True delight

Last week I received this gorgeous book from Metehan Özcan. It is a truly inspiring book, well printed and a great selection of his work.

"In his exhibition named as “Vacuum”, Metehan Ozcan focuses on abandoned spaces. The houses, streets, and parks in Ozcan’s photographs are haunted by a subject who has left; in other words they are under the influence of a vacuum of the absent subject. Even if these images do not contain a single human figure, they tell various stories. Astoundingly, Ozcan’s photographs, do not give references to despair, melancholia or nostalgia. At first glance, these images where the traces of subjectivity are submitted to the mercy of silence, darkness, humidity and dust may appear as a requiem for the modern space; but then again, Ozcan’s perspective constructs a reality in which “the return of the repressed” and “the immanent uncanniness of the space” are embraced. An after hour darkness, silence and stillness of a fairground which can only exist with the light, joy and laughter; or the house which submits itself to the growing jungle that it had been externalizing since from its very foundation do not signify “the death of the space”, but celebrate an “other” kind of “rebirth” with a new face."

Something different

I am not one to get up when it is still dark outside, but for the last 2 weeks I have been practicing early starts, so I can finish all the projects before I head off in two weeks - hurray. This morning I was tickled by Sylvain Cotte images along with his descriptions: (First image) "In 1986, Leon Grellutch became the first Belgian astronaut. Unfortunately, the trip sponsored by Jupiler will never see the day and Leon will land forever. He’s always visiting Belgian universities to give lectures about life on Mars."
(Second image) "Sergi Fuentes is the first Spanish to join the deceased ABA (Animal Basketball Association) in 1967. At the end of a summer of love which will stay in annals, he joins Detroit and his Pistons. During its first match, the mascot of the team annoys him accidentally just like that with piston. He will remain weak light for life." I love cyanotypes and seeing that I will move in 10 days and have a shed, well maybe I'll have to set up a dark room again. Sylvain is also selling 20 unique editions in the size of 14,8 x 21cm printed on 340gsm art paper.

Inhabit

These still life series "Ivy house" by Karin Bubaš are stripped down to the bare essentials of every day life. And yet with her use of light and colour, her images suggest a presence - just out of view, but one you can certainly feel.

Endless beginnings

Ever since I fell in love with contemporary dance I was interested to capture the movements we can not see. With trying to capture movement you constantly change between think, feel, think-feel and feel-think of all the different beginnings and endings. It is a constant play of interconnecting, overlapping and a transformational new beginning. Beginning again.
"Draw a line through the centre of a circle. By performing that simple act, you have created infinity." Mathematical Models of the Sublime (Dancehouse, 14 to 18 July 2010) is a new performance work from Walpole & Sister that takes the simple geometry of the number pi as a starting point for investigating the wonder of the universe and the limits of the human body.

Essence of a relationship

It took me a while to figure out what drew me to Jared Kuzia "Oaxaca" series. After a while I realised it was the light. It sets the tone of these images and allows you to go beneath the surface to discover a residue from the past.

Russian poetry

Last week Max Sher a very talented photographer from St. Petersburg introduced himself with his series "KARS*"

“I changed from an amble to a round trot and arrived that evening at a Turkish village twelve miles from Kars. Having jumped down from my horse I wanted to enter the first hut, but the owner appeared in the doorway and pushed me away with a shower of abuse. I responded to his welcome with my whip. The Turk started bellowing; a crowd gathered. My guide, it seemed, had interceded on my behalf. I was shown a caravan-serai; I entered a large hut resembling a cattle shed; there was nowhere to spread my cloak. I demanded a horse. The Turkish headman came over to me. To all his incomprehensible words I gave the same reply: verbana at (give me a horse). The Turks would not agree. Finally I had the sense to show them money (which I should have done in the first place). A horse was brought immediately and I was given a guide. I rode along a wide valley, surrounded by hills. Soon I saw Kars, standing out white on one of them. My Turk kept pointing it out to me, repeating 'Kars, Kars!' and put his horse into a gallop. I followed him tormented by anxiety: it was in Kars that my fate would be decided".

Alexander Pushkin, “A Journey to Arzrum”, 1829, translated by Brigitta Ingemanson.

*Kars is a town in northeastern Turkey near the Armenian border. From 1878 to 1918 it was part of Russia. This is where Orhan Pamuk’s novel “Snow” is set. Turkish for ‘snow’ is ‘kar’.

Dust storms

A few month ago on the way home from Warrnambool a friend made a little excursion to show me these dust storms. You can not see them, but suddenly you are in them and sand is swirling all around you. After a while, you get back in the car, drive on and dream about the brief moment.

Small hours

Last week I received a lovely email from Katja Sonnewend telling me about her "7 minutes being a geisha" series, photographed in Japan 2009. I am simply smitten with Japan and would love to spend more time there, so you can imagine my delight when I saw these images. I am always attracted to silence and simplicity in combination with a delicate touch of colour.

Magnetism

To tired to think, but thought I share these interesting images by Brittonie Fletcher from her series "Intimate Strangers". Well all the hard work paid off... we found a cute little house in Maldon - 1 1/2 hours from Melbourne and if all goes well we will be moving there on the 7th of June and on the 10th of June I will hop on a plane to Germany. So much to do, but I will try to post every so often, so you wont forget me.

New UYW Issue

You might remember Yaniv from the first edition of UYW. He generously curated the first half of this issue by inviting other journal makers to submit images. Most of the time they provide a platform for other artists to show their works through the virtual world of the web, but now he put them in the spot lights and exposes their personal works and ideas.

For my part, I invited five artists to share their dreams and desires by throwing themselves into a new project - they had two months to come up with anything they wanted... and now I am asking you to do the same - to try to sense, experience and feel their project’s rather than understand them. This may not be definitive. And it might present you with certain problems. In fact I’m sure it will. Try to treat these problems as minor distractions, a giggle of relief that rejuvenates your ability to keep sensing. This is backwards I know. But it might make you look, or feel differently, might open more possibilities for more meanings and connections, more interpretations. You don’t need me interpreting. Pretend I’m not here. Imagine. You can invent your own story. Full of fantastical adventures, or quiet sojourns. A whole library of thought, a box of dreams. A world of essays. Flying carpets and magic theory.

Barry W Hughes
Fabian Grimme
Marius Rehmet
Peter Skwiot Smith
Simos Saltiel
Caitlin Duennebier
Lorena Endara
Maximilian Pramatarov
Olivia Locher
Susanne Willuhn

You can either download UYW (19mb) here, or view the spreads here.