Exploration with Culture
Fall 2013 passed in the wind, and the styles of Firefly Salon became light but short, simultaneously dark but long with contrasting shadows. Sisters both exit and enter the woods through a ray of cool warmth.
HMU by Todd and Bronwyn Baylor of Hair by Firefly
Styling by LK
Wardrobe by Sweet Deal and Eloisa
America has a gun problem. According to a Small Arms Survey in 2007 , 88 out of 100 Americans own a gun. That’s worthy of world domination. And after the latest elementary outbreak of gun violence in Sandyhook, Conn., questions continue to raise about the connections between guns, violent video games, and our American youth. Here are some images from an on-going project involving America’s young guns.
One mother I spoke with regarding the project declined to take part, but mentioned a story about her son. He was never permitted to play with toy guns. He wasn’t ever exposed to them in their household or on television. And she was unaware about any activities involving toy guns at their friends’ homes, but as soon as he reached a certain age where he began to develop his own personality, walk and make decisions on his own, something became apparent. When they would stroll on the beach or trek in the woods, the boy was instantly drawn toward sticks. These inanimate objects took on a life of their own. They became his toy guns. To this day she refuses to buy him any of these colorful plastic pieces.
When the United States military encourages their soldiers to play violent video games while on leave, and as the advent of drones is taking presence above foreign skies, it is intriguing how large the gaming industry has become. Not only is it exciting, competitive and imaginative, but it is also a fantasy world without consequences besides GAME OVER. From Mario Brothers to Grand Theft Auto, there has been an incredible evolution, blurring the lines of reality. America’s youth are also hooked.
For more, please visit America’s Gun Culture
I’m stoked that the countdown has begun! On December 31st, I’ll be heading to Benin, Togo and Ghana for roughly four weeks to begin a project about the origins and evolution of Voodoo. As a practice of animistic worship of spirits, Vodun is the official religion of Benin and considered one of its birthplaces. I’ll be traveling with friend and fellow photographer Constantine Savvides to create a multi-continent multimedia series including still, motion, audio and text. West Africa will be the first of several locations, retracing the spread of Voodoo via the slave trade to the West Indies and Americas, to its survival in today’s organized societies. These guys, chiefs of the old slave port in Badagry, Nigeria, know what I’m talkin’ about.
Monkeys will steal your things if you take too long of a nap – Diani Beach, Kenya
Kelly Foote is a good friend and amazing surfboard shaper. We have a few more projects in mind that we’re currently developing, so stay tuned. However, here’s a lil’ tid bit written up on Kelly’s unique shaping talent and killer lifestyle on the Olympic Peninsula in Coast Mountain Culture’s newest issue, along with a great shot of mine that fits the spread nicely. Well done Mr. Foote and thanks CMC!
To cut stone sounds like a recipe of alchemy. But it takes power, not always the power of enormous piston-driven spikes and powder-lit explosives. Often, with the right hand-tools and visionary skill, rocks can be as easily molded as clay. Meet Ethan Currier.
When on Bainbridge Island, Ethan lives in Eagle Harbor aboard his 1940s’ refurbished navy boat, building unique rock sculptures by day. Located in a small modest workshop, which once ran as a single-pump gas station, Ethan brings in specific stones to match his concept of upcoming projects, visualizing their forms and structure prior. By design and with the use of few hand-tools, these ordinary stones take on new organic shapes.
Having spent the summer on the east coast working on boats and building commissioned pieces for personal gardens and cityscapes, Ethan continues to create, building a reputation and potential-future following like those of artists Andy Goldsworthy and Dale Chihuly. A controvertial sculpture on a city-owned island Blakely Rock brought him in contact with people who both love and disapprove of his work. Over four nights in the middle of winter in 2012, Ethan installed a 12-foot tall stone man in the common yoga posture Tree Pose. Visible from the east shores of Bainbridge Island, as well as along the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry route, the sculpture has become in need of further special attention. Upon his recent return, people have continually asked him about it. He responds with a calming smile, “It needs repairs.” Locals now are expressing their interest in helping in anyway possible in its resurrection.
Robert Carlson is an internationally-renowned glass artist and a master not in disguise. Bob lives his life as an artist, from his work to his art collections and the uniqueness of his home, to the way he parties and likes his martinis. I had the opportunity to photograph Bob while he was an artist-in-residence at the Museum of Glass Hot Shop in Tacoma, Washington, where he came up with and devised his newest creations from an imagination wild. Bob is pictured up, sketching his latest invention, pulling from depths of his mind something real.
