Photographers on Photography

Atelier 33 | Amir Viskin

Posted on March 5, 2021

In this highlight of the At elier 33 exhibition, we take a closer look at the work of Amir Viskin. His series, Ephemeral Abstractions is currently on view in the Griffin Main Gallery until March 26, 2021. Drawing inspiration from natural aspects of everyday life, Amir’s work reflects a new appreciation for the world around us in these unprecedented times. We asked Amir a few questions for some insight into his collection.

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

One of the images that was an impetus for this series is “untitled – ice, frost, leaf.” During the fall I experimented with Macro photography, in an effort to photograph ephemeral elements (ice, frost…), and use them to construct abstract images evocative of imaginary landscapes. This led to a series of abstract compositions in which I also used symmetry and superposition.

How has your photography changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Has the Atelier been a motivator to persevere through these trying times?

I am first and foremost an outdoor photographer. The pandemic forced me to look for creative opportunities indoors or close to home. That meant finding small objects (stones, ice cubes, milkweed pods), or using Macro photography to get close (frost on a leaf, dew on a spiderweb). The Atelier was a welcoming, safe space in which to create, share ideas with my other talented colleagues and overcome the challenges of isolation.

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

I hope that they view my images as an opportunity to reflect on the shifting meaning of permanence, of what lasts and what disappears, and what is important in this new “normal.”

What did you discover about yourself and your surroundings through the art of abstracting reality?

I became more aware of the beauty of small and ephemeral objects, and their ability to open an internal conversation on the meaning of time and space.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I plan to continue using light, abstraction of composition as tools to explore the challenges we face as we begin to process the meaning of our collective experience this past year.

You can see more of Amir Viskin’s work on his website.

Atelier 33 | Angela Douglas-Ramsey

Posted on March 4, 2021

Angela Douglas-Ramsey‘s collection Carbon Copy is currently on display as a part of the Atelier 33 exhibition in the Griffin Main Gallery until March 26, 2021. Interested to know more about her deeply personal project of photographing her relationship with her daughter, 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?

The image that is the foundation of my project is called “Looking Forward.” It embodies everything the project is about. My daughter is coming into the adult world as I watch. It is bittersweet. This project is ongoing. My goal is to continue it until she leaves for college. The Atelier helped me expand the way I photographed this project. My daughter and I do a daily “call and response.” It is a funny and meaningful visual conversation with a preteen and her mother.

How has your photography changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Has the Atelier been a motivator to persevere through these trying times?

Oh my gosh, yes, so much. I started creating self portraits and working on my thoughtful work. As a documentary photographer, when the pandemic hit, I had no more projects. I had to reinvent myself. The spring was a very trying time for me and photography gave me a purpose. I feel lucky to have gotten the last spot in the Atelier. The class has taught me so much. I see photography is a different way. Meg has been a great teacher. I have been challenged with each assignment and enjoy the challenges.

How has this project brought you closer to your daughter? Did you find yourself photographing your family in a different way than you did prior to the pandemic?

Yes. We go on photo walks together and giggle a lot during our portrait sessions. I could create an entire zine of our funny outtakes. Pre-Covid, I only documented my family. Now, I pose and use more of a narrative approach to tell stories within my family.

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

I hope the viewers see the relationship between a mother and a daughter. I hope they see the love and see the pull. The pull that my daughter is slowly starting to do.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I will continue to work on my long term projects. I have a new motivation for all of them. I am also working on a new self portrait project. I am still very much in the research phases and look forward to creating images in the coming months.

For more of Angela Douglas-Ramsey’s work, visit her and her Instagram, @AngelaDouglasPhoto.

Atelier 33 | Julia Arstorp

Posted on March 3, 2021

In this highlight of the Atelier 33 exhibition, we interviewed Julia Arstorp about her collection Invisible Threads, on display in the Griffin Main Gallery until March 26, 2021. This series captures the deeply personal moments shared between the artist and her daughter while revisiting memories from her family’s past.

