An extremely gratifying part of being a photographer and printer for the last 30 years or so has been meeting some extremely talented artists from all parts of the world. North America has , and is producing much extraordinary work. So though have artists in England, France, Poland, Italy, China, Japan and just about every other country , even including Australia. I really don't think it is of value to name people here, for there would be so many that I would do an injustice to by their inevitable omission.
I will though, tell a very short story.
Whilst I was accompanying a group of students through Vietnam about ten years ago I met a professional photographer in a small coastal town. During the course of a number of conversations I asked him what he was doing during, what they call in Vietnam, "The American War".
"During the day", he said I fought the Americans. At night I was in my darkroom making my landscape prints and portraits to send to London for judging at The Royal Photographic Society."
He knew, and greatly admired, the work of all the leading American and European photographers.
It's a strange thing , this art of ours.
On another forum, one of the moderators who is also a frequent contributer of sound council, resides in a country of extreme violence. He said once that his involvement somhow relieved his precarious situation and offered avenues of hope for the future.
I would like to think that the practice of our common love for photography , the mastery of it's exposition and the conversations between us on forums such as this, might somehow contribute to a world with more talk , more understanding of our commonality and less conflict.
Cheers,
Brian
www.pharoseditions.com.au