The opening of The Power of Femininity in early March was a delightful evening of photographic art, music, wine, and conversation.
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On the way home from launching my Lisbon exhibition “The Power of Femininity”, I was inspired to stop at London’s Atlas Gallery (www.Atlasgallery.com) for a rare exhibition of photographs by the Lillian Bassman (1917-2012). I have studied her work from my photo books for years, this being my first opportunity to see prints live. The Atlas curation was both stunning and impactful; all 27 images.
A prelude to her show on Art Rabbit (artrabbit.com) said it best: “Bassman’s work was significant in emphasizing the power of elegance, mystery, and gesture in fashion. Her prints, developed in high contrast and carefully over-exposed, are abstract, luminous, soft yet captivatingly dramatic”
It took years for me to personally be comfortable with my own favorite images which, in pure technical views, might be considered flawed ( e.g., focus and exposure). I take solace in the fact that Bassman was obviously comfortable with this approach, with captivating results.
Leaving London with visions planted in my brain…
On October 26th in London, the 14th Annual Black and White Spider Awards nominated 9 of Ted Witek’s photographs (5 photographs in Fashion, 2 in Nude, 1 in Fine Arts and Silhouette). Ted Witek won 3 of these awards (2 in Fashion & 1 in Nude). Ted‘s work was selected among 6418 entries from 73 countries.
The winning photographs:
FASHION CATEGORY
Miki, by Ted Witek
Sunday Afternoon, by Ted Witek
NUDE CATEGORY
Fabrica Mannequim #1, by Ted Witek
COMING 2020
“In Residence”
Blakes Hotel – London, UK
Sensual mystery captured in the world’s most iconic hotels
“In Residence”
Blakes Hotel – London, UK
Sensual mystery captured in the world’s most iconic hotels
Show Introduction commentary:
Dr Matthias Harder
Curator, Helmut Newton Foundation Berlin
With Carol Fonde and António José Costa….. My two longtime collaborators to whom I owe intense gratitude…. and the only printers who touch my negatives. I joke they have the ‘prima-donna gene’ of all master printers; but, they have honestly influenced my style and development of seeing photographically more than anyone. Carol is the world’s finest color printer (with early clients Newton and Avedon) coming to NYC weekly from Maine to teach color printing at Parsons. António, the master black and white printer at his Viragem laboratory in Lisbon, was in NYC for his maiden visit. I could not resist having them meet and celebrating our gift of light. They are an extension of my eyes. Thank you both.
Show Introduction commentary:Dr Matthias Harder
Curator, Helmut Newton Foundation Berlin
Opening of the 20th anniversary exhibition of Helmut Newton’s SUMO and return of “Three Boys from Pasadena” ….. (l to r) Just Loomis, Benedikt Taschen, Dr Matthias Harder (Curator at the Helmut Newton Foundation) ….Ted and Matthias…… George Holz, Mark Arbeit, Joachim Rissmann. An exhibition of over 600 photographs including the entire SUMO collection.
With sincere gratitude to the Cultural Center of Cascais and the Canadian Embassy in Portugal. PHOTO: This week’s closing reception of North South, East West in Lisbon
The image St. James Hotel, Montreal was chosen for the Foundation’s permanent collection. Picture l to r : Isabel Alvarenga (Museum Director), Salvato Teles de Menezes (President of Foundation), TedWitek, Lisa Rice Madden (Ambassador of Canada to Portugal) and Joël Monfils (Conseiller to Ambassador).
Photo by Vitor Fortuna
North South, East West
Ted Witek (1957- ) was born and raised in Connecticut. He left the United States for Germany in 2001, moving to Portugal in 2004. He immediately fell in love with the country and its people.
Having the artistic good fortune to travel many times to the North and South of Portugal as well as to Madeira and the Azores, Ted found the country among the most visually stimulating places that he has visited. Whether watching youngsters jumping from all heights in the hot sun into the Douro River, discovering an abandoned mannequin factory in Chiado, awaiting fishermen returning to shore in Sesimbra long before sunrise, or observing the biker celebrants of the Concentração de Motos in Faro, Ted was continuously inspired to capture a visual story.
Learning he would move to Canada in 2008, Ted immediately purchased a home in Azoia at Cabo Espichel where he now keeps a studio.
In 2012, Ted photographed all of beautiful Canada’s provinces for a new series entitled “Canadiana” with first edition prints auctioned for the Herbie Fund Charity at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (SickKids). This series brought him between the world’s longest coastlines, from the east’s land’s end at Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia and as far west as Bennett Lake —- only reachable by floatplane over the icefalls and glaciers of Yukon.
Hilda Yasseri, Curator
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Images from the opening night at Centro Cultural de Cascais, Portugal
Although I have exhibited my work in many beautiful galleries, I most often enjoy having my photographs available to view in an atypical space with some sense of life remaining after the vernissage wine glasses are put away.
KASPACE is an experience. You can walk in and out, or gaze for hours. It is an atmosphere of appreciation of art, fashion, design and music. Ted Witek Photography, I am proud to say, is a part of this space.
My photography is always on display at KASPACE with a revolving selection of images by curator Hilda Yasseri. Original photographs are available for immediate sale or through special order of original prints from the books and catalogs on display.
KASPACE – 185 Carla Avenue, Toronto
This coming November the Cultural Center of Cascais will host the Ted Witek exhibition, North South, East West. Curated by Hilda Yasseri, the images represent a personal sense of place across the Provinces of Canada and up and down the country of Portugal. Sponsored in part by the Canadian Embassy in Portugal, all images are printed from original negatives on silver gelatine fibre by master printer António José Costa in Lisbon.
Stay tuned for more information as the November opening night approaches.