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

I would say it’s the image of my daughter wearing a fur coat that belonged to my mother from the early 60’s. I very much feel this project was a collaborative effort with my daughter. I love how that photograph has the imprint of three generations and results in such a joyful image.

How has your photography changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Has the Atelier been a motivator to persevere through these trying times?

Before COVID I never took self portraits but with social distancing I had to
place myself in front of the camera which, at first, was uncomfortable.
Ultimately, I found that it added to the project and brought me a different
perspective on my work. I also found that focusing on a project about
family history helped to anchor me during these stressful times. And yes,
the Atelier was a key motivator to keep me on track.

How has your Atelier work helped you to keep the family tradition alive of passing down stories to each generation?

I grew up on stories told by my grandmother and mother. And while clearing out my mother’s house, we found boxes that held pieces of my family history – everything form scrapbooks and letters to my great grandfathers spectacles and my great grandmothers wedding dress. This project allowed me the time to work on a body of work about these family memories and stories and, equally important, share the process with my daughter.

I hope my work speaks to the connections and identity we find through childhood memories and family stories. The blending of past and present that helps us see we’re part of an ongoing story.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I really see myself as both a photographer and a printer. I’ll continue working on new prints – mostly platinum palladium and cyanotype. I’ll also continue documenting the neighborhood and small knit community my family has lived in these past 30 years and continue focusing on family stories.

Visit Julia Arstorp’s website and check out her Instagram, @JuliaArstorp to see more of her work.

Michael Darough | Finalist, Arnold Newman Prize

Posted on October 15, 2020

As one of Maine Media’s finalists for the 2020 Arnold Newman Award for New Directions in Portraiture, Michael Darough‘s powerful series, The Talk, is on the walls of the Griffin until October 23rd. We wanted to know more about Michael and the work, so we asked him a few questions.

Installation view of Michael Darough‘s The Talk on the walls of the Grffin.

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

The Talk was inspired by the lives of different men and women that I would see on TV. These ideas for my photographs came from conversations I have had with family and friends when I was younger and within the last few years. The issue of systemic racial inequality, especially in regard to the criminal justice system, is not new. It felt like an appropriate time for me to begin to visually articulate those discussions and personal thoughts.

I believe one of the first images in my series was Remembering Gordon. This image was based on the photograph of Gordon or Whipped Peter, as he is commonly known, an enslaved African American man who escaped captivity in 1863. The image depicts lash marks across Gordon’s back; his head is turned profile while his hand is positioned on his hip. Although my photograph does not completely mirror the original material, I considered the composition and his body language when arranging my image.

Thinking about how this has been an ongoing problem in our country, I started looking at the root of this issue and how I might use historical imagery as a reference point to begin this work. I then transitioned to contemporary figures in the news to help guide how I was photographing myself.

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

This project went through a couple variations before arriving at the current group of images. Conceptually, ,the idea did not change. I knew I wanted to create work about people who were victims of excessive force. Visually it was different at the start of the project in comparison to the photographs that are on exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Photography. When I started taking photos, all of them were in color and focused more on objects and less on the person. After constant re-shoots I arrived at a version that felt comfortable for the subject matter. I think what I learned most was how to work with lighting, explore storytelling and figuring out a way to direct my viewer through subtle changes.

While all of these situations pictured in the talk are of others, the images are self-portraits. How did your sense of self change when shooting the work?

Previously, I had explored self-portraiture in my work but those images were illustrating stories and memories from my life; these photos are addressing the lives of others. Considering the Information surrounding my portraits, it’s frustrating. I spend my time looking at the details surrounding the deaths of these men at the hands of law enforcement. By the time I would finish shooting and editing there would be another incident. Sometimes during this process, I would find another individual that I overlooked. Although I felt compelled to take on these roles and photograph myself, the cycle of violence feels frustrating.

What would you like us as viewers to take away from seeing The Talk?

This systemic issue within our criminal justice system has been affecting the black community for years. The talk is not something new, it is just a discussion that is currently being had in mainstream culture. I want individuals to look at the work and recognize this problem and feel compelled to have the necessary and uncomfortable conversations needed to fix it.

