Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Havana Notes Exhibition Review This is the final week of the exhibition ?Havana Notes? at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. The exhibit features the work of three Vancouver, B.C. photographers, Tom Abrahamsson, Gary Blakeley, and Chris Cameron, who traveled to Cuba last year to make photographs and visit friends. They returned with rolls and rolls of black and white film shot with their Leicas and when they came out of their darkrooms found they each had a body of work worthy of exhibition. Careful editing resulted in the exhibit Havana Notes, now in its first U.S. showing following the premier in Vancouver earlier this year. Each of the photographers brings their unique view on this capital city and it?s inhabitants: Abrahamsson?s years in Paris show through in his dark and moody, carefully composed streetscapes, where, for example, a dimly lit doorway yields mystery in the rich, dark values. His eye for the surrealistic is evidenced in a dramatic wide-angle view in which a blurred figure is set in motion against the large, building façade that carries the handless clock. The print, masterfully composed and executed yields about the most one can expect from a 35mm negative printed at sixteen/twenty. The wide range of values, from the dark, blurred figure, to the silvery light on the building?s façade reinforce his love of quick shooting where much is captured in a fleeting moment. Gary Blakeley presents a variety of images of daily life. One of his most unusual is the man with the pierced face. This straightforward street portrait shows us, in all detail, the numerous rings and needles that are in residence, (un) masking his identity and revealing his personality. A powerful and haunting image to some and no doubt considered a model to aspire to for others. Chris Cameron engages the personalities with an intimacy rare in today?s photographers. The relationships he builds, some at a moment?s notice, has a feeling of intimacy of long time friends. Time is a reminder, referenced so beautifully in his portrait of Alberto Korda. This portrait shows Korda shortly before his death, looking out at us with dignity and honor, the creator of one of the world?s most famous and highly reproduced images. Korda seems to remind us that he was the age of Che when he snapped that iconic image. Anna Thomas, songwriter/vocalist, from Vancouver found common ground in Brazilian music performed at the reception with David Feingold and Grant Donnellan, two members of the music faculty at Western Washington University, well known to northwest audiences and beyond. Havana Notes is a rewarding exhibition and functions on many levels from the pure joy of life, song, and dance in this vital country, to the beautiful photographic images so masterfully composed, exposed, and presented. A sampling of images from the exhibition can be viewed at: http://www.blakeleydesign.com/topolino/ The exhibit runs through Saturday, May 11th at Gallery 507 in the Viking Union Building on Western?s campus. Tom Johnston- Department of Art College of FIne and Performing Arts Western Washington University - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html