Donald weber is a photographer fascinated by the subject of power be it economic, political, or psychological and how it deploys an allencompassing theatre for its subjects. Russian and ukrainian citizens are terrorized in donald. Of course its base is the talent and hard work of awardwinning documentary photographer donald weber. Donald weber originally worked as an architect in rotterdam with urban theorist rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture. It is a meditation on what these interrogation rooms, and the people who enter and leave them, represent. It comes to you in a cardboard sheath with open sides, and when you remove the book its cover has the pleasing texture of handmade paper and is the color of pepto bismol. The title of donald webers latest book, interrogations, is very appropriate.
His interrogations project and accompanying book schilt, 2011, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, was published to international acclaim from world press photo, pdn, aperture, and many others. It is a real photography book, meaning that photography, topic and design are working together to make everything more understandable and clear improving the power of the medium. Donald webers new book interrogations takes us into the dark hole of humanity, into the room where people take on roles as accusers and. After i saw the book, weber and i talked about this project in person, and we. Donald weber, confessions of an invisible man, interrogations, pg. Firstly, its excellent in a most shocking way a fact that has led to reason two, its inclusion in the latest volume of the photobook. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books. Prior to photography, donald weber originally trained as an architect and worked with urban theorist rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture oma in rotterdam, the netherlands. Donald weber talks about photographing the radioactive. Donald weber photographed these scenes as police tried to get confessions from the suspects. Interrogations by donald weber 20111201 donald weber on.
The title for this exhibition comes from donald webers recently published book of photographs from his sixyear sojourn through russia and the ukraine. Even if you only vaguely consider buying this book, just do. Webers books include bastard eden, our chernobyl 2008, interrogations 2011, barricade. Interrogations donald weber curated by curated by patrick macaulay. Feb, 2012 but in donald webers new book, interrogations, itself an interrogation of the way state power plays out across stretches of eastern europe, the canadian photographer seeks to show the.
Interrogations photographs by donald weber lensculture. Interrogations, schilt, 2011 with texts by larry frolick, and donald weber. In 2006, he was on an assignment with police officers in chernobyl when. Prior to pursuing photography, weber trained as an architect and worked with rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear disaster and spent the next six years in russia and ukraine photographing the ruins of. But given what i had seen about it online i had developed absolutely no interest in looking at the book.
That same afternoon i met jan rosseel, the belgian photographer. Its simply one of those precious books which got the full care such a project deserves. The author claims that the book is not about russia or ukraine. Oct 15, 2014 artist research donald weber interrogations on the celebration of world photo book day, a small number of coventry students and lecturers met up for a night of all things photo book related. Interrogations, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, was selected to be included in martin parr and gerry badgers seminal the photobook. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear disaster and spent the next six years in russia and ukraine photographing the ruins of the unstoppable storm we call history. Mar 09, 2012 donald weber, confessions of an invisible man, interrogations, pg. Taking first place in the portraitseries category in this years world press photo demonstrates the recognition he deserves for this thoughtprovoking project. Donald weber who had traveled in the postsoviet countries a lot caught the concept of this word by collecting photo reports about interrogations, and published a book called interrogation. Artist research donald weber interrogations on the celebration of world photo book day, a small number of coventry students and lecturers met up for a night of all things photo book related.
After i saw the book, weber and i talked about this project in person, and. Given that donald weber s interrogations has just been awarded a world press photo award in the portraits category, now is a good time to look at the book of the project. Interrogations by donald weber 17 x 24 cm portrait. The title for this exhibition comes from donald weber s recently published book of photographs from his sixyear sojourn through russia and the ukraine. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the. It is a book of great photos on a disturbing subject. Interrogations 80,00 after a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear disaster and spent the next six years in russia and ukraine photographing the ruins of the unstoppable storm we call history. Donald weber s interrogations is a powerful series of photographs of suspected criminals being subjected to intense interrogation in an unnamed police station somewhere in ukraine. In dialogue with writer larry frolick whose own ancestors had been decimated in the final months of ww ii weber insistently and provocatively addresses his questions both to the living survivors and to the ghosts of the states innumerable victims, resurrecting their final hours by taking their point of view, and performing a kind of incantatory meditation over their private. This exhibition focuses not on these portraits, but rather the preface. Interrogations, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, has gone on to much acclaim.
Winner of world press photo 2012, in the category portraits, stories. He freelanced for the international press in places as diverse as africa, eastern europe, russia and south america before taking aim at the bigger picture. Snowy concrete jungles of block housing in siberia, casual portraiture in interior ukrainian settings with patterns so garish its. It is a simple, elegant book that sears itself into your memory. Interrogations by donald weber tipi photo bookshop. The title of donald weber s latest book, interrogations, is very appropriate. Donald weber is a canadian photographer fascinated by the subject of power and how it deploys an allencompassing theatre for its subjects. Donald weber interrogations 2011 photography quantity. Weber is a photographer and artist exploring the transformations of history through narrative. Dec 01, 2011 donald weber originally worked as an architect in rotterdam with urban theorist rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture.
Following an exploratory trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear. The work and the ensuing debates just felt too obvious, too much along the lines of what one could expect. After i saw the book, weber and i talked about this project in person, and we continued an email correspondence. Feb 27, 2012 this is a longterm project, which weber has carefully crafted and explored over a sixyear period. Webers interrogations is, in large part, a collection of startlingly blunt portraits of prisoners being interrogated. In dialogue with writer larry frolick whose own ancestors had been decimated in the final months of ww ii weber insistently and provocatively addresses his questions both to the living survivors and to the ghosts of the states innumerable victims, resurrecting their final. As soon as i plucked this one off the book stack, i was sure id be writing my intro about trump.
