Photo by Brandon Getty
More photos from our most recent issue.
Photo by Christopher Radney
Photo by Dave Glass
Photo by Louis Fabries
Photo by Sila Yalazan
Photo by Brandon Getty
More photos from our most recent issue.
Photo by Christopher Radney
Photo by Dave Glass
Photo by Louis Fabries
Photo by Sila Yalazan
“Aureus” (2022). All images © Jon Foreman, shared with permission
Nature’s subtle irregularities and variations are fodder for Jon Foreman (previously). Using found leaves, stones, and sand, the Wales-based artist assembles swirling gradients and organic motifs that radiate across forest floors and beaches. He precisely arranges each composition by size and color, relying on basic geometric principles to transform a humble material and unconventional backdrop into stunning artworks. Considering the constructions last just a short time before they’re blown or washed away, head to Foreman’s Instagram to see them in pristine condition.
“Stone Knitting” (2024)
“Pontis” (2024)
“Aqua Exemplaria” (2024)
“Triplex Motus” (2023)
“Stella Spiralis” (2023)
“Helix” (2024)
“Crescents Glow” (2024)
“Quadratura” (2024)
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In Sand and Stone, Jon Foreman Sculpts Hypnotic Gradients and Organic Motifs appeared first on Colossal.
All images © Sungai Watch and Sungai Design, shared with permission
Despite the idyllic photos that populate Instagram feeds and travel blogs, Bali has a plastic problem. The island produces 1.6 million tons of waste each year, and thanks to ocean currents, it also receives tidal waves of pollution from neighboring islands that bury its beaches in mounds of trash, debris, and even rotting animal carcasses during monsoon season. To mitigate the problem, two sister organizations have teamed up to clean Bali’s waterways and transform the uncovered waste into useful goods.
Sungai Watch leads the first part of the process by identifying problem rivers and installing wide barriers to trap pollution. Since launching in 2020, the nonprofit has pulled 1,718,562 kilograms, nearly 1,900 tons, of plastic from the waterways.
Once cleaned and sorted, the waste is handed off to Sungai Design, which shreds and presses the material into large panels. CNC machines cut parametric components that are fashioned into a line of modern chairs, while offcuts are recycled into other products. Available in two shapes and three colors, the speckled designs both feature wide, sloping seats and angular legs. Each recycles an estimated 30 kilograms of plastic.
To dive into the trash collection process, head to YouTube, and shop available products from Sungai Design.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Nonprofit Is Creating Modern Loungers Entirely from Plastic Pulled from Bali’s Waterways appeared first on Colossal.
Armed with his trusty Hasselblad XPan and a Sprocket Rocket camera, film photographer Nuno Cruz decided to try out panoramic format in the streets of Amsterdam. We sent him some Lomography Lady Grey and Berlin Kino film and spoke with him about how each combination performed.
Detail of “Ants,” 50 x 50 x 15 centimeters. All photos by Griffin Simm, © Greg Olijnyk, shared with permission
Hordes of ants with serrated mandibles, a coiled caterpillar, and puffy white cotton-ball clouds materialize in Greg Olijnyk’s Melbourne studio. The artist continues his ever-growing collection of cardboard sculptures augmented with LED lights, toothpicks, and “a lot of hours and lots of coffee.” His most recent works include a trio of mechanical insects presented like entomological displays, their legs and heads revealing Olijnyk’s meticulous attention to detail and devotion to rendering minuscule features. Keeping with the wondrous world that he’s been expanding the last few years, the artist also fashioned a “Dream Factory,” a whimsical manufacturing plant shipping out the most fantastical imaginings.
For more of Olijnyk’s sci-fi universe of robots and uncanny architecture, visit his site and Instagram.
“Ants,” 50 x 50 x 15 centimeters
“Fly,” 50 x 50 x 15 centimeters
Detail of “Fly,” 50 x 50 x 15 centimeters
“Caterpillar,” 50 x 50 x 15 centimeters
Detail of “Caterpillar,” 50 x 50 x 15 centimeters
“The Dream Factory,” 75 x 90 x 65 centimeters
Detail of “The Dream Factory,” 75 x 90 x 65 centimeters
Detail of “The Dream Factory,” 75 x 90 x 65 centimeters
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Cardboard Takes a Fantastical Turn in Greg Olijnyk’s Mechanical Insects and Wondrous Dream Factory appeared first on Colossal.
