July 2005 Archives

Mickael Therer emailed links to some cool and dizzying work on his web site, www.360days.com, which he describes as "my sandbox where I explore the possibilities of stitching full spherical images" using Quicktime. It's worth a spin.

Sayed Alavi has been making public art and installations for several years, but this project especially caught my interest. Here is his explanation and some photos:

A Site Specific Public Art Project for the Sacramento International Airport

This project consists of an aerial view of the Sacramento River that is woven into a carpet for the floor of a pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal to the parking garage. This image represents approximately 50 miles of the Sacramento River starting just outside of Colusa, California and ending about 6 miles south of Chico.

In addition to recalling the experience of flight and flying, this piece, by depicting the larger geographical area, also helps to reinforce a sense of belonging and/or connection for the traveler. In this way, the carpet can also be read and experienced as a "welcome mat" for visitors arriving in Sacramento. The siting of this piece on a bridge also helps to highlight a few other conceptual aspects of the work. A bridge is a connection between two destinations; it is not a destination in and of itself; it is neither here, nor there. In this way it is similar to an airplane, or a river connecting one place to another; here to there; a moment of flight frozen in mid air; a flowing river that takes us along with its current to another destination. In this way, the piece also creates a koanic relationship between a river and a bridge, since their ordinary positions have been turned around, and it is now the river that is on/above the bridge.

By working with carpeting in this context, I have been able to transform something quite ordinary into an extra-ordinary aesthetic experience. This apparently simple gesture, integrates multiple layers of harmonious meanings and references, in order to stimulate a conceptual dialog. Ultimately, however it was my intention with this project to present a fun and humorous situation for laughter and play, where travelers will feel rejuvenated and reminded of the magic of flight.

He writes, via email: I utilized aerial photos that were taken as survey photos, I found them via the internet actually. Then I processed them in photoshop and reduced them down to sixteen colors, the maximum available for the carpet. Then the carpet was custom woven by a company in Ireland, Ulster Carpet; they usually do this for casinos, big hotels, etc...

You can check out his other projects at his website

I just got back from an amazing week at the Renctontres d'Arles photography festival. It will take a long time to digest all of the ideas and work presented there -- completely fascinating and enjoyable.

In the meantime, here is an all-new issue for your reading and viewing pleasure. In case you're not on our mailing list, here's the note that went out via email:

Photography is a universal language that can help us understand ourselves and others, and grapple with phenomena that puzzle, haunt, titillate, confuse or intrigue us. The intensity and subtlety with which photography is now dissected, examined and explained seems to be extending to all coordinates of the planet. So, how can we stay attuned to what might be worthwhile or important?

This latest issue of Lens Culture includes photo-essays and series from the UK, India, the USA, Senegal, the former USSR, distant Arctic regions, Norway and New Zealand. It also presents 20 of the most important works of global photojournalism selected by the jury at World Press Photo 2005 in the Netherlands.

The formats vary: street photography, photo-collage, panoramas, in-your-face photojournalism, found photos, stills from high definition video, and multimedia with a pop soundtrack.

Many are serious inquiry into identity — personal, spiritual, biological, or cultural. Others are more meditative, or are colored by wry humor or heart-breaking and haunting documentation.

You'll also get to hear audio recordings of interviews, including a thought-provoking conversation with photographer and educator Elaine Mayes, who talks about her American auto-landscapes from the 1960s and 70s, a photograph as an "idea", Minor White, and the abstract expressionism of graffiti artists.

This issue initiates a new section of book reviews, starting with an in-depth review of Ukrainian-born Boris Mikhailov's Retrospective, published by Scalo.

And our archives section includes all the best of previous features, articles, essays, portfolios and interviews.

Please send an email and let us know what you think. Thanks, and cheers!