Hands in the fire with Erik Kessels

© Michael Grieve / 1000 Words

During the month of September 1000 Words held its third workshop in the medina of Fez, Morocco. This time we invited energetic Dutch man, Erik Kessels, curator, publisher and top banana at KesselsKrammer creative agency, to conduct an interesting and unique workshop that surprised and challenged the participants. Erik is one of those special people who injects a lateral perspective into the minds of those willing to take up a conceptual yet free thinking disposition. And as a passionate collector of anonymous photographs Erik always found the time to hunt in the medina for those vernacular gems hiding in the most