CThru.com Presents Tony Ward

True Love

Posted by Alex Remnick

The series is called “Mike and Kate” and it depicts an actual couple, who have been dating for over a year now. While shooting, I worked with the following guidelines in mind.

•Neglect the inclination to overly display or emphasize the presence of nudity
•Attempt to realistically and objectively depict the dynamic of a relationship outside of the public eye
•Draw symbolism from the seemingly un-symbolic space in which the shoot took place
Nothing in this shoot was set up, except for the fact that Mike was nude. I left for a few minutes to get more film, and when I got back, Mike was playing his guitar. Kate removed her bathrobe in the last few images because she thought she looked silly in her bathrobe.

Mike And Kate

These images are about true love, and what that term really means. Not true love in the fairy tale sense of the word where a poor young orphan meets a prince and they live happily ever after, but rather, what love truly means. Mike and Kate have definitely had their share of fights, but they can always count on being able to come back to these moments. They can always hang out half-clothed on a Sunday afternoon, do nothing, and be happy just to be together.

…….Alex Remnick is studying photography at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ed Simmons

Posted by Ed Simmons

The costs of War, always exceeds whatever may be gained by way of the Spoils of War. It is pointless, unless the true motivation is to thin the herd. A lot of wealth to be made in the manufacturing of weapons. War can become an addiction. These weapons dealers step right up, just like any dealer, of any commodity steps up, when he senses a hunger for his product. The world would do much better if it were at peace, we all know the devastation that would come from a nuclear bomb, this thought is so frighting. It keeps us from thinking about the devastation brought upon the Earth by conventional weapons daily. Every bomb, every jet or helicopter that crashes, every artillery shell, leaves a scar. We know that our Earth, at this time in history, is having a little trouble keeping up and cleaning up all our messes. Wouldn’t you think, we could give her a break?

Man is the only species on the planet, that entertains itself, by destroying all that is around him. I read once, the meaning of life, was to make shade where it will benefit others. Maybe we should start making some shade. There have been a lot of wars in my lifetime. The only one we ever had a chance of winning, was the War on Poverty. We had that enemy on the run in this country, even around the world. I can remember when it changed, the idea of letting the rich get richer, that the fix would trickle down, and raise the poor out of their despair. To have meaningful agreements, first, we have to find all that is common, with blinders on. We have to navigate through all that is uncommon. It is not local or national , truly it is global. Minus a couple of nuts, I don’t think there is a man or woman on this planet who wants to see it destroyed.

Why not set a date in the future, say 10 or 20 years out, where a world treaty could be signed, declaring a moratorium on inflicting any damage to the earth. I don’t think we wait for 10 years to end the wars, its all a waste, there’s never nothing left. We could use all that money, working for solutions for a future.

I remember Kennedy putting the challenge of Space Exploration before the people. The Moon seemed, at the time, just out of reach. I know a guy that talks of his time, under a console at Johnson, with a slide rule in hand, figuring it out, as they went along. We got so much more from these efforts, than just the landing on the Moon. Our lives today, for better or worse, are what they are today, because of all this. The problems we would encounter, setting up a colony on the Moon, are all the problems we face today on this planet. The science we would gain without question would justify the costs. This science is priceless. If I were to talk about grabbing the Brass Ring, many young people wouldn’t have a clue, to what I was talking about. On the Merry Go Rounds, as I was growing up, an arm, stacked with Brass Rings would drop. As you went around, you would reach out, trying to grab the ring. You didn’t turn your rings in at the end of the ride for a prize, grabbing the ring was the prize. You didn’t keep it, you gave back.

It may sound to simple, but we as people, are at our best, grabbing for the brass ring. World war II, the War to End All War, the Moon Landing, the Special Olympics, the War on Poverty, all things I see as grabbing the brass ring. Our Planet spins, like the Merry Go Round spins, the arm is down, the rings are there. When are people going to forget about all the arcade games, the cupie dolls, whack a mole, ping pong balls in a fish bowl, and reach for the brass rings again.

