Griffin News

Ruben Salgado Escudero | Finalist, Arnold Newman Prize

Posted on October 8, 2020

The Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in Photographic Portraiture for 2020 is on the walls of the Griffin. Today we highlight one of the finalists, Ruben Salgado Escudero. We wanted to know more about his beautiful series, Solar Portraits, so we asked him a few questions.

© Ruben Salgado Escudero – Mg Ko, a Shan farmer poses with his cow in Lui Pan Sone Village, Kayah State. Only 26% of Myanmar has access to electricity, at least half of whom live in cities. In rural areas, of the estimated 68,000 villages in the country, just 3,000 or so have any sort of access to power. Solar power is a viable source of energy which can rapidly improve lives overnight.

Tell us about what inspired the body of work? What was the first image in the series?

The people of rural Myanmar who mostly live without access to electricity inspired me to begin this project. When I moved there in 2013 to begin my photography career, I was stunned when traveling outside of the main cities and saw that most people had to light candles and kerosene lamps after the sun fell. The first solar portrait I took was a farmer and his cow in a rural area about 250km from Yangon, where I used to live. He told me his story of how, thanks to his small solar panel, he was able to milk his cow earlier in the day and later at night, giving him more time to spend on the field and with his family. I asked if I could take a photo of him with his favorite cow. He agreed and as it was night time, I used the only source of light that was available- his solar powered led bulb.

© Ruben Salgado Escudero – Cristobal Cespedes Lorenzo (51) sits on his raft while carrying coconuts across the river to his home in Copala, on the coast of Mexico’s state of Guerrero.
Cristobal and Francisco Manzanares Cagua (16) both work picking coconuts which they then sell to a company which makes coconut butter and oil.

Did your ideas about the work change over the course of creating the images? What did you learn from creating the series?

I try to have Ideas for projects flow organically, so in this case, and after working on the project for the last five years, it has become much more than a photography project. Solar Portraits has foundation support with registered non-profit (501(c)3) status for its growing social impact initiative. The series has become an educational tool, bringing workshops and creative programming to the youngest members of communities I visit, which leads to collaboration with reciprocity. Students build a simple solar lamp or solar art project, with a focus on opening the door for bright young minds to learn about themes of solar energy innovation, global citizenship, and personal empowerment.

© Ruben Salgado Escudero – (May 31st, 2015) Denis Okiror (30) began using solar lights at his barbershop in Kayunga in 2013, he says most of his customers prefer to visit him in the evening. Uganda has one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa. In urban areas, 55 percent of Ugandans have access to electricity, however, access drops to 10 percent in rural areas, and is only 19 percent nationwide.

Tell us about what inspired the body of work? What was the first image in the series?

This project isn’t quite finished yet. I have been working on it on and off for the last five years. I’m still excited to tell a few more stories for it and eventually make a book. At the same time, I have a couple of other projects I’m working on simultaneously in Mexico, where I have lived for three years.

© Ruben Salgado Escudero – Faustina Flores Carranza (68) and her husband Juan Astudillo Jesus (65) sit in their solar-lit home in San Luis Acatlan, Guerrero, Mexico. Faustina and Juan have seven children and are together since 50 years. Like many members of the Mextica Indigenous Community, they have never had access to electricity.
When asked how having solar has impacted their lives, Faustina said, ”For the first time, we are able to look at each in the eyes in our moments of intimacy.”

Can you talk a bit about what being a finalist in the Newman Awards means to you?

As an artist, anytime that your work is recognized, it gives a push of motivation. It means that all of the hard work and the risks that one takes when creating a long-term creative project is worth it because it resonates with people and especially with seasoned talented photographers like the jury panel. I’m very excited to continue the growth of the project.

You mention Solar Portraits is a 501c3. How do we find out more information about your Non Profit?

Solar Portraits has 501(c)3 status under Blue Earth Alliance, which has allowed us to receive foundation sponsorship for the educational initiative which we are continually working to expand. It is important to me that this project is more than just the documentation. The work we do with young people empowers them to look towards a better future for themselves, their community and our planet.

