The theme of this year’s Cortona on the Move festival, held annually in Tuscany, is More or Less, and the way in which those two categories can be used to understand ourselves and our world.

Across 26 exhibitions, documentary photographers explore the contrasts between wealth and poverty, abundance and scarcity, and the marginal and the mainstream.

Below, photographer and festival artistic director Paolo Woods explains his theme.

“I’ve always been very interested in why documentary photography has been so fascinated by poverty, and has so much forgotten wealth, the well-heeled and the rich; and why most of the images of the rich were commercial, celebratory, advertising, or just pure portraiture – but always made on the terms of the sitters,” he said.

“Secondly, I think today, with the press melting like snow under the sun, the role of the festival is not only to show good work but to say something.

“So much of what is produced in photography today is focusing on the inner, focusing on the intimate, focusing on what you feel, focusing on the personal at the expense of the political.

“Photography is an incredible instrument for exploring the self, but it can’t only be about the self; it has to address a larger community and the conditions of the world we live in – what you could call political work.

“If we go back to the old distinction where we divide photography into windows and mirrors, I do feel there are now a lot of mirrors, and the windows all tend to show the same thing. But I also feel there is a lot of work that deserves to be shown that deals with the world we’re in.

“In a year where we saw inflation galloping, and we see statistics about inequality, especially after the pandemic, skyrocketing, I thought we can’t escape this. I want to speak about wealth and poverty.

“This cleavage between more and less is a way you could look at the world. It’s a filter through which you can look at not only issues about the economy and wealth, but other issues too.

“It’s about who we are. And it’s also about, obviously, the wealthy and how they portray themselves, and how we portray them, and how we imagine them. It’s not that the wealthy are underrepresented; they may be overrepresented, but on their terms.

“A poor person doesn’t have a press secretary, a PR person, dogs and barriers and villas with alarms. No poor person decides how they get photographed.

“Now when you photograph somebody important, you first speak with somebody in between who tells you what kind of image you can make, who looks at the image to decide how much retouching there is going to be, and who then decides what you can do with it. We’re not even close to journalism; we’re close to hagiography.

“It’s not only about the rich, it’s about how you portray things. We are used to a kind of photography, and we see the kind of images already in our minds before they are taken.

“I’ve tried to go a bit beyond that cliche and say wealth and poverty, but not only those issues, can be portrayed in different ways. And wealth and poverty can be found in Europe, or Africa, South America, the US or anywhere else.

“I’m looking for work that will speak to me from completely new perspectives about the world that surrounds us. It can start from something personal, but become much more general, and speak to many more people. A few years back you would have had a hard time defining that as documentary photography.”

Five to see …

Irina Werning’s How to Survive Inflation from a Pro consists of deadpan set pieces making wry comments on Argentina’s decades of double-digit inflation.

Makeup adviser and trade union delegate Lara, for example, poses with banknotes representing one month’s salary plus earnings from her freelance modelling jobs.

For Woods, “Werning comes at it from an economist’s point of view and tells you what is the system and what lies behind it. She makes photo illustrations that are explanations.”

Nikita Teryoshin’s Nothing Personal explores the terrain of defence exhibitions and arms fairs, and is installed appropriately and effectively in the bunker-like former armoury of Cortona’s Fortezza del Girifalco.

The off guard, anonymised attenders represent a class of merchants whose business is combat.

In Woods’s eyes, “Nikita is a young photographer who has an entire tradition of photojournalism behind him, but he employs a different language. He approaches it in a different way.”

Larry Fink’s Class Issues exhibition counterposes two distinct bodies of work. The first, and most familiar, includes photographs of Hollywood parties taken for Vanity Fair.

Fink, says Woods, “was not photographing Warren Beatty, Hillary Clinton, this or that actress, he was photographing very self-important people playing roles”.

The other work on show is of the less glamorous lifestyles of his neighbours in Pennsylvania, for whom roleplaying would appear to be an unaffordable luxury.

Maria Planas’s Warlike Approaches to Tourism is an archival and textual exploration of the impact of the leisure industry on major tourist destinations, most notably Mallorca.

A wealth of material is displayed in a floor-to-ceiling installation designed to overwhelm the viewer while addressing issues arising from the island’s regular “invasions” by holidaymakers, including the real estate bubble, the ecological crisis and sex tourism.

Unexpectedly, Planas’s most abundant visual resource is the archive of her photographer grandfather, the individual most responsible for crystallising the iconography of the island as a leisure destination.

Get rich or die tryin’ is a group show featuring work by Jamel Shabbaz, Marc Baptiste, Janette Beckman and Dana Lixenberg, among others, focusing on rap music’s extraordinary journey from disfranchised cultural periphery to mainstream acceptance.

The irony is not lost on Woods: “At the beginning, it was super marginal, yet it embraced the values of extreme wealth,” he said.

