Tag Archives: Photography

Capturing the Moment

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Sergio Garbari’s retrospective exhibition at Borgo degli Artisti gallery shows again what a brilliant photographer he is.

Examples are drawn from different stages of Sergio’s development: from classic black and white shots when Garbari was official photographer of the Uffizi gallery to vintage views of Lucca to restoration of archival prints to experiments with infra-red to sociological projects to visual abstractions to immaculate insights into our beautiful part of the world.

There can be few finer practitioners of photographic art than Sergio. Born in Bagni di Lucca in 1955, Gsrbsri has had a passion for photography since his youth. After graduating from the Vallisneri School in Lucca, he moved to Florence in 1976 to attend the Faculty of Architecture. While studying, he developed his photography skills, learning film development and black-and-white printing techniques. In 1978, he entered a competition run by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and joined the Superintendency of Artistic and Historic Heritage of Siena as a photographer. In 1981, he was appointed to the Uffizi Photographic Cabinet in Florence.

Over the years I have documented several of Garbari’s exhibitions in the following articles:

Suzie Clarke:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-9zM

Working women:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-3RS

Women coming from another country and settling here:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-3KY

War memorials:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-37V

Infra-Red:
https://wp.me/p4KnVs-7Yt

The exhibition will be open until August 20th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 6:00 pm onwards.

La mostra retrospettiva di Sergio Garbari alla galleria Borgo degli Artisti dimostra ancora una volta la sua brillantezza come fotografo.

Gli esempi provengono da diverse fasi del percorso di Sergio: dai classici scatti in bianco e nero, quando Garbari era fotografo ufficiale della Galleria degli Uffizi, alle vedute d’epoca di Lucca, al restauro di stampe d’archivio, agli esperimenti con l’infrarosso, ai progetti sociologici, alle astrazioni visive, fino alle intuizioni immacolate sulla nostra splendida parte del mondo.

Pochi possono essere migliori professionisti dell’arte fotografica di Sergio. Nato a Bagni di Lucca nel 1955, Sergio ha coltivato la passione per la fotografia fin da giovane. Dopo essersi diplomato alla Scuola Vallisneri di Lucca, si è trasferito a Firenze nel 1976 per frequentare la Facoltà di Architettura. Durante gli studi, ha sviluppato le sue capacità fotografiche, imparando le tecniche di sviluppo e stampa in bianco e nero. Nel 1978 ha partecipato a un concorso indetto dal Ministero dei Beni Culturali ed è entrato a far parte della Soprintendenza per i Beni Artistici e Storici di Siena come fotografo. Nel 1981 fu nominato responsabile del Gabinetto Fotografico degli Uffizi di Firenze.

Nel corso degli anni ho documentato diverse mostre di Garbari nei seguenti articoli:

Suzie Clarke:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-9zM

Donne che lavorano:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-3RS

Donne provenienti da un altro paese che si stabiliscono qui:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-3KY

Monumenti ai caduti:
https://wp.me/p8ybdb-37V

Infrarossi:
https://wp.me/p4KnVs-7Yt

La mostra sarà aperta fino al 20 agosto dalle 10:00 alle 12:00 e dalle 18:00 in poi.

In the Blue

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One doesn’t normally visit London to hunt for sharks’ teeth or view bluebells or even visit an abbey founded by St Thomas’ murderer. However, these three features are seen to particular effect in the Great Wenn. And they are all in the same area!

We have loved Abbey Woods ever since we discovered them when moving to the area shortly after we wedded. This beautiful ancient woodland forms part of the city’s most favoured long-distance footpath, the green chain walk, and we returned to it yesterday on a cloudy day which promised a few glimpses of sunlight.

Luckily the sun came out as we entered the vast expanses of bluebells (botanical name hyacinthoides non-scripta) which cover the forest floor like a floral sea.

There are several folklore tales surrounding bluebells, many of which involve dark fairy magic. Bluebell woods are believed to be intricately woven with fairy enchantments, used by these mischievous beings to trap humans. It is also said that if you hear a bluebell ring, you will be visited by a bad fairy, and will die not long after. If you are to pick a bluebell, many believe you will be led astray by fairies, wandering lost for evermore.

In the language of flowers, the bluebell is a symbol of humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love. It is said that if you turn a bluebell flower inside-out without tearing it, you will win the one you love, and if you wear a wreath of bluebells you will only be able to speak the truth.

Our area of Tuscany may have its spectacular floral beauty in the flowering of the giunchiglie (narcissus poeticus)which are particularly beautiful on the Prato Fiorito mountain near us. However, the bluebells of south-east London are a very worthy rival and we were so lucky and glad to see them this year.

Regarding the finding of sharks’ teeth we entered a part of the woods where the Cretaceous strata of the Blackheath Beds come to the surface and reveal to the keen-eyed hunter the teeth of these primaeval monsters. But why here in the middle of these woods? It’s because the earth’s geology is ever changing., What was once land is now sea and what was once sea is now land. Who knows how the globe will look in a million years’ time…if it lasts that long!

As for the abbey. Sadly it is now a ruin thanks to that fundamentalist rogue of a king, Henry VIII, but enough of it remains to give one an idea of its extent and form. Lesnes Abbey was founded by Richard de Luci, chief justiciar of England in 1178 as a penance for his role in the murder of Thomas a Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. De Luci died in 1179 and was buried in the abbey’s chapter house. Again the abbey ruins are a place we know well and for a long time. It was lovely to visit them again in the context of the bluebells and the sharks’ teeth.

Taidd Ryfedd 15

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CHAPTER 15

Wulfstan continued his search for the saviour dragon the following day. This time he headed for the plains beyond Dunara leaving the mountains behind him.

A long and level road led to a walled city called Meadawa. In this city he had heard there was a temple dedicated to a great, wise person who had sought enlightenment under a Bodhi tree. The temple stood on one side of a wide square. From the outside it didn’t seem to be a very significant structure, looking more like a warehouse than a religious building.

Stepping inside, however, was another matter. Beyond the entrance lobby a large hall opened out  one one wall of which spread a line of golden statues of deities. Strangely Wulfstan could not see their faces for these were covered with red kerchiefs. He wondered why. Was this an auspicious sign? Or not? Perhaps even a sign of mourning?

He observed a person clothed in a dark grey robe reaching his ankles. Perhaps he might be a priest, devotee of the golden statues. Wulfstan approached him.

‘Good day’, said the figure.

‘Good day,’ acknowledged Wulfstan. ‘You are a monk of this temple?’

‘Indeed I am a Bhikku, a monk of the temple, the temple of our community of  Meadawa. It is known as the “Puhuasi Temple”.

‘What a wonderful interior. How did it come to be here?’ asked Wulfstan.

‘I will explain’, replied the monk who was clean shaven.

‘This temple derives from the original Puhuasi temple which is to be found in Taihuai in Shanxi and is also called the temple of the Jade Emperor. Within that temple is the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings where Maitreya is enshrined. There are also the statues of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Bhaisaijyaguru,

‘How old is your temple?’

‘Not very old. It happened that just over twenty years ago our old men realised that we did not yet have in this town a place for the worship of our gods. After all we are new arrivals to Meadawa. However, thanks to the contribution of our community we managed to find this building, purchase it and renovate it.

‘Do you only use it for prayer?’

‘Oh no. we hold classes for all ages in various subjects. In particular we teach our traditions and our culture within the community.

Wulfstan and the Bikkhu passed from the main prayer hall into another large room. Here an extraordinary sight awaited them.