To see more of Ruben Salgado Escudero‘s work, log onto his website. You can also find him on Instagram. Follow him @rubensalgadoescudero

Atelier 32 | Shelby Meyerhoff

Posted on September 25, 2020

We close out our Atelier 32 artist series with Shelby Meyerhoff. Shelby’s series Paper Playroom is her newest work created during the pandemic, and now on the walls during the Griffin’s Atelier 32 exhibition. We are thrilled to have Shelby as a member of our Griffin artist community showcasing her work here at the Atelier. We are also pleased to announce her upcoming exhibition in October at our satellite venue, Griffin @ WinCam. Her Zoomorphics exhibition will open on September 28th and run through November 5th, 2020. We talked to this prolific multidisciplinary artist about Paper Playroom and how the Atelier is an incubator for creativity.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Boston, I started taking care of my toddler daughter Moxie for much of the workday. Before COVID, my artistic practice had been to paint intricate designs on my own face and body, and then photograph myself. The whole process required hours of uninterrupted time. It had been my plan to do a new face and body painting series over the course of the spring Atelier. But with Moxie by my side, I knew I’d need to find a different way of making art.

One afternoon, we painted with washable paints and cheap printer paper, which crumpled as it dried. Looking at the peaks and valleys, illuminated by the sunlight streaming into the playroom, I was inspired to create sculptures out of ordinary paper products.

I took this photograph, “A Song to the Wind,” early in the semester. I was struck by the liveliness of this image, and the way the paper bag looked almost like a classical sculptural medium. Seeing this piqued my curiosity about the possibilities of paper.

Over the weeks that followed, I experimented with other ways of photographing the sculptures I was making. In particular, I tried backgrounds with loud patterns and bold colors, which were speaking to me at the time, but didn’t ultimately work well for this series.

Towards the end of the program, I circled back to the approach shown in “A Song to the Wind,” limiting the backgrounds for the series to blacks and greys. With fewer competing elements, the emphasis of the images was on light and form. It was a simple and elegant approach, but sometimes those can be the most daunting to undertake. I don’t think I would have arrived there without the encouragement of our instructor Meg Birnbaum and our Atelier group, who gave thoughtful feedback on every iteration of this project.

How has Atelier helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The Atelier was the perfect space to experiment with different ideas for how the project could go. Meg gave excellent feedback at every step in the process – not only during the regular class meetings, but also throughout the summer as further questions arose.

I was also blown away by the talent and experience of my classmates. Seeing their weekly submissions made me want to bring my very best work to class. And every week they were able to identify what was working well in my photographs and where I needed to improve, always in the spirit of helping me make the series stronger.

I felt safe bringing experimental work to class, but at the same time, I moved faster towards a completed series than I would have expected, because of the quality of our weekly conversations.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I’m looking forward to finding out! One of the strengths of the Atelier program is that it takes students all the way through the lifecycle of a project: trying out various possibilities, honing the work into a series and developing the series further, and then producing, marketing, and showing the work. Now that our show is up, I’m excited to begin experimenting again this fall.

I’ll start by picking up paper again, folding and twisting, and seeing where that leads. I’m also interested in doing more painting. And I’m curious if I can find a successful way to combine painting, sculpture, and photography in a new body of work.

At the same time, this fall also marks the culmination of my series of photographs created through face and body painting. The solo show for my Zoomorphics series is opening at the Griffin’s WinCAM gallery on September 28. I am thrilled about the opportunity to show and discuss that work, and it will be all the more fun to do so while in the midst of creating something new.

Join us on October 1st at 7pm Eastern for an engaging conversation with Shelby about creativity and Zoomorphics.

About Shelby Meyerhoff –

Shelby Meyerhoff is a multidisciplinary artist based in the Boston area. She works with a variety of media, including photography, painting, sculpture, and body art, often combining multiple techniques to create her images. Meyerhoff’s work has been exhibited at venues across the country, including the Griffin Museum of Photography (MA), the Mosesian Center for the Arts (MA), the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (GA), and the LH Horton Jr. Gallery at San Joaquin Delta College (CA). Her Zoomorphics series has also been featured in UU World, the national magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

She has studied visual arts at the Griffin Museum of Photography, the New England School of Photography, and MassArt. Before becoming a fine artist, Meyerhoff worked in nonprofit communications, promoting environmental initiatives.

