From June 13-15, the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph returned to downtown Charlottesville. It featured various talks, workshops, and gallery exhibitions dedicated to the art of photography, along with a smattering of social events. We were lucky enough to receive some press passes to check it out--here's what we saw:
Part I, by Kristina Headrick
I attended the Look3 Festival on Friday, June 14. That afternoon, Charlottesville’s downtown mall was filled with visitors from all over the country. During the day I was able to attend an “Insight Artist Talk” by Michael Nichols. The acclaimed National Geographic photographer received a standing ovation merely for walking on stage. What ensued was a chat filled with witticisms and many exotic photos. Nichols responded to a slew of questions, often answering with wry humor. He described how he was born in the south, with no connections to speak of, and how, when he eventually landed in New York city, he left his cameras in a cab on his very first trip to the National Geographic offices. From these humble beginnings, he’s gone on to take some of the most iconic nature photographs of all time, and the Look3 announcer noted that it took them years to secure him as a speaker. The video reels of Nichols’s team drove home the fact that National Geographic photographers are full-on outdoorsmen. They climb trees, battle vicious jungle mosquitoes, and wade through unclear waters to catch shots of various rare animals. Though Nichols stressed that his initial inspiration to catch the best image was sparked by his “show-off” personality, his time in the wild has turned him into a staunch conservationist.
Gregory Crewdson
I also checked out some of the ongoing gallery exhibitions. Second Street Gallery exhibited photos by Gregory Crewdson that I found especially striking. The series, titled “Beneath the Roses,” catalogues banal scenes with a dark twist. One particular photo stood out to me. It depicts a woman sitting alone on her bed in what is clearly a dark mental state--note the pills on the side table.
The most easily encountered ongoing exhibition consisted of photographs capturing various birds-of-paradise. Exhibited in trees along the mall, these photographs are meant to promote environmentalism. Politically-charged themes seemed to pervade much of the work on display. Josef Koudelka's ongoing exhibit focused on his photographs of the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Prague. The juxtaposition of an historical event with more recent photography added depth to the festival’s offerings.
Josef Koudelka
I rounded out the night with a glass of wine at the “Shots and Works” projection at the Charlottesville Pavilion. We relaxed and watched a display featuring the works of multiple photographers, often set to music. Subjects included ants, prisoners, dumps, haunted homes, and a gender-neutral camp for young boys. While many of the themes explored were decidedly heavy, it made for a mind-mending cap to my evening. It was an awesome experience to see such a prestigious festival take place in Virginia. I felt humbled by the quality of the event itself, as well as the plentiful evocative artwork.
Gregory Crewdson
Part II, by R. Anthony Harris
I headed up to Charlottesville for the last day of the Look3 festival. I was stoked to be able to check out all the amazing work that was on their program. Gregory Crewdson's work definitely caught my eye. He stages narratives in his photography work. I really enjoyed reading his production notes that delivered a clear mood and concise background on his images. You can see from the work he produces that he has taken his artistic expression to a very involved level.
Martha Rosler
Martha Rosler is a feminist that works in photography, video, performance, sculpture, and installation to explore the public space and everyday landscapes--actual and virtual. I caught her talk at the Paramount Theater. She gave a quick overview of her career, which spanned several decades, from her response to the Vietnam War in the sixties (House Beautiful: Bringing The War Home) to her latest joint project, Theater Of Drones, which decries the use of drones by the United States government. Did you know that Charlottesville was the first city in the country to ban drone use? This was just one of the things I learned from Rosler's presentation.
Stephanie Berger
Further exploring Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, I happened to spot the movement-inspired exhibit of Stephanie Berger, Dancing In The Streets. I found it fitting to have her black and white imagery adorning a brick wall as people were flowing past. Meanwhile, storyteller Carrie Mae Weems created Lincoln, Lonnie and Me - A Story In 5 Parts. This 18-minute ghostly narrative, styled like 19th century theater, was set on a mock stage using projections and mirrors to bring her story to life. The ethereal actors remind us that history, racism, and gender roles are still being explored, rewritten, and defined.
Carrie Mae Weems
The Books In Progress exhibit hit close to home for me, since I love books. The process of making them was on full display, and it made me appreciate how much easier it has become to produce books in recent years. Full of production notes, photocopied images, and scribbled notes on overlays, the exhibit showed the complicated partnership between the publisher, creative director, and printer that had to exist to get a book made decades ago.
The last exhibit I checked out wasn't included in the official LOOK3 program. Nonetheless, I enjoyed its fun take on horror movies, which was displayed in a pop-up gallery in the Market Street Parking Garage. Slumber Party Massacre was the work of C'ville creative team Rich Tarbell and Brian Wimer, and after a day of serious social commentary and deep thinking, it was a relief for my mind.
Overall, the Look3 Festival was a great experience and one that spoke to the diversity that Charlottesville has achieved in its arts and culture. The mall was abuzz with so many good people that I couldn't help but enjoy myself. I can't wait to go back next year. And this guy was mad cool:
