© David Walter Banks, 2012, “Watching the Parade,” from the project, Florida: Eden Isle
“The theory of collective memory refers to the shared pool of information amongst a group of people. As Americans, our collective memory of Florida has become almost as much of a folk tale as it is based on reality. My recollections from childhood and adolescence are not necessarily how it actually looked and felt, but instead the world that I constructed from those fragmented memories.” (read more)
© Nick Albertson, 2012-13, Your Office Drawer
“I layer and arrange everyday household materials much in the way a painter applies pigment to a canvas, building a composition up from nothing. While my photographs are visually similar to some modernist painting (such as those by abstract Expressionists or Minimalists), my use of ordinary materials as my ‘brushstrokes’ playfully questions the self-seriousness of those artists. I simultaneuously love the beauty and simplicity of that work while I find the accompanying contention of artist-as-genius to be outmoded and pretentious.
My decision to engage with disposable objects also resonates with my choice to use the medium of photography, itself often considered to be ubiquitous and utilitarian. My photographs understate the functionality of my materials, and privileges their formal aspects. Similarly, my work emphasizes photography as artistic medium rather than a functional one. This tension between form and function drives my practice.” (Nick Albertson)
© Jean Guichard, Dec. 21, 1989, Lighthouse of ‘La Jument’, Breton’
Sailors had to wait until 1911 for the security this lighthouse represented. Accidents had been spectacular and numerous, just like on an unprotected highway (in one case alone, in 1896, 250 people died).
In 1989 a tempest raged for days and the lighthouse keepers held on tight, hoping the structure would resist. In spite of this, the keeper, Théodore Malgorne, dared open the door, intrigued by the noise of Jean Guichard’s helicopter. He closed the door in time and was unharmed.
I had this picture in my room for years when I was a kid. As I just recently found it I wanted to share this story with you.
© Jason Lee / Reuters, 2013, Basha, Congjiang county
An ethnic Miao minority man shaves another villager’s head with a sickle in the village of Basha in Congjiang county, Guizhou province, China.
Jason Lee is a Reuters staffer based in Eastern China. See more of his work, including this great shot of a panda playing the piano, here.
PORTRAITS OF BOSTON
This is such a moving story - sad and beautiful at the same time.
“Hey man, take my picture!”
“I can’t do it. It’s too dark.”
“Yeah, we need some light. Let’s go over there.”
“Are you homeless?”
“Yes, I am.”
“How long have you been homeless?”
“15 years. I’ve been in Boston 8 months. Before that I was in Washington, Virginia, New York, Philadelphia, Louisiana, Florida…”
“Why didn’t you stay in Florida? It’s so much warmer.”
“I wanted to see my family. But they don’t want to see me. They don’t understand depression. They treat me like dirt. Homeless people treat me better than my family.”
“And what happened 15 years ago? How did you end up on the streets?”
“I tried to burn myself twice. I had 30 surgeries. I was dead two times, but God brought me back. I don’t know why.”
“And why did you do it?”
“I was depressed. Why you crying?”
“Because you are a beautiful person, and my family is really messed up, and I’ve been very depressed. I think I can understand you.”
“Yes, I am a good person. And when you take people’s pictures, don’t disrespect them.”
“No, man, I won’t. I like people. That’s why I take their pictures.”
“And when you make your portfolio, don’t denigrate people. Let the pictures speak for themselves.”
“I will. Are you safe on the streets?”
“Yes, I am…And now I have $8 to buy me some food.”
“That’s all I have. Next time I see you, I will give you more.”
“No, man. It ain’t all about money. Give me a hug. And next time you see me, give me a hug again. And thanks for taking my picture.”
(thanks to / via: suzydickie, source: portraitsofboston)
5 COUNTRIES. 1 ARTIST. INGE MORATH.
Part 1 of 5: England, 1953-54
As it would have been Inge Morath’s 90th birthday today I decided to present some of her amazing color photography produced between 1953 to 1961. Enjoy the pictures!
© Inge Morath, 1957, Self-Portrait, France
You can find all five parts of the Inge Morath special here.
» more of Magnum Photos « | » more 5 Countries 1 Artist specials soon «
5 COUNTRIES. 1 ARTIST. INGE MORATH.
Part 2 of 5: Spain, 1955
Inge Morath was born in Graz, Austria, in 1923. After studying languages in Berlin, she became a translator, then a journalist and the Austrian editor for Heute, an Information Service Branch publication based in Munich. All her life Morath would remain a prolific diarist and letter-writer, retaining a dual gift for words and pictures that made her unusual among her colleagues.
A friend of photographer Ernst Haas, she wrote articles to accompany his photographs and was invited, alongside Haas, to Paris by Robert Capa to join the newly-founded Magnum agency. (+)
You can find all five parts of the Inge Morath special here.
» more of Magnum Photos « | » more 5 Countries 1 Artist specials soon «
5 COUNTRIES. 1 ARTIST. INGE MORATH.
Part 3 of 5: Iran, 1956
Inge Morath began photographing in London in 1951, and assisted Henri Cartier-Bresson as a researcher in 1953-54. In 1955, after working for two years as a photographer, she became a full member of the Magnum photo agency.
In the following years, Morath traveled extensively in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Her special interest in the arts found expression in photographic essays published by a number of leading magazines. (+)
You can find all five parts of the Inge Morath special here.
» more of Magnum Photos « | » more 5 Countries 1 Artist specials soon «
5 COUNTRIES. 1 ARTIST. INGE MORATH.
Part 4 of 5: Romania, 1958
After her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller in 1962, Morath settled in New York and Connecticut. She first visited the USSR in 1965. In 1972 she studied Mandarin and obtained a visa to China, making the first of many trips to the country in 1978. (+)
You can find all five parts of the Inge Morath special here.
» more of Magnum Photos « | » more 5 Countries 1 Artist specials soon «
5 COUNTRIES. 1 ARTIST. INGE MORATH.
Part 5 of 5: USA, 1961
As it would have been Inge Morath’s 90th birthday on May 27, I decided to present some of her amazing color photography produced between 1953 to 1961. Find more of her stunning work on the Magnum website.
“To take pictures had become a necessity and I did not want to forgo it for anything.” ― Inge Morath
You can find all five parts of the Inge Morath special here. Enjoy!
» more of Magnum Photos « | » more 5 Countries 1 Artist specials soon «
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