Photography
Through a Glass, Darkly: John Stanmeyer
John Stanmeyer is one of the world’s leading documentary photographers. His book, “Island of the Spirits” documents the five years he spent living in Bali capturing images through a Holga lens; an exhibition and book launching is scheduled for December at the Ganesha Gallery in Jimbaran. In the meantime, here’s a 2006 interview with the photographer by John Douglas.
Indonesia: A Synergy of the Senses
“With its incredible topographic and cultural diversity, Indonesia remains a puzzle to many outsiders. Historians, anthropologists, and politicians have struggled to define the precise contours and identity of this sprawling archipelago. Having lived and traveled in this wondrous land for 16 years, I would suggest that the unity of Indonesia is in fact aesthetic. Each of its multiple strands contributes to a delightful opening up of the senses and to a saturation of pleasurable feelings. Indonesians intuitively understood this in naming their country Tanah Air, a fusion of soil and sea. The dramatic setting underlies the unfolding beauty of practices and beliefs that touch every nerve of human existence. Indeed, Indonesia awakens a synergy of the senses; we move from the obvious stirring of the eyes and ears to the more intangible, but equally thrilling, arousal of smells, taste, and touch. With the photographs I’ve chosen, I hope to open your pores and touch the deepest chords of your being, in imitation of my own fragrant journey across the enchanted isles.” Vivek Bammi
The Flying Photographer: Jez O’Hare
You’ve probably seen his photographs in magazines, perhaps in a coffee-table book on the Wallace Line or the Indonesian archipelago, maybe even in an advertisement for a high-definition television. They are those rare images that capture the essence of a place, showing us an aspect that is unique and rare; images that require not only passion, drive, planning, and courage, but also a piece of equipment that creates its own centrifugal force, called a gyro stabilizer, and a micro light aircraft. Jez O’Hare’s images from above inspire travel, exploration and poetry, offering us an escape into a world that we can’t quite make tangible and triggering a mind, heart and soul reaction of awe at the beauty of Indonesia.
Muara Karang – A Glimpse of the Past
Brandon Hoover braves the smell to visit a historic Jakarta fish market.