To see more of Shelby Meyerhoff‘s work, log onto her website. Find her on Instagram at @shelbymeyerhoff

Atelier 32 | Simone Brogini

Posted on September 24, 2020

In today’s highlight of our Atelier 32 exhibition, we look at the work of Simone Brogini, featured here and tonight in our Artist Talk in conversation with Miren Etcheverry and Conrad Gees. Join us for a discussion about creativity in a pandemic, learning online, and the creativity that can come from life under a new normal. In order for us to learn more about Simone’s creativity, we asked him a few questions.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

As the pandemic kept us all home, I was looking at my empty street with no activity from us or our neighbors. I wanted to capture this emptiness and I started to photograph the homes around us. At first I just took images from my camera showing the surrounding neighborhood. Then, as we were living in isolation it was almost like being in a bubble, so I started to experiment taking the same kind of images through an empty glass. I was intrigued by the results and liked the rounded vision that represents the new world seen from within this imaginary bubble. From then I started to represents in the same way our life as a family living in this imaginary bubble, so I introduced moment of our life from inside our home such as smart working, remote school learning, moment of fun, and fear to get out even wearing a mask.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

We are living in this weird moment of our life with a worldwide pandemic which changed our reality. This imaginary bubble wants to represent the emptiness and the silence we have been living in for so long. No noise on the street, no cars, no children screaming, parks were empty. The images want to represent this but also passing from the fear of getting out of the house wearing masks, to the hope of being able to get back to our normal life soon. This hope is represented from the images showing some color of nature and looking at blossoming flowers.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

I have been taking images for a long time but probably have never seen them from a fine art point of view. This happened through the classes and the feedbacks I received from Meg and my other colleagues who pushed me to step out from my comfort zone and experiment with something different. In fact, my first attempt to a project was to photograph the emptiness of our cities with B&W images. I really liked those images, but I received comments of being a theme already seen. From then I started to work with a new mindset using some ideas I had through the class assignment, which was the abstract theme when I started to shoot through a glass. It was a complete change, but pointed me into the right direction.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

For my next step, I am certainly using what I have learned with the Atelier, which is to identify a project and stick with it. I don’t know yet what this next project will be for me, have few ideas but are not yet defined. For sure I will retrying from taking random images not linked to a defined project or not linked into any type of stories I would like to tell. The Atelier had surely taught me how to see through my camera in a different way.

You can see more of Simone Brogini‘s work on his website. Find him on Instagram at @simonebrogini

Atelier 32 | Kevin Belanger

Posted on September 23, 2020

In today’s view of our Atelier 32 artists, we look at the work of Kevin Belanger. His series, A Long Desire, was inspired by our current pandemic and its new reality. After retiring from the Postal Service into a world of anxiety and longing, Belanger worked during the Atelier to visualize this new reality by crafting a project that helps him cope with our new normal.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

The one of the family which I titled “Flight”for the exhibition was seminal. It lead me to shoot for empty or “safe” spaces. The church is titled “Sanctuary”. I suppose the family was”fleeing” to the imagined safety of the city, “A Long Desire”. Or a safety that was past and only to be hoped for.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The greatest benefit of the Atelier was in sharpening my focus as I discovered my project. The exercises were extremely beneficial when it came to telling a story and establishing and crafting a series.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I plan to take the Atelier in the, I hope, not too distant future and perhaps continue my photographic education.

Atelier 32 | Jeanne Widmer

Posted on September 22, 2020

We have had the pleasure of featuring Jeanne Widmer‘s work from past Atelier classes, and this series, Grace Notes, is our creative vision today. Jeanne’s lovely quiet images stem from the quiet isolation of COVID and the ability see more clearly and look more deeply at the world that surrounds us. Her work is on the walls of the Atelier 32 exhibition, and on our blog today. For more background on Grace Notes, we asked her a few questions.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

Like everyone, I squirreled myself indoors in mid-March, just after the Atelier 32 began, only venturing out cautiously with my camera on long daily walks in the neighborhoods of my town. Since I had previously spent three years taking photos of a large local town village development project, I was looking to challenge myself differently. Like many photographers,