• The Cortona on the Move festival in Cortona, Tuscany, began on 13 July and runs until 1 October

Nina and Olivia

This portrait of a couple with Down’s Syndrome, taken at their home by the London-based duo Bar and Avshalom, won second prize. Their work documents love, acceptance and intimacy outside the social norms of age, gender, body image and disability

Photograph: Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom

Photo by OCTC

OWENSBORO, Ky. — Owensboro Community & Technical College is pleased to announce the current photography exhibition located in the Dayman Art Gallery on the upper level of the Learning Resource Center, on the Main Campus at 4800 New Hartford Road. The exhibition, titled Candid, features talented alumni photographers. The exhibition will run from July 17 through Aug. 3, showcasing the remarkable works of six exceptional photographers, each with their perspective on the world as seen through their unique lens.

Dr. Meredith Skaggs, Heritage, Humanities, and Fine Arts Department Chair, celebrates the exhibition.

“Capturing candid moments holds immense value. The world we face today is often dominated by staged and curated content. Yet, these candid moments serve as precious reminders of what’s truly seen through the eyes of these talented creatives,” said Dr. Skaggs.

Each photographer highlighted in the show is an OCTC alumnus; several have established their own photography and/or media services businesses.

Chelsea Howard Bickett is the creative force behind the camera at Chelsea Howard Photography. She is a resident of Owensboro, but also enjoys traveling to photography locations. When not behind the camera, you will find Bickett embracing various roles of wife, dog mom, plant enthusiast, adventurer, and digital marketer. She earned her Associate in Arts from OCTC in December 2014.

Kevin Brown is a headshot and portrait photographer based in Owensboro. His work has been featured in several digital and print publications including Kentucky Living, Owensboro Living, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro Times and more. Brown is returning to OCTC this fall to complete his Associate in Fine Arts degree.

Anna Lake Crasher serves Kentucky Wesleyan College as the director of campus ministry. In addition to her work at KWC, Crasher and her husband, Carlton, enjoy traveling and sharing moments of their adventures through photography. She earned her Associate in Arts degree from OCTC in May 2016.

Nick Eskridge is a deputy sheriff in Ohio County. Eskridge enjoys capturing moments from unique perspectives, ones that may be otherwise overlooked, including aerial photography. He earned his OCTC Criminal Justice degree in May 2009 and returned to complete his Associate in Arts degree in December 2012.

Madi Richardson focuses on the simple details of life, whether that is an in-home family session or an adventurous day with your love. While she loves capturing the candid moments of the lives of her clients, capturing them the way it’s lived, she also has a passion for creating editorial work. Richardson earned her Associate in Arts degree from OCTC in December 2016.

Kobe Shrewsberry serves as the production associate for Crossings Camps. Her work includes developing strategic digital campaigns. Here, her creativity allows her to not only see the beauty in each moment but to communicate those moments via the connections available throughout social media. Kobe completed her Associate in Arts degree from OCTC in May 2020.

OCTC offers an Associate in Fine Arts degree and includes digital photography programming. Those interested in coursework may contact octc.info@kctcs.edu. Classes for the the fall semester begin Aug. 14, 2023.

This is the 29th installment of the online series by Peter Fetterman Gallery called the Power of Photography highlighting hope, peace and love in the world. We invite you to enjoy and reflect on these works during this time.

André Kertész
Stairs at Montmartre, Paris, 1926
© Andre Kertesz / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“The moment always dictates in my work. Everybody can look, but they don’t necessarily see. I see a situation and I know that it’s right”
~ André Kertész (1894-1985)

André was a modernist, revolutionary. His images are always quiet and subtle. The complete opposite of “in your face” as most contemporary photography is. This is a small gem of a print. I have often kept it on a little table easel on my desk and I look at it whenever I need a dream like distraction. He keeps the central space empty and plays with light and shadow instead and creates a perspective that makes the image so fresh and unique. As his fellow Hungarian photographer and great friend Brassai said “André Kertész has two qualities that are essential for a great photographer. An insatiable curiosity about the world, about people and about life and a precise sense of form”.

Gianni Berengo Gardin
Venice Lido, 1958
© Gianni Berengo Gardin / Courtesy Peter Fetterman Gallery

Gianni is 90 years old now but like many photographers I have met who live into a ripe old age they are still full oflife and positive energy. This image has always put a smile on my face. I guess I am old enough to remember 78 gramophone records and record players like this. There must have been a whole era before streaming services!No social distancing here. A moment of spontaneous joy and happiness to revel in.

Thurston Hopkins
On The Isle de la Cité, Paris, 1952
© Thurston Hopkins / The Grace Robertson | Thurston Hopkins Archive / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“I take the rather unpopular view – among photographers – that words and pictures need one another.”
~ Thurston Hopkins

I have a feeling Thurston would have enjoyed our daily series, pairing words with photos. Especially as a lifelong photo journalist. Hopkins spent most of his career working for Picture Post. Unlike other photographers, Hopkins firmly believed in the importance of a strong rapport between the writer and photographer. Hopkins himself has said, “I take the rather unpopular view – among photographers – that words and pictures need one another.”

