Giancarlo A. Mori | Photography > Blog

Site Construction

The site is undergoing some renovation. The theme has been modified and the portfolio link is accessible again, although it points to one of my external portfolios while my Flash gallery gets implemented...

Camerawork Exhibit Extended

The two-man exhibition at the Camerawork Gallery (see here for more) I am a part of has been extended till Sep 4th.

Below is the poster of the show designed by Anna Furlong for Bernd Reinhardt and me.

Camerawork Exhibition

A select number of pictures from my current B&W portfolio will be exhibited in a two-man show this July at the Camerawork Gallery in Scranton, PN. The show will run from July 3rd till August 4th, 2009 with an opening reception on July 3, from 6:00pm till 8:30pm.

Read more about the show at: http://www.cameraworkgallery.org/upcoming.htm. 

About Camerawork: "Camerawork Gallery is dedicated to hosting exhibitions of fine photography made by local photographers. The gallery is in the recently renovated Casey Laundry building and is downstairs, below the Marquis Gallery. Camerawork is managed by local photographers: Ivana Pavelka, Rolfe Ross and Michael Poster." 

Find more information about the gallery by clicking the logo below: 

May 31st Photo

Taken from the Shinkansen at Tokyo Central Station, on route to Kyoto.

(© Giancarlo A. Mori, 2008)

Looking in: Robert Frank's The Americans

A few weeks ago I received my copy of "Looking in: Robert Frank's The Americans" a voluminous new book published by Steidl for the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and edited by Sarah Greenough for the 50th anniversary of publication of The Americans.

Looking In is published in two editions: the expanded edition - the one in my possession - a heavy and voluminous tome of about 530 pages, which includes extensive analysis of The Americans, an in-depth portrayal of Frank's experience before and after his arrival in America, and an impressive survey of all of the original materials for the Guggenheim grant that secured Frank the funds for his project; plus the original and unedited contact sheets and a comparative review of the various editions of The Americans. The lighter paperback edition contains all of the text of the hardcover edition, but lacks all of the contact sheets, the sequencing and cropping pages from the various editions, and the correspondence and archive materials.  

This is an amazing labor of love. Love for photography, its book form, and above all for Robert Frank's seminal work on 1950's America. But it is also a great learning tool that every photographer can use to study one of the master photographers of the last 100 years, study him at work, his editing approach, the thousands of rejects that did not make the final set, the amount of changes that have gone into the various editions of the book (which defy the naive and common view of the photograph as a static work of art to be revered and celebrated, and the actual dynamic/evolutionary aspect of the real workings of a photographer dedicated to the quality of his work.) 

The book's publication coincides with an exhibition by the same name, which runs Jan 19th--Apr 26 at the NGA in DC; at the SF MoMA, May 16--Aug 23; at the Met, Sep 22--Dec27.

I bought my copy on Amazon (Amazon.com: Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans, Expanded Edition: Sarah Greenough, Robert Frank: Books)

The cover of the book (© 2009 Sarah Greenough for Steidl)

More on Photo Books Websites

On Oct 28th I posted an entry about "Photo Book Guide", which unfortunately seems to have paused or stopped its activity.

One more photography book-related website (still active, at the time of writing) that does a thorough job reporting and commenting on photographic books is 5b4. The site seems to have been active for almost two years and has covers a varied and extensive range of books.

Style and opinions are personal and I have frequently used it as a resource in the past to see what is being published, as well as have a non publisher-sponsored/supported review.

The site has been active since 2007, and the frequency of posts is quite high, and seems to average 6-10 entries per month (not a precise figure, just a guestimate). Some of the latest entries include:

• Gabriel Figueroa 
• Kamerad Im Westen: 221 Bilder
• Emmet Gowin Photographs reprint
• These Birds Walk Books
• Navel by Yukikazu Ito
• Inside In by Vera Lutter

The site is edited and supported by Jeff Ladd, photographer and printer based in Brooklyn, NY and seems to be well known among photography books buffs, with most entries sporting several reader's comments. Also, attached to the site is 5B4 Photobook Exchange, one more sites curated by Jeff and dedicated "to match up neglected photo and art books with new and loving owners" respectively.