I was first struck by the starkness of nearly empty streets, closed shops, buttoned up houses, and empty schoolyards, which reminded me of Todd Hido’s beautiful, often haunting work. But those photos were not enough. I began looking into the spaces for signs of life, details which made the scene come alive in a different way. I studied Helen Levitt’s precise detailed views of New York City and Matt Roberts, who, in his street photography, spoke of becoming more observant and open to the beauty of everyday scenes, finding some of his shots more powerful as diptychs or triptychs. When I first looked at my photo entitled “Spider,” reflections of intertwined tree limbs on a wet, red concrete, I knew it was the direction I wanted to follow. My eyes focused differently. I began noticing a trail of light on pavement, interesting petal filled puddles or drops of night rain on a floral leaf. I marveled at the reality that while we were all pausing and waiting in place, nature, never docile, continued its rainy march into spring.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

The Covid 19 virus has destroyed many lives, robbed others of livelihoods or homes, and put families and individuals under intense pressure. At the same time, it has provided the opportunity for us to appreciate the human connections, routines and experiences which bring grace and joy into our lives. The pandemic has allowed us to pause and look closely at what essentially matters to us. Whether we look is our choice. By focusing with me on some of the smallest details in nature—in which a close up angle of an otherwise average scene is either unexpectedly satisfying and hopeful or can darken a mood by looking like the virus itself (“Molten Salmon Puddle”), I hope viewers can share and absorb a deep appreciation for the tiny moments—often hidden– that grace our lives.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

Having a 12-week course with a skilled photographer and teacher as well as talented classmates is a real motivator to develop a body of work. The challenging photographic exercises, the weekly feedback, the guest artist, and the encouragement and support in trying something new makes a real difference in developing confidence and focus. I hope to continue stretching my vision to see my world differently, whether in landscape, portrait or documentary photography. I am deeply appreciative for the Griffin professional staff’s continued dedication to excellence in its programs and exhibits supporting both established and aspiring photographers.

About Jeanne Widmer –

Growing up in Rhode Island shaped Jeanne Widmer’s attraction to worn urban locations and friendly, neighborhood businesses. An educator, counselor and writer, Widmer, from Belmont, Massachusetts, has studied photography at the Arlington Center for the Arts, the Griffin Museum and the New England School of Photography. Besides many group exhibits, she has had two solo exhibits, one which captured the vibrancy, color and dark expectancy of a single screen movie theater and another which highlighted the subtle drama and dignity of an historic, working class group of businesses. She exhibited with the Atelier 29^th class at the Griffin Museum of Photography focusing on portraits.

Find her online on Instagram @WidmerJeanne

Atelier 32 | Edie Clifford

Posted on September 21, 2020

Next up in our series on Atelier 32 artists, Edie Clifford. Her series, Walter Baker Chocolate Mills has a long memory for Edie and the surrounding Milton, Massachusetts community. Exploring not only her community, but a new camera during the pandemic times we live in gave Edie a new view of how to document the world we now find ourselves in. We asked Edie about her work and experience in the Atelier.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

This was the first image I took with my new infrared camera in spring 2019. It showed me how I could photograph the mills with a different look.

About the Walter Baker Chocolate Mills –

Architecture is to be regarded by
Us with the most serious thought.
We may live without her and
Worship without her, but we
Cannot remember without her.
John Ruskin

When I walk through the Walter Baker Chocolate Mill Complex in Milton/Dorchester Lower Mills, MA, my memories are filled with the smell of chocolate. I grew up in Milton in the 1940s-1960s and these imposing brick buildings that were built by my great great uncle in the late 19th century along the Lower Falls of the Neponset River were part of my childhood adventures.

I remember the taste of the broken chocolate pieces that were left in pots outside the Webb and Pierce Mills. I remember the rushing sound of the river as it tumbled over the dam and transformed into millraces, the water channels that led to the former water wheels. And I remember the sight of the trolley as it came around the bend to Milton station that was opposite the storehouses. I now understand that this complex was the beginning of my appreciation for architecture and how it anchors me in my life. The mills not only help me to remember but offer a sense of place today.

I photographed the complex during the spring of 2019 and 2020. I chose black and white infrared to capture the beauty of these architect-designed buildings within their river environment. Infrared allows for deeply contrasted images. It creates an otherworldly feeling with dark sky and water and white foliage and clouds, offering an alternative interpretation of this historic complex as it stands today converted to condominiums.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The Atelier offered me a creative and supportive atmosphere to become aware .. of what I most love to photograph, the techniques I want to use and how to put the resulting images into panel or story. All this in COVID spring … I am grateful!

