Apocalypse Now

At the end of last year I found myself predicting that 2011 would somehow be 'apocalyptic' but never thought I'd witness it so graphically on my television screen.  It's almost impossible to imagine what it means in terms of human life, love, livelihood to the Japanese people but this is my insignificant message of condolence.  I have huge respect and affection for that Nation.

GUSOV - The Gestalt

The interest I declare in these images is that the photographer Sasha Gusov happens to be an acquaintance of mine and kindly sent me his two books Belarus - Terra Incognita and Locusts *.  But also that I love the way he juxtaposes them on facing pages.  The sum becomes even greater than the parts.

I suppose that like any great photographer he finds the remarkable in the every day.

He is playful 

without being cynical 

  always witty 

often trenchant

Any diminution in the quality of the image is definitely my fault in the scanning.  Gusov will be wincing - he will have to forgive me.

*The black + white photographs are from Locusts pub. Thames & Hudson 2008; the coloured from Belarus pub. by Sasha Gusov in association with Hurtwood Press.