Fights on the beaches live on in donald webers war sand. On an evening late 2012 i met donald for diner in amsterdam. They are young and old, male and female, weak unfortunates and hardened criminals, all orphans of secret histories and hidden dramas that are scripted and played out by the modern state. Given that donald webers interrogations has just been awarded a world press photo award in the portraits category, now is a good time to look at the book of the project. After collaborating with donald on his book interrogations we regularly saw each other and always talked about the changes in documentary photography.
He finally spent 7 years traveling through cities in russia and the ukraine documenting another violent catastrophe. The euromaidan revolt with arthur bondar, 2015 and war sand 2017 he has had solo exhibitions at phodar foundation, pleven, bulgaria. Weber is the recipient of many fellowships and awards, most notably a 2007 guggenheim fellowship. Viewers are likely alert to this early on, but they are not informed about the circumstances the book documents. The euromaidan revolt with arthur bondar, 2015 and war sand 2017. Bastard eden, our chernobyl, dealing with daily life in a postatomic world, won the photolucida book award. Weber s vision is cleareyed and unflinching in its sober directness, which makes it both effective and discomfiting to look at.
Interrogations is the result of his donald weber s personal quest to uncover the hidden meaning of private, unpleasant encounters with unrestricted power. Donald weber by donald weber, 9789053307595, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber returned to the abando. Russian and ukrainian citizens are terrorized in donald webers. Donald weber born 1973 is a photographer who focuses on the effects of world power. Dec 01, 2011 even if you only vaguely consider buying this book, just do. In this visionary rite of images, texts, and scientific data, photographer donald weber, writer larry frolick and physicist kevin robbie explore the sand beaches where the dday invasion was once fought, inch by inch, hand to hand. Dday the epic of war, told by a grain of sand the seacoast of normandy churns with history. Together, quantifiable and relative aspects are defining the essence of storytelling which, in itself, is the ultimate art performed in war sand. Interrogations is the result of his personal quest to uncover the hidden meaning of private, unpleasant encounters with unrestricted power. Interrogations is available from schilt publishing. In his new book, photographer donald weber explores the dark relationship between policemen, prostitutes, thugs and hustlers within the confines of a russian interrogation room. His interrogations project and accompanying book schilt, 2011, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, was published to international acclaim from world. Special editions are available for sale from the interrogations web site.
Projects include interrogations, war sand, and barricade. Donald weber first went to russia to document the traces of the chernobyl disaster. It took the photographer donald weber more than five years to make his way inside a ukrainian police interrogation room. I spent the majority of the night looking at this book in particular by donald weber interrogations upon first glance i thought this book was. Polygon after collaborating with donald on his book interrogations we regularly saw each other and always talked. Beginning with a prologue of neutral documentary photography in the surrounding area, weber sets the scene. I had been aware of donald webers interrogations for quite a while. He is a member of vii photo agency weber s books include bastard eden, our chernobyl 2008, interrogations 2011, barricade.
Russian and ukrainian citizens are terrorized in donald weber. Oct 11, 2011 donald weber photographed these scenes as police tried to get confessions from the suspects. In dialogue with writer larry frolick whose own ancestors had been decimated in the final months of ww ii weber insistently and provocatively addresses his questions both to the living survivors and to the ghosts of the states. The first part of his book shows ukrainian landscapes and scenes. Regular and limited editions of the interrogations book are available in the shop. Interrogations, a project from canadian photographer donald weber 1973, won 1st prize stories in the portraits category of world press photo 2012. A history, martin parr and gerry badgers important publication in the field of photography that collates and analyses. Interrogations is a collection of photographs taken in russia and ukraine over six years of travel by donald webber. Donald weber interrogations the eye of photography magazine. I had been aware of donald weber s interrogations for quite a while. His first, bastard eden, our chernobyl, won the photolucida book prize and asked a simple question. Photographer donald weber, author of interrogations and war sand.
Interrogations by donald weber 20120102 donald weber. The text mentions policemen, thugs, working girls and more. Mar 19, 2014 interrogations by donald weber is not a new book it was published at the end of 2011 but it bears a look now for three reasons. Donald webers new book interrogations takes us into the dark hole of humanity, into the room where people take on roles as accusers and accused. Interrogations is the result of his personal quest to uncover the hidden meaning of the bloody 20th century.
The photos, taken last year, form the centerpiece for his new book, interrogations, being published this fall by schilt publishers. Weber s interrogations is, in large part, a collection of startlingly blunt. The euromaidan revolt with arthur bondar, 2015 and war sand. In this terrifyingly real photobook, canadian photojournalist donald weber takes. Travelling and living with ordinary people who had endured much, and survived everything, weber began to see the modern state as a primitive and bloody sacrificial rite of unnamed power.
Artist research donald weber interrogations thomas. Great storytelling is never merely about facts, explains donald weber. Dday actually happened, and as such it can be studied in detail. A history volume iii winner of world press photo 2012, in the category portraits, stories. The second part shows harrowing portraits of people who are being interrogated. Interrogations by donald weber prison photography these questions are ones that weber is happy to take on and he has done so in public forums here on prison photography and also at colin pantalls blog and at. His interrogations project and accompanying book schilt, 2011 has received notable recognition and accolades from world press photo, pdn, aperture, and many others. He freelanced for many publications in canada and abroad before devoting his artistic career to an epic study of how power deploys an allencompassing theatre, implicating everyone in its secret collaboration with both masters and victims.
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