Roadtrip 2011

Dogme 95 @ Brandts

During our weekend excursion to Western Denmark, the roadtrip took a pit stop at Brandts, a large art museum in Odense. After touring the installations (see John’s post), we enjoyed a three-hour workshop with Lise Kapper, the Brandt’s media and photography workshop coordinator. The group drew inspiration from the Dogme 95 school, a small collective of Danish filmmakers strongly devoted to low budgets and aesthetic rules. With their working philosophy and our cameras, we undertook a short photo-montage exercise.

We had ninety minutes to shoot five images that documented a motif from different perspectives. In groups of three, we conceived the project, shot images, and tuned up in photoshop before editing and exporting for a final presentation. Each team took surprisingly different approaches, some emphasizing thematic restrictions, others stressing graphic and formal restraints. Whether you’re a photographer or filmmaker, we learned the value of producing a work within strict time limitations. A group critique rounded out the afternoon, giving CAMSers another opportunity to share work with industry professionals. 

- Josiah Burns

Rudolph Schwarzkogler & Thomas Florschuetz

The Roadtrip is off on a three-day excursion to Odense, Skanderborg and Arhus, Denmark, where we will visit a variety of museum exhibitions, photographers, and have some fun, too.

Brandts, the art and media museum in Odense we had a curator-guided tour of two photo exhibitions. The first was a series of pictures of (rather than by) Rudolf Schwarzkogler, a member of a group of artists in the 60's known as the Vienna Actionists. "Actions" designated what we typically think of as Happenings in the United states. Part of a reaction against the commodification of art in the 60's and 70's, many artists moved toward dematerialized conceptual performances and away from producing things...for sale. Schwarzkogler's Vienese variant was rather more violent and visceral, and the pictures exhibited here were of private performances  undertook for friends, and the camera, in his apartment. The pictures themselves are documents of artistic acts rather than artworks in their own right.

We also were taken through a large of show of large photographs (5' x 5' and larger) by the Berlin photographer Thomas Florschuetz. To generalize, his images are abstractions, frequently from architectural elements. He's not a documentarian; rather looks to pull abstract form from concrete architectural spaces. Frequently his images are diptychs or triptychs in which the camera is realligned only slightly within the scene, producing not a "stitched" panorama, but rather an oddly, and attractively, formalistic meditation of architectural spaces. Although superficially like photographers form the Düsseldorf school, Florschuetz is rather more emotional in his imagery, a formalist rather than a visual notator of mute facts, and a unembarrassed colorist.

- John Schott

Anders Clausen

Born Again Christians. Vacuum Salesmen. Refugees.

If you're still trying to connect the three, I'll save you some time. All are subjects that Danish photojournalist Anders Clausen has covered.

In presenting some of his work to us, Clausen shied away from speaking at us and instead engaged in a conversation with us. We were able to discuss what the selected photos meant to us and how we interpreted them, a rare discussion when the photographer himself is present. 

"Intention" seemed to be the word of the day. Photography is, after all, about intention. It is hard (if not impossible) to approach a subject without some sort of agenda. That, however, is exactly what Anders Clausen addressed. While you may be following a certain agenda and intending to show your subject in a certain light, most everyone else will interpret your work in a completely different way. This was apparent in our discussion of what various photos conveyed to us. To one person, an image of a man trapped in a locker was silly and lighthearted. To another, it conveyed the claustrophobia the man felt. To yet another, it conveyed the futility of an attempt to escape.

Clausen was key to point out that there is not necessarily a correlation between your intentions and the photos you're presenting. We tend to take photographs as reality, which as a photographer can be an intimidating and powerful role to fill. As Clausen pointed out, the crucial thing to recognize is that in interpreting images you "don't need to be right or wrong. Just enjoy where the image takes you." 

Anders Clausen is a Danish documentary photographer and professor of photojournalism at DIS in Copenhagen. To view examples of his work, please visit his website.

 - Linnea Bullion

Ditte Haarlov-Johnsen

We have been lucky to host a diverse and inspiring group of lecturers/guests during our travels. This past week, Danish filmmaker and photographer Ditte Haarløv-Johnsen talked with the class about her own experience as an artist-- her education, creative endeavors and unique approach to nonfiction work. Born in Copenhagen but raised in Mozambique, Ditte’s pieces empathize with the role of being an outsider. Her projects have included photo essays and documentaries— amongst others, a look into the lives of teenage mothers at a women’s shelter, a nonfiction piece on a group of gay men living in Mozambique, and a documentary film “Homeless,” which follows Greenland immigrants living in the streets of Copenhagen.

The devotion that Ditte brings to her work is striking—her projects are completely experientially and emotionally immersive, and in a way serve as records of her own life. Ditte recounted her first encounters with the people who would become her artistic muses, befriending intriguing characters on the street that would later be both close friends and the subjects of her work.

“One day walking home from the school I met Ingracia and Antonieta. They stood out from the crowd      as they strolled down the streets of Maputo, hips swaying. They were openly gay and for Maputo this was truly outrageous. I approached them and we spent an afternoon together. Gradually they allowed me to get a glimpse into their lives… I photographed the Sisters and got the feeling of a story that was so much deeper than what a few pictures could convey.”                                                                                                                           

And yet to the casual viewer the pieces are incredibly honest, with an integrity and authenticity that can only come from intimacy. In the film “One Day” (which was screened during the talk) Ditte was able to convey the strain of life as a prostitute in Copenhagen while respecting the privacy of her subject through a collage of reflections and close ups. The project was only made possible through Ditte’s persistence and stubborn will to tell the story, and was a product of both friendship and countless days spent convincing her subject that the risk was worth it.

Above all the visit was a reminder of what should be at the heart of nonfiction work. While film and photography can be misleading when taken as representations of ‘reality’, Ditte’s work shows that real truth can be crafted respectfully and artistically. Her pieces reflect a loyalty to the story and those involved, but also serve as beautiful works of art in themselves.

To learn more about Ditte and her work click here.

- Chisa Hughes

Moussa Diallo Concert

On May 23^rd guest musician Moussa Diallo performed some songs from both his new and old albums. Moussa Diallo is an African bass player, singer, composer, storyteller, and has in recent years begun writing children’s books.

During his performances, he introduced his two band members and some of the musical instruments used in his songs. One particular instrument, the cora, has a high pitch sound which added to the rhythm of our step as we all energetically danced to the music.

Moussa Diallo is releasing his latest album soon and is also currently working with children, especially in Africa, to help him with his second children’s book which will also be available soon.

moussa diallo in copenhagen from Josiah Burns on Vimeo.

For more information on Moussa Diallo and his music, click here.  -- Lucy Quagraine

Freetown Christiania

Photos by Geoff Myers

One day after arriving in Copenhagen, we journeyed to Christiania where we received a fascinating walk-around tour guided by a native Christianian.

Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania (Danish: Fristaden Christiania) was a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares (85 acres) in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen. Civic authorities in Copenhagen regard Christiania as a large commune, but the area has a unique status in that it is regulated by a special law, the Christiania Law of 1989 which transfers parts of the supervision of the area from the municipality of Copenhagen to the state. It was closed by residents in April 2011, whilst discussions continue with the Danish government as to its future, but is now open again.^[2]

Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971. Its cannabis trade was tolerated by authorities until 2004. Since then, measures for normalising the legal status of the community have led to conflicts, and negotiations are ongoing.

Among many Christiania residents, the community is known as staden ('the town'), short for fristaden ('the freetown').

– Wikipedia