10 Years Later : Still Full of Surprises

SLOWEXPOSURES 2015
SNOW STORM
Preston Gannaway

Snow storm,, from the series Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Norfolk VA,    Preston Gannaway Okland CA

Just got back from the Southland.This year Jerry Atnip and I were ask to be jurors for the 13th annual Slowexposures competition. I had previously juried this event in 2005 with Celina Lunsford. At that time we created a little stir by choosing Wrapped Turkeys by Andy Scott of Atlanta for the first prize . Sometimes things change and sometimes they don't

Ten years doesn't seem like a long time anymore.Many changes have taken place not just the war between analog and digital but also the way we view pictures,what do they meanI think in this era while we are bombarded by images and on overload,we still want to be able to feel a connection.

Jerry and I decided not only to jury but curate an exhibition that reflected something about the south.Trying to avoid cliches and yet holding on to the idea of what is the South. Picture of old barns, rusted trucks, coca cola signs even kudzu, magnolia and cotton can be photograph in many places.Exotic locals can be found anywhere as well as the downtrodden and cute kids.

Jerry has just did an interview with Sally Mann and that old question was asked what/where is the South ? Like many a feel it more than see it. It is a Neverland that exist to varying degrees in our hearts and no two descriptions will ever be the same.Because each is based on the histories and memories we can remember but never fully describe.We know it, it is formed in our childhood , always stays beyond our grasp our real reality.

Which brings me to our winner this year, Snow Storm by Preston Gannaway when announced people look at us in disbelief. Even as they congratulated us on a solid selection of photographs how could this one win? To be honest the image was beautifully print and presented, In this image a complete world was shown,like a dream, it had a mood of quiet wistfulness.A moment we could all recognize that first snow.

I got my first Brownie camera,took a picture of a solumn little snowman and that was it. Funny ting when the exhibition came down a number of people came up to us to say they had snow pictures in their family albums 

Snow has always been a mystery and an occasion to celebrate in the deep South but this time it was a hot September day.

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WHAT IS (the) SOUTH ?

I live in Manhattan in the 21st century so I should know the answer  to this one. In truth the answer is fluid, it depends upon where you are standing.  If you are standing on let's say 125th Street and decide to venture to 124th Street you are going south.This question came to me in response to a electronic portfolio posted on CNN of images taken from a juried exhibition SlowExposures:Celebrating the Rural South.The comments were strong.

One of the images chosen was by the artist Paul Conlon which was part of an exhibition I curated last year for SlowExposures called Southern Memories . I was born in the south, I live in what is called the north, yet my memories live in the land of childhood ,untouched by boundaries

Paul Conlon  Trike

Jo Lynn Still   Snow

Marilyn Suriana   Auburn Market 2

A few years ago I became seduce by a photograph of snow by 
Jo Lynn Still, it so reminds me of my first snow.The sky is blue and bright, filled with expectation and magic this picture was taken in Georgia .It is a picture that moves beyond place into memory.

The south I grew up in most people rich or poor , young or old would be concern about how they appeared in public.This was particularly a great truth for my grandmother,who died at 100 years young so when I saw this image by Marilyn Suriana, it was the for me those times that came to mind not the place.

SlowExposures takes place starting September 21

recent edit by Paul Conlan of Trike

A sort of footnote the opening image in this post is the way I first saw this photograph, to me it spoke about age.It is very interesting to see the new crop/edit  it makes for a more balanced image but some of the story is lost.