Alex Webb, Playa, Havana, 2012
Usually after we complete a book like “Violet Isle,” it marks the end of a project, and we find it difficult — if not impossible — to continue photographing in the place where we made the book. Besides completing a joint book on Cuba, we had both recently completed two complicated solo projects as well — Alex’s survey book of 30 years of color work, “The Suffering of Light,” and Rebecca’s upcoming “My Dakota,” a photographic elegy for her brother that’s been difficult for her to let go of probably because it is so personal. After our recent trip to Havana, however, the city was just too enticing not to pick up our cameras — even though Alex’s right arm was in a sling.
So, instead of a photographic dead end, Havana may have offered us new beginnings. Rebecca found herself attracted to twins — from girls to women — for a series she’s started called “Sister Ship.” Alex wandered the Cuba streets, which although they’ve changed since our last trip to Havana in 2008, they haven’t changed as much or as fast as the rest of the world. Additionally, there’s also a small collaborative project we started working on in Havana, too, called “Together and Apart.” Where will this all take us? Like usual, we don’t know for sure. What we do know is that we’re excited about returning to Cuba in midJanuary 2013 to teach with Nordic Light again and to see what happens next photographically — both for workshop participants and for ourselves.
Thanks to Cuba and to the workshop photographers for making our 12th trip to Cuba memorable.—Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb.
Rebecca Norris Webb, from the series, "Sister Ship," Playa, Havana, 2012
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS WITH ALEX AND REBEBECCA
“Teaching taught me how little I knew and it forced me to think. I had to teach to get an education.” –––Harry Callahan, from “Harry Callahan @ 100” at the National Gallery of Art
–WEEKEND WORKSHOP @ APERTURE, NY, Friday evening, March 23, thru Sat., March 25, 2012. Do you know where you’re going next with your photography –– or where it’s taking you? An intensive weekend workshop with Alex and Rebecca. You can reserve a spot in the workshop at the Aperture Foundation website. There is a discount for students and Aperture patrons, which you can arrange by emailing Anne Lewis at Aperture at this email: alewis@aperture.org
––WEEKEND WORKSHOP IN MILANO @ FORMA; Friday evening, May 4, thru Sunday, May 6th, 2012. An intensive weekend workshop @ Forma with the Webbs during Alex’s upcoming spring exhibition there, “The Suffering of Light.” Included in the workshop will be a gallery talk by Alex as well as a copy of Alex’s recent survey book of 30 years of his color photographs, “La Sofferenza della Luce,” (Contrasto). The workshop will be taught in English with Italian translation. For more information here’s the link.
–FINDING YOUR VISION WORKSHOP @ CAPTION GALLERY, BROOKLYN, NY. Sunday May 20 thru Friday May 25, 2012.* A week-long photographing and editing workshop where each photographers begins to explore his or her own way of photographing and how to edit intuitively. Will include exercises, light room tutorials, and a presentation by a noted book editor. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN. Early acceptance notification will start on February 29, 2012. Check the workshop page of the webbnorriswebb website for fees, application process and further details. Apply to this email: webbnorriswebb@gmail.com
*If there is enough interest, we will explore offering a second session of the Finding Your Vision Workshop @ Caption Gallery the week before — Sunday May 13 thru Friday May 18, 2012.
Chuck Cannon photograph of the Webbs, 2012
FEBRUARY & MARCH EVENTS WITH ALEX AND REBECCA
–– WEDNESDAY, FEB. 29, 2012, 7:30pm, Alex Webb slide talk at the Baker Center Theater, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
––FRIDAY, MARCH, 9th, 7-8:30: “Together and Apart: Photographs of Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb,” National Museum of Singapore, Singapore. National Museum of Singapore is a venue sponsor of this free public event.
––MONDAY & TUESDAY, MARCH 12 -13, 2012: BLOGGING ON PRESS FOR THE “MY DAKOTA” BOOK IN SINGAPORE (with Rebecca, author, Alex, editor, and David Chickey, designer and Radius creative director). Check the blog for updates. If you’d like to submit a question ahead of time about being on press, please email your question to Alex and Rebecca by MARCH 1, 2012: webbnorriswebb@gmail.com
––FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 7-8:30 pm, “Together & Apart: Photographs of Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb,” Aperture Foundation, 547 W. 27th St., 4th Floor, New York, NY. Free Event.
––LAST WEEKEND IN MARCH: Alex Webb booksigning at AIPAD. Details to come soon.
Alex Webb slide talk at Ohio University on Feb. 29, 2012
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