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I will continue to photograph the man-made environment with my infrared camera but also with my new Fuji X4 which offers multiple-exposure and blending mode features.

About Edie Clifford –

Edie Clifford is a Boston-based photographer grounded in the man-made environment, from a fence lining a country road to historic and contemporary structures to architectural abstracts. Her photography has been influenced by her work in the field of historical preservation and her love of travel. She is drawn to studying the built environment developed by a variety of cultures both at home and abroad.

Edie shoots both in color and black and white. She uses photography as a mindful practice and enjoys experimenting with infrared, multiple exposures and abstracts to become aware of the present. Recent series include: Baker Chocolate Mills, Modernist and Brutalist Architecture, Massachusetts and London, and The Telegraph Road: A Journey through the deserts and mountains of California, Nevada and Arizona.

Her work has been included at exhibitions at the Oxo Gallery (London), Plymouth Center for the Arts (Plymouth, MA), and Tower Hill Botanical Garden (Boylston, MA).

You can find more of Edie Clifford‘s work her website and on Instagram @egclifford

Atelier 32 | Claudia Ruiz-Gustafson

Posted on September 18, 2020

Claudia Ruiz Gustafson is our focus today. A member of the Atelier community, her work was featured last month in the Griffin Member’s Exhibition curated by Alexa Dilworth. Still exploring a very personal story of family and home, we now see a new side of her creativity with a project inspired by the pandemic, Suspended World, for Atelier 32. An interactive work, there is a slide show and video to accompany the work now up on the walls of the Griffin. We asked her a few questions to learn more about the work.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

When I joined Atelier 32, my idea was to continue working on my family project. When we started the classes and the pandemic hit us and we were asked to stay home, everything changed for me. The stay at home advisory and the cancellation of my art shows and my work for the remaining of this year really hit me. I felt very depressed and was considering dropping off from the Atelier. I know Meg was very nervous moving the Atelier online and I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I decided to stay. I couldn’t produce any new work for the first couple of weeks but gradually as I was working on a “image + text’ homework, it all started to make sense. Using my body to mirror my state of mind, I followed my instincts and produced three mini bodies of work, one in each room in my house. At the end I decided to create a slideshow to show my images and poetry together set to music.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

My intention with this body of work is to express the endless possibility of photography for being a vehicle of self expression, a way to reflect your inner life, your emotions and so that viewers could relate to the work in any way that is meaningful for them.

How has the Atelier helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The Atelier has been a life changing event for me, since my first one I took back in 2014 to the one I recently took. I found a mentor in Meg and Paula and a community of like minded people, many of them who have become my best friends.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.
I am waiting for the airport in Peru to open to visit my family and to continue working on a video that will be an extension of my family project.

About Claudia Ruiz Gustafson –

Claudia Ruiz Gustafson is a Peruvian-born, Massachusetts-based visual artist, educator and curator. Her work is mainly autobiographical and self-reflective; often portraying themes of femininity, memory, dreams and personal mythology. She regards image making as a powerful medium for exploring her inner world.

Claudia has exhibited in museums and galleries across the US and abroad at venues including the Danforth Art Museum, Agora Gallery, Millepiani Gallery, Galleria Valid Foto, Fountain Street Gallery, Griffin Museum of Photography, Cambridge Art Association, Concord Center for the Arts and the RI Center for Photographic Arts. She had her first solo show in 2020 at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, MA titled Historias de Tierra y Mar (Stories of Land and Sea).

She has received grants and awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Cambridge Art Association, L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards, PX3 de la Photographie Paris, The Gala Awards, among others. Her work has been published in Fraction Media, Black & White Magazine, Shades Collective, F-Stop Magazine and has been reviewed by Artscope Magazine, Metrowest Daily News and What Will You Remember.

Claudia has self published several books that incorporate her photography and poetry. She is the owner of a portrait photography business and also teaches creative photo workshops in the Boston area. Currently she is curator and participating artist of the traveling exhibition Crossing Cultures: Family, Memory and Displacement, a multi-media project made up of artwork created by multi-cultural artists reflecting on identity and diaspora.

She holds a BA in Communications from Universidad de Lima, and a Professional Photography Certificate from Kodak Interamericana de Perú.

