The Odyssey
Photographs from my artist residency in Ithaki, Greece (or Ithaca), the legendary home of Odysseus
In light of Christopher Nolan’s movie “The Odyssey,” which opens in theaters in the US today, I thought I’d share some photographs from my trip there last September. I spent three weeks on this magical island, courtesy of the artist residency program “Return to Ithaca”, together with fellow photographers and curators.
We had plenty of time to work on our projects as well as share meals, swim, listen to structured lectures about Homer & Odysseus, and show our work to several distinguished curators. Everything flowed seamlessly, and I made new friends and made work that I am proud of.
I arrived in Ithaca on a ferry on a sunny afternoon, a perfect way to see the island from afar until it’s suddenly right in front of you and everyone disembarks. I came with plans for at least two photo projects while (hopefully) keeping an open mind for any other photographic excursions. My first project involved locating historic photographs of the island and rephotographing them, in a process that follows previous projects of mine, namely Middle Eastern Promises and the Erie Canal - Then and Now. Through an introduction to Stavros, a local on the island who had amassed some amazing historical negatives and had a good knowledge of the original locations, I was able to make several such photos. The second project I had in mind involved my long exposure trichromatic image making, something I started doing in full earnest earlier that year after my Tusen Takk residency. I was curious about doing new work in a new place but also knew from past experiences that I shouldn’t rush it and let my body and mind explore the area, soak in the new sights and let it all come together. So without further ado, here are some photos from Ithaca, Greece.
Ok, now to some of my rephotography works from the island. Combining historical photographs by Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas (1858–1946) with mine.
And finally, as I was working on these photos back home in the Hudson Valley, I played around with a combination of some of the photographs from the Rephotography project with my trichromatic work - a hybrid project that allows me to be a bit more loose with interpreting my time and my emotional connection with this magnificent island.
Thanks for looking. Are you going to see Nolan’s “The Odyssey” this weekend? Write and let me know what you thought of the movie – and if any of my photographs moved you to comment, share or like them, that would be greatly appreciated!
Alon
Thank you so much for sharing your projects with your readers/viewers. We have just got back from out local cinema where we saw the first screening of the film; I am still shaken by the intensity of it all and really appreciate seeing your projects.
Love the trichromatic Ithaca series, really nice work!