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

This was a great exhibition that I am happy to be a part of. The jurors selected a diverse group of work from talented photographers, addressing their respective content in creative ways. I think that each of us strived to explore new ways to work with portraiture. The imagery, while different, that emerged from our individual bodies of work came together nicely. I’m happy that I was selected as one of the finalists for the Arnold Newman Prize.

What is next for you creatively?

I’m going to explore this idea a little further. While I don’t see this project going on for several years, I do have a few more stories and perspectives to share. I am hopeful that through people marching in the streets, artists addressing this issue and individuals pushing for legislation to help protect individuals, there won’t be a reason for me to make this work. I’m not sure about all the details surrounding my next series but I do have plans to continue to pursue portraiture; probably photographing other’s, not myself.

To see more of Michael Darough‘s powerful work, log onto his website. You can follow him on Instagram @michaeldarough

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

Katalina Simon | Land Beyond the Forest

Posted on August 20, 2020

We are thrilled to be hosting an online conversation with Griffin exhibition artist Katalina Simon tonight, August 20th at 7pm Eastern.

For tickets see the Events page of our website.

Her beautiful series Land Beyond the Forest is hanging in our satellite gallery Griffin @ WinCam here in Winchester. The exhibition ends September 27th. We hope if you get a chance to get to Winchester you stop by and see this lovely body of work.

Katalina Simon is a British/Hungarian photographer whose work centers on the passage of time and cultural memory. Her interest in photography began when, as a child, she was told that taking pictures was not allowed in many public spaces in communist Hungary and she observed how precious photographs were to her family separated by the Iron Curtain.

Simon’s photography emphasizes her strong connection with history and the mood of the environments she photographs. Her image making is only part of a larger goal of experiencing a place, learning about a new culture or community.

Katalina holds a BA in Russian from the University of Bristol in England and is a graduate of the Professional Photography Program at the New York Institute of Photography. She is an exhibited member of the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA, PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont and Fountain Street Gallery in Boston, MA.

The Land Beyond the Forest is an ongoing series depicting a fading way of life in rural Transylvania. This mountainous and remote region of Eastern Europe is steeped in history and lore. The rugged Carpathian Mountains kept invaders at bay and kept the remote villages isolated from the passage of time.

I am drawn time and again to this region and these people because it reminds me of a way of life that I experienced at my grandparent’s village in Hungary every summer. As a child, I was oblivious to the hardships that people faced and experienced only kindness and warmth. With my camera I work to recapture this feeling of storybook wonder and show domestic tableaux and rural people as I remember them.

For this exhibition I am focusing on the last generation of women who live this traditional rural life. My hope is to show the magic and poetry of the women who inhabit the “The Land Beyond the Forest.”

August Photo Chat Chat | Member’s Exhibition Edition

Posted on August 12, 2020

We are so excited to showcase more of our talented artists from our 26th Annual Members Exhibition, curated by Alexa Dilworth.

Join us this Thursday August 13th we see presentations from four photographers followed by a q&a about their work. Dennis Geller, Rachel Jessen, Sandra Klein and Jerry Takigawa. These are the stories we will be seeing and hearing about.

To get tickets to the Photo Chat Chat head to our Events Page.

Introducing our featured artists –

Dennis Geller

Close your eyes, when open them and look at the first object you see. In that first instant, when you think you are seeing an object, your eye is seeing a smear of colors and brightness. It jumps at least three times, and in each jump only a small bit of the image on the retina is in focus. Light impinging on the retina causes chemical changes, which causes neurons to carry signals to the brain. Each change take time to dissipate, but the eye does not stop moving during that time, so that every spot on the retina is affected by light coming from different parts of the object, causing a cascade of overlapping chemical changes. The images here, motivated by processes of vision, ask the question: What has changed in a scene as we look at it? As we look around us, we don’t actually see the changes, just their effects, but we are aware of them. Calling them out, as these images do, offers a different way to experience the ordinary.

