30 December 2006

My Grandparents

Well, in 1940, they all looked like movie stars. *lol*

Tale for the living (part one)


I still remember the moment when I first met Ewa Stackelberg
through her pictures in the book "Tale for the living".
Peter
Ragnarsson was involved in the process of making the book
and it was he who presented it to me.
The first picture was like a
visual explosion, the one with a
camera smashed to pieces.

And from there the story evolved.
It´s a very moving work and almost
even more today when
I, thanks to Ewas generosity, am able to present
a selection
of pictures from her book. It was awarded as the best Photo
Book of The Year 2001 by The Association of Swedish
Professional
Photographers.
-Ulf Fågelhammar

”Tale for the living is the outward expression of several years
grieving process following the sudden death of a beloved. It is
as though the pictures have risen from the unconscious, the
story only becoming clear afterwards: a movement from
acute distress to disintegration and finally a return to life.”
-from the back cover of the English edition.






October 1997 my husband of twenty years died in a plane crash
in Costa Rica. Some weeks later, before the arrival of his body,
items found at the scene of the accident were returned home:
his purse, a few toiletries, a CDplayer with a disc in place. The
smashed camera with its broken glass was well packed in a
plastic bag together with earth from the ground were he fell.
The smell was that of humidity and tropical decay.

In an effort to deal with my desperation I used the broken parts
of the camera to make a picture. It wasn´t until much later I
realised this would be the beginning of a story.

The images are photograms, a method where chance and
exploration are important ingredients. They are produced
during two and a half years.
- Ewa Stackelberg






































Please also have a look at the postings of 22 December, 25 December
and 28 December with pictures from Ewa Stackelberg´s exhibition
"Surrender".
all pictures ©Ewa Stackelberg

GruppoF inbox: The other side by Benny P



regarding words



Words
Lets talk about words
The world is full of them
The papers, the news on the tellie.
Talkshows
One even make breakfast cereals in shape of letters,
to spell out words

But yet.
At the end of the day
It is the words not spoken,
the words you didn’t find.
That haunts you.


photo and words by: christofer grandin

A Christmas Report - Playing Cat(s) and Dog

Well, it didn't work out.
What did we think of?


- "They will get used to each other! A couple of hours, at most."


Well, the cats had to be locked into one room.The big dog in another.


What a mess. But the cats happily played with the strings and gift wrap paper.


lisbon


 

28 December 2006

When Grand Dad went Fifty

My Grand parents were living in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) during a period in the sixties. Recently I got my hands on Grand Father's letter home reporting on his Fifty year birthday.


Official "on-duty" photo.






"Official photo of the fifty year birthday celebration 28/10 1967.
In front of the Bougainville with the gifts.
Among them is Kalles Kaviar from a dear friend living in COlombo.
(78 Fahrenheit in the shadow at 7.30 in the morning)"



"Lunch time 84 Fahrenheit in the shadow.
Champagne served from the best silver plate the house can offer."



"Our dog Rhum is always by our side.
Especially when we are serving something tasting."



"The lunch being served in the yard.
Special paper napkins signals the special event."


"The Wife looking relaxed after the excellent lunch."


"A happy Fifty-year-old. The guests have left.
The excellent dinner have been eaten.
Coffee with good music still coming up."

"A night cap enjoyed after a evening stroll.
Night shirt already on."



"Mid night. Brushing teeth."

Invited Guest: John Bemerstam






John tells me that technique as equipment has a secondary place in his photography, as well as the motif. Whats matter is light and light in darkness, something unconcious and automatic is underlying. His photos are often without people and the location are often simple and "clean".
John grew up in Finland, "in a tree in the forest" which may have some significance for the fact that there´s often trees or branches in his photowork.
I´m amazed by the magic world those photos has within and the light is fantastic. You can see more of his photography here
and here

Inveted by: Jeanette Hägglund

Gruppo F inbox:legs


There are times when a moment presents itself to us .. there is just
enough time, just enough light and a lot of inspiration .. Somehow we
just know .. even if it's a small moment, it's our moment .. private.
I had an old camera, a normal lens and a hand meter with me this day
.. What some friends don't know about this image is that it was taken
just weeks after 9/11. The commuter lines everywhere were long then
and waiting was a daily thing .. For me, this was one beautifully distracting,
private and sensual moment standing in such a line .. It was a grey
afternoon, a very grey time .. but it was also a very beautiful, sensual and
human moment .. I can still feel and remember it.

Picture and text ©John Strazza

dream

lost and found (2)

Continuation of the former post under same title.
This time negative (half 35mm) with description: Kulawik's film, cottage 1979.







 

Invited guest: Ewa Stackelberg (3)


There may be a sheet that shields us like a skin.
A thin sheet around our love.
That bears the newborn.
Cools the one that sweats.
Surrounds the lovers.
The ones who loved long ago,
in love scenes that precede us.
And then the sheet around the young.
I want to wrap up their openness.
Raise a weave against the red strobe.
There may be a sheet for the power and fragility of the body.
That surrounds and lets fall.
A cloth to give to the warm darkness.

Ewa Stackelberg




This is another room in Ewas exhibition "Surrender". It´s called
"The young ones" and the pictures are painted with light in a
completely dark room using the widest opening of the camera.








































Det kan finnas ett lakan som skyddar oss likt en hud.
Ett tunt lakan runt vår kärlek.
Som bär det nyfödda.
Svalkar den svettiga.
Omgärdar de älskande.
De för länge sedan älskande,
i kärleksscenen som föregår oss.
Och sedan lakanet om de unga.
Jag vill linda deras öppenhet.
Resa en väv mot den röda strålningen.
Det kan finnas ett lakan för den nakna kroppens kraft och skörhet.
Som omsluter och låter falla.
Ett tyg att ge till det varma mörkret.

Ewa Stackelberg

Please also have a look at the previous postings of 22 December
and 25 December with pictures from the exhibition "Surrender".


All pictures ©Ewa Stackelberg
Invited by ulf fågelhammar