Glendinning, whose photography has been shown in many museums and galleries around the United States, had created the photographs while he was a visiting artist at three South African technikons (comprehensive technical colleges) in March 1999. His photos were exhibited at the embassy for the Kathrada book event on October 4, 1999 and were then moved to the Consulate, where they were on display through December.

Following are excerpts from his "Artist's Statement" and two of his photographs from the series of fifteen.

Mr. Ado Krige, Regeneration Dance Club Owner, Pretoria "Mr. Krige is a former drug addict who now runs Regeneration, a dance club dedicated to Christian anti-drug activities. He impressed me as someone who has dedicated his new mission in life to peace through religion, through clean living, through love. I posed him giving two traditional signs of peace, emerging both from the darkness of a spiritual void, and the contrast of colors symbolizing a former psychedelic lifestyle." - Peter Glendenning

The portrait series from South Africa came about as a result of a collaboration with students and staff of the Technikon Pretoria, Technikon Port Elizabeth, and Free State Technikon in March of 1999. I had been invited to teach professional practices at the three institutions, and planned to make portraits with my Hosemaster TurboFilter, a device which allows me great control over a range of color and sharp/soft-focus effects.

I [had] requested that the students assist me in proposing portrait subjects that, to their minds, typified some aspect of South African culture, and in working with me on location to create the pictures. The students responded with great enthusiasm. When I arrived for my first stop, in Pretoria, we hit the ground running, literally, working with the students and staff from the first day in making a great number of portraits.

I was struck by the spirit of optimism, and the essence of the truly "spiritual," that seemed so universal among the students and subjects I was blessed to meet and work with. While I found a nation emerging from great conflict, with all of the accompanying travails that one might expect, I also found a nation of people whose indomitable spirit and optimism keep them moving forward. That spirit is what these photographs are most centered on, reflected in each individual, and in those whom they represent.