Slow but Steady Progress

After what it seemed a long wait I got my camera back from the small repair needed and I was able this past weekend to process two more rolls from my personal project "Marina", from which I share some more pictures here. I hope I can keep bringing more to the table.

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Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

Spring?

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Untitled- Port Washington, Wisconsin

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Finally we are getting some sun rays, even if it is for a short time. Still, it was nice today to be able to see some blue in the sky, as the sun showed up after many days of rain, light snow, and cold weather.

Taking advantage of this welcomed pause, I made my way today after work to Port Washington to shoot some more pictures for my project "Marina", where I witnessed couple of nice things, especially as a sign of the spring finally arriving here.

On one hand, the Coast Guard arrived today at Port where they proceeded to take down for maintenance the red beacon that is always visible on top of Port's breakwater light. Despite I captured the whole thing on black & white, I took this one in color which I share here (above).

Also, I saw one of the first surfers (below) getting on the water waiting for the perfect wave. I do not think it was the best day for it, since the waves were not as helpful for it, but hey.... when the water calls, the water calls and I think now somehow I can say that spring is finally here. I hope.

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Untitled- Port Washington, Wisconsin

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

This picture is dedicated to my good friend Daniel back on Uruguay.

Happy Jumping.

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Untitled- Caen, France 2008

© Flavio Martín Morante_2008

This past weekend was a really nice one for which I am thankful to Lois Wirth and Patricia Gillman for having me as visiting artist at their gallery/studio Art Upstairs Gallery at the Marshall Building during this past Gallery Night & Day on Milwaukee.

I am thankful too to Dawn for her constant support and to all those friends and family that made time to stop by to visit showing their support.

Also, I am happy to say that 3 of my pieces went out this weekend, one photograph (the one above), and two paintings (La Barca II & Lake Effect) and for that I am grateful to the people that took them home with them.

Now, to keep working more.

Thanks again.

Keep Harvesting

Some more just fresh out of the tray.

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Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

More Bricks in the Walls

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Me at Art Upstairs Gallery, Marshall Building, Milwaukee-Wisconsin

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Today was a "full art errands day". I got everything hanged and set for Friday-Saturday's Gallery Night & Day on Milwaukee where as I mentioned before I will be present at Art Upstairs Gallery where my friend Lois Wirth has invited me to show my work on her studio/gallery, reason why I am totally grateful to her. 

On the other hand, I stopped at the Cedarburg Cultural Center today to drop some paperwork for an upcoming art festival, opportunity I took to take a look at the 66th Ozaukee County Art Show, where I do have a piece from my "Genovese Rhapsody" series hanging there (image below).

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Piece from the "Genovese Rhapsody" series at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Also, on my way there I did make a stop at the Arts Mill of Grafton where I did take a quick peep at the... "Peep Show" for which I had a piece juried into it and about which I posted before HERE.

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Piece "Wings of Desire" at the Peep Show on the Arts Mill of Grafton.

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

Good busy times!

Back to those "Decisive Moments"

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Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013
Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

I posted a little back ago about going back to make those type f pictures for which I did fall in love with photography almost two decades ago. Basically I went back to my first ever influence, Henri Cartier Bresson, a process that has taken some few years and a lot of learning in order to come back some how full circle. This time, I am pointing the lens at one of the places I do really enjoy anytime of the year, the Port Washington Marina or Harbor in Wisconsin, a place that I did set myself to portrait from every possible corner as much as I can in order to write what I will call "a visual love letter" to the place where Lake Michigan and the town of Port seem to really meet in many ways. So far I am giving the first steps but confident, not only because I have found the way I want to portrait this place (after trying with pinhole, digital color and even painting) but also because I am having a great time and it feels good in many ways.

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Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013
Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013
Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

(click on the image to enlarge)

Untitled from "Marina" (work in progress)

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013
Port Washington, Wisconsin

Camera_Voigtlander Bessa R3M/Heliar 50mm

Film_ Ilford HP5 Plus 400ISO

Paper_ Ilford Multi Grade RCIV Pearl

Reversing the nature for which I have not been able to make photographs this past week (because of the rain and the camera issues) I took advantage to process my 3 first rolls since I started this project and really happy with some of the results, from which I share the above examples here. More to come, stay tuned.

