Down the Rabbit Hole - Week 16
Vuong, Faustine, Templeton, Berger
Ocean Vuong: Sống & Nona Faustine: What My Mother Gave Me
We managed to get to The Center for Photography at Woodstock last weekend. I went to see Ocean Vuong's exhibition because I've read his books. The exhibition was, like Vuong's other work, deepfelt and melancholic. A recording of his father singing a a Vietnamese song played periodically in the background.
The surprise was Nona Faustine's work. I'm constantly learning of photographers who, despite doing wonderful work for years, seem to go under the (my) radar. Her work was stunning with a look-away-can't-look-away quality, bringing new meaning to places I know well. She died young just last year. Even just seeing this exhibit I felt the loss.
(p.s. The CPW is not such a dour place as my photo on this post would suggest. It was a dark rainy day outside though!)
aperturewp
Ed Templeton
One thing I enjoy learning about photography is hearing the varied backgrounds of practitioners. Ed Templeton's life has been fascinating as a world-champion skater, business owner, and artist, though, he says, he captures the moments in between the glory with his camera.
John Berger
I was thinking about Berger's contribution to the literature of photography. Unlike others, I find his writing deeply human and empathetic. He demonstrates the act of paying attention with his writing. This talk with Geoff Dyer (editor of the book), Lawrence Weschler, Wendy Lesser, and Christophe Agou was given during the launch of Understanding a Photograph, when Berger was still alive (Agou passed away at a very young age a few years after, too).
PD Smith