I've just returned home after a long trip to Manhattan. It was the big finale for a project I've been working on for months which involved working crazy hours trapped in the horrible neon hell that is Times Square. I was keen to try and shoot some stuff whilst there, but noticed a conspicuous absence of tripods from the square itself. A quick web search revealed a mix of people saying it was fine and others saying that they had got tickets for trying it without a permit. I had lugged my Deardorff all the way, but figured I had too much to loss by pushing my luck. I did manage to take a group shot of the project team. Having carried the film through 2 x-ray machines and loaded it in a not-so-dark room, I have no idea whether it will come out. Watch this space for details...
On the final day of the trip, I managed to sneak over to the International Centre of Photography. The ICP currently has 3 exhibitions. The first, Remembering 9/11, was a multi part exploration of memories and healing. The stand out element for me was a selection of photos taken by Francesc Torres (Memory Remains: 9/11 Artifacts at Hangar 17). This section covered items which have been recovered from the ruins of the World Trade Centre. I found it incredibly moving and was stunned by the artists ability to mix scales between the very large and the very small with intense effect.
As part of the same exhibition a video installation showed an artist clearing their studio from debris which had blown in by the destruction of the towers. I have never been able to get my head around video installations in the past, and I'm afraid to say that this one was no exception. My criticism remains the same; with no evidence of any technical skill or understanding of narrative the only thing going for this piece was its choice of subject. Any other medium would have done more justice to this topic than the horrible monotonous drone of amateurish imagery. I guess I works for some people, but for me it was terrible.
Other exhibitions included a selection of work by Peter Sakaer. This was an excellent collection of photo journalism from the depression era. Most of it appeared to be contact silver gelatin prints and the quality was excellent. The sharpness and tone were breath taking and it had the effect of bringing the human life depicted in the pictures right into the modern age. Sakaer's work has a very graphic feel and his mix of people and store fronts has a haunting vibe. I would highly recommend this exhibition.
Whilst in the ICA I picked up copies of Ansel Adam's celebrated technical manuals; The Camera, The Negative, and The Print. I'm working my way through the first volume at the moment. It's ace!
I'v been working my way through some of he course exercises this week. I'll post my results shortly.
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