H2O Perspectives
FLASH #16
"Everything begins with an idea"
H2O Perspectives:
Exploring the Essence of Water
Call for Entry: "H2O Perspectives" - Exploring the Essence of Water This is a FREE exhibition. No entry fees and no other fees. Attention all photographers! We are excited to announce our upcoming online photography contest, "H2O Perspectives," where we invite you to capture the beauty and significance of water through your lens. Whether it's the tranquil allure of a serene lake, the rhythmic dance of ocean waves, the intricate patterns of rainfall, or the reflective qualities of water in urban landscapes, we encourage you to delve into the diverse and evocative nature of water. This is an opportunity to show the world your unique vision and interpretation of this vital element, and to engage viewers with the compelling stories and emotions that water evokes. Selected works will be featured in a prominent online exhibition, offering exposure and recognition for your talent. Submission Guidelines: - Submit your photographs depicting the theme "H2O Perspectives", formatted to at least 2000 pixels on the long side. - Name your files prior to uploading: FirstName-LastName_title - Include a brief artist statement describing your inspiration and connection to the theme. - Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2024 - Accepted entries will be announced, and the exhibit will be on line, soon after June 1. - Submit your entries using this form. We look forward to experiencing the myriad ways in which water inspires and captivates through your artistry. Join us in celebrating the multifaceted beauty of "H2O Perspectives" and the profound impact of water in our world. - Open to all photographers over 18. - The entry fee is FREE for up to five photographs. - Ensure your entries align with our exhibition's thematic essence and uphold artistic excellence. **Application Deadline:** June 1 **Notification of Acceptance:** Soon after June 1 **Exhibition Begins:** early June THIS WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY ON OUR WEBSITE
Decagon Gallery
Harlan Hambright
Roma 1971,
La Gente Di Roma
Anyway, we were obligated to do a project while there. These usually take the form of academic research in architectural history or urban planning–the influences of the Roman Empire on 15th century outhouses and such as that. Well, I was but 20 years old, had no understanding of undertakings of that ilk, and was damned if I was going to spend my first three months out of the country cooped up in a classroom environment. As I fashioned myself a young Henri Cartier Bresson or a Robert Frank (both of whose work I studied and admire, along with many other photographers), I decided to do my project on “the people of Rome” and spent nearly three months simply walking around the city with wide-eyed curiosity, 2 Nikon F bodies, 20mm and 105mm lenses and unlimited bulk-rolled Tri-X film (developed in Agfa Rodinol 1:100 with 100 grams of sodium sulfite added per liter, 72° F. for 15 minutes).
I was taken by the vibrancy of street life in Rome. Streets, sidewalks and piazzas served as the city’s living room, dining room, playground, markets, meeting halls, bathrooms occasionally, and trysting places. I was also impressed with everyone’s reaction to a long-haired American kid blatently sticking a camera in their face and cooperating. In many of these images the subject is looking right into the camera and not yelling at me! (One fellow does not seem pleased.)
For the past 50 years, whenever I have exhibited photographs from this collection (there are 114 rolls of film), I have limited the selections to the 10 or 20 “hero” images that I managed to capture. The couple on the motorcycle for example which, I am proud to report, was included in the book, The Family of
Woman, a sequel to The Family of Man. In preparation for another project I’m
undertaking this fall in Italy, I thought it may be interesting to Italians to see these
now historic images. This is the first time I’ve ever gone through these images
looking more closely for more subtle, evocative stories. The goal became not
finding “great photographs,” but finding images that tell the simple story of what
random people were doing in Rome in the summer of 1971 as observed by a
naive hillbilly from East Tennessee.
Harlan Hambright
St. Simons Island, Georgia
In the summer of 1971, 50 years ago exactly as I type this (July, 2021), a twenty-year-old punk from suburban Knoxville, Tennessee, pictured here (left), embarked on an eye-opening experience in the form of an over-seas study program as part of the University of Tennessee’s School of Architecture. This was between the 2nd and 3rd year of the five-year Bachelor of Architecture program (which lasted seven).
We studied with Astra Zarina, a renowned architecture professor from the University of Washington. As I was already semi-established as a photographer (I had funded my first two years of tuition shooting for the UT Daily Beacon at $2.00 per published image, and the theatre department), she engaged me to photograph her wedding to the American architect, Tony Heywood who, for reasons I still do not understand, was known to my grandmother in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Roma 1971,
La Gente Di Roma