On Location: INDIA 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela! Day 3
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India 1/2013 #5: Maha Kumbh Mela – Images by Art Wolfe
I wish you could hear the sounds and smell the atmosphere.
On Location: INDIA 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela! Day 2
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India 1/2013 #4: Maha Kumbh Mela – Images by Art Wolfe
Sadhus, celebrations and festival life along the Ganges.
Johsel Namkung A Retrospective
The public is invited to a reception to celebrate the release of Johsel Namkung / A Retrospective, the latest publication from Cosgrove Editions. If you love nature, this is a must see book!
When: Saturday, May 26th from 3 – 6 PM
Where: Walker Ames Room, Kane Hall,2nd Floor,UW Campus
Admission: Complimentary
Johsel Namkung has long been considered a Master of Landscape Photography. His entire exhibition at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in 2006 is now part of SAM’s permanent collection. At 93 years of age, this book represents the culmination of Johsel’s life in photography.
Johsel Namkung / A Retrospective, includes 100 of Johsels best photographs, a third of which have never been exhibited. Published by Cosgrove Editions, the book comes in a standard hard cover edition plus two special editions: a Slipcase Edition of 250 signed and numbered copies, and a Deluxe Clamshell Box Edition of 100 signed and numbered copies that also includes a CD of vocal performances by Johsel, plus a 16 x 20 inch archival pigment print chosen from any photograph in the book.
The book is beautifully bound with Chinese Silk fabric, and printed with ultra high resolution technology as befits Johsel’s extremely detailed images. This oversize monograph is 13.5 inches high x 17.0 inches wide. It contains a Foreword by Art Wolfe, wildlife and nature photographer extraordinaire, a Foreword by Elizabeth Brown, former chief curator at the Henry Art Gallery, plus a portrait of Johsel by Northwest iconic photographer Mary Randlett.
Note that parking in the underground garage off of 15thAve N.E. at NE 41st Street is free on Saturday afternoon.
While not required, an RSVP would be most appreciated to dick@cosgroveweb.com.
On Location: Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection
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BLOG: Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection – Images by Art Wolfe
I was out scouting a location for a future photo shoot when I found myself about to drive past the Weyerhaeuser corporate headquarters building here in Washington state. With some time to spare I pulled off and visited their beautiful bonsai gardens where they have 60 unique specimens from 6 different Pacific Rim nations, some were started as long ago as the 1950s.
When I’m out in the field I’m often drawn to compositions of graphic lines and form. You can find beauty in the patterns of nature just about anywhere you go, you just need to be open to seeing them. Bonsai is a collaboration between man and nature that celebrates this beauty. It is up to the individual artist’s imagination to shape the plants through very selective pruning, removing key limbs, creating a balance to the composition, even shaping the limbs directly either with copper wire or by suspending stones from the branches to weigh them down. Over time the plant will adopt this new shape even as the wire and stones are removed.
In this age that has so much slick art dominating the culture it’s nice to see imperfections. The bonsai is a living plant, it will never be absolutely perfect and it is forever growing and slowly changing. This is a very slow, methodical and thoughtful art form. I find peace and a feeling of zen when I have time to just sit back and admire these beautiful works of art. I was drawn in by all of them, whether the great redwood in miniature or the wabi sabi out of balance nature of the one that looked as if it was growing out of the discards from a giant egg. Serendipity played a hand in the timing of my visit as many of the deciduous varieties had yet to fully leaf out allowing the intricate design of their branches to be seen with just a hint of the color yet to come. It will come as no surprise that I have many bonsai trees in my own landscape.
What was intended as merely a scouting mission, I didn’t even have any formal camera gear with me, resulted in a wonderful opportunity to soak in some art and nature and fill my soul. A wonderful day for me is not always about the perfect light and equipment, the images shared here were simply shot on my iPhone. It was a great way to spend the morning, I highly recommend it.
For details on the Weyehaeuser bonsai gardens click here:
http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/Company/Bonsai
Earth Day 2012 Mobilize the Earth!
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BLOG: Earth Day, April 22, 2012 – Images by Art Wolfe
- Plant a garden at home or school
- Eliminate use of pesticides and toxic cleaning products
- Eat more local food
- Pick up trash
- Always use reusable bags when shopping
Pledge your Act of Green at
http://www.earthday.org/2012
And if you like baseball & live in Seattle, Forterra (formerly the Cascade Land Conservancy) and the Mariners are teaming up.
For every ticket purchased through mariners.com/forterra, the Mariners will plant a tree and donate $2 to Forterra!
http://www.forterra.org/get_involved/knock_one_out_of_the_park_for_nature
2011 Year in Review
What an incredible year it was! I got to meet so many very nice people all over the world. I also turned 60 and became an orphan this year.
Thank you all for participating with me in workshops, tours, classes and in the studio. We all learned so much from each other.
Thanks also to my incredible staff and fellow associate instructors for supporting me and helping me be prepared for the multitude of places and events I touched.
Before we launch into the next year with a full head of steam, enjoy a brief backward glance of some of the places I traveled to this year teaching workshops and classes. I find this is a great way to catch my breath before diving in again. Forgive me if I didn’t mention your spot, even though I was really there.
India
Japan
China
Olympic Peninsula
Canadian Rockies
Eastern Oregon
Seattle
San Francisco
Vancouver
Iceland
Alaska
Canadian Rockies
Palouse, WA
South Africa
Botswana
Ethiopia
Namibia
Montreal
New York City
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Onward into 2012 we go!
Why Dogs Make Us Human
Art has some fun, and as you will see, explains why Dogs Make Us Human.
Philip Hyde: Messages from the Wilderness
Philip Hyde from Lumière on Vimeo.
Philip Hyde has shown what can be done via photography to shed light and awareness on our precious natural resources.
Celebrate his life and look for his show now on view at the Lumiere Gallery in Atlanta. Watch the video to get a glimpse of his message.
I regularly support conservation and environmental awareness issues through the medium of photography. We all need to get the word or image out to the public in order to influence change and/or preservation. This is the right kind of propaganda.
>>CLICK HERE to get more information about the show.
Happy Halloween!!
Trick or Treat from all of us at Art Wolfe! Have a Happy Halloween!
Wangari Maathai 1940-2011
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BLOG: Pelly Place – EEAW Award – Images by Art Wolfe
The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace,” Wangari Maathai passed away on Sunday.
Her Green Belt Movement founded in 1977 has planted more than 30 million and helped nearly 900,000 women gain jobs.
With Green Seattle Partnership she helped plant trees and inspired everyone around her during her visit to Washington in 2009.