All images © Muhammed Sajid, shared with permission
“The two things I love the most are observing people and playing with colours,” says Bangalore, India-based artist Muhammed Sajid, whose vivid digital illustrations highlight personalities, garments, and visual culture inspired by his home state of Kerala. Ornate fabrics and objects surround figures who gaze directly at the viewer or interact with flora and fauna, and symbolic references to vernacular architecture and art fill each vibrant composition.
Sajid was inspired to start making portraits while he was in college, and over time, he honed his interest in portraying people and their surroundings. Initially, he worked in watercolor and poster paints, but found it difficult to achieve the saturated hues he was drawn to. “In the digital era, things are entirely different, and I started using different types of colours,” he says, exploring the full spectrum and building bold contrasts.
In his Folks from Kerala series, Sajid draws from memories and renders subjects who are reminiscent of people he would see around his childhood town. “Some of the pieces that I had done in that series show people who are familiar folks and faces from the village,” he says. “I felt that no one gave much attention to how simple and beautiful their lives were.” He continues to build on these initial explorations, combining elements of pop culture, fashion, and landscape.
Later this year, Sajid will show a couple of new pieces with Galerie Kurokama in Paris, which focuses on contemporary Asian art. Find more of the artsit’s work on Behance and Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Vibrant Digital Illustrations by Muhammed Sajid Evoke Memories of the Artist’s Hometown appeared first on Colossal.
Ending the year on a positive note, our picks of positive trends and admirable global breakthroughs of 2023.
Part of our Beautiful News project. There we surface the good news and happy data we can’t always see when fixated on the negativity of the news.
We recently supplied Spanish photographer Leo Amaya with Lomography film for his trip to South Africa, and he surpassed expectations with these amazing pictures of wildlife.
Q1: Who are you?
Q2: What is your favorite way to waste money?
Q3: What do you consider the most underrated virtue?
Q4: When are you happiest?
Q5: What did your first kiss feel like?
Q6: Where is home?
Q7: Which body parts (yours or otherwise) do you feel the most affection for?
Q8: What is your favorite vice?
Q9: How do you define childhood?
Q10: What is your favorite time of day?
Q11: Who is your favorite person?
Q12: What is the most important thing in any relationship?
Thank you for your responses, Carlos!
First met Carlos at Berry a hidden bar in the Nakameguro area in Tokyo then again on the PhotoPeace charity walk we (JCH) did in 2022 making the photography connection. Always consistently interesting photography, especially in his Instagram stories, I finally reached out for this visual interview. Hell of a bartender as well haha. Check his Instagram here.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
See my other interviews here: Then click here to go to the archives.
-JF
The post JESSE’S VISUAL INTERVIEWS: Carlos Estevan Barceló appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
Hovertext:
St. Peter just taps the crudely drawn No Girls Allowed sign made by God.
Whoever made the A City on Mars wikipedia entry, bless you. Now when people argue against stuff that we didn't actually say, I'm just linking to the page.
After too short a visit to Athens’s Parthenon in 1964, I vowed to return soon. By 1969 I was standing on the deck of a wave tossed Yugoslavian freighter with my back to New York City. Watching the grey, stormy, November Atlantic from the quiet of the Navigation Bridge was a peaceful retreat. Our first port-of-call was Casablanca. As a travel companion I had Greek philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis's book, Report to Greco, basically a story of Kazantzakis's search for his identity. It seemed a good reading choice for me, a 26-year-old, also searching for my identity.
The Parthenon, The Acropolis
Two months later, I was finally climbing the Acropolis again to view the Parthenon and the experience surpassed my memories! The Parthenon's white Marble, from nearby Mount Pentelicus, shown in the sun. To help understand the complex Greek culture I read Nikos Kazantzakis's writings and Edith Hamilton's book on Greek mythology. Edith Hamilton describes in her book Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, a contest between the God Poseidon and the Goddess Athena. Athena made an olive tree, "the most prized of all the trees of Greece," grow on the Acropolis. Athena was judged winner of the contest! Through Edith's eyes I felt connected to an early mythical belief system that formed a base for Greek culture. From Piraeus I took the night ferry to Iraklion, Crete where Nikos Kazantzakis was born in 1883.
