Galerie Poller in New York presents Kerim Aytac

Galerie Poller, of both New York and Frankfurt fame, presents a new exhibition of photography by Kerim Aytac: "Tokyo Hotel", running from Thursday, February 14, to April 5, 2008. A British-Turkish photographer, Aytac balances the style of his work between the abstract and the representational, the meditative and the obscure. These are not action photographs, nor are they meant to be true-life images. Instead, every photograph impresses as a self-contained mystery, as if the images displayed are those stolen from a person who is just waking in this environment. Galerie Poller is an excellent partner for this photographer, being solely dedicated to contemporary photography since 2002.

From Galerie Poller, originally by Kate Keara Pelen:

"Kerim Aytac seems to resist clichés of composition, resist the 'good' shot. Instead he seeks out small, incidental, sometimes even unremarkable goings-on. At times the work brings to mind Robert Frank or Walker Evans. But in fact these images adopt more of an in-between viewpoint; alongside an American low picturesque there is also nostalgia for the French semi-abstract black-and-white tradition. The B&W also serves to bring everything to an equal formal level; layers of reflections, markings and traces dissolve into the surface on the brink of the recognisable. As a viewer you have to struggle to identify individual elements, which resist, like embedded ciphers."

Aytac's website can be viewed here.

WORKSHOP: Foto Asia's 10 days and nights in Ho Chi Minh City

Foto Asia, a cultural organization dedicated to developing and encouraging interaction between European and Asian photographers, is offering a workshop November 22 to December 2, 2007 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Participants can work in any format, be it digital or film. Workshop leader Nicolas Pascarel will instruct ten participants as they assemble photojournalistic essays of about 20 images. He will be assisted by Tinnakorn Nugul, a Thai photographer, and photo expeditions can and will take place at any time of day, depending on when circumstances (and inspiration) demand. There will be a strong focus on a close-knit group collaborating to find subjects.

From Foto Asia's website:

"A common vibe shared by myself and all participants is necessary for the sake of the work we will do together, as well as for the sake of positive personal relationships. This is how I have always succeeded during my previous workshops in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Participants are living together in order to maintain the group, and to be united and productive, no matter the different backgrounds nor the styles of the photography, a common goal and passion."

This workshop is unusual in that it is being offered in multiple languages: both Pascarel and Nugul speak English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Thai. Pascarel has had an ongoing passion for Southeast Asia, having lived and taught there since the year 2000. A follower of styles favored by Henri Cartier-Bresson, and later, James Nachtwey, Pascarel's images show the same gift for capturing that special moment, as well as the pursuit of the full realization of these moments.

A gallery of Pascarel's images can be found here and here. The workshop is limited to ten participants, and is priced at 1,000 Euro (about $1,200 USD).

Deadline for entries is on November 1, 2007. Click here for inquiries.