F inbox: Łukasz Biederman

© Łukasz Biederman

don't forget - we LOVE polaroids :)

Photograper: Luc Rabaey

way to heaven

Disorder

another about sailing

about sailing

postcard from Funchal

face to the frame with Tomek Adamowicz

you know pictures by Tomek Adamowicz. here are some pics from the exhibition "Warsaw - faces of the city" in Green Gallery in Warsaw/
it's also a tutorial - how not to act in the opening nights...
nobody was harmed. uff!
congrats!

Mario Giacomelli at Atlas/London

Mario Giacomelli, Puglia 1957©Rita Giacomelli, Archivio Mario Giacomelli – Sassoferrato

Mario Giacomelli, Puglia 1957©Rita Giacomelli, Archivio Mario Giacomelli – Sassoferrato

Mario Giacomelli, Metamorphosis of the Land, end of 1970's©Rita Giacomelli, Archivio Mario Giacomelli – Sassoferrato

Mario Giacomelli – Puglia
from today till 16 May 2009 at Atlas Gallery / London.

Widely regarded as the greatest Italian photographer of the twentieth century, Mario Giacomelli was born in Senigallia, Italy, in 1925. Following a poor formal education, he began his working life as a jobbing printer, before training as a typographer and did not fully embrace photography until he was 30 years old. Despite this late start and his sometimes unconventional almost naïve approach, and in some ways because of it, Giacomelli is now considered one of the most original photographic artists of the twentieth-century. The combination of his experimental working methods with the sometimes brutal imagery of his subject matter create a very personal, but playful and poetic exploration of the region in which he lived his life.

Giacomelli’s initial inspiration came from the gritty and grainy post-war Neo-Realist films of Rossellini and De Sica and also from the graphic effects and calligraphic line he had used in printing. He continued to work in, and later run, a print shop in Senigallia throughout his adult life. Above all, Giacomelli saw himself as a poet with a camera. His love of written poetry too was to become the principal source of his (self-) education, allowing him the freedom to build meaning into his work and helping him mask the feelings of inadequacy that a poor schooling had left. The exhibition includes original manuscripts of poems alongside the prints, emphasizing the very strong link he felt between these two media.

“Photography is not difficult, as long as you have something to say”. Giacomelli’s famous statement underlines his casual disregard for the technical intricacies of the photographic process. Once he was given a new camera with an exposure meter, but threw it away in favour of his simple point-and-shoot model. This rawness of approach is a key characteristic of his work and his obliviousness to accepted dark-room practices resulted in the creation of works which were completely unique in style.

Giacomelli’s work in Puglia in 1957 is one of his most celebrated series. He later wrote: “to look at these images…is to feel the surface texture of plants, to know the labour of the land, the sounds of celebration, the games outside the church, old sun-drenched walls, friendship and human company, quiet relaxation, the events, the ceremonial and religious life, the pride and vitality that are the visible phenomena of society.” The photographs depict an almost idealistic fantasy of how we today imagine the Italian village to look. The prints themselves display Giacomelli’s characteristic use of strong contrast and striking use of form and texture.

All the prints in this exhibition come directly from his estate in Sassoferrato, Italy, and were made by the photographer in his dark room, which still remains undisturbed, since his death in 2000, along with all his possessions at his house in Senigallia. Also included are some of his most well-known works from the series Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino il Volto (There are no Hands to Caress My Face), in which young priests are shown joking with each other in the snow, along with a selection of his landscapes.

Giacomelli won numerous medals and prizes, and achieved international status through exhibitions in Europe, America and Japan. His works are held in museums, corporate and private collections worldwide.

/Atlas Gallery's press release/

Mario Giacomelli in his studio ©Paolo Mengucci, 1997

delivered to Fblog by joanna, as a part of the F-week from Italy. stay tuned for more!

Invited guest: Jens Olof Lasthein

Tiraspol 2006

Transcarpathians2004

Sometimes it's not what you expect that makes the biggest impression. I remember visiting Kulturhuset in Stockholm to see some major exhibition, I don't recall wich one. I guess the exhibition was alright but what really got stuck in my mind was an exhibition called "White Sea Black Sea" by the Swedish photographer Jens Olof Lasthein. Lasthein had been traveling along the border between the European Union and the former Soviet Union -from the White Sea to the Black Sea- with a panoramic camera, documenting life at the border between eastern and western Europe.

I'm glad to be able to show some of the photos here on the F Blog. If you want to see more, have a look at his website or better yet, buy the wonderful book that was nominated one of five candidates as Photo book of the year 2008 in Sweden.

/markus

StPetersburg1993

Minsk 2005

Kegostrov 2005

Kaliningrad2007

Kaliningrad 2007

Grigoriopol 2006

Arkhangelsk2005

Kaliningrad 2007

Aleksander Prugar: Coal miners

Motivation for this photograph series is miners holiday called Barborka in 2005. Miners who took part of it, were photographed right after coming out from the underground, and then later leaving mines' baths- after washing coal dust off. While being at home, they split their time between family, resting ,mountain walking, and even writing books. If you ask them what is most important for them, their answer without any hesitation will be: home, family, serenity and tradition.

Ruda Slaska
„Coal mine Pokoj”
„Coal mine Polska-Wirek”
“Coal mine Bielszowice” 

Bio - official version:

Born in Gliwice (1984). Multimedia journalist, joining photography and sound records while documenting. At the moment completing MA dissertation at the Faculty of Journalism of Warsaw University. Winner of several photo contests: Grand Press Photo, BZ WBK PressPhoto, Polish Press Photo, Silesian Press Photo. Participant of Eddie Adams Workshop. Granted by Silesia Voyvodship. Participant of Cracow Photo Month. In his work he follows the motto: nothing happens twice. There will not be another yesterday or today. It will be kept for the future just on pictures, unless you don’t make it. 
Despite photography he writes poems and makes graphics.

Non-official version:
The world surrounding me stops to be a subject by itself to be become an element to be transformed in the creation process. I like to sleep till 3 p.m., to work till the daybreak and to eat supper instead of breakfast. I have digital camera and one lens. I don’t answer to the question “how many years do you photography”. I am sure there are golden years for photography ahead. And it will be soon, just few minutes left.

All pictures and text © by Aleksander Prugar

Whole series of Silesian coal miners to be seen and listen (really worth to make it!) here ->

More of Aleksander's works (pictures and projects) here: 

aleksanderprugar.blogspot.com
www.aleksanderprugar.com
spinacz-spina.blogspot.com

invited by Marcin

postcard from gliwice

J ´ai un secret

me and flowers

I love you

photo by Damian Chrobak

S:t Eriksbron

Aaaaaah

Krzysztof Szlapa: Into the Life, Into the Light

When I leave my place I move in the public space when suddenly various elements catch my attention. Human marks, recent signs of presence preserved on images are like intimate diary of urban life.

I do not deliberate on nature's beauty when taking photos of a tree or any other plant. Possibility of life is what makes me concentrate on it.

Every time I take a stand towards my pictures I get to know myself better. Some of them might be considered as a personal conscience examination.

The most precious photographs are an unforeseeable gift from the Sun.

Picture so natural and so unusual as human heart beat is my dream.

I repeat myself that I am not ready yet for taking shoots of people and their faces however it still concerns my mind.

Krzysztof is young photographer from Katowice, his works will be presented soon on the Rybnik Festival of Photography. 

More of Krzysztof's works on his website >

invited by Marcin