Horns of Consecration
In 3,500 BC Iraklion, Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization. The Minoans were skilled in metallurgy and engineering, working with copper & bronze. They also practiced ritual bull leaping. The sculpture Horns of Consecration represent the bull's horns that athletes would jump over. In Greek Mythology, the Palace of Knossos was the site of the Minotaur's Labyrinth. The Labyrinth was built by Daedalus, father of Icarus who famously flew too close to the sun.
Vineyard workers, Crete
The vineyard that these men were pruning in 1970 (near the Knossos Palace) was also a Minoan vineyard in 2,500 BC! A favorite Minoan wine was 'Passum'! The Minoans built a valuable trade exporting their wines and olive oil around the Mediterranean. The photograph shows a smiling vineyard pruning crew near the Knossos Palace. Edith Hamilton wrote, "Dionysus, the God of the Vine, was born of fire and nursed by rain, the hard burning heat that ripens the grapes and the water that keeps the plants alive."
Donkey saddle, Delphia
Pruning vine, Crete
Donkeys were used to carry olives to a press to make olive oil. This family-owned olive grove was within site of Mount Parnassus, Delphi where the Temple of Apollo's oracle, the Pythia, would provide Seekers of Truth with answers. In the past, the Temple had a large inscription of the letter E (Epsilon) on the front. Today E's meaning still remains an enigma!
Ripe, "gray-gleaming olive", Delphi
In January the olives were gathered. They knocked the olives from the trees with long poles. The olives were gathered up by hand and put into baskets which the donkeys caried to an olive press. In Greek mythology Athena created the olive trees. Here is my photograph of "The gray-gleaming olive, Athena showed to men," described by Edith Hamilton. Also a photograph of the family olive grove owners having lunch. I helped pick up the ripe olives from the ground and later shared lunch. They introduced me to sesame-seed Halva, one of the best of many Greek sweets!
Lunch, Delphi
Gathering Olives
Many craftsmen were involved in making donkey saddles. Carving a wooden donkey saddle, Sita, Crete.
Skillfully building by hand the frame for a donkey saddle.
The 13th Century Byzantine Church of Panagia Kera is the major attraction to Krista, a small mountain village in Eastern Crete. On a hike I climbed upward from the village to the music of the goat herd bells. Nikos Kazantzakis wrote that the shepherds choose bells to provide a unique sound for their flock. A haunting Fresco depiction of Christ is part of the many 13th century frescos in the Church of Panagia Kera in Krista. Kazantzakis wrote, "three great figures, Odysseus, Nicephorus Phocas and Christ were toiling inside me to acquire faces."
Krista
As warm and sunny weather approached my Winter Journey extended to Easter! Kazanatzakis wrote, "I said to the almond tree, Sister, speak to me of God, And the almond tree blossomed."
Nikos Kazantzakis's grave site, Iraklion, Crete.
Nikos Kazantzakis's grave site is located on Iraklion's old city wall. He wrote, "Standing on a street corner with hands reaching out to passers-by: Alms, brothers! A quarter of an hour from each of you Oh, for a little time, just enough to let me finish my work. Afterwards, let Charon come."
This photograph shows a small Wayside Chapel miles from any village. The Chapel was immaculate and freshly whitewashed. It provided me with a reminder of the importance that religion has in Greece.
"A Winter in Greece, 1970" will be exhibited at the Watertown Free Public Library, Watertown, Massachusetts for the month of October, 2024. Twenty-one Gelatin Silver Prints will be exhibited. In 2023 I received a Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council which allowed me to print this exhibit. The print image size is 10 X 15 inches. I worked with two Nikon F cameras and 35mm, 50mm & 105mm lenses. For exposure readings I used a Weston Master V meter. These negatives are now 53 years old! I reprinted the negatives in 2023 on ILFORD Multigrade Fiber Base Classic Paper working with ILFORD Multigrade Printing Filters.
Weaving Donkey Saddle Bags, Xanthi
Images ©Joseph Flack Weiler
The post wordpress-seo$s appeared first on Ilford Photo.
Hovertext:
You can't see it but he's wiping his eyes on Georgia O'Keeffe originals.
Of all the compliments on the new book so far, kind words from Jonathan McDowell mean the most. Or, well, anyway, tied with the nice stuff Mary Roach said.
Hovertext:
How come nobody ever considers the increased CO2 emissions of causing the trolley to switch tracks?
