The World From My Front Porch

© Larry Towell

Last Monday I had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion on photography and human rights at NYU hosted by NYU and Magnum. The three presenters and panelists were Nina Berman, Ed Kashi, and Larry Towell. I was, especially, taken by Larry Towell’s project, “The World From My Front Porch”, a photo essay accompanied by video, spoken word, and folk music, with stories from Afghanistan, El Salvador, New Orleans (after Hurricane Katrina,) Palestine, New York City (in the wake of the events of 9/11,) and Towell’s own front porch.

© Larry Towell

According to Towell, “the theme of the book is very much about land, land-lessness, people’s association with land, and how the land makes you into who you are. And if you lose your land as you look beyond your front porch, what often happens, which is peasant rebellion, revolution, and insurrection.”

Here is an brief account of the exhibition of “The World From My Front Porch”:

http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/frontporch

Hope everyone’s off to a relaxing summer– in my lazing about, I’ve come across this wonderful photo story of New York. Enjoy!

http://www.pictorymag.com/showcases/new-york-city/

Here are some of my favorites, but do go to the site for the full experience..

Paths © Julia Parris

Hazy Manhattan Dreams © Eric Hart

Let’s Get Lost is a documentary by Bruce Weber about the life–the struggles and elations–of Chet Baker, jazz trumpeter and singer. Prior to seeing this movie, I had not heard much of Chet Baker’s music, and although, after seeing the movie, I can’t stop listening to it, I think it’s mostly because of the way that Bruce Weber told the story of Chet Baker’s life and career that I am now so fascinated by his music. 

Weber uses only a few scenes throughout the documentary to which he continually returns. Although this sounds like it would get exhausting and even distracting (to keep switching between scenes,) I think it is a perfect way to trace the life of someone posthumously. We get a sense of who Chet Baker was in the best and worst moments of his life based on interviews with his family and friends, photographs and videos from his earlier and later years, and his music. We see a scene of Chet Baker when he is young and singing and dancing on the beach in California with his friends, and then we see him speaking to Weber as an older man–exhausted and burnt out. We see him in recording sessions in his youth–singing passionately and confidently into the microphone–and then, we see his family sitting in their home talking to Weber about all the grief Chet has caused them. By the end of the movie, there is no way you can fully love or hate Chet Baker because, although, he caused so much grief to those around him because of his drug habits and self-centeredness, he, also, created such beautiful music that is still affecting listeners–even now, 21 years after his death, and no doubt, for many more generations. 

Instead of chronologically presenting a life, Weber presents Chet Baker as a whole person–falling somewhere between his personas of a jazz god and a battered junkie. 

© William Claxton

Chet Baker sings “Almost Blue” by Elvis Costello

Preservation and documentary photography is something New Jersey native photographer Trix Rosen specializes in. While documentary photography is often linked with photojournalism, Rosen also uses her talent in the preservation of abandoned buildings and historic landmarks. The concept itself is worth some thought, but I’d rather focus on the photographs as pieces of architectural photography- as documentation of rotting architecture from some beautiful if unsavory places.

© Trix Rosen 2007
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This biopic about Tolstoy may not be going on my list of top screenplays, but it definitely blew me away with the acting and scenery. There are shots in this film that truly stand out, and the many scenes shot in forests and other parts of nature will truly take your breath away. The entire film feels authentic and really draws you into Tolstoy’s life, and if you’re looking for something both aesthetically pleasing and emotionally powerful, this is the film to see.

The Last Station is currently playing at the Village East Cinema on 12th Street and 2nd Ave.

I am a minimalist and things that have striking minimalist qualities are usually things that I gravitate towards. The photographs of Josef Schulz have an extremely objective aesthetic, one series of images that he worked on involves geometric interaction and flattening of building facades. I was attracted to images from the ‘sachliches’ series (a term of many meanings in German – I took it to mean without a human element in this context) because I am currently working on a similar project in my large format class. The fanciful colors and clashing textures in these images are elements are intriguing, they almost seem unreal. Schulz was born in Poland and currently lives and works in Dusseldorf, Germany. He is of a younger generation of graduates of the Dusseldorf School and was taught by Bernd and Hilla Becher.

I went to the MoMA a couple weeks ago to seek out the new Henry Cartier-Bresson exhibit, The Modern Century. While it was certainly a beautiful collection of his work, the exhibit that really took my breath away was William Kentridge: Five Themes. It is a summation of nearly three decades of his work, and it is completely remarkable. He presents a vast array of artistic mediums, from Film to Charcoal Illustrations – all uniquely intriguing and impressive. His works elegantly combine aesthetics with political and social intention to create a truly mind-blowing exhibit.

William Kentridge: Five Themes will be at MoMA until May 17th, and if you find time to go see it, you certainly won’t be disappointed. Every part of it is completely mesmerizing.

Find out more here.

Before I went to college, my high school did a whole unit on “personal safety.” It included self defense classes and a half hour of being told to not accept drinks from strangers and to not leave a drink unattended. Well, none of that will help you if someone has Burundanga (Scopolamine).

Its colloquial Colombian name is the Devil’s Breath because, “it steals your soul.” This is because the main effect of Burundanga is complete loss of free will. When on it, you will do anything you’re told. Worst of all, you won’t remember it.

This beautiful flower is a part of the arguably evilest drug known to man.

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iPhone 4G or "iPhone HD"

So it can be made official. Over the weekend leaked images of the speculated 4G iPhone were confirmed to be legitimate. The device, almost identical from first glance, reveals a sleuth of new features that will certainly peak the interest of any Apple aficionado. The phone sports a front facing camera, flash, aluminum side-casing, and a ceramic glass back. Not forgetting the phone now sports a screen with double the resolution and a much more powerful camera. Supposedly the battery is 16% larger and the leaked phone had a capacity of 80 GB. The phone is a much more industrial design, similar to the iPad and new iMac, while a departure from the curvilinear designs of the previous three iPhones. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s an exciting time for Icelandic photography. In addition to wreaking economic devastation, Eyjafjallajökull has put on quite a show, offering a visual feast to tourists and professionals alike. Her painterly billows and ashen lava bursts have made an impressive spectacle. It’s too bad flights are grounded, because it seems some of the best views come from above.

© AFP/Getty Images
© Vilhelm Gunnarsson/Caters News/ Zuma Press

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