Portrait Of Yoko, New Years Eve, 2009

Posted by Yoko Grosshans

……..Ever since I was three years old, my parents’ traveled a lot. From that early age I had a golden opportunity to visit places all around the world. My father’s job as an environmental chemical engineer, required extensive travel and not wanting to miss time spent with his children and wife, he chose to bring us along on many occasions. Mom and dad instilled in me a passion for having an open mind to new and different cultures which eventually led to my yearning to become a photojournalist.

Traveler

In my early teens, dad introduced me to photography which taught me the importance of developing both verbal and visual communications. Those early influences got me interested in studying photography and communications in college at Temple University and Tyler School of Art. I remember the very first photographic opportunity, when I traveled throughout Southeast Asia for a year with camera in hand like it was yesterday. I spent four months in India where I had the pleasure of studying with the gracious, tender and loving Dalai Lama for an extended period.

Yoko's Lingerie By Victoria's Secret

Richard Gere happened to be visiting his holiness at the same time, which made the experience additionally memorable. I would have to write a book to express all the other experiences I treasured while visiting the ancient country of India. The 4 months I spent in Nepal were also incredibly memorable. To live on a mountaintop and wake up every morning surrounded by the Himalayas is indescribable.

Yoko's Makeup Ashley Bohl For Mac

The time I spent in Thailand was beautifully crazy, if that makes any sense. In Bangkok, The Red Light District brought me a sense of sadness, but the full moon parties were a blast. I enjoyed the islands which were so calm and serene and where I also learned to scuba dive was a cherished moment . How does one sum up year’s worth of experience? Perhaps there will be more stories to tell…..

Medical Clinic, Haiti, 1987 . Photo By John Grant

Posted By John Grant

…….I was there in 1987 visiting a doctor friend who worked in a clinic in the middle of the island and made two-hour treks to tiny villages up in the mountains three days a week. One thing I will never forget is watching a man who worked in the clinic use a pair of common pliers to extract a tooth from the jaw of a 30-year-old peasant woman. He was having a hard time wriggling the thing out, and she was suffering immensely. But she did not let out even a peep! It gives me the chills just recalling the scene.

The 23-year-old memory of that woman’s stoicism actually inspired me six months ago to extract a painful, loose tooth of my own. In my case, it was considerably easier, and I saved a $100 dental bill. As comfortable Americans, we should purge ourselves of any sense of superiority vis-a-vis Haiti and learn to respect and honor Haitians for the suffering they have endured — and are enduring at this moment.  In that spirit, we should extend our hand.

If nothing else, the earthquake disaster should wake Americans up to what an amazing place Haiti really is — absolutely unique in the Western Hemisphere, an island liberated by Africans brought to this hemisphere in chains as slaves. While poverty and horror are the usual images that pop into Americans’ minds when they hear the word “Haiti,” the real story is much more complicated and full to the brim with stoicism, art and music. And, folks, if we get all superior and see voodoo as third-rate theatrics and nonsense, it’s no different than all religions — it’s people trying to make sense out of darkness and death. The fact is, we could learn a lot from Haiti.  

Kalina Isato: Spiders

….The studio is pleased to announce that Kalina Isato, a photography student at the University of Pennsylvania who was featured in an earlier blog, participated in a Undergraduate Juried exhibition and won a Jurors Choice award for this series of images. We congratulate your achievement Kalina……..

Graffiti Girl By Catherine Keszei

Posted by Catherine Keszei

Here were my thoughts about this piece:

A mixed media fusion between classical illustration and elemental graphical visual echos, this piece acts as an on-the-spot commentary for a world where fashion and beauty is, in itself, a class of visual graffiti.

…….to learn more about Catherine Keszei’s work log on to www.catherinekeszei.com…….

Mashed Up

Posted by Chantal van Duppen

……We started Mashed Up simply because we love to create worlds and bring stories to life. Life would be too boring if we did not have the chance to paint the colors more intense and bright. We are currently teaming up with a photographer, make up artist and an editor to realize our upcoming projects. We see ourselves as story tellers that direct photo shoots. Our ultimate goal is to be art directors for advertising, fashion, lifestyle and music clients. We also have our own view on life that we want to bring forward in our free work.

An image tells an unfinished story. It is up to the viewer to ask himself, what has happened and how the story finishes, because in the end the image will always belong to the viewer, and truth lies within the experience of it. We say that “we design the experience”, and “everyone has their own experience, we design yours”.