Another prestigious publication compelled to say Weinersmith.
“Symbiose” (2021), Cransac, France. All images © Arthur Maslard, shared with permission
As if made of porcelain or glass, the monumental, serene faces of Arthur Maslard’s subjects fragment into sharply contrasted leaves. The French artist, also known as Ratur, draws on a background in graphic design and intimacy with nature to blend realistic features with fantastical, botanical explosions and abstract fields of color. “Every wall is challenging and different!” he says. “There is always a part of improvisation and adaptation. I would say that the most constraining factor is time.”
Maslard counts Hungarian painter István Sándorfi among his influences, honing the detailed interaction of light with flesh and folds of fabric. He often works alongside his brother Oscar, known as SCKARO, to realize hyperrealistic imagery portraying what Ratur describes as “humans faced with a nature in ruin, mythical figures, and symbols of perpetual rebirth.”
Ratur’s next project takes him to Sand City, California, for the West End Mural Festival in October. Explore more work on his website, and follow updates on Instagram.
Untitled (2023), Annemasse, France
“Renaissance” (2020), Rouen Impressionnée Festival, Rouen, France
“Summer Vibe” (2023), North West Walls Festival, Belgium
“Innate Connection” (2021), Vancouver, B.C., Canada
“Sweet Life” (2023), Great Falls, Montana, U.S.A.
“Daphné” (2020), Dijon, France
“Above It All” (2022), Vancouver, B.C., Canada
“Together” (2021), Paris, France
“L’Oranger” (2021), Saint Brieuc, France
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Hyperrealistic Portraits Burst Into Botanical Shards in Vibrant Murals by Ratur appeared first on Colossal.
Jacobin pigeon. All images © Brendan Burden, shared with permission
Often seen clambering for scraps on city streets, pigeons tend to be an overlooked and even despised species. The birds’ ubiquity in urban areas, and their colloquial characterization as “flying rats,” have given them a lackluster reputation that Brendan Burden upends in his ongoing series of portraits.
The Ottawa-based photographer originally encountered the crest of the Jacobin pigeon, a lavish crown of plumage that wraps around its neck like a voluminous garment. “I had no idea pigeons could look this way and started doing some research and came to find out that there is a wide variety of pigeons, wild and domestic, many of which are quite beautiful,” he says. “I wondered whether I could apply more formal portrait techniques to these birds.”
After coming across the Canadian Pigeon Fancier’s Association in Ottawa Magazine and diving into the organization’s member listing, the Fancy Pigesons series began to take shape. “My intention was to juxtapose the lowly pigeon with formal portraiture techniques and provide a new perspective on something ubiquitous, bordering on completely invisible,” Burden shares. Set against solid, paper backdrops resting in a large, show cage, the images evoke studio shots and capture each creature’s unique features. The Kormorner tumbler, for example, appears as if it’s wearing a turtleneck of brown feathers with a puffy collar, while the Moden’s gleaming, iridescent neck contrasts the soft, black and orange plumes of its body.
Left: English long-faced tumbler. Right: Lavender racing homer pigeon
As Burden photographed the birds—all are in the care of fanciers and avian enthusiasts rather than breeders—he learned about the unique relationship they have with humans. Pigeons are likely the first species to be domesticated, a history reflected in Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and Egyptian hieroglyphics that suggest the practice was likely happening more than 5,000 years ago. He explains:
Had you asked me prior to undertaking this project, where they came from, I would have just assumed that they were wild and had some kind of symbiotic relationship with humans, like rats or mice or any number of other creatures. But in fact, they’re feral domesticated birds, and the reason they’re everywhere is in part because humans have been breeding them, often for nothing other than their beauty, for thousands of years.
As Burden adds to the Fancy Pigeons series, he’s shifting to photographing wild species, a change that requires more travel, time, and patience. “Being that they’re birds, sometimes you just don’t get what you hoped for and have to reshoot,” he says. You can follow his progress on Instagram, and shop limited-edition prints on his site. (via PetaPixel)
Kormorner tumbler
Bald head roller
Top left: Crested pigeon. Top right: Copper black wing archangel. Bottom left: Egyptian swift. Bottom right: Crested pigeon
Domestic flight
Ring necked dove
Left: Show homer pigeon. Right: Racing pigeon
Indian fantail
Moden
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘Fancy Pigeons,’ Brendan Burden Captures the Flair of Underappreciated Birds appeared first on Colossal.