Rachel Jessen

This campaign season, I went back to Iowa, my home state and the first state in the nation to hold caucuses for the presidential primary. Not to cover the candidates, no. I turned my camera away from the politics—the faces and speeches of presidential hopefuls, the conventions and rallies, the moments votes are cast—and toward the people and places of Iowa. I’m making my way through a feat known as the “Full Grassley,” an endeavor named for the long-time Iowa Republican senator wherein candidates make a point to visit each of the Hawkeye State’s 99 counties vying for that coveted caucus victory. I wasn’t looking for support at a local town hall or fish fry—instead, I searched for the stories in the individuals and communities that make Iowa the unique, contradictory, and complicated place it is. From Adair to Jasper to Wright, I’m documenting everything from corn shucking to TrekFest to ghost towns to grandparents, and that which lies between, beyond the campaign trail. My hope is that my photographic Full Grassley results in a distinct perspective of Iowa, one that, while alluding to its political significance within the caucus system, demonstrates the limits of such a lens, and reveals it to be much more than the first state to assert its electoral opinion. It’s a portrait of a place—my home—which continues to exist even after all the TV cameras and politicians have gone.

Sandra Klein

“In the dark times Will there be singing? Yes, there will be singing. About dark times.” Bertolt Brecht

Is it possible to portray a grief so deep that it is difficult to endure? For a number of years, I have visited Japan in winter, but this past January, less than a year after the tragic death of my oldest son, I longed to visit this surreal, almost otherworldly land with the anticipation that I could grieve here in a way I couldn’t at home. The stunning snow-covered landscapes I captured for this series, with their muffled silence, hiding almost all color, all vestiges of humanity and the modern world, almost seemed to weep for me. Japan’s unfamiliar religious rituals and ancient objects, with their histories and iconography, affected me deeply. The images in this project straddle the real and surreal. The re-contexualizing of photographs and ephemera, where images are composited to include historical art and objects, reflects my altered state of reality. The materiality of these collages satisfies a need to define my personal despair with a more physical, unique object, as I cut and sew into the photographs as an act of memorializing not only my son, but my own journey into a new reality. Grieving in Japan is a meditation on a life that feels unhinged and unbearable. I experience periods of isolation from all that is familiar as I am pulled far away into the unknown world of loss. And yet, I am reminded, at moments, of the small joys this world reveals, inviting me to experience flashes of utter pleasure, even as I mourn.

Jerry Takigawa

“Jerry Takigawa, “EO 9066”

Balancing Cultures is a personal history project that reveals the racism and xenophobia that permeate American culture. The discovery of old family photographs compelled me to express the impact on my family resulting from being incarcerated in WWII American concentration camps. The emotions expressed in this project bring humanity to the historical record. I seek to give voice to experiences my family kept hidden for shame and fear. If silence sanctions, communication is resistance. The process of researching and creating these images greatly informed my understanding of what happened in the past—and what is important going forward. These images are a reminder that hysteria, racism, and economic exploitation became a force during WWII in our country. Xenophobia can live just under the surface of civility and emerge in a permissive environment. Cathy Park Hong wrote in a New York Times article: “After President Trump called the Covid-19 the “Chinese Virus,” in March (2020), the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council said more than 650 incidents of discrimination against Asian-Americans were reported to a website it helps maintain in one week alone.” Decades have passed since Executive Order 9066 was enacted. Many Americans are only now learning of this transgression. There is no scientific basis for race; race and racism are social constructs. Balancing Cultures recalls a dark chapter in American history—censored in part by the Japanese precept of “gaman” (enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity) and the fear that if my family spoke too loudly, it might happen again. I raise my voice today because it is happening again.

July Photo Chat Chat | Member’s Exhibition Edition

Posted on July 16, 2020

Join us Thursday night July 16th for a chat with four artists participating in our 26th Annual Member’s Exhibition, curated by Alexa Dilworth.

