Photos featured in this blog are from his 'Ashes & Snow' series.
Gregory Colbert is a Canadian photographer/filmmaker. He is best known for his 'Ashes and Snow' exhibition. He began his career in the early 80's in Paris, France. His first exhibition, Timewaves, was opened in the early 90's with wide critical acclaim. After that exhibition took off, he spent the next ten years traveling and photographing the interaction between humans and animals.
His work is often presented as an exhibition because of the variety of his work. Although he does photograph many of his subjects, he also films him. Some of his most popular pieces are actually single frames from artistic videos he has made. Along with the presentation of videos and photos during his exhibitions, he completely creates the space they are presented in. Ashes and Snow was presented with "floating" walkways surrounded by water. His images suspend over the water so the viewer has a closer connected to nature while they are viewing his work.
I am drawn to his work because of the relationship between humans and nature that he shares so beautifully. I originally found him because of his Ashes and Snow series and completely fell in love. The variety of his work also drew me further into his work. His underwater images are photographed just a beautifully as his desert images. I love to look at the images in his collections that came from videos before viewing the videos. Both, although from the same source, provide you with a completely different experience. He is easily one of my favorite photographers.
A variety of films for his 'Ashes & Snow' series are available at this link. https://gregorycolbert.com/ashes-and-snow-films.php
I find this so coincidental you posted this photographer! Long story short I could not sleep last night after seeing this really disturbing video of how circus animals were horrible treated in the business. I felt so horribly disturbed that humans are really such vile beings. It is so nice to see such a more beautiful side to the loving and less violent side of human and animal connections. Such beautiful portraits and his use of simple composition speaks volumes. I adore the pictures with the elephants. Such beautiful strong creatures.
ReplyDeleteI also find it interesting that he takes still from his videos and makes photographs! Such a creative idea. Stopping the story as its happening and freezing on a moment in time.
Might actually be more effective then just taking 300 of pictures in a row haha!
I find this so coincidental you posted this photographer! Long story short I could not sleep last night after seeing this really disturbing video of how circus animals were horrible treated in the business. I felt so horribly disturbed that humans are really such vile beings. It is so nice to see such a more beautiful side to the loving and less violent side of human and animal connections. Such beautiful portraits and his use of simple composition speaks volumes. I adore the pictures with the elephants. Such beautiful strong creatures.
ReplyDeleteI also find it interesting that he takes still from his videos and makes photographs! Such a creative idea. Stopping the story as its happening and freezing on a moment in time.
Might actually be more effective then just taking 300 of pictures in a row haha!
Wow. I love that this photographer chose not to use animals simply as accessories to beautiful women or to glamorize people, but rather used people to help bring attention to the animals. His contrast between sharp and soft focus is especially effective as well as extraordinarily beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThere is a lovely symbiotic relationship between the subjects of these pieces that we can hope to aspire to replicate in the everyday. Like Anna said, normally the narrative of humanity's affect on wildlife is less than storybook.
ReplyDelete