5% of the net income from her fine art and portrait business goes to benefit two organizations: 1. Humane Society of the US, an organization that provides direct care to more than 100,000 animals each year through their sanctuaries, veterinary programs and emergency shelters and rescues and 2. Farm Sanctuary, an organization that advocates for farmed animals, promotes laws and policies that support animal welfare, animal protection, and veganism through rescue, education, and advocacy.

See more of Claudia Ruiz-Gustafson‘s work on her website. Find her onInstagram @claudiaruizgustafson

Atelier 32 | Michael King

Posted on September 17, 2020

Mike King‘s series Fish Market is on the blog today, celebrating the artists of Atelier 32 now up on the walls of the Griffin. We asked him a few questions about the work.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

For Italians, food is the opera of life. It is important to use the best local ingredients. It’s important to think about it, talk about it, dream about it, dwell on minuscule details of the preparation and finally ,sit down with family and friends to partake in the communal meal. In Italy the preparation and enjoyment of good food is the metronome for life.

In these photographs (taken in 2017) of the Catania Fish Market (La Pescheria) in Sicily I portray the opening beat. For me the first photo depicts the opening operatic scene where all the players are preparing to break out in song. From there the photos depict the buyers partaking in an animated ritual of talking, joking, smelling and hand movements all aimed at securing the finest and freshest item at the lowest price.

How did the Atelier help to hone my vision as a photographer?

The Atelier has created opportunities to explore areas outside my normal photographic comfort zone. The assignments covered such diverse subjects such as abstraction, the use of words, still life, telling a story etc. These activities helped me to develop and refine new skills and expand my photographic vision.

In the past my photography activity began with stepping on an airplane taking me to some exotic destination. The Atelier has better prepared me for this post Covid-19 world in which I can now appreciate the photographic opportunities closer to home.

About Mike King –

Michael King is a retired physicist who worked in diverse fields of optical imaging. He has achievements and inventions in 3-dimensional holographic imaging, electron device photolithography and refractive eye surgery (PRK). A lifelong interest in photographic expression has led him to explore astrophotography along with underwater, travel and nature photography. In the early days of digital photography, he taught children attending summer camp to use digital cameras to develop an appreciation for nature.

He has exhibited at the Griffin Museum, two juried shows at Concord Art, and has studied at the Griffin Museum, NESOP and the deCordova Museum all located in Massachusetts. One of King’s bird photos was included in the book “Who’s Who in the Natural World” by Kay Fairweather. He also had an early hologram accepted into the Museum of Holography in Manhattan. In recent years King has used photography to explore the human condition and man’s place in the natural world.

You can see more of Mike King‘s work on his website. Follow him on Instagram @mikeking1940

Atelier 32 | Conrad Gees

Posted on September 16, 2020

We continue our focus on the talented artists of Atelier 32. Through the lens of Conrad Gees, we take a trip to Cuba and Los Habaneros.

Los Habaneros (Havanans)

I have been fortunate that for a brief period of time, travel restrictions to Cuba from the US were eased and ordinary citizens such as myself could visit the island independently without a specified itinerary. The impetus for this series was to finally begin pulling together the images taken during several trips to Havana beginning in 2015.

Born at the height of the Cold War, I was eight when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. Fidel Castro was the enemy and Cuba became the isolated isle. The US embargo took effect in the 60’s and the collapse of the Soviet Union Left the Cuban economy hamstrung, the effects of which are evident today. My photographs reflect that, but that is not their intended subject. What fascinated me most was how the people living in three sections of Havana, Habana Vieja, Centro Habana and the Vedado, have developed strong, vibrant neighborhoods working and living together as a community. Their homes, the means by which they get food, their jobs, and even the newly sanctioned small private enterprise ventures, left me, an American with many privileges in life, awed and humbled by the resilience and ingenuity of the “Habaneros.”

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

The four images chosen here could be subjects of Norman Rockwell paintings (grabbing a snack, getting a haircut, enjoying cake with a friend, coming home to a brother) but the backdrop is Cuba. These are the universal human experiences we often forget about when visiting countries vastly different from ours. In my images I want to share the commonalities we share.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

There are ten images in this show, but ultimately my goal is to make a book.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

My second Atelier proved to be as helpful as the first one I participated in three years ago. The project I am undertaking had me frustrated by its sheer size and scope, and I was struggling for a focus. Meg Birnbaum is an excellent facilitator, and even on line she brought together a group of eight individuals, each at different points in their development, and pushed us to think deeply about what each of us is trying to convey with our photographs. At the end of the Atelier, I was left with a very strong set of ten images which helped narrow my focus, yet at the same time have also given me a frame work to expand on for this project.

