Ben McDonald, an Australian photographer who recently claimed that he was assaulted by Scott Swift, is opening up about the alleged incident, telling TMZ he’s willing to let everything go if Papa Swift apologizes.
The altercation reportedly happened around 2:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Feb. 27, in Sydney, Australia, at a ferry terminal where the father-daughter duo was seen disembarking a yacht in the hours following her final Eras Tour in the country.
Ben McDonald, an Australian photographer who recently claimed that he was assaulted by Scott Swift, is opening up about the alleged incident, telling TMZ he’s willing to let everything go if Papa Swift apologizes.
The altercation reportedly happened around 2:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Feb. 27, in Sydney, Australia, at a ferry terminal where the father-daughter duo was seen disembarking a yacht in the hours following her final Eras Tour in the country.
This Friday, March 1, Reynolda House Museum of American Art opens its spring exhibition, “Seen and Unseen: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham” in the Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing Gallery. On view through June 2, 2024, the exhibition showcases the works of Imogen Cunningham, one of the most experimental photographers of the 20th century. Museum-goers will discover some of her most unusual and rare images presented alongside iconic ones, revealing why this American artist is one of the most important pioneers of photography.
Embracing the times in which she lived, Cunningham (1883-1976) created images that reflect crucial movements and developments in art and photography during her 70-year career. Her photographs, seductive and dynamic, are inspired by a multitude of genres, including portraiture, family photographs, still lifes and street photography.
Throughout the exhibition season, Reynolda House and Gardens hosts a variety of events related to the photography theme. You can find these event details and more at reynolda.org/cunningham.
Imogen Cunningham (1883–1976) “Three Dancers, Mills College,” 1930, silver gelatin print.
Explore the Seen & Unseen after hours while mixing and mingling in a historic setting. Participate in a scavenger hunt for a chance at winning a prize, vibe out to DJ-spun tunes, and sip on a specialty cocktail, beer, or wine.
All are welcome to visit Reynolda “on the house” and enjoy a self-guided tour of this historic house, feature exhibition, and dance along to the live music provided local swing band, Swingset.
Join Benita VanWinkle, High Point University associate professor of visual arts, in this gallery talk that introduces Group f/64, a collective of American west coast photographers that decided it was time for a change away from the pictorialist soft focus, or hand-manipulated movement of photography. Among the leaders of this movement were Imogen Cunningham, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, and Willard Van Dyke.
Meet in Reynolda Gardens under the blossoming Cherry Trees and prepare to learn skills to better understand proper lighting, composition, exposure, and selecting go-to photo apps to enhance your photographs. All levels and devices are welcome. Rain date is April 13.
In an era dominated by male photographers, Cunningham stood out as one of the few women who played a pivotal role in shaping early modernist photography in America. Despite her significant contributions, her stature has sometimes been overshadowed by her male peers. Guest speaker, Paul Martineau, curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum, aims to shed light on her rightful place in the annals of twentieth-Century photographic history.
Meg Partridge, granddaughter of Cunningham and Director of the Imogen Cunningham Trust, worked alongside the photographer during her teenage years. Partridge directed and produced the Academy Award-nominated short documentary, Portrait of Imogen. A Q&A with Partridge will take place following the film.
I took this picture of Badbury Rings in Dorset before the pandemic, when I was still figuring out how to use a drone to photograph ancient sites from above. Hillforts look amazing from the air: the ripple effect and autumn colours are extraordinary and it’s a view that the human eye usually never sees. During the iron age there would have been a lot of woodland around, but none inside this enclosure. Now, where 25 round houses once stood, the enclosure is full of trees, with very little surrounding it.
I went there at night and slept there – that’s what I always do – and when I woke at dawn, I got about 15 minutes of low-angle sunlight. I was able to capture the images I needed. The altitude restrictions of drones mean you can’t encompass the entire monument in one shot, so I have to make a composite – a patchwork of 75 shots or so that I stitch together to create a final image. This also means the composites can be printed at a really large scale. Some of the images in my current show are about one metre across – but this one could be printed the size of a billboard.
It’s an unusual sort of photography as you are not seeing the image through the lens in real time, so you don’t know what’s going to happen until it’s been processed. When I first saw this, it was breathtaking. I’m always looking for abstraction because I think when the eye and the brain are struggling to interpret what they are looking at, all sorts of magic happens and something of the origins of that ancient site gets through to you. It is a lovely, unknowing and pleasurable experience to look at these pictures, and then, when you read the label and it says it’s a 6,000-year-old tomb, something else happens.
Before I started doing this, I was a guide-book author, travel writer and photographer. I grew up in Wales, living among these ancient places – my mother’s and grandparents’ ashes are scattered on a bronze age mound. I became interested in sacred geography when I did a master’s in visual anthropology. I’ve been to a Native American reservation in Montana, and lived with people who had a strong relationship with the landscape. I had been experimenting with a drone for my commercial travel work, then all these interests came together and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
Making these pictures became a compulsion. I started driving longer and longer distances to reach prehistoric sites. There was a huge response to the images on social media, which gives me the confidence to carry on putting resources into the project. That attention led to the Aerial Atlas of Ancient Britain in 2022.
When I show the pictures to people, the reaction is extraordinary. People often cry during my talks and tell me the images have changed their life. But all I’ve done is facilitate a connection between something in them and the landscape, the past and the people that inhabited this land before us. I’m not talking about anyone’s genetic ancestors, I’m talking about people who lived in the very distant past on the same land that we inhabit. When I was going through a tough time, visiting these sites helped me. I would sleep on Salisbury Plain, get up at sunrise and take pictures of bronze age cemeteries near Stonehenge while on the verge of tears. Afterwards I would feel lighter, as if I had been to church. It kept restoring me.
Born: Cardiff, 1969.
Trained: “MA Visual Anthropology.”
Influences: “Richard Long, Andy Goldsworthy, Robert Smithson.”
High point: “Shooting around Stonehenge in the snow during the pandemic, when there were no people about.”
Low point: “Locking myself out of my van naked during a blizzard in the Cairngorms.”
Top tip: “Never press the snooze button – get up and do that thing, because you never know.”
The Photographic Society of Chattanooga is gearing up for an inspiring presentation by Donna Bourdon, titled ‘Wildlife Photography: From Good to Great’, set to take place on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the St. John United Methodist Church. Bourdon, transitioning from a healthcare executive to a wildlife photography aficionado, is poised to share her captivating journey and the profound beauty of the natural world through her lens.
Donna Bourdon’s remarkable transition from the boardroom to the great outdoors symbolizes a pursuit of passion over profession. Joining Denise Ippolito’s team in 2021 as a workshop leader, Bourdon has dedicated herself to capturing the essence of wildlife. Her work, characterized by its emotive portrayal of animal life, emphasizes the beauty, challenges, and the intrinsic value of nature conservation. Bourdon’s photography has not only garnered critical acclaim but has also graced the pages of prestigious publications, including a notable feature in the 2023 Winter edition of ‘Sierra’ magazine.
Before Bourdon takes the stage, attendees will have the opportunity to partake in a boot camp at 6 p.m., led by Mickey Rountree, focusing on ‘Introduction to Textures.’ Additionally, Ed Whitesides from Used Photo Pro will be present to purchase used photography equipment, offering a unique chance for photography enthusiasts to upgrade their gear. The event promises to be an enriching experience for both seasoned photographers and novices alike, fostering a deeper appreciation for wildlife photography and the stories behind each shot.
For those interested in experiencing the allure of wildlife photography and gaining insights from Donna Bourdon’s expertise, the event is open to visitors. Further details can be obtained by contacting Lin Prabish or visiting the Photographic Society of Chattanooga’s website. This gathering is more than just a presentation; it’s an invitation to explore the world through a different lens, to understand the narrative behind each image, and to connect with like-minded individuals passionate about photography and nature.
This upcoming event with Donna Bourdon at the helm is not merely a showcase of wildlife photography but a beacon for aspiring photographers, signaling the boundless possibilities that lie in the pursuit of one’s passions. It’s a testament to the power of transition, the importance of conservation, and the ever-present beauty that surrounds us, waiting to be captured and shared.
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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
The writer is founder and chair of the Antiquities Coalition
On February 23, a day before the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine and a week after the suspected murder of Alexei Navalny, President Joe Biden imposed over 500 new sanctions targeting “Russia’s war machine”.
Unfortunately, this strengthened sanctions regime is undermined by a major oversight: the exemption of the American art market, worth more than $30bn, from standard laws and regulations. This continues to give our adversaries an easy back door into the US, and with it the world’s largest economy.
It is now well documented that art provides a lucrative and untraceable funding source for blacklisted individuals and entities. Last year, Bloomberg revealed that Federal prosecutors were targeting major auction houses as part of a wider investigation into sanctions evasion by Russian oligarchs. Previously, in 2020, a Senate report had exposed how “key allies of the Russian state”, Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, laundered millions through the American art market in full evasion of existing sanctions.
A 2022 Treasury department study also cited the Rotenbergs when underscoring the pressing need for anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) protections in the American art market. Yet for the most part, the US has failed to apply these regimes to art, despite similar steps being taken by the UK, EU and Switzerland.
The Rotenbergs are not alone. In April 2023, the Department of Justice unsealed a felony indictment charging Nazem Ahmad, a high-profile Lebanese collector turned Hizbollah financier, for using art and other luxury goods to evade terrorism-related sanctions.
The American art market is a black hole to law enforcement, because it is not required to assist the Federal government with preventing or detecting financial crimes, one consequence of the sector’s avoidance of money-laundering and counterterror laws. Congress or the Treasury department have already applied these rules to every industry of comparable risk and size, including dealers in precious metals, stones and jewels; sellers of cars, boats and planes; and even “ma and pa” pawn shops. Art thus remains the Wild West of the regulatory landscape.
As Senator Tom Carper, who spearheaded the bipartisan 2020 Senate report on the Rotenbergs with then-Senator Rob Portman, said upon its release: “It is alarming and completely unacceptable that common sense regulations designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism do not apply if someone is purchasing a multimillion-dollar piece of art.”
In the four years since Carper issued that warning, Russia has not only failed to withdraw from contested territory, it has increased its aggression against Ukraine, the west and even its own citizens. And we have known all the while that art is one reason — admittedly one of many — why our efforts to fight back have failed.
It is crucial to US national security and economic integrity that Congress or the Treasury department finally act on their own earlier recommendations to bring art within the AML/CTF framework. But this is just a starting point.
The American government must also work with the art market and wider private sector to strengthen information sharing. We need to update guidance and training for law enforcement to include the unique risks and opportunities presented by the art market. And we need to use existing tools, including targeted record keeping, reporting requirements and alerts from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to better understand the threat.
Until we do, there is a real likelihood that collectors, dealers, and auction houses in the US may unknowingly continue to help further crime, armed conflict and even terrorism through the apparently legal purchase of art. This is too high a price to pay, even for a masterpiece.
Nima Sarikhani recently won the ‘People’s Choice Award’ category of the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year,’ thanks to one polar bear’s unique sleeping preference. Sarikhani, a British hobby photographer (@nsarikhani on Instagram,) captured the magnificent creature napping away in the snowy terrain while shooting in Norway.
Before getting the winning shot, later named “Ice Bed,” this amateur wildlife photographer spent three days tracking polar bears in the frigid Svalbard archipelago. After coming across his snoozing subject, he waited until the wee hours of the night when the polar bear climbed up the iceberg and settled into place. After days of waiting patiently, he got his shot after a male polar bear climbed up the ice and carved out his resting spot.
According to reports, more than 75,000 people voted in the competition, which marks a record number. Organizers chose the stunning photo after narrowing their list down from 50,000 entries to just 25.
In addition to Sarikhani, there were also four highly praised finalists. All five images will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London until late June.
Among the top contenders, Tzahi Finkelstein’s “The Happy Turtle” and Daniel Dencescu’s “Starling Murmuration” also received recognition for their photographs. Finkelstein’s entry shows the heartwarming moment between a turtle and a dragonfly. In addition, Dencescu’s print shows a mesmerizing group of starlings forming the shape of a bird.
When deciding on a sleeping spot, these marine mammals usually prefer a dry location that allows them plenty of visibility. Like the polar bear in the award-winning snap, they often use a block of ice as a pillow. They will also use their claws to dig shallow pits for sleeping if they are on gravel, snow, or sand.
Despite harsh conditions, polar bears have no trouble sleeping. Even during blizzards, these bears can catch up on sleep without any problems. As they sleep, snow falls on them, acting as an insulated blanket, keeping them cozy for days.
During the warmer months, they rely on the sea ice for sleeping. As for the polar bears without access to the sea, they typically bed down on the tundra or dig pits.
An analog photographer has stuck his head above the parapet to claim that AI-generated images are “the best thing that has happened to photography.”
Ari Jaaksi says that while he doesn’t care for AI images himself, he is more interested in the effect AI will have on photography. And unlike a great many number of photographers — he is excited.
“AI is the best thing that has ever happened to photography,” Jaaksi explains on his YouTube channel.
Jaaksi rightly points out that when photography was invented in the mid-19th century it had a huge effect on illustrators and painters. For example, British photographer Roger Fenton was the first photographer to cover a war (Crimea in 1854) and it meant that newspaper editors ran his photos rather than illustrations.
And everyday folks could hire a photographer for a family portrait instead of a far more expensive painter.
“Suddenly, photographers started to eat that lunch…It democratized a lot of imagery — now everyone could get their picture taken,” he says.
Jaaksi claims that while some painters lost work, it liberated the art of painting from everyday tasks such as newspaper illustration or humdrum portraits.
“Those pictures were now taken by the photographer so now painters needed to go elsewhere,” he says.
“Painters could pour their soul into the paintings and create imagery of whatever they wanted. The hired gun business was gone, the art was the new way to go.”
Jaaksi points to the new art styles that emerged after photography’s introduction — such as impressionism, expressionism, and surrealism.
He believe something similar happened 150 years later when digital photography was invented and film photography became anarchical.
“Digital photography actually liberated film photography for creative things,” he says.
“Now film photographers who chose to continue didn’t need to do the boring daily business-oriented stuff. It was the digital photographer who went and took the pictures of the apartments for sale, or portrait pictures of a newborn baby, or wedding images, et cetera.”
Jaaksi says that with the advent of AI, if a company needs an image for a slideshow; or someone needs a photo of a flower — they no longer need to pay for a photograph. They can generate the image with just “a couple of keystrokes.”
“Beautiful girls on Instagram are AI-generated, beautiful landscapes are AI-generated. Little by little, AI is making certain types of photography obsolete.”
He says that progress can be painful. But adds, “AI can liberate those of us who can be liberated.”
“We can take photography to places that it hasn’t been to before,” he says.
All images © Øystein Sture Aspelund, shared with permission
While road-tripping on the Pamir Highway a few years back, Øystein Sture Aspelund scouted out a small geyser in the mountainous landscape. Near a lake at about 4,000 meters above sea level, the spring periodically burst, producing short-lived formations that evoke mushroom clouds and paint splatters. “I was really fascinated by these sculptures and how they appeared along with their remote backdrop scenery. I set my camera shutter speeds very fast, enabling me to ‘freeze’ and capture some of these sudden shapes,” Aspelund tells Colossal.
Set against the beige, craggy terrain, the photos document these fleeting eruptions, the individual water droplets suspended in voluptuous sculptures. Other than a few light corrections to the light and color contrasts, the images are relatively untouched, presenting the frigid jets and Tajikistan landscape with striking clarity.
Aspelund is based in Oslo, and you can find more of his portfolio on Behance and Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Icy Mushroom Clouds Spring from a Tiny Geyser in Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains appeared first on Colossal.
I’m a white, cis-gender woman, far removed from college life, so I recognize the irony of delving into Adraint Bereal’s photographic exploration of the lives of Black college students. But for my role in higher education at the School of Visual Arts, understanding these perspectives is essential. As per the introduction in Adraint Bereal’s book, I’m taking to heart, “In all thy getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). The difference between knowledge and wisdom is perspective. Knowledge is being informed; wisdom is understanding what it should mean to you.
Bereal’s work, encapsulated in The Black Yearbook, offers an intimate portrayal of the joys, challenges, and truths encountered by Black students navigating higher education. The book challenges our societal narratives with honesty and depth, and in the process, Adraint Bereal opens our eyes.
I was fortunate enough to ask Bereal about his educational and creative journey in bringing The Black Yearbook to life; below is our interview.
(Interview edited for clarity and length).
Left: The Black Yearbook cover, Right: headshot of author Adraint Bereal
Bereal’s profoundly personal project began with his alma mater, the University of Texas. Through a collection of portraits, personal statements, and interviews, he provided a window into the lives of Black students in a predominantly white environment. Inspired by his initial exhibition, 1.7, a raw and candid portrait of the experiences of Black men at UT (1.7% of the student population), Bereal expanded his vision. He embarked on a nationwide exploration from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to predominantly white institutions and trade schools.
What sets Bereal’s approach apart is his commitment to showcasing more than just the trauma often associated with Black narratives. Instead, he amplifies stories of resilience, joy, and triumph amidst adversity, challenging societal perceptions and stereotypes.
In visiting schools for The Black Yearbook, what was a pivotal moment or encounter during your travels that deeply resonated with you and shaped your understanding of the complexities within the Black student experience?
AB: Traveling far west to Alaska to conclude my travels was such a reflective moment. The four to five months of travel were filled with the constant noise of trains, planes, and cars. My best friend accompanied me to Alaska, and it was the most peaceful moment I had experienced. Because The University of Alaska-Juneau is a relatively small campus, I interviewed only two students, which left me with a lot of time to relax—something I hadn’t really been able to do. On our second day in Alaska, my best friend and I hiked to see the Mendenhall Glacier, after which we found ourselves running back to our taxi in a snowstorm. The conversations with the 116 students were kind of like this – enthralling, and before you know it, you are caught in the middle of a storm trying to seek shelter. Work like this requires courage, and I learned I have no shortage of it while running into a storm head first.
The heart of The Black Yearbook lies in its dedication to honest dialogue. Each profile is a testament to the individuality of Black college experiences. Through stunning photography and compelling narratives, Bereal captures the essence of each interviewee, allowing their voices to shine through.
What struck me most about Bereal’s work was his design approach. Every page of The Black Yearbook bursts with energy and creativity, reflecting the diversity and vibrancy of the Black college experience. It’s a refreshing departure from the monolithic portrayal of higher education, offering a multifaceted representation that celebrates the richness of Black culture and identity.
You weave together interviews, photographs, and illustrations to capture the multifaceted narratives of Black students navigating the educational landscape. How did you approach the storytelling process to ensure that these narratives were accurately represented and celebrated in their fullness, capturing moments of joy and triumph alongside the challenges and adversities?
AB: Creating a book like this requires a lot of openness, and that’s at the core of each conversation. I went into each meeting with little to no expectations, knowing that the conversation could be as short as a few minutes or as long as a few hours. Had I approached this in a measured and solely quantitative way, I may not have been able to cut through surface-level conversations to reach a more personal and lived experience. Patience is a virtue.
The Black Yearbook has been described as both radical and reverent, offering a space for Black students to see themselves reflected while challenging societal prejudices. How can creative projects like yours contribute to conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion within educational spaces, and what do you hope readers, particularly Black students, take away from your book?
AB: The Black Yearbook continues work previously done by artists and scholars such as Toni Morrison, Monroe Work, and W.E.B. Dubois. The increase in digital technologies has created a lack of physical media to preserve Black existence. We must be the architects of our narrative, and that is what I’ve done. I’ve created a lasting document of existence to preserve our stories for future generations. Understanding – that’s the takeaway.
In a society where mainstream narratives often overlook or stereotype Black experiences in higher education, The Black Yearbook serves as a powerful corrective. Bereal’s work challenges us to reframe our perceptions and embrace the complexity of Black college life. It’s a testament to the resilience, strength, and beauty of the Black community and a reminder of the importance of amplifying diverse voices in the narrative of higher education.