On-hand apprentices assisted Bob throughout the week-long residency. Typically, after the glass is blown and cooled, he’ll spends months with the pieces, studying their forms and subtle messages found within shapes and processes. Next he employs a reverse-painting technique using mirrors to create the imagery. These will appear on the back side of the glass structures, which take on a whole new dimension while viewing through the various refractions of glass.
However, after observing the unusual orbs and their phalangeal crystals, Bob decided otherwise and kept the mirrors on their walls and the pigments in their cans. The work was completely new and glorious in their own form. They are both animalistic and alien. They explore the connection of sexuality and misplaced possession. The glass art can be placed on one side and quickly flipped to be placed on a new set of legs, changing the viewers understanding of what is and what can be. These pieces are works of a genius, derived from a life undisguised from beauty itself.
I see New York City in black and white.
Take away all the flickering lights, the sirens and neon dashboards of Time Square. Strip away the info panels and varying colors of orange, yellow and blue emanating from street posts, from billboards of business and commerce. Add a sunny fall day. Let it stretch out those oblong shadows, appearing like identical characterizations chasing every man, woman, child, pet dog and moving transportation. Let it bounce off the glass cathedrals that tear into the sky, reflecting once, twice, maybe three times into the soft shower of diffusion. Add clouds and see the geometry of humanity unfold in pattern after pattern, revealing how intrinsically woven we are into the chaos of Mother Nature.
It’s maddening among the crowds as they each race toward their God-given creed.
Now, turn all to black and white and there only remains a lingering elegance of time passed, one cherished from the yesteryears that will only be forgotten as one shiny element after another flares passed the weary observer.
New York’s is pretty damn great. The thinner the dough, the crispier the crust, the more one can indulge in the topping’s flavors. Another spectacular characteristic about the city of New York are its’ people. There are millions. And thousands of languages. With my couple of weeks exploring NYC I’ve taken to walking, using two feet to get everywhere. I find it’s the absolute best way to observe one’s surroundings, watch city-life pass by and happen upon those split-second moments that will never occur again.
Attending the 26th Eddie Adams Workshop was like stepping into a stadium at bat. The pitcher was Randy Johnson and you were expected to preform like any of the greats because in the audience master photographers like Jodi Cobb, Gregory Heisler, Howard Schatz and Marco Grob watched on. Their friends were there, including AP photographer Rodrigo Abd, Afghan photographer Zalmai, young gun Peter Yang and more. And they brought their friends; Directors of Photography like AP’s Santiago Lyon, Nat Geo’s Photo Editor Elizabeth Grist and Time’s Photo Editor Kira Pollack. That was just to name a few, and they were there among others, watching, waiting to see you preform your work.
One hundred students were selected from a vast pool of applicants, and these one hundred students were given a free 4-day workshop with the industry’s best of the best. All we had to do was get there. So we show up at B+H Photo in New York City with ants in our pants, butterflies in our stomachs. We’re loaded up in vans and buses and head north into the Catskills of Upstate New York. We arrive at The Barn, the late and great Eddie Adams’ home away from home. Teams are selected, we’re divided up. Myself and nine other students have our work cut out for ourselves: Our team leader was AP photographer based in Peru, Rodrigo Abd; our team producer was freelance photographer who covered the last elections Eric Thayer; and our team editor was a man larger then his title, AP Director of Photography Santiago Lyon.
Our theme: The Golden Years. My personal assignment: The Monticello Motor Club.
While we were not shooting, we were listening to speakers, whose particular list resides above. The inspiration soaked within our blood and bones for the talent and passion within the Barn’s room permeated every living cellular structure. It was simply awe-striking for everyone attending, participating, facilitating and preforming. When not listening to speakers, we were sharing our excitement with new young colleagues, and sitting down with the industry’s leaders for portfolio reviews. Sleep found us at the wee hours in the morning before rising once more an hour or two later for breakfast and departure.
As I said, my team’s theme was The Golden Years, an idea reflecting on our elders, the joy they receive to keep them young, vibrant and passionate. Below is the produced work, with a link at the end to view the full multimedia slideshow, including audio.
For more please visit the entire multimedia piece at The Monticello Motor Club: A Day’s Race Away
India is a monstrous mothership of light. I’ve spent 8 months total in the country, traveling from north to south along the west edges. It is its’ own planet, huge and all-consuming. I love reflecting back on my travels; the people, culture, food, the lessons learned. I can’t wait to return.
Buddhist monk passing along a Peace Crane made out of origami paper
Man & hut in the Gujarat Desert
Mother India
Shiva on the streets of New Delhi
Exhaustion in exile in the Himalayas
Boys outside the meeting hall
For more, please visit Travel at cameronkarsten.com
Cameron Karsten's Imaginarium 