About Los Habaneros –

There is truth in the statement, Havana is a city frozen in time sixty plus years ago. This is clearly evident in the American cars from the 1950’s still traveling the streets, and in many of the storefronts with their limited consumer goods, but it is also a characterization, which can lead one to a false sense of sentimentality or condescension.

The 1961 US embargo did, in one sense, freeze Havana and cut it off from consumer goods progress, and severely limited its economic development, but the Havana of today is not the Havana of 1961. Havana today is the outgrowth of the 1959 Revolution, the US embargo and the Cold War which forced the inhabitants of this city, just 90 miles off the US coast to develop in ways they can speak of with great pride and in ways which leave them longing for more.

In 2015 I traveled through Mexico to Havana for the first time. Although restrictions on travel from the US to Cuba had just been eased, I was one of very few Americans on the streets of Havana not tied to a tour. The excitement and openness expressed to me by the Habaneros was infectious and led to my returning three additional times.

While concentrating on the sections of Havana known as “Habana Vieja,” and “Centro Habana”, now United Nations World Heritage Sites being renovated and brought back to life, I decided to document not only the buildings but the people living in these currently run-down sections of the city. Their homes, the means by which they get food, their jobs, and even the newly sanctioned small private enterprise ventures, left me, an American with many privileges in life, awed and humbled by the resilience and ingenuity of the Habaneros.

The images in this body of work grew out of, and helped me to develop, a deeper understanding of Havana and its people. Havana is truly a city of resilience.

See more of Conrad Gees‘ work on his website.

Atelier 32 | Sarah Forbes

Posted on September 15, 2020

Today’s featured artist from the Griffin Atelier 32 is Sarah Forbes. These lovely quiet images from her series, Illuminating the Invisible is what we are looking at today. We asked her a few questions about her experience.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

Dried American Beech Leaf, 2020 was the impetus for this series. It was taken during a walk at the beginning of the pandemic. While I was excited to be out of the confinement of my house, the woods still felt dormant and dreary until my eye caught the golden glimmer of the American Beach tree leaves dangling from their branches. Intrigued, I moved closer and noticed the delicate texture of their skin and the fractal patterns that their veins created. Inspired by this experience, I continued to look closer at the natural world and find things that were often invisible to my naked eye. It allowed me to observe nature in its constant state of change and gave me some perspective on the changes going on in my own life.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

Atelier 32 was a wonderful creative community to connect with during a very strange time. I looked forward to the weekly Zoom call. Presenting my work each class and having to discuss it helped me to recognize, develop and articulate my own vision and what I was trying to convey through my images. My classmates and Meg, our instructor, were an important part of that process as their feedback and reactions would sometimes introduce something that I may not have seen on my own.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I plan to continue working on this series following the seasonal changes and capturing more of the nature world as it transitions. I am also enrolled in the Griffin’s Monthly Mentoring and Critique Program with Vaughn Stills, which should help me to continue to develop my artistic vision and work.

About Sarah Forbes –

Sarah Forbes is an emerging landscape photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts whose work explores the natural world and the perspective it can reveal.

Her artistic vision has been influenced by a variety of mediums and genres. Earning her BA at Connecticut College, Sarah’s childhood interest in photography became a passion as she immersed herself in the dark room and experimented with landscape, still life and portraits. A career in marketing communications introduced her to graphic design and computer presentations, which she continued to explore through her custom stationery and invitation business and multimedia shows to celebrate milestones.

Photography resurged with the arrival of her two children as she documented their adventures. As they grew to adolescents and no longer wanted to be her muse, she turned her lens to their athletic contests and captured the finesse and emotions of the players. With her passion rekindled, Sarah began taking classes at the New England School of Photography and had her first group exhibition at the Garner Center for Photographic Exhibitions in January 2020. This spring she enrolled in the Griffin Museum’s Photography Atelier 32, which culminated with an exhibition that can be seen at the Museum through September 29th or viewed online.

To see more of Sarah Forbes work, log onto her website. She is on Instagram @sforbesphotos

Griffin News

Footer