Photos by Eric Soenens

In life, we are inspired by contradictions, history, the human ego, sex, violence, instincts, urges and spirituality. In our free work we find the human flaws the most interesting and beautiful subjects to investigate. Faces, attitudes, and postures make us wonder what is hidden beyond the surface. We believe in a system of life which connects people and events tp each other. As different forms of art can be connected to each other, we came up with the name, Mashed Up, which is derived from the term “mash up” (song or composition created by blending two or more songs by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another).

Duo

As a duo, our interests and backgrounds are interrelated. While Iris has a passion for poetry, narrative literature and dance, Chantal loves photography, film, art and graphic design. This combination makes us work well together. Furthermore, having a commercial background in marketing we have both learned to merge into a business driven environment as well.

Iris And Chantal

www.MashedUp.nl

…..to be continued….

Elizabeth Cunningham

…..In an ongoing effort to support student art, it is with great pleasure that the studio introduces you to the photographs of Elizabeth Cunningham. Elizabeth is studying photography at the University of Pennsylvania.

Series: The Misrepresentation of Identity
While trying to find the common thread running through my work, my initial thought was that it is an exercise in finding the beauty in the grotesque. While this is partially true, I think my unconscious intentions went further than that, to instead question the idea of identity and misrepresentation. How much does the body play a part in the two?

We live in a society where we are perpetually focused on our bodies and how they define us. It is impossible to avoid exposure to the advertising industry that exists to reminds us our skin is the most important tool in representing ourselves to others. But what if our bodies actually said nothing about who we are? What if that false connection between body and identity was broken?

In my work I explore how one can manipulate and distort the structural elements of our bodies to create grotesque figures that can still be profoundly beautiful. Piecing together new forms, these bodies say nothing about one’s identity.

I decided to focus on images to the extreme end of the spectrum of identity: the hyper-sexualized images of the pornography industry. These subjects are defined by their attempt to be seen as single-faceted, sexual beings, ritualistically obsessed with what their bodies can do. Viewers remain in a state of suspended belief, choosing to think of these men and women as the sex objects their actions are hinting at, rather than a unique person with a complex person. A belief that this is not a job for them, this is who they are.  I removed the figures from their erotic context, and intentionally distorted them. These new disturbing and grotesque figures would be unlikely to be found in the pornographic world, and yet I ultimately wanted to create images that were still undeniably beautiful. Most importantly, these images emphasize that once again, the body is a shell; a beautiful and complex one that can be distorted and changed to represent a multitude of things, but one that says almost nothing of what is held inside.

Elizabeth

Collection Of Amedeo M. Turello

……It is with great pleasure that the studio brings you this special announcement…….TW

MIRRORS OF THE MAGIC MUSE
The most beautiful images of women from the collection of Amedeo M.Turello

The Direction des Affaires Culturelles of the Principality of Monaco in collaboration with Amedeo M.Turello, is proud to present Mirrors of the Magic Muse, an exhibition of major photographic works documenting the beauty of women as seen through the “mirror” of works by major photographers, from 5-28th February, 2010 at the Salle Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco.

Mirrors of the Magic Muse is a rare and remarkable collection for various reasons. Firstly, for the sheer number of images (1,500) that are inventoried and archived. Secondly the theme of the exhibition does not only collect images of the generic female universe but represents one man’s very personal vision. Photographer himself, Amedeo M.Turello has assembled his collection in a global and complementary manner. Through passion but primarily through a rational and methodical approach, we find works by great Masters and young photographers alike, all with the same vision in mind: the classic beauty of the eternal muse. The collection has evolved to represent his individual journey through the language and expression of the female form, via her esthetical and narrative power, from her traditional and iconic role in last century’s society to today, making it a personal journey into the sensibility and personality of it’s author.

