Sirio Magnabosco: "A Series of Unexpected Meditations"

In his study "3.3 billion" the Italian photographer Sirio studied the relationship between people and the presence of nature inside cities. I like the way he portrays one person in contrast to a vast scenery. Sirio attended the Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam, you can see more of his photos in this book.  He currently lives in Berlin.

Sirio, http://www.mrsirio.com/

Sirio, http://www.mrsirio.com/

Sirio, http://www.mrsirio.com/

Sirio, http://www.mrsirio.com/

Sirio, http://www.mrsirio.com/

Art in the City

I enjoy Murals, I think they really define the culture of a city. I thought I just had to show you some of them. At this point I apologize for not writing more but it is so hot in New York that I can barely press the button "Publish" without breaking out into a sweat. I hope you will forgive me, and nevertheless enjoy these photos! 

I have been working more on my photography skills, I'm so glad Sue Pownall convinced me to get a decent camera for my trip! (Please note: The first photo is not an advertisment for beer but I just liked how the color of the beer and the sky mingled!)

THE LOCAL, photography series by Eliza Gregory: "Art strengthens community"

THE LOCAL: holding on and letting go is a Melbourne-based series of photographs and interviews by Eliza Gregory. She is an artist and writer from San Francisco and lives in Melbourne. Eliza likes to make art about people and their places. In an interview with TYT Eliza speaks about telling stories about people with photography and why her project helped strengthen her community. 

The series is now available to view online at www.holdon-letgo.com. The next showing of THE LOCAL will be at the Global Gallery, in Paddington, NSW (which is essentially in Sydney). It runs from May 6-15th.

Yassah

Your exhibition "The Local:holding on and letting go" in Melbourne just started. What does this project mean to you?  What inspired you to this project? 

The project consists of portraits of people from many different backgrounds, paired with interviews about the process of cultural adaptation. People tell stories of moving from one country to another, dealing with rapid change in the country they've always lived in, coping with prejudice and cultural repression, and navigating the process of building and maintaining one’s personal cultural identity.

The project is conceived of as a way to help mitigate the social isolation that many new immigrants or marginalized populations feel. It’s also designed to catalyze new relationships by breaking down cultural barriers and prejudices so that people can more easily get to know each other. 

Do you think your project strengthened your community through art? 

I believe that art is essentially about communication, and communication is what builds relationships between people. One measure of the health of a community is how many relationships there are. The more quality relationships you have in a given area, the happier and healthier people in that area tend to be. So to me, art is something that can often lead directly to strengthening communities. This project is based upon that idea, and is designed specifically to catalyze and support relationships between very different people or groups, which it can be difficult to form without some kind of boost.

Did some of the pictures you took change your view on your community? 

Oh definitely. That's what this project is all about--trying to see the people that you pass on the street every day and don't really notice. This project has helped me get to know so many new people, and learn so much more about their lives. I feel a very different relationship to my community now than I did before this project. I feel personally embedded in my community, and excited and interested in it. And I feel a lot of affection and admiration for all the people I got to know over the course of the project.

What part does photography play in your life? 

Well...a big part! For me, photography is both an end in itself--I enjoy trying to make something beautiful, and so each picture is another chance to reach that goal--and a tool to achieve a specific end. In this project, I wanted to have a small but meaningful impact on my community by demonstrating my respect for the people who live around me. Photography, audio recording, partnership-building, and personal relationships were all tools I used to achieve that goal. I think photography is a great tool for a project like this because it is fun and quite straightforward: it's easy for people to understand what I'm doing. It also is reproducible, so it allows one image to be used in many different ways: in an exhibition, as a gift to the subject, and online to reach a larger audience.

So photography is both eminently practical in my work, but it's also something that moves me. It makes me excited about life, happy to be alive, happy to feel curious about others. I think photography really celebrates learning and feeling, and those things are very important to me. 

How did people react to your project? 

People are really supportive, and it couldn't happen without their support. It begins with the support of the staff of the organizations I partner with. Those people have to believe in the project in order to introduce me to their clients. Then THOSE people (the clients) have to believe in the project in order to feel like they want to participate. And then a whole bunch of other people have to be excited about the project in order to come and see the exhibition, or look at it on the web. This time, I also used the crowd-funding platform called Kickstarter to help catalyze enthusiasm and financial support for the project, and that has been extremely successful. So, in general, I'd say people have really been excited about the project. They have described the exhibition as feeling welcoming--as though they are part of a close knit community, even just standing amongst the photographs. I really like that.-

Joe Boy and Donnie

Duc Toan Diep

Nick, Pha, Belle and Rory


For more on Eliza Gregory visit elizagregory.com

Juliana Urrego

 Juliana Urrego works on contemporary design, architecture, photography and creative projecs in Miami. 

When did you decide to make art your career?

I do not think it was ever a conscious decision. I developed a love for architecture early on and that led to an interest in art and photography. I've been able to grow more as an artist because of my formal education as an architect. When I design, I relate the hierarchy of graphic elements (color, typography, shapes) to that of architectural elements.

Why do you think many people stop on the way in pursuing their dream?

I think people stop pursuing dreams because they allow themselves to derail. As long as you have a clear picture of where you want to be, nothing should stop that. There is no greater reward than accomplishing a dream or goal, no matter how big or small.

What are you working on right now?

Right now I am collaborating with Kaleidoscope Collective on the design for the Jai-Alai Magazine cover and website. The magazine is a limited edition, biannual periodical with the goal of documenting literary life in Miami, Florida between 2010 and 2015. (See www.jaialaimag.org). 

If you could give young artists some advice, what would it be?

Being a young designer myself the best piece of advice I can give is to embrace the creative process. Each of us grows a great deal when we embark in a creative process regardless of your career. It leads us to build a strong foundation which we continously build upon. 

 

Kaleidoscope Collective Work, see at www.julianaurrego.com

www.julianaurrego.com

www.julianaurrego.com

"I live and sleep photography"

Mia Collis is a documentary photographer from Kenya. Mia majored in anthropology, directed her own two short films and works for the film world in different parts of the world.

When did you take your first photo?

When I was 13 in my first photography class at school. I photographed a statue of a woman holding a baby in the school grounds. The picture wasn't very good at all, but the teacher used it as an example to teach the class dark room work. I got a boost of confidence that made me believe that I was able to take a good photograph.

How has photography influenced your life? 

Visually it has made me look at life with a much more detailed eye. I'm forever checking out whats happening with light and am always fascinated by human behaviour and interaction. If I'm not at the film company, on a photo shoot or editing images, I'm thinking about how to better a project or I'm working out the next story to tell or how I'll get a project funded. I live and sleep photography.


What does creativity mean to you? 

Tapping into that spark or feeling, that is innate in all of us, and then being able to move or inspire people by channeling it in the right way.

What are themes of your work? 

As a documentary photographer, I'm fascinated by people and their stories . But I have also recently been shooting an elephant story. Within this spectrum I've been inspired lately by movement. When people are dancing or moving it's much easier to capture that raw emotion. I'm also inspired and like to work with natural light, a lot more than artificial light.

If you could work together with a young artist, what would you tell and show him?

 As a relatively young photographer myself and with still an enormous amount to learn in the photographic field, I'll pass on a wisdom that was recently relayed by my mother to me. She is a very gifted artist. She said success and 'making it' creatively is persistence. Take the rejection which there maybe a lot of in the beginning. Many talented and gifted people will give in and give up at this stage. But weather the storm, persist with it and you will get there. Follow your bliss.

                                                       

  "Disabled Dancers" by Mia Collis

"Elephants Dust Bath" by Mia Collis 

www.miacollis.com