Meaning and Space
To See With Fresh Eyes
Mir-I-Arab-Madrasa, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, 2019
It’s not often you have the chance to travel and revisit a place, to re-evaluate your experience. There are places that have deep meaning for us - walks close to home, a river we regular visit, our favourite beach or bay, the quiet sunny spot in the nearby park. These spaces feel comfortable, familiar, with a sense of nostalgia, and in some circumstances we develop a deep connection to these places.
This weekend I’ll be revisiting the beautiful city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan. It’ll be spring - with flowers in bloom, and sidewalk cafes, parks and bazaar’s buzzing with community. Call to prayer and traditional music will emanate and become the soundtrack to my daily walks, as I learn and explore more of this unique city.
I’m grateful to the assignment that has allowed me this second visit, and to feeling my way though this return trip. I hope to share more with you soon. x
The Awá
My recent work in Brazil with the Indigenous Awá, continues to reveal many quiet and emotive images from this peaceful riverside community, who unfortunately also live with numerous threats to their ancestral way of life, as not too distant sounds emanate every 20 minutes from the Carajás railway. A 500 mile long line of track carrying extractive minerals from the worlds largest iron ore mine - the Mina de Carajás. The iron ore dust is carried and can be visible in the wind - settling in rivers, the forest, and being inhaled by nearby communities. The railway also ends up inviting other unwelcome infrastructure, industry, and land invaders at the same time.
This body of work seeks to share the Awá’s story against this backdrop of threats and invasion into their forest territory.
Currently I’m working through a short analogue film as well as contextualising this collaborative project I created alongside Indigenous photographer Genilson Guajajara. We hope to share more with you soon.
Meanwhile the charity If Not Us Then Who has created a landing page for this and other related work as we build towards an exhibition at London Climate Action Week, in June this year.
That’s it from me for now. Thanks for your support. Until next time, here’s hoping you find time to sit and enjoy spring - along the bend of a meandering river, or at a quiet secluded bay along the coast some place. Life is precious and beautiful, make sure you enjoy yourself.
Speak soon, Joel