Overall a very good site that lovers of photography and books should use and support.

(The 5B4 Site Banner)

Portfolio at Photography-now.net

My current B&W portfolio is now exhibited at the Photography-now.net online gallery.

A bit about the gallery in their own words "Fine Art Photography-Now is the internet's premier site dedicated to people seriously interested in contemporary and classical photography.The aim of Photography-Now is to provide an innovative online structure for artists, galleries and collectors and offer an insight into the current state of fine art photography in a pioneering new way. [...] The goal of Fine Art Photography-Now is to point out outstanding artists with their diversity and give them the opportunity to show their visions to a much bigger and wider audience."

My experience with them so far has been excellent. A direct link to my portfolio is HERE.

Nov 1st Photo

Santa Monica store display (Aug 08).

(© Giancarlo A. Mori, 2008)

"America Swings"

Naomi Harris' "America Swings" has come to Los Angeles, at the M + B gallery in Beverly Hills. The exhibit displays the work of the young New York based photographer, who has spent five years traveling across America documenting the sexual habits of over three million Americans active in the swinging lifestyle. Taschen has recently published the project in book form, and you can see some of its pictures at Naomi's website.

This is a very interesting exhibit for clear social and documentary reasons... knowledge engenders tolerance, does it not?... although it is very likely to also beget controversy and strong adverse reactions. At first glance, and for a purely personal taste and artistic viewpoint, Harris' style is not, to my eyes, particularly exciting, but I will visit the exhibit and write more detailed thoughts of this show very soon. 

The show will remain open from Oct 25 till Dec 6th. The M + B gallery is at 612 North Almont Drive, Los Angeles, http://www.mbfala.com/.

Book cover (© Taschen and Naomi Harris)

Some of the pictures from the exhibit (all © Naomi Harris)

Photobook Guide

If you like photo books like I do, here's a site for you: Photo Book Guide. 

Even if the web today provides an unprecedented opportunity to keep current with what happens in the photography world -- sometimes to a fault (as in too-much-information-too-little-time) -- books still provide a unique experience, physical, tactile, of a photographer's work. There is... at least for me... an undeniable fetish involved in leafing through the sumptuous pages of a book, the smell and feeling of paper and ink, less ephemeral than bits on a screen, that makes the enjoyment more real and permanent, sensuous and voluptuous in a way that the web rarely achieves.

In the words of the author, from PhotbookGuide itself: "Photobookguide.com aims to show the history of photography reflected through the photo book. [...] PhotobookGuide.com celebrates that long, rich history by presenting a web survey of landmark photo books. "

I am a great fan of the Web and of the creative potential of digital photography, but it is good (and in a way humbling) to remind ourselves that photography was born of very corporeal processes, and that freedom of expression can't dispense from the discipline that comes from the established methods of the craft. Creating a book is a daunting job, and it is good that so many photographers still decide to make a book part of their work; that small batch printing makes them affordable for so many...

Not all of the reviews on PhotobookGuide.com are as insightful or interesting, but they are all well written and informative, and I definitely applaud the effort that goes into maintaining the site.

The site has good structure, a traditional layout (by which I mean, non-flashy and economic in its design -- non necessarily a bad thing these days), it is readable, with good a classification of its posts by Genre and Author. The posts are concise and the author does not make too much of an effort to push his point of view on his readers (one more positive trait in the din of the Internet.)

Some of its latest posts include:

• Deconstructing Osama

• Grace in mundanity

• A damaged box of possibilities

• Martin Parr's favourite photography books of 2007 

• Photo Notes, and more

• Specimina Commercii

The site also contains links to many other good links related to photo books and photography in general, as well as a forum section. 

All in all, a good solid site that everyone interested in photography should peruse. I have read its posts regularly in the past and referred it to others, but since its latest post seems to have been published in December 2007, it is unclear whether the site is still being actively supported. I have sent an inquiry out and will report back after I hear from the author.... hoping bearing positive news...

October 24th Photo

New picture for this week. A memento of the summer past.

(© Giancarlo A. Mori, 2008)