Didymium squamulosum with ice crown. All images © Barry Webb, licensed
Photographer Barry Webb (previously) continues his hunt for the speckled, glimmering, and ice-crested organisms that pop up near his home in South Buckinghamshire, U.K. Armed with a 90-millimeter macro lens, Webb ventures into woodlands and other natural areas where slime molds and fungi thrive. There, he zeroes in on their microscopic features, documenting their wildly diverse characteristics that often last for just a brief moment in time. Recent shots include a tuft of Muppet-like fuzz topping Metatrichia floriformis, a water droplet suspended between two cup-like Craterium minutum, and a cluster of Pink stemonitis filaments propped on spindly black legs.
Webb has won several awards in recent months, including from the Royal Photographic Society and Close-Up Photographer of the Year. Four of his photos will be featured at the Vienna Mushroom Festival next month, prints are available on his site, and you can find more of his work on Instagram.
Metatrichia floriformis and physarum
Cribraria
Pink stemonitis
Craterium minutum
Leocarpus fragilis
Holly parachute fungus, Marasmius hudsonii
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In Macro Photos, Barry Webb Captures the Fleeting, Otherworldly Characteristics of Slime Molds and Fungi appeared first on Colossal.
“Made of Gold” (2021). All images © Lauren Marx, shared with permission
The living and the dead coexist in vivid color in the fantastic tableaus of artist Lauren Marx (previously). From her St. Louis studio, Marx entangles predators and prey with flora and fauna in dense scenes rendered in a mix of pen, watercolor, and colored pencil. Snakes burst open to reveal feathered wings, an owl snacks on the maroon entrails of a rabbit, and a three-headed creature sprouts dried grass from its midsection. Straddling the line between the beautiful and the brutally grotesque, the works intertwine myriad species and states of being.
Given the trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic and the increasingly destructive effects of the human-caused climate crisis, Marx says the theme of loss of life has become more poignant and profound. “I feel the tension is even greater now after seeing death become part of our daily lives nonstop for years. It went from a casual observation to a persistent one,” she shares. “It’s honestly very overwhelming for me.”
The artist translates this grief into the mythological, rendering creatures like unicorns and dragons in vibrant hues. Fanciful by nature, these pieces twist lush florals and technicolor serpents around the horned beasts, with their deep purple intestines peeking through white fur. “I felt this urge to create bright pieces in order to cheer myself,” she says. “Now, those subjects play a huge role in where I want to take my work in the future.”
In November, Marx’s work will be included in a group exhibition at Haven Gallery in Long Island. Peek into her process on Instagram, and shop prints and stickers on Etsy.
“The First” (2016)
“Starry Eyed” (2021)
“Good Luck Spells” (2022)
“Crow and Blueberries” (2020)
Left: “Unicorn II” (2021). Right: “Unicorn” (2020)
“Queen of the Night” (2021)
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Flora and Fauna Entwine in Lauren Marx’s Mixed-Media Studies of Life and Death appeared first on Colossal.
All images © Lewis Miller Design, shared with permission
Sprays of vibrant blooms and foliage erupt from New York City trash cans, trucks, and road signs by Lewis Miller Design (previously). Known for his temporary Flower Flash installations, Miller sees phone booths and stacks of pallets as vessels for enormous floral arrangements, which often remain in place for only a few hours before they disappear. He delights in setting the scene for unexpected encounters and often collaborates with local businesses, events, and other artists, like in a series of cascading displays around artist Scott Froschauer’s reimagined road signs for L.E.A.F. Flower Show.
Find a variety of vivid arrangements on Miller’s Instagram and website.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Elaborate Flower Arrangements by Lewis Miller Design Cascade From Fixtures of New York City Streets appeared first on Colossal.
All images courtesy of Marei/@mareiii04, shared with permission
Sacred in the Shinto religion and an officially designated national treasure, the deer in Nara, Japan, are widely known for roaming a public park and bowing for treats—although the animals in recent years have been dubbed the “devious deer” because of their increasingly demanding behavior.
Those traveling to the region to fawn over the uncharacteristically mannered creatures can now ride in an equally adorable coach. Operated by Kintetsu Railways, the Deer Train is decked out with lush, spotted seats, grassy flooring, handles shaped like pudgy animals, and illustrations by Tokyo-based artist Gemi that transform the cars into a whimsical, cervine world.
