy-chested gent clutching a heart as if it were an urn, while in “I Give You My Heart” a female hand proffers a slimy, pulsating mess of a heart), to the just plain corny (in “Heart Attack,” a platoon of army men storm a hill topped by a fortress-like heart). Ultimately, of course, the titular vessel of “Straight to the Heart” becomes a gimmick dressed up as a photo essay, the cardiac equivalent of a Wegman pup.

I experienced one moment of true elation -- when I ambled up to “You Light Up My Heart.” Immediately, Debbie Boone’s kitschy classic flashed through my head, along with a million happy thoughts of eight-track players and roller rinks.

Despite the unpalatability of its current showcase, kudos to Harmony Hall for working in conjunction with the Embassy of Peru to bring a slice of world culture to Prince George’s County.

“Directo al corazón/Straight to the Heart,” a photographic installation by Ana de Orbegoso, will be on exhibit at Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301/203-6070, through Oct. 26.

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Matt Spangler is in a "transitional" phase in his life, as they like to say when you’ve just been laid off. He’s currently seeking gainful employment as a writer, documentary filmmaker, photographer, or telecommunications executive. His work as a photographer can be seen at Gallery West in Old Town Alexandria.

		Photo Flashback Connoisseurs of alternative photographic processes won’t want to miss the collection of Civil War-era cameras and prints on exhibit at Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site. Among the antebellum gems under glass are a stereoscope (the 19th century’s answer to the Viewmaster), a series of cartes de visites,
baseball card-size portraits of Union soldiers made during the period of Alexandria’s “occupation,” and an original 1863 wet-plate camera, used to produce cartes de visites, ambrotypes, and tintypes. Don’t forget your frock coat and Hardee hat. “Civil War Alexandria Through the Camera’s Eye” will be on display at Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site, 4301 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, 703/838-4848, through March 1, 2003. photo credit: From the Fort Ward Museum. Photo by Andrew J. Russell.