June 10, 2008

Donald Weber's White Nights: Russia After the Gulag

donaldweber2.jpgDonald Weber has recently added work online to his ongoing Guggenheim Fellowship taken in the Komi Republic, Russia. After you look a these photos, some brutal, some beautiful, note that they were shot in May. Can't imagine what January would look like.

posted at 01:40 AM by raul

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TAGS: canadian photography (6) Inta (1) komi republic (1) Obyachevo (1) russian (3) Syktyvkar (1) Vorkuta (1) Vukhtym (1)

Comments:

06/10/08 03:38 AM

the world fascinates and frightens me all at the same time..

06/12/08 06:40 PM

i really appreciate your site

and these particular photos, too..

Am really fascinated to view photos of Russia/

I wish to view the "Russian Soul "....

Is it that abyssmal ?

I really doubt it.

Still appreciated.

Thanks for your insightful site!

06/12/08 07:18 PM

@molly have you ever been to this part of Russia? It is a pretty grim place and Weber's photos do a good job of capturing the mood of the place.. But the Russian Soul that is another thing altogether. Much to complex to be captured by a few photos from a Canadian or even the great Russian novelists of the last century.

06/13/08 11:29 AM

Dear Donald,
thanks alot for your photos from Komi. It's vital to remember the horrors.
Feel free to add or to use in some way any of my photos in Syktyvkar. There are 5 photos here http://foto11.ru/gulag/index.htm
Have a look at exif infirmation.
Best regards, Vit Serguievski, Komi Republic,
foto11.ru

06/15/08 11:43 AM

p.s/
Profuse apology to photographer Donald :

( boy, what a difference in perspective

when looking at this group of photographs more discernably)

These are exceptionally, insightful images

that are versatile with perceiving BOTH tenderness & difficulty

and such a fine understanding of the human face ..

There is poetry here and not of a "sappy kind ".

A very intelligent eye witnessing all this ..

Apologies again for previous comments perhaps a bit flippant sounding ( & hope this note redeems that ! )

Kind regards, Molly Holland


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