Ralph Gibson
Place de la République, Paris, 1986
© 2023 Ralph Gibson / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“For me, photography is a subtractive process. If you’re making a drawing, you add lines until you’ve finished, so that’s an additive process. If you’re making a sculpture out of marble, you subtract and keep chipping away until you have what you want. In the same way, in a world of infinite possible objects to photograph, I eliminate everything I don’t want in a frame until I’m finally left with what I do want.”
~ Ralph Gibson

Ralph Gibson’s eye is unmatched in creating visually striking photographs. He meticulously arranges elements within his frame to create strong graphic compositions that feature clean lines, geometric forms and a sense of balance. Gibson’s exceptional attention to detail and minimalist style create a sense of wonder and invite the viewer to engage with his photographs beyond their physical form. Harmony and elegance are embedded within this simple, yet dazzling, image

William B. Post
Woman Picking Flowers, 1900
© 2023 William B. Post / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden”
~ Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)

William B. Post was one of the great turn of the century pictorialist photographers. His great advocate was no less than the legendary Alfred Stieglitz who revered his photographic accomplishments and promoted him when and wherever he could. Stieglitz invited him to become a member of his Photo Secession group. He was a master practitioner of the platinum print process and this exquisite print is absolutely beautiful in person.

Bert Hardy
Millions Like Her, Betty Burden, A Shop Girl, Birmingham, 1951/Printed later
© 2023 Bert Hardy / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“The ideal picture tells something of the essence of life. It sums up emotion, it holds the feeling of movement thereby implying the continuity of life. It shows some aspect of humanity, the way that the person who looks at the picture will at once recognize as startlingly true”
~ Bert Hardy

Bert left school at 14 years old to work for a chemist who also processed photographs. He was completely self-taught and used a Leica early on which was really unconventional for press photographers of that era. He was the star photographer for the magazine “Picture Post”, the UK equivalent of “Life Magazine”. This, one of his most tender images, it will be included in our upcoming gallery exhibition.

Bernard Plossu
Marseille, 1975
© 2023 Bernard Plossu / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“My camera is like the arrow. Do I reach the target or does the target reach me or is it the same thing? It’s all very emotional.”
~ Bernard Plossu

Bernard is a quiet, dedicated serious artist of the “old school” but totally relevant today in his supreme craftsmanship and choice of subject matter. He lives and breathes photography without any ego and has devoted his life to it. His sense of composition is beautiful. What for many would go unnoticed here is a serene, lyrical vista imbued with so much emotion. Tranquility and peace exemplified in a exquisite analogue silver print.

George Zimbel
Woman at the Bar, Bourbon Street, New Orleans , 1955 (Printed 2008)
© 2023 George Zimbel / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“My work begins with recording an image, but it is not finished until I have made a fine print. That is my photograph. A lot goes into a finished documentary photograph, a very personal view of life, a knowledge of technique and of course information. It is the information that grabs the viewer but it is the photographers’s art that holds them.”
~ George Zimbel

It is a bar in New Orleans in the 1950’s. What is great about this image is that there are several layers of storytelling going on in a single frame and George creates a great period mood piece.

But it is the story of the woman at the bar that holds us and with his customary sense of empathy George allows us into her world and life. I find it deeply moving in the way I find Edward Hopper’s paintings deeply moving. We don’t and never will know her complete story but we are there with her, which makes the image so powerful. It’s a punch to the heart.

Elliott Erwitt
Paris, Arc de Triomphe, 1956
© 2023 Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“In life’s saddest winter moments, when you’ve been under a cloud for weeks, suddenly a glimpse of something wonderful can change the whole complexion of things, your entire feeling.The kind of photography I like to do, capturing the moment, it is very much like that break in the clouds. In a flash, a wonderful picture seems to come out of nowhere”
~ Elliott Erwitt

Walking along the Champs-Élysées towards the Arc de Triomphe is something many of us, in fact millions of us, have done so many times. Nothing much seems to happen when I’ve done it.

But in the hands of a master, magic suddenly appears out of the blue and Elliott creates an image that just glows with feeling and emotion.

André Kertész
Pont Marie at night, PARIS, 1963

© Andre Kertesz / Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery

“Everybody can look but they don’t necessarily see”
~ André Kertész (1894-1985)

André embraced Paris as a Hungarian emigre and Paris embraced him back. It was a relationship of mutual respect and passion. The city nurtured his unique poetic vision and his technical prowess allowed him to capture its beauty especially at night as is evidenced here in this rare signed print. The Pont Marie is a bridge which crosses the Seine. It links the Ile Saint -Louis to the Quai de L’Hotel de Ville and is one of three bridges designed to allow traffic to flow between the Ile Saint Louis and the Left and Right banks of Paris. I had the great fortune to walk it after Paris Photo two weeks ago. I am still floating.

Peter Fetterman Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, #A1
Santa Monica, CA 90404
http://www.peterfetterman.com

The Power of Photography is now a book published by ACC ART Books.

Peter Fetterman : The Power of Photography
ACC ART Books
Pages: 256 pages
Size: 7.87 in x 9.06 in
ISBN: 9781788841221
$45.00

https://www.accartbooks.com/us/book/the-power-of-photography/
www.accartbooks.com

Photographer’s work will be free to download as he battles pancreatic cancer – CBS News