"She" (and some others)

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At the studio working on "She"

© Flavio Martín Morante_2013

It is my pleasure to share and invite you to visit Milwaukee this coming weekend during the annual event Gallery Night where thanks to the generosity of Lois Buley Wirth, a talented watercolor artist, I will be hanging some of my acrylic paintings (including "She" seen above) at her studio/gallery Art Upstairs Gallery in the lovely Marshall Building during the 2 days event.

Stop by this weekend to see some great art, while enjoying the spring that slowly starts to show up.

See you hopefully then.

Cheers!

Presence for the Senses.

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"Untitled" (Mont Saint-Michel) © Flavio Martín Morante_2008

This week Terrence Malick is releasing his new movie called "To the Wonder" which explores the subjects of love and faith. As most of Malick's movies I like (The Thin Red Line, The New World, Days of Heaven, etc) this one promises based on what I saw on the preview to be a feast for the eyes.

As it happens to be, the preview opens up with scenes that show Mont Saint-Michel in France, which according to what I read about the movie has something to do with the story. I will be seeing the movie soon to find out. In any case, to see the monastery on those images brought really good memories from the time Dawn and I spent there five years ago, reason why I pulled out of the box some pictures that like a nice bottle of wine do carry nice flavors when open after while.

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"Untitled" (Mont Saint-Michel) © Flavio Martín Morante_2008

Despite of not being a religious person I have to confess that the fortunate times I had the chance to visit the "Old World", churches, monasteries and cemeteries are some of the places that wake up my deepest fascination. In many of those cases it has to do with the beauty of it, in many others it has to do with the acknowledgment of the time in which these constructions were made, lacking any type of modern technology, or the simple fact of standing witnesses trough history of the best and worst times of humanity.

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"Untitled" (Mont Saint-Michel) © Flavio Martín Morante_2008

In the case of Mont Saint-Michel, many things captivate me from the first time we saw it with Dawn from the road we drove to it. First it was the first time I was seeing and eventually standing and walking on a man made structure/construction older than anything I have seen or stood before (counting Uruguayan and United States recent history) with an approximated count of 1300 years. It is hard to explain in words what do you feel when you walk on a place with that stamp on it. Each wall embraces you with a presence that hits your senses and your mind in a pleasant intoxicating way.

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"Untitled" (Mont Saint-Michel) © Flavio Martín Morante_2008

Added to all the architectural, cultural and historical fact about the abbey, the place has another particularity regarding its geographical location. Since it was constructed on what it is considered a tidal island it gets surrounded by water at different times during the day, something that sadly I was not able to see personally except for postcards that are sold on the many gifts shops that flood the little alleys that climb the monastery. Still, what I did see and found fascinating is the surreal landscape (and feeling) created by the lack of water, as you are able to walk around the area at your own caution, watching the tide sirens hoping they do not go off while you are walking in the middle of the sand as I did for a good period of time contemplating what in some moments it felt as if I was walking on another planet.

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"Untitled" (Mont Saint-Michel) Looking North-West

© Flavio Martín Morante_2008

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"Untitled" (Mont Saint-Michel) Looking South-East

© Flavio Martín Morante_2008

We Didn't Start the Fire...(?)

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"Untitled" (Colony, Alabama) © Flavio Martín Morante_2010

I guess everyone has hear the news, and as it seems that now we switched focus to what's going on or not on both Koreas I find extremely interesting how "the leaders of the free world are worried about this idiot pushing everybody's patience, when was the so-called free world that developed a while ago the technology that today is used by little second hand dictators to threat to do something they will not do and to give enough excuse to those leaders to keep putting money into things they should not be putting money into it.

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"Untitled" (MGM-5 Corporal Missile) © Flavio Martín Morante_2009

As an anecdote I say that few years ago I photographed this "mad toy" rusting on a military museum (war toys junkyard) here on Wisconsin. The description sign on it which was extracted from wikipedia read among several "interesting" facts, that this was the first missile to be authorized to carry a nuclear head back on the 50's, but also that since it was a developing system, as usually it has its defects, among them an inaccuracy percentage of around 50% (perplexed expression on my face every time I think about it).

Today as this missile is still seating there, I can only think of the chain of events in which someone comes with the idea for it, someone else makes them, another one operates them, and someone else fires them, while the rest watch them coming, if they do not come, then you got someone like me paying $4 to go see them rusting in some midwest museum.

Cheers!