“I was working in a photography center and that introduced me to the work of many photographers,” Cartagena said. “One of them particularly, he was very much a landscape photographer and he did a lot of urban and natural landscapes for companies.”

Cartagena’s photography exhibit will be on display on the fourth floor of the Law College Building building until Nov. 25.

His photographs depict both the expansion of suburban areas in northeast Mexico and the drastic environmental, economic and social consequences resulting from rapid housing growths in the region.

Cartagena also will be giving a public lecture, “Landscape and Culture: A Review of Suburbia Mexicana and Other Series,” tonight at 7 p.m. in room 134D, in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building.

Cartagena, who was born in the Dominican Republic and now lives in Mexico, has studied the social and economic issues concerning urbanization and land use in Mexico through his exhibit titled “Suburbia Mexicana: Cause and Effect.”

His documentary looks at the impacts brought on by rapid population growth in Mexico’s suburban areas, such as the effects on land and water usage.

Howard Bossen, professor of journalism at MSU, met Cartagena at an international photography review in Oregon and said he was impressed by his work.
“I thought Alejandro’s work was terrific,” Bossen said. “It was a question of how could we bring him to the university. It took a year to figure it all out.”

Bossen said he believes Cartagena’s photographs are more than just art pieces.

“They’re really telling a complicated story and have a tremendous amount to say about urbanization, land use and pollution,” Bossen said. “They explain the idea that the photograph is one of the means that we really can report information and tell stories.”

Cartagena’s photography exhibit is part of MSU’s Bicentennial Celebration of the Independence of Mexico, as well as the centennial celebration of MSU School of Journalism.

Kirsten Khire, communications manager in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, said the exhibit is a good fit with celebrating MSU School of Journalism’s centennial.

“We’re celebrating 100 years of educating MSU students in journalism,” Khire said. “The exhibit is perfect because it combines design, photography and art — all which enhance journalism in today’s world.”

Although Cartagena didn’t begin his career as a photographer dedicated to social justice issues, he said it became more than just photographs after a while.

“It was pretty obvious that there was something more than just an aesthetic approach,” Cartagena said. “All these alterations in the suburban housing developments were popping up all over the place. They look like pop architecture — the colors are so bright and everything has so much rhythm.”

Cartagena said he was drawn to looking at how repetitious the developments had become and researching why suburban sprawl was happening in Mexico at that point in history.

Cartagena, who also won the 2009 Critical Mass book award, said he believes his form of journalism provides a different angle than traditional reporting.

“I really believe that through landscape images, you can actually speak of cultural issues, economic issues and political issues without having to be so direct in the way you represent that,” he said.