ashes and snow

The Vision of Ashes and Snow

“In exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards rediscovering the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. The images depict a world that is without beginning or end, here or there, past or present.”—

Gregory Colbert, Creator of Ashes and Snow

Gregory Colbert's Ashes and Snow is an ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, three 35mm films, art installations and a novel in letters. With profound patience and an unswerving commitment to the expressive and artistic nature of animals, he has captured extraordinary, unscripted interactions between humans and animals.

His 21st-century bestiary includes more than 40 totemic species from around the world. Since he began creating his singular work of Ashes and Snow, Colbert had mounted more than 30 expeditions to locations such as India, Egypt, Burma, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Kenya, Antarctica, the Azores and Borneo.

The show first opened at the Arsenale in Venice, Italy, in 2002. The Nomadic Museum, the permanent home of Ashes and Snow, debuted in New York in 2005 and is charted to travel the globe with no final destination.

The title Ashes and Snow suggests beauty and renewal, while also referring to the literary component of the exhibition—a fictional account of a man who, over the course of a yearlong journey, composes 365 letters to his wife. The source of the title is revealed in the 365th letter. Colbert's photographs and one-hour film loosely reference the traveller's encounters and experiences described in the letters.

Colbert, who calls animals "nature's living masterpieces," chose to film animals in their native habitats in an effort to be true to each animal's voice. The film can be viewed as a work of art as well as a poetic field study. The film was edited by two-time Oscar-winner Pietro Scalia. It is narrated by Laurence Fishburne, and the musical collaborators include Michael Brook, David Darling, Heiner Goebbels, Lisa Gerrard, Lukas Foss, Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and Djivan Gasparyan.

The Ashes and Snow exhibition includes more than 100 large-scale photographic artworks, a one-hour film and two nine-minute film haikus. None of the images have been digitally collaged or superimposed. They record what the artist himself saw through the lens of his camera. While Colbert uses both still and movie cameras, the images are not stills from the film. These mixed media photographic works marry umber and sepia tones in a distinctive encaustic process on handmade Japanese paper. The artworks, each approximately five feet by eight feet, are mounted without explanatory text so as to encourage an open-ended interaction with the images.

 

Ashes and Snow at the Zócalo Nomadic Museum closed on April 27, 2008 in Mexico City. The exhibition will open in Brazil in 2009.

 

  xoxo!! Izabella~ http://izabella.typepad.com 

Ashes and Snow is a must see website, its slow to upload.....I love the music & the words he speaks...very surreal http://www.ashesandsnow.org/ full of inspirations!
Be sure to check out the handbound books with his works, that are available for purchase. 

 

 

Comments

[ArtSnark]

Fascinting! Off to check it out

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I just want to say that I enjoy viewing your travels and experiences..... I'm enthralled by Japanese culture, history, cuisine, and history. Your blog has been an interesting find for me and I will visit it often. Thank you for making this person's life happier, by seeing your pictures and hearing of your fun experiences it gives me a little happiness of my own, and helps me to imagine what it would be like to see it for myself. Thank you and may you have eternal happiness.

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WOW! You really had a lot of snow. I'm happy with ours, but I would love MORE!

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WOW! You really had a lot of snow. I'm happy with ours, but I would love MORE!