New exhibit focuses on cancer survivors
This month, the Tamarac Community Center will feature artwork by resident Susan Buzzi in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.
Buzzi, a local photographer, has focused her lens on survivors of the disease for a decade. Her documentation of the local women overcoming breast cancer started in 2007 after she received a grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure through the Broward County Libraries.
This helped her develop her first installment, “Stories to Share,” followed by hundreds of photographs later, including a session with former mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco.
“This was a totally different assignment,” said Buzzi, in comparison to other work she has done. “These are real people that are going through real tragedy, a real critical crisis in their lives.”
Buzzi follows the survivors through their journey, going so far as photographing them in surgery. She strives to photograph them in their element and wherever they’re most comfortable, be it with their loved ones or even with the doctors and nurses helping them along the way.
“They are the faces of courage and they’re so bold for even wanting to partake,” said Buzzi. “You have to give them credit and you have to salute them at the end of the day because it’s not easy to come forward to talk or do this.”
The process behind the project has slightly changed over the years, as she had to go looking for people willing to participate on short notice during the first installment. As her name made its way through different hospitals and facilities, Buzzi has been fortunate enough to have survivors approach her with interest in being photographed.
While her method of using film over digital has remained the same over the years, she has now slowly introduced color photography. Still, she said there has to be a good reason for her to use color film, as black-and-white is her preferred format because she can do everything herself from the moment the photo is taken to printing in the darkroom.
The project has also become a lot more time consuming, sometimes taking up the whole year.
“Every month, I’m meeting someone,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing because that tells me the statistics are not getting any better. We need to do better.”
Now with 10 years into the project, Buzzi said she might be taking a little break. But as long as there is a need to raise awareness, she will always be working hard to help with her art.
“When I first started this project, I would never have imagined that it would have continued like this,” she said. “I just hope that they know that I really strive to do justice for them because I am their visual voice.”
Buzzi’s display will be available this month at the Tamarac Community Center, located on 8601 West Commercial Boulevard. There will be a lecture and book signing on Oct. 26, at 6:30p.m.