I am pleased to have my submissions awarded with honorable mentions in the book, environmental and street photography categories.
Book, The Art of Spectating
https://www.photoawards.com/winner/zoom.php?eid=8-223790-21
Envirtomental, The Markato
https://www.photoawards.com/winner/zoom.php?eid=8-222166-21
Street photography, Under the spotlight
https://www.photoawards.com/winner/zoom.php?eid=8-223019-21
A few shots from The Notting Hill Carnival. The Jouvert, the Family day under a pouring rain, and the final parade day…
After a two years gap, we were back in Istanbul again for a week.
As always the town is warm and welcoming to visitors, and there is a lot to see beyond the traditional touristy locations.
These are few photos randomly taken during the trip, exploring the areas of Eminön, Balat and Fener.
Thanks to artist and photographer Timurtaş Onan for taking me around and showing little hidden gems.
His website www.timurtasonan.com/en/ and his art gallery in Istanbul at www.istanbul-fotografgalerisi.com/sanatci/
Thanks to the Grand Prix De Paris (PX3) for awarding me with an honorable mentions in the categories of Book Proposal (series Only) / People, for my body of work about art watchers.
Here is my work (click on each image to see the photos on the PX3 site)
For those who wish to see more material from this series, there is a gallery available on this website here.
Bosko Petrovic, called Bole – Piroćanac, was born in 1940, and has been working since the age of twelve. As many pottery masters in Serbia, he comes from Pirot, eastern Serbia.
A specific aspect of the Pirot’s school of pottery making is that the potter is positioned next to the wheel (on the right hand side), whilst in other schools across the world potters turn the wheel that sits between their legs.
Bole tells us that he finished the school for the crafts at 16, and took him 4 additional years of apprenticeship to become a master or ‘Majstor’.
In 1956, the business he was working for had to close following the introduction of very large taxes. As many other skilful pottery masters from Pirot, he continued to get contracts across former Yugoslavia and used to work from spring to autumn. In 1966 he opened his first own business in the outskirts of Belgrade, and he was advised to sell at the Kalenic market.
I asked Bole how he could still make pottery at his age. Forty years ago Bole began a daily program of one hour exercise before going to work, following a doctor’s advice. Bole is, indeed, full of energy and strength, and he still works about four hours in the workshop every day.
Bole’s son, Dejan, has taken the workshop over in 1985, and invested in development and research of material and ways of firing the pots.
Bole and Dejan welcomed us at their workshop. After taking the photos we were offered Turkish coffee in beautiful and well-kept house garden. I asked Dejan, father of two daughters, if he has any apprentices keen to learn the art. He reckons that, as it takes about ten years to become a master, it is more convenient for young generation to continue studying at university.
Photo of Bole on the right was taken about 32 years ago.
The family business sells at the Kalenic market, in Belgrade.
Their website at http://www.grncar.rs/
The ‘Art of Spectating’ exhibition is open from the 8th to the 20th of May 2017 at the Bartcelona Art Gallery, in Belgrade, Serbia.
Text by Jacqueline Stojanović
“The much-pondered notion of whether life imitates art or art imitates life is manifested in Francesco Marchetti’s photography series The Art of Spectating. Undertaken at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, it presents the intimate moments of contemplation and at times uncanny physical relationship shared between the spectator and the spectacle within a gallery context. Described by the artist as an extension of street photography each shot is candid and represents the ordinary people, with no interaction made between the artist and his subjects. In the latter’s regard the images differ from traditional street portraits in which communication plays a key role in abstracting a captivating photograph, instead within the historical museum the observer plays a voyeuristic role in voyeurism itself, blurring the line between the audience and the artwork while creating something entirely new in the process.
The photographs reflect the passage of time between the creations of the master’s artwork displayed in the museum to the present day, where we see contemporary art viewers pondering the same subjects centuries later and at times imitating the masterpieces themselves. This mimicking of their bodies presents a visual linkage that continues to propel this project, posing the questions of mere coincidence or perhaps a deeper subconscious psychology that is adopted in the museum context. It makes one wonder again whether art imitates life or life imitates art.
In turning to the art viewers as his subjects Francesco subtly shifts a social hierarchy in viewing by bringing those on the sidelines, the viewers, to the forefront. The audience and their interactions within the gallery space become the focal point, and we as his audience are made further self conscious of our own position in viewing the artwork.”
Jacqueline Stojanović was born in Melbourne, Australia, where she studied Fine Art and graduated from Monash University and The Victorian College of The Arts. Currently based in Belgrade, Serbia, Jacqueline works on different personal and commissioned projects
Reviews:
Link to SerbianMonitor (www.serbianmonitor.com) in Italian
Link to SerbianMonitor (www.serbianmonitor.com) in English