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‘12 Degrees’ By John Robert M. Maraño Wins Life At Sea 2023 Photography Competition!

By in Photography

‘12 Degrees’ By John Robert M. Maraño Wins Life At Sea 2023 Photography Competition!

This World Maritime Day, we’re delighted to announce the winners of Life At Sea 2023.

The first prize of £1,000 goes to John Robert M. Maraño for his photo ’12 Degrees’ – at first glance a clever trick until you notice the pitch of the ship showing on the instrument (an inclinometer) on the wall behind. Paddy Rodgers, judging the competition said “We think of the floor as solid, but seafarers will tell you that aboard a ship the floor is very movable.

The pendulum in the background of the image shows the swing of the ship, that it’s not a trick, that the photographer is doing something quite clever with the angle of the camera.” Just imagine carrying out your daily work in an environment that’s constantly rolling that you’re powerless to control.

John Robert M. Maraño for his photo ’12 Degrees’

John Robert M. Maraño for his photo ’12 Degrees’

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“Michael Jackson? No. This is me trying his moves while balancing myself as the ship’s rolling reaches 12 degrees. This prevents me from getting dizzy with the ship’s heavy rolling. This was taken during our drifting in Fremantle, Australia.” – John Robert M Maraño

Continuing the theme of the forces of nature, the second prize was awarded to Mikael Cesar Bureros for his photo ‘Converging Forces’ a dramatic image of a container ship about to be engulfed by a sandstorm blowing out of Egypt. In this image the viewer can imagine the feeling of seeing great billowing clouds of sand heading inexorably towards the photographer on board. Patrice Terraz, photographer and judge said “Looking through the photos, you realise ‘no-one but a seafarer could take this photo’, so many of the photos put you immediately into the view of the crew.”

Converging Forces

Converging Forces

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“In the realm of the seafarer, the unpredictable forces of nature are both familiar and formidable. When a sandstorm sweeps across the land, a mesmerizing battle between land and sea unfolds. The swirling maelstrom of sand mirrors the ceaseless waves that test the prowess of seafarers.

Like the turbulent ocean, the sandstorm brings forth a symphony of chaos and challenge, where wind and sand merge in a dance of elemental power. Yet amidst this tempestuous encounter, the seafarer’s spirit remains unyielding. Drawing upon their seafaring instincts, they navigate through the chaos, relying on their honed skills and resilient resolve. In this captivating clash of land and sea, the seafarer’s indomitable spirit shines through, a testament to their unparalleled courage and unwavering determination to conquer nature’s most formidable storms.” – Mikael Cesar Bureros

The third prize, awarded to Reza Sajedifar for ‘Serenity’ brings a change of mood with a colourful view shot over the side of a tanker showing a fisherman at prayer on a small boat alongside. Anne Reitsma, photographer and competition judge said, “This photo, with its beautiful colour and composition, really shows the interaction of people’s daily lives and the sea.”

Serenity

Serenity

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“Hello I took this photo from the deck of an oil tanker. I found the fishing boat, which was about 15 meters below us, very interesting. They were almost clinging to our anchored ship so that they could catch more fish and the most interesting thing in my opinion is the fisherman who prayed in the middle of the ocean with a certain simplicity. Thank God I had my camera in my hand and I was able to take their picture at that moment” – Reza Sajedifar

The judges recognised three further photographs as highly commended: ‘Woman, you belong! [Babae, kabilang ka!]’ by Juven Tupas, ‘Rescue at Sea’ by Elijah Jose C. Barrios, and ‘Tank Inspection’ by Randolph P. de Jesus.

Women are still very under-represented in the maritime sector comprising only 2% of the international workforce. This pensive image titled ‘Woman, you belong!’ suggests an inner strength and determination and reminds us that though small in number women can play a vital role in the industry.

Woman, you belong

Woman, you belong

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“In a world where you are observed by many and your abilities are compared to that of men’s, it is your own identity that drives your valuable contribution to the industry. As you accelerate in numbers, it also proves that the maritime world is not only for men but for everyone. You might feel lonely sometimes but remember that you are not alone. You’re a woman, and you belong!” – Juven Tupas

In addition to the day job, seafarers are also confronted by life and death situations such as that reflected in ‘Rescue at Sea’. Whilst governments debate the political implications of migration at sea, seafarers must deal with the immediate humanitarian response. This dramatic image shows the precarity of the craft and the desperation of the people on board and leaves us to imagine the stress and bravery of the seafarers engaged in saving their lives.

Rescue at Sea

Rescue at Sea

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“The sea is an immensity of inspiring stories. 09 February 2023—Our ship was en route to New Orleans, USA, when our second officer suddenly noticed a makeshift boat seemingly in distress. At that time, I was watching a movie in my cabin. Our captain called me in a rushed voice, instructing me to bring my camera and document what would be a rescue operation. When I got there, all hands were already on deck. We had doubts at the beginning. We initially thought they were pirates, but when we zoomed in the photos, the tears and exhaustion in their faces were enough to prove they were not. The rescue operation was challenging for all of us. The sea swells were not kind, and the current wasn’t easing us either. It took us five attempts before we were able to rescue the distressed persons successfully. In this photo, you will see our final attempt at reaching them through a lifeline. It was a catch for life.” – Elijah Jose C. Barrios

‘Tank Inspection’ presents a completely different perspective. This almost abstract photo shows the ship as an inhuman environment, enormous and dizzying but one that must be maintained and kept safe by the crew on board.

Tank Inspection

Tank Inspection

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“Tank inspection is indeed a tiring job.” – Randolph P. de Jesus

And finally this year the judges agreed to award a special extra prize for an image submitted in low resolution but worthy of recognition. ‘Working overside’ by Anil D Jethwa provokes a sharp intake of breath. With its low-key caption, this astonishing image speaks for itself.

Working overside

Working overside

Credits: seafarerstrust.org

“My friend working overboard for painting” – Anil D Jethwa

Life at Sea 2023 is the fourth seafarers’ photography competition organised by the ITF Seafarers Trust. The ITF Seafarers’ Trust photography project, which began in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, now boasts a collection of some 8,000 digital images and captions. We are enormously grateful to all the seafarers who have embraced the opportunity to share their experiences with us and help raise the profile of the men and women powering the global movement of goods and people by sea.

Thanks also go to this year’s judges: San Ko Oo, seafarer and winner of Life At Sea 2022, Anne Reitsma, photographer, Patrice Terraz, photographer, and Paddy Rodgers, Director (Chief Executive) of Royal Museums Greenwich who undertook the very difficult task of selection with great care and consideration.

Life at Sea 2023 is the fourth seafarers’ photography competition organised by the ITF Seafarers Trust.

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World’s Largest Bourbon Pour Sculpture: world record in Lebanon, Kentucky

By in Sculpture

World’s Largest Bourbon Pour Sculpture: world record in Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon, Kentucky, United States–The city of Lebanon, Kentucky, United States, added a mural to its 135-foot water tower to make it look like a giant Maker’s Mark pour; the expense for the mural was paid by the Lebanon tourism commission and the famed mural artist Eric Henn was hired to create the mural, which sets the world record for being the World’s Largest Bourbon Pour Sculpture, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

An exhibit that flows like water: “Boundless” at Amherst College showcases over three centuries of Native American art and writing

By in Native

An exhibit that flows like water: “Boundless” at Amherst College showcases over three centuries of Native American art and writing

An exhibit that flows like water: “Boundless” at Amherst College showcases over three centuries of Native American art and writing

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    “Boundless,” the new exhibit at Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, has been curated by Heid E. Erdrich, a writer, poet, educator and member of the Objibwe people. Image from Heid E. Erdrich website

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    Amherst College K-12 Program Manager Olivia Feal, left, students Ziji Zhou and Kalea Ramsey, and Curatorial Affairs Director Lisa Crossman (seen from behind) view part of the exhibit “Boundless” at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    Ernesto Monter views white ash canoe paddles made by artist and carver Jonathan James-Perry in “Boundless,” an exhibit of Native American art and writing at Amherst College’s Mead Art Museum. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    Student Ziji Zhou checks out some of the artwork in “Boundless” at the Mead Art Museum. From left are works “Collider Study #1” and “BREACH #2” by Courtney Leonard; at right is “Of Whales in Paint, in Teeth, &c.” by Frank Stella. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    Artwork displayed in the exhibit “Boundless” at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College includes “BREACH #2” by Courtney Leonard, foreground, as well as “Of Whales in Paint, in Teeth, &c.,” by Frank Stella. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    “Boundless” features a wide range of work by Native American writers and artists, including sculpture, traditional crafts, and writing that in some cases dates back over three centuries. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    “Wuskeekuchuhshun” (new beginning) by Jonathan James-Perry is a medallion made of copper, whelk shell beads, rose gold orb beads, glass beads and smoked deerskin. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    A hand-sculpted quahog shell wampum pendant and beads by Elizabeth James-Perry, titled “Killer Whale,” are part of smaller exhibit, “Seeping In,” of Native American art at the Mead Art Museum. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    In “Boundless,” reissued older novels by Louise Erdrich, a sister of exhibit curator Heid E. Erdrich, display new covers based on paintings by the late artist-poet Fritz Scholder, a friend of Louise Erdrich. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    “Boundless” features a range of objects and texts — sculpture, historic and contemporary writing, photographs, paintings and prints, quillwork, basketry and more — by Native American writers and artists. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    “Boundless” curator Heid E. Erdrich likens working on the exhibit to following the flow of water: “I was carried by words, titles, images, people, voices, histories.” STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

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    “Dog with headdress,” drawing by Mary Sully, circa 1940s-1950s. Mary Sully was a Dakota artist who traced some of her ancestry back to Thomas Sully, a noted British-American painter of the early 19th century. Staff photo/Steve Pfarrer

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    “No Wall,” a 2019 pigment print by Cara Romero (Chemehuevi, American), is part of “Boundless” at Amherst College’s Mead Art Museum. Staff Photo/Steve Pfarrer

Staff Writer

Published: 9/29/2023 11:28:42 AM

Modified: 9/29/2023 11:27:55 AM

From the pages of a 17th century Algonquin-language Bible, to a 2021 painting that celebrates the majesty of whales, a new exhibit at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College devoted to Native American art is built around the theme of water.

“Boundless” features work by more than 150 Native American artists and writers — sculpture, prints, paintings, basketry, historic and contemporary writing — with some materials in the exhibit going back over three centuries.

Designed to recognize “Indigenous creativity, resistance and persistence,” as exhibit notes put it, the show also represents a close collaboration between the Mead Museum and Amherst College’s Archives & Special Collections, which has an extensive collection of Native American literature.

And as curator Heid E. Erdrich sees it, the materials in the exhibit flow together in a way that makes connections between past and present, and between many of the Native people whose work is represented in the show.

“I was struck by how many of the names of Native people in the East are connected to water,” said Erdrich, a poet, writer, and educator from Minnesota. A member of the Objibwe people, Erdrich also has a deep background in curating Native American art exhibitions.

As Erdrich writes in exhibit notes, the Nipmuc “are described as People of the Freshwater; the Niantic as People of the Long-Necked Waters because their lands are near a bay; the Narragansett are People of the Point or of the Salt Pond; Shinnecock can be translated to People of the Stony Shore.”

The winner of two Minnesota Book Awards and a number of other writing honors, Erdrich comes from a family with impressive literary credentials: One of her sisters is Louise Erdrich, the acclaimed novelist, and another, Angela Erdrich, illustrates children’s books.

In a recent phone call from her home in Minneapolis, Heid Erdrich said “Boundless” is the most extensive exhibit she’s ever worked on, but a rewarding one nevertheless, given the deep reservoir of material she was able to draw on, especially from the college, which acquired a large collection of Native American writing in 2013 and has since added to it.

“As a writer, it was fascinating to be able to see this material,” said Erdrich, who began her research on the exhibit in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, with a deep online dive into the Amherst collection.

Lisa Crossman, the Mead’s director of curatorial affairs, says the museum has a fairly small collection of Native American art. But after talking with professors such as Lisa Brooks and Kiara Vigil, who teach Native American studies at Amherst, and Mike Kelly, the head of the college’s Special Collections department, she realized the Mead could create an exhibit that combined art and writing.

“The exhibit is really about looking at the connections between many of these materials,” she said during a recent tour of the gallery.

“Boundless” relies on some loans from other Northeast collections and a few further afield. The exhibit predominantly features work from eastern Indigenous people; an advisory committee including members from the Nipmuc, Wampanoag, Shinnecock and Mohegan Tribal Nations, among others, assisted in development.

“A big part of my work in 2021 was meeting Indigenous people from Massachusetts and other parts of the East and getting their input,” said Erdrich, who’s spent some previous time in New England and Massachusetts (she’s a graduate of Dartmouth College). “That was really important to me.”

Of whales and more

“Boundless” integrates its work by theme and feel rather than presenting material chronologically or by medium. In the Mead’s main gallery, contemporary paintings and sculpture share space with aged documents and books by Indigenous authors, such as an 1887 volume, “History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan,” with birchbark binding and decoration made from porcupine quills.

Also on view is “Collider Study #1,” a large mixed-media and acrylic painting from 2021 by Courtney Leonard (Shinnecock) that depicts the skeletal remains of a humpback whale killed off the coast of New England in 2007 when it was stuck by a fishing boat.

In an artist’s note, Leonard says the painting, which includes a red poppy — a symbol of rebirth and healing — reflects how “pain and loss can also lead to healing and continuity,” while also noting that a whale “would traditionally feed the entire Shinnecock Nation during harsh times.”

Near Leonard’s painting, meantime, is a colorful sculpture by Frank Stella, “Of Whales in Paint, in Teeth, &c.,” made of large shards of painted aluminum. According to exhibition notes, Stella based the 1990 work on a chapter from Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” in which Native, white and ancient people alike are described as savage.

This and a few other non-Native artworks have been added to “Boundless” to provide additional context. As one example, there’s an 1855 painting of the Connecticut River, as viewed from Mount Holyoke, by Edmund C. Coates, a New York artist connected with the Hudson River School of painting.

In exhibit notes, Erdrich says the painting, while capturing a beautiful and peaceful scene, can pose a problem for Native viewers — how can they look at it and not think of Indigenous people who lived along the Connecticut “and were driven from their homelands in the years just before this image was made?”

Other sections of the exhibit showcase work by artists who share some links, such as the Dakota, Lakota, Hochunk and other Great Plains groups that can be linked culturally or biologically.

That includes work by Mary Sully, a Dakota artist of the early/mid 20th century whose paintings and illustrations won attention for the way she merged classic Native American designs with Art Nouveau and other abstract forms.

In one of the exhibit’s grimmer connections, it’s noted that Sully was related to Alfred Sully, a 19th century American painter and Army officer who took part in massacres of Plains Indians in the 1860s and 1870s and at one point was married to a Dakota woman.

Alfred Sully was in turn a son of Thomas Sully, a noted painter in the early 19th century who produced portraits of Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson, among others. Mary Sully was a great-granddaughter of Thomas Sully.

“The connections in this exhibit run along some very deep and surprising lines,” said Crossman.

Accompanying “Boundless” is a smaller exhibit, “Seeping In,” by fiber artist and jewelry designer Elizabeth James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag), a former artist-in-residence at the college. It features necklaces and other works for which James-Perry has drawn in part on ancestral traditions of the Connecticut River valley.

“Boundless” runs through Jan. 7, 2024 and will be followed by a smaller version of the exhibit in the spring “so we can show some of the materials we couldn’t fit in this exhibit,” Erdrich said with a laugh. “There is so much to share.”

Heid E. Erdrich will gave a gallery talk at “Boundless” on Oct. 12.

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Personality Types Emerge Through Colorful, Fragmented Shapes in Jason Boyd Kinsella’s Portraits

By in Art World News

Personality Types Emerge Through Colorful, Fragmented Shapes in Jason Boyd Kinsella’s Portraits

“Geordie” (2023), oil on canvas, 145 x 120 centimeters. All images courtesy of Unit London, shared with permission

In Anatomy of the Radiant Mind, Jason Boyd Kinsella considers what lies beneath the surface of our online identities and public-facing personas. The Canadian artist conjures a cast of characters, each based on distinct Myers-Brigg personality types to which he attributes unique colors, shapes, and sizes that comprise his figures. Working in what he describes as “fleshless portraiture,” Kinsella focuses on the intricacies of the human brain and emotional states, all conveyed through Cubist forms.

On view next month at Unit London, Anatomy of the Radiant Mind presents large-scale oil paintings and sculptures that, together, question dimension and depth. How can we understand one another when viewed through the flatness of social media? What do we lose when we’re not sharing a physical space? These questions surround the works, each of which is titled with the subtle anonymity of a single, given name like “Geordie” or “Lukas.”

To create the portraits, Kinsella begins with a preliminary structural sketch on paper and then translates his figures to canvas. He stacks three-dimensional triangles, cylinders, spheres, and blocks into facial features before applying vivid color. “Howard,” for example, exudes an aggrieved energy with a curved body in black and glowering expression, while “Kate” is dainty, her shapes stacked into a slim, pastel-hued tower.

Anatomy of the Radiant Mind runs from October 3 to November 4. Find more from the artist on Instagram.

 

two cubist portraits composed with geometric color blocked shapes

Left: “Howard” (2023), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters. Right: “Patricia” (2023), oil on canvas, 145 x 115 centimeters

a cubist portrait composed with geometric color blocked shapes

“Lukas” (2023), oil on canvas, 185 x 155 centimeters

a cubist portrait composed with geometric color blocked shapes

“Kate” (2023), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters

a cubist portrait composed with geometric color blocked shapes

“Rich” (2023), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters

a cubist portrait composed with geometric color blocked shapes

“Lane” (2023), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters

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 Personality Types Emerge Through Colorful, Fragmented Shapes in Jason Boyd Kinsella’s Portraits appeared first on Colossal.

Hong Kong show for French photographer who found beauty in the mundane

By in Photography

Hong Kong show for French photographer who found beauty in the mundane

Industrial is the best way to describe The Loft in Hong Kong’s Wong Chuk Hang neighbourhood.

But step out of the bright yellow doors of a rattling lift and into Boogie Woogie Photography and you are met with an elegant slice of France.

Scattered around the eighth-floor space are pieces of 18th century furniture and decorative art from Kraemer Gallery, the oldest family-owned gallery in Paris. But it is the black-and-white images by French photographer Willy Ronis (1910-2009) that grab the most attention.

Ronis was a pioneer of humanist photography, a French movement that emerged after World War II and focused on the everyday human experience.

image
Willy Ronis in 1995. Photo: Getty Images

Many of his iconic images feature in “Capturing Life: The Photography of Willy Ronis”, on show at Boogie Woogie Photography until October 21, the photos selected from the private collection of Stephane Kovalsky, Ronis’ grandson.

“Seeing these stunning silver gelatin prints that beautifully capture his talent for composition and storytelling is very special,” says Vanessa Franklin, who co-founded the Hong Kong studio in 2016 to promote photography in Asia.

image
Vanessa Franklin, the co-founder of Boogie Woogie Photography, in Hong Kong’s Wong Chuk Hang neighbourhood, and the exhibition’s curator. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
A photographer herself, Franklin was lucky enough to be photographed by Ronis after they met in 1999 while she was on assignment.

“We met in Paris several times and he would cook me lunch and give me so much advice – you can see the images of me in here,” she says, opening a chunky art book by Taschen showcasing Ronis’ works.

Walking around the studio, Franklin waxes lyrical about the artist who was able to see something magical in the mundane and who had an un­canny ability to capture spontaneous moments of daily life.

What I love about Ronis’ images is they invite us to reflect on the universal themes of love, joy and resilience

Vanessa Franklin

No better is this evidenced than in Le Nu Provençal, arguably Ronis’ most famous photograph.

Taken in Gordes, Provence, in the summer of 1949, it shows Ronis’ wife, Marie-Anne Lansiaux – herself an artist – naked and washing her face after a nap.

“There’s so much grace in this photo – it looks like a painting,” says Franklin.

image
“The Little Parisian” (1952), by Willy Ronis. Photo: Boogie Woogie Photography and the S. Kovalsky collection

In The Little Parisian (1952) a young boy, baguette under his arm, smile on his face, runs along a street, while another, The Lovers of the Bastille (1957), shows a couple at the top of the Colonne de Juillet looking out over Paris.

“What I love about Ronis’ images is they invite us to reflect on the universal themes of love, joy and resilience,” says Franklin.

Another image shows two small children playing on gigantic barges on the Seine.

‘A loving spirit and energy’: Hong Kong domestic helpers on their day off

“He was such a generous man and I think his sincerity is reflected in this image,” she says of the photo The Children’s Barge, taken in 1959.

“You can feel the emotion and that’s why people are still touched by it today […] His work is timeless.”

“Capturing Life: The Photography of Willy Ronis”, Boogie Woogie Photography, The Loft, 8/F, E Wah Factory Building, 56-60 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang. To book a private visit, WhatsApp Vanessa Franklin on 5239 3730.

Market Street mural project approved by Lockport Common Council

By in Art World News

Market Street mural project approved by Lockport Common Council

Coming down Market Street from Main Street there’s sign of a past art project along a retaining wall on the eastern side of the hill that did not stand the test of time.

However, upon an unanimous vote by Lockport’s Common Council, Wednesday night, that wall is due to become the site of a new mural in the city, to be completed by Lockportian Austin Hinton.

“My whole life I’ve always been drawing and painting. Ever since I was 10 or 11,” Hinton said in a brief interview before the city’s meeting.

Hinton didn’t go to school for art, instead focusing on business administration, but did start to paint murals in 2020 as part of a New Year’s resolution.

“From that it just snowballed to painting murals here and there,” Hinton continued.

The wall is approximately “80 paces” Hinton said. His design incorporates a “Lockport pride” aesthetic in blue and gold. It includes a top-side view of the Flight of Five Locks and the Lockport skyline and horizon.

The project was spearheaded by Alderman at-large Lisa Swanson-Gellerson who’d seen Hinton’s work in the past.

“I think that art murals can tell us a story and Lockport has a lot of stories to tell, that I think will help bring us together,” Swanson-Gellerson said. “We come together when we share our stories. Community art can do that. It can educate and unite us.”

Questions from the rest of the Common Council were laced with encouragement for the artist and future projects.

“Do you know the one (mural) that’s all faded is of (the late Gord Downie) from the Tragically Hip?” 4th Ward Alderman Kitty Fogle asked Hinton. “We need to redo that one!”

While Hinton will be accepting private donations for the artwork, no taxpayer funds will spent on the project.

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