As we travel through 300 unique and powerful images presented here in Monaco, we are taken on a journey of the beauty and importance of women in photography, from the stammerings of the early 20th century to today. Beginning with the controversial Pictorialists, where representation of the photographic media was still not yet perceived as a proper art, the comprehensive collection of photoworks evolves at an astonishing rate through the 20th century, spanning right up to the social transgression of women in contemporary fashion photography today. Images of strong women, women standing up for themselves, women who radiate dignity hang eloquently beside each other, each frame a history in itself, incarnating the true meaning and of the beauty of femininity, at times contradictory even to their own personality.
Just as striking is the careful attention that is devoted to the work of female photographers, whose work sums up what it is to be a woman.

“This collection is born to be shown; it’s eclecticism and comprehensive technical ease are ideal for the larger public. The simple fact being that each acquisition was made with the meticulous intention to complete a particular mood or a chronological period”.

- Amedeo M.Turello
Over fifteen years of meticulous research in collaboration with (renowned critic and photo expert) Giuliana Scimé have enabled the acquisition of major historical works, which have created this collection of key pieces, curated semi-chronological, semi-visual order. Celebrated vintage photoworks, household contemporary works and lesser-known photographers, are all presented with exceptional elegance and lucid understanding.

With the ethos being to maintain the global vision of classic beauty, yet to update it with an avant-garde twist, the images are all presented in scrupulous sequence that relate the social documentation of the subjects to their environment and hence to one another. Strong, soulful portraits liaise with classic nudes in order to create a global vision of eclectic harmony.

Included in the artists in the primary section are: Alice Boughton, Gertrude Käsebier, Man Ray, George H. Seeley, Edward J. Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz who open the exhibition, followed closely by an impressive series of iconic images as: Colette by André Kertez, Lella by Edouard Boubat, Mademoiselle Anita by Robert Doisneau, Madame Bijoux au Bar de la Lune by Brassaï, Solange by Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Srinagar Kashmir by Henri Cartier-Bresson and other major pieces by authors such as Cecil Beaton, Hans Bellmer, Herbert List, Horst P.Horst, Carlo Mollino and Josef Sudek. Continuing with widely known artists such as, David Bailey, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Duane Michals, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Jan Saudek and their iconic images, we are subtly led into a different register, with works by Ruth Bernhard, Manuel and Lola Alvarez Bravo, Peter Lindburgh, Nickolas Murray, Cindy Sherman and Jeanloup Sieff, which in turn take you seamlessly to the vibrant selection of large scale contemporary works that includes cutting edge talent such as: Bob Carlos Clarke, Philip Dixon, Michel Comte, Terence Donovan, Sante D’Orazio, Franco Fontana, Lauren Greenfield, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Thomas Rusch, Veronique Vial and Tony Ward. Finally, promising professional young talent is generously given a platform where their images have an impressive impact on their audience for their captivating and aggressive approach. Included here are the works of Curtis Eberhardt, David Drebin, Laurent Elie Badessi, Perry Gallagher, Amber Gray, Ishi, Ryan Michael Kelly, Gray Scott, Bell Soto, Laurie Lee Stark and Richard Warren.

TW: Turello Collection, Monaco

Mirrors of the Magic Muse is not only a journey through the key images of the evolution of photography but aids us to understand the aesthetic amalgamation and the soul of eternal beauty, a constant source of inspiration for artists. Historical representations with their timeless expressions shown together with young photographers are all presented with an exceptional elegance and lucidity. First exhibited at the St Moritz Art Masters in 2008, Amedeo M.Turello’s collection is an extension of this passionate and obsessive amateur and intends to refine the profile of the eternal muse and to expose her lines of force… and does so in homage to photography and women from a man that loves them both.
THE COLLECTOR

The present owner of the collection is photographer Amedeo M. Turello. Graduating in Architecture from the “Politecnico di Torino”, he also obtained an MA from the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has dedicated himself to the fashion photography arena since 1999, documenting contemporary trends for prominent fashion magazines and designers. He has portrayed the individual character of a wide range of celebrities from the worlds of art, culture and couture, becoming an established name in the creative industry and a deep connoisseur of fine art photography. He is based in Monte-Carlo and works primarily between the Principality, New York, Los Angeles and Milano. His work has appeared in numerous high fashion magazines including Elle, Numéro, Italian Vanity Fair, Vogue, W as well as Allure, Hello! UK and Hello! US.
He has recently published a best selling book 10 Years Celebrating Women, with Style Book.