The specially designed transit started operating in late 2022 and runs between Nara, which is about 45 minutes south of Kyoto via rail, and Sannomiya. (via Spoon & Tamago)
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Adorably Whimsical ‘Deer Train’ Transports Visitors to Japan’s Famed Nara Park appeared first on Colossal.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” While this saying has become admittedly trite over the years, it stands true that what we each hold beautiful as individuals can act as a window into our interior worlds. In the photographs of Bryan Birks, cars—that most American of obsessions—are the entry point to the surprising beauty of their owners, portals into people, the communities they belong to, and the aspirations they hold dear.
For Birks, cars are deeply symbolic. “A car can be a lot of things. It can be someone’s main mode of transportation, or it can be someone’s shelter. I see it as a sense of hope,” he notes. “It can take you places. If you have a nicer one, then maybe you have done well financially for yourself. It can be something that you pass down to your kids. Every conversation I have for this project, I feel there is a strong pride in the ownership of the car, and that reflects back in the photographs.”
That notion of pride is deeply felt in Birks’ images. Made up of portraits and environmental details, Articles of Virtu depicts the elemental relationships between people and their cars. The cars themselves were the first draw into a world of collectors, mechanics, and artists in their own right. Driving around his native Midwest, Birks would look for cars to photograph, explaining that, “in the beginning, it would be very old vehicles, but now it has transformed into any vehicle that looks interesting.” The focus has now shifted somewhat, from the object to its owner. “The people play a key role now, whereas, in the past, it was the vehicles themselves.”
As he went on photographing, he realized that he saw plenty of people taking pictures of their cars but no one focusing on their owners. “I didn’t know how to approach people,” he explains, “so I used the car as a way to get in and speak with them. The first person I photographed for the project, before it was a project, was a man named Mark. It was right at the beginning of the pandemic, and I was wanting to keep my distance, but his conversation and demeanor kept pulling me in closer. Eventually, I was inside his house, and he was telling me story after story about all of his vehicles. He named all of them with female names. I ended up asking for his portrait and taking two or three photos. After that, I was keen on keeping up with that and making it into a series.”
It was after photographing Jason and his dog, Diablo, that he first had the feeling the project was truly forming, describing how “it summarized everything that I was trying to say into one single image. The car, the light, man’s best friend, the dirt in Jason’s nails, and even the tattoo on his arm of praying hands. Every time I went out after that, I was trying to recreate that feeling.” Birks’ photographs capture his subjects in cool, blue palettes, touched at times with pinks and golds. As he continued working on the series, he began to see how the car did not need to be front and center—it was the owners themselves who pushed the narrative forward.
Interested in the stories that his subjects tell, he photographs the spaces they inhabit, the details that provide color and insight. The homes and garages of his subjects are filled with memories and mementos—notes, polaroids, books, auto parts. Each image is treated with a genuineness that feels tender. A selective focus softens the photographs and backgrounds fall away gently. A world that can often seem overtly-masculine, and could be rendered as such, is instead visualized with care and emotion.
In Bob’s Car, tiny white baby shoes hang from a car mirror, tinged by what feels like cold early morning light. In Ken’s Garage, we see bits of memorabilia—a framed newspaper article, a calendar featuring a 1959 Corsair Convertible, bits of pegboard, all orbiting a black and white photograph of the rockabilly star Carl Perkins.
The title of the series, Articles of Virtu, is a term most often used in the study of antiques or art historical items. It refers to objects that are considered interesting because of their “rarity, beauty, or appeal to a connoisseur.” For Birks, the association with beauty and connoisseurship was a natural connection. Reflecting on the work, he hopes that the viewer “comes away with a better understanding of people, and more specifically, older men. The best compliments I get are when someone says one of these owners is ‘beautiful’. The men in these photos have been called a lot of things in their lives, but ‘beautiful’ probably isn’t one of them. So, if I can do that for them, then I feel like I have done my job.”
Included with the photographs on his own website are lines from the last stanza of a poem, Washing the Car with my Father, by Afaa Michael Weaver. In it, a blue Chevrolet serves as a common ground, a symbol for the shared love between father and child. As Birks’ photographs show, a car can be so much more than an object: it can be a meeting point, a bond, a whole world of connection.
Enjoy more great photography: