Robert Redford Reflects on Working Toward Peace

As Aldous Huxley’s perceived vision of A Brave New World descends upon us with alarming speed, we might ask ourselves how to be with it. Do we accept the shift from human values to cosmetic and material ones without resistance? Or do we labor to maintain our human values by adjusting to these seemingly inevitable changes through creating new paradigms for sustainability?
What new formulas await to preserve our environment, if not repair the damage already done? What solutions will save public education, now endangered in underprivileged areas by the greed and ignorant ambitions of faulty leadership – or support and sustain art as a vital part of any society or culture?
When I look about and see what the information age has wrought, I see a culture rich in materials for pleasure and excess communication but poor in depth of feeling and imagination – dull and flat and rich.
I vote for the fight. For if our humanity – our soul as a society – is overtaken by the materiel and cosmetic, there will be no hope of peace.

I photographed Robert Redford on a stunning sunny afternoon at his home in the mountains. After a warm welcome, we felt right at home – enough to completely rearrange his dining room to accommodate my lights. I usually gravitate toward the dining room table because it is most often the central meeting point of the house. I like to work face-to-face with subjects, rather than from behind the camera, engaging in conversation to evoke emotions. Bob’s genuine candor and charm made this shoot especially memorable. – M.C.

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