Yorgos Efthymiadis

There Is a Place I Want to Take You I had an unsettling feeling when I returned, for the very first time after many years abroad, to the place of my origin. Even though I was surrounded by loved ones, friends and family who were ecstatic to see me, there was a sense of non-belonging. After a couple of days of catching up and hanging out, they returned to their routines. I stopped being their center of attention and became a stranger in a foreign land. It was harsh to come home, to a place which I banished in the past, only to realize that I have been banished in return. Time leaves its mark, transforms places, and alters people. Even the smallest detail can make a huge difference to the way things were. After moving away, I had to rediscover what I have left behind. Using my memories as a starting point, I walked down the road that led to my high school, I lay on the sand at the beach, close to the house where I grew up, I nodded to a familiar face I couldn’t quite place and yet they smiled back. All these round-trip tickets to the past, to a place that I once used to belong, reminded me one of Henry Miller’s quotes that always resonated with me: “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”

Leslie Jean-Bart

Have always found great comfort in or by the ocean.

The ocean has become the anchor for my current series, Reality & Imagination.

This ongoing series is a body of work of over 100 images that were edited from hundreds of images shot over the past 8 years. The images are squarely rooted in the tradition of Elliott Erwitt, Jay Maisel, Eugene Smith, Lou Draper, and sport photography. They are basically as they are in the instant shot.

I photograph the tide as visual metaphor to explore the dynamic interaction which takes place between the cultures when one lives permanently in a foreign land.

The cultures automatically interact with each other in a motion that is instantly fluid and turbulent, just as the sand and tide. It’s a constant movement in unison where each always retains its distinctive characteristics. This creates a duality that is always present.

The current climate towards immigrants in the US and the present migrant situation in Europe shows that the turbulent interaction between the duality created by the mix of the two cultures does not only manifest itself within the foreign individual but also within that foreign land.

Each of the sections of ‘Reality & Imagination’ explores this cultural duality. The section ‘Silhouette & Shadow’ and ‘Silhouette & Shadow Too’ I give an actual shape to the two cultures as silhouette & shadow, which are both entities that cannot exist without the presence of another. Just as the sand and the tide, a silhouette & or a shadow constantly moves in unison with the object the projected light uses to create it. In that instance, both the object and the shadow always retain each their individual characteristics.

‘Silhouette & Shadow Too’ addresses the phase where immigrants are visible to the dominant society only in limited capacity when needed, and the fact that the potential of enriching the society at large is short circuited.

Personally, the series has permitted me to readily welcome what’s good from both (all cultures in fact) and to let go from each what does not serve me as a human being. It has facilitated me to see at times what’s not readily seen as well as to be at times more present in life. It has given me the understanding that at every point I have the opportunity to act by choosing from within the structures of one of the two cultures what would serve best at that moment.

The constant intermingling of that duality is ever present.

Loli Kantor

For Time Is No Longer Now: A Tale of Love, Loss and Belonging My mother Lola died in Paris on January 21, 1952, after giving birth to me. My father Zwi died in Tel Aviv of a heart attack, March 1966 when I was 14 years old. My brother Ami died of a cardiac arrest in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, 1998. My immediate family: grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles perished in the Holocaust. My missing family created deep holes in my life—holes so deep that I have been driven to fill them in through a comprehensive and sometimes fevered search. Studying the archives of my family which I collected and saved through my life I uncover facts and information about my mother my father and my brother that help me to better understand their stories. I travel to the places from which my parents came, to where I was born and my mother died, to where I grew up and to times I barely remember, and even before. This is the soul of my work.These are visual disclosures including historical photographs, letters and documents, as well as new photographic works which I created to insert myself into the story of my lost family.

Geralyn Shukwit

For the past nine years, Brooklyn-based photographer Geralyn Shukwit has traveled the backroads of Bahia, Brazil, returning to the same communities year after year to form relationships with the families who reside there. O Tempo Não Para, Portuguese for “time does not stop,” is a personal documentation of those interactions and observations, a poetic record of Bahian life that prevails despite economic and environmental hardships. One of 26 states in Brazil, Bahia has a population of about 14 million in a region approximately the size of Texas. The Portuguese named it “Bahia” (“bay”) in 1501 after first entering the region through the bay where its capital, Salvador, is now located. An agricultural community, Bahians reside primarily in the cities and towns on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, where the weather is slightly more forgiving than in Bahia’s harsh, arid interior region, the Sertão. Bahia has one of the highest rates of poverty in the country; mothers often have to fish to feed her children and in many communities, water only arrives by truck. Mostly of mixed European and African lineage, Bahians are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, and many practice the rituals of Umbanda, Candomblé, and other syncretist religious sects. Cloaked in Bahia’s unique light, Shukwit’s intimate portrayal of daily life in Bahia offers viewers distinctly quiet, in-between moments laden with profundity. Underpinning the collective power of O Tempo Não Para is the photographer’s acute ability to cultivate trust and develop close connections with community members. Set in the extraordinarily colorful landscape of Bahia, a contrasting palette of bright, cool and warm colors, each photograph leaves traces of a culture seeped in the rituals and traditions that bind them.

June Photo Chat Chat | featuring Sean Du, Greg Jundanian, Eric Kunsman & Minny Lee

Posted on May 16, 2020

Once a month we bring together four photographers to talk about their work, and inspire us all creatively. Called the Photo Chat Chat, our next installment happens June 11th. Here is our line up. It promises to be a great conversation.

Sean Du is a landscape photographer whose work aims to reconnect us with nature. His on-going project “Above the Treeline” records, by way of hiking and climbing, the normally unseen views of North America’s mountain wildernesses. Since earning his BFA in photography from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, his work had been exhibited in institutes such as the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, California, Los Angeles Center of Photography, the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado, Sangre de Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo, Colorado, and Photographic Center Northwest, in Seattle, Washington. He currently lives in Pasadena, California.

Gregory Jundanian is an emerging artist focused on portraiture with a concentration on communities. His current project, In Their Footsteps, is about his connection to Armenia, and the connection between Armenia and Armenian break-away republic of Artsakh. Other ongoing projects include a series of work on male identity focusing on local area barbershops, and different landscape projects that keep him busy until he can photograph people once again. In
the meantime he is finally fully utilizing his Netflix account.

Jundanian was a 2017 Critical Mass Top 200 finalist with Spoken Word, his work on the poetry slam community in Boston. He also had a solo show with that work at the South Boston Public Library, and has shown both nationally and internationally in group shows. He recently completed his post-bac degree at MassArt, and will be entering an MFA program at the University of Hartford this summer.

Eric T. Kunsman (b. 1975) was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While in high school, he was heavily influenced by the death of the steel industry and its place in American history. The exposure to the work of Walker Evans during this time hooked Eric onto photography.

Eric holds his MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and holds an MS in Electronic Publishing/Graphic Arts Media, BS in Biomedical Photography, BFA in Fine Art photography all from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.

Currently, he is a photographer and book artist based out of Rochester, New York. Eric works at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as a Lecturer for the Visual Communications Studies Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and is an adjunct professor for the School of Photographic Arts & Sciences. He has owned Booksmart Studio since 2005, which is a fine art digital printing studio, specializing in numerous techniques and services for photographers and book artists on a collaborative basis.

Minny Lee is a lens- based artist who is currently focusing on making artist’s books. Her work contemplates the concepts around time and space and the coexistence of duality. Lee was born and raised in South Korea and obtained an MA in Art History from City College of New York and an MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard. Lee was awarded a fellowship from the Reflexions Masterclass in Europe and participated in an artist-in-residence program at Halsnøy Kloster (Norway) and Vermont Studio Center. Her work has been exhibited at the Center for Fine Art Photography, Camera Club of New York, Datz Museum of Art (S. Korea), Espacio el Dorado (Colombia), Les Rencontres d’Arles (France), Lishui Photo Festival (China) among other venues. Lee’s artist’s books are in the collection of the International Center of Photography Library, New York Public Library, Special Collections at the University of Arizona, Special Collections at Stanford University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Amon Carter Museum Library, and many other private collections. Lee was based in the greater New York area for more than twenty years and recently relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Photographers on Photography

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