"Lisa Jack, then a student of photography at Occidental College, sought a striking subject for a portrait project and was tipped off about a charismatic freshman named Barry Obama who would make an ideal subject." So begins (or began) the story of a quiet little photoshoot that would eventually end up as an exhibit at M+B.
The story behind the shoot is really charming. "Barry”, according to the M+B site, showed up to the shoot with a bomber jacket, flared jeans, a pack of cigarettes and a Panama hat he thought would look “cool”.
I guess it helps if the guy you photographed 28 years ago ends up being the leader of the Free World.
And yes, the Panama hat is kinda cool.