Sunday Best : Portraits in Black | Marco Ambrosi

Portraits in Black, is a project commissioned by the Center for Immigration Studies in Verona, the Cities of Verona and Padua  and the Padua University Department of Sociology. Three artists photographed different Pentecostal communities composed of people from Nigeria and Ghana who reside in Verona 


The artists Marco Ambrosi, MatteoDanesin and Aldo Sodoma later had exhibitions in Verona and Padua and many countries

Sunday meant dressing up for church everything a bit too 

tight and shiny.Dressing up was for special occasions .

This work by Marco Ambrosi  involved visiting several churches with his portable studio and taking portraits of people in their best.  

There is almost an explosion of dignity and happiness here for displays of fashion for a joyful Sunday www.marcoambrosi.com

all images copyright Marco Ambrosi Verona Italy

Dogwater Blues : Matt Brown

I met Matt Brown earlier this year while doing portfolio reviews
in Serenbe Georgia. When I saw this work I was reminded of a signature image by Michael Smith.But this work goes beyond that, there is a range of emotions from humor to grief . The thing that made me come back to this work was the unspoken, the gray middle of waiting and frustration, about not knowing what to do
with one's self. I think most of these dogs are chained because they would run off .


Six images does not show the entire photo essay which made me feel a great sadness, I will admit that this edit is about form and texture therefore I urge you too go http://mmbrown.arloartists.com/ to see the artist's statement and portfolio


all images copyright  Matthew Brown

Now Let Us Try Something Different : Tabula Rasa | Robert Dupree

still from TABULA RASA by Robert Dupree 2011 -  2012

http://vimeo.com/37680515

Robert (Bobby) Dupree was one of three young interns who worked with me when I was curating at Michael Mazzeo Gallery.They were learning while working in the gallery,I know I was learning from them.When we left the gallery we all sort of stayed in touch. Robert has push the envelope for awhile with edgy photographs and videos. It took me a while to understand because of a certain rawness that is essential for the work but not for me.This does not mean I did not like them, in fact we used some of  his videos in an exhibition at the gallery. The something I was planning on doing was to upload his new video Tabula  Rasa ,which means scrapped clean.It did not work/ Click on the red link above to watch,  give yourself about 6 minutes  there is little sound so you can add your own soundtrack or just bask in the quietness of observing the moment .


I saw this at HERE Arts Center last week  and felt so proud of Robert Dupree

Visualizing Place Part 3 - Doggerland | Brian David Stevens

Streaky the Clown

Beware of Trains

I was thinking about calling this post mrbennette is leaving Doggerland at last. It was a bit hard to get out. There are 
other portfolios by Brian David Stevens  that moved me. 
They That are Left and his portraits both human and environments connect. I see his work and want to know more.


It is a wet, dark, oppressive Sunday morning here, a bleak, yellow- greenish grey day with the heavy hum of fans and silence. I know this will not last, there will be storms, still air ,then brightness and blue.


all photographs by Brian David Stevens and used with his permission

Visualizing Place part 2 - Doggerland | Brian David Stevens

The camera is only a part of creating photograph.
The photographer's vision and techinical skill can show us more than just a picture.Sometimes it is art sometime poetry 


When I first saw these images by Brian David Stevens, I felt sad and wanted to know more about this place.


There maybe a lost Doggerland, here is one to contemplate now.


all image Copyrighted Brian David Smith 2012 

Visualizing Place - Doggerland | Brian David Stevens

These images give a sense of place, I intend on adding more tomorrow. The artist Brian David Stevens follows me on twitter. I was surprised, but I looked up his website and became pleased. http://briandavidstevens.com/  There are over 10 tightly edited portfolios. I feel a little bit southern here in Doggerland.


There are no titles that I know of, yet  each images builds on the idea of a sense of place.All images copyright Brian David Stevens 

99 1/ 2 Won't Do , Everything is Necessary : Nikita Gale

One of the great pleasures of my time as art director for the first 9 issues of South x Southeast Photography Magazine was meeting young artists who's work I was not familiar with. One such
artist featured was Nikita Gale whose body of work Code Orange  appeared in the fourth issue. Nikita is an artist who use photography and words as tools to express larger ideas.

One body of her work that I was attracted is Everything Is Necessary, it as hung in my mind until this morning.I was padding around and the song 99 1/2 Won't Do by Timothy Wright was being song by me as I listen to Diana Ross. Diana recorded it in the 80's

I am a Roman Catholic which does not mean I haven't spent a lot of time wallowing in gospel and spiritual music to know when it is done right.

These images by Nikita remind me of Holy book pages that have gold lettering and edges. Put that with the Calvinist idea of the One percents(ers) plus social unrest,the evils of instant gratification  and you can see why I have to say "the devil made me do this post "

Of course I like pretty pictures and shiny direct images,but I really like it when I am given art with meaning that is solid, and most of us can understand.

Nikita is the toast of Atlanta this season and she won't let it go to, her head visit her website,I have fallen in love