A collector's encompassing eye.

Common Ground: Discovering Community in the 150 Years of Art Foreword by Bill Clinton and essays by Philip Brookman, Merry Foresta, Paul Roth, Jacquelyn Days Serwer and Julia J. Norrell Merrell Publishers, November 2004, $49.95, ISBN 1-858-94265-9

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines community as "a unified body of individuals; the people with common interest living in a particular area." Based on the paintings, photography and sculpture collected by lawyer and lobbyist Julia J. Norrell, the book Common Ground aims to illustrate in its small powers both the diversity and commonality of man--our earthly community, so to speak. The works of black artists such as Radcliff Bailey, Whitfield Lovell, Gordon Parks and Carrie Mae Weems are included alongside the works of many non-black artists including Graciela Iturbide, Helen Levitt and Ben Shahn. The choices express the collector's social consciousness and her compassion for her fellow man. Sections of the book are given titles such as "Past and Present," "A Sense of Place," "Community," "Hope and Belief" and "Memory and Tribute" to show the threads that connect us; and the images focus on the places we live and the ways we live--regardless of race, religious beliefs or political ideas. The themes and intentions here have been covered before in some form or another, but an engaging reminder is always welcomed.

The 160 evocative images, mostly of southern life, seem to express either the harshness of struggling or the relief of salvation. Can it be that these two emotions, happiness and sadness--no matter the degree of sensation--broken down into their simplest forms, is what truly connects us? No matter how these feelings are portrayed, they can propel one to meditate on the many things that we really do have in common. The exhibition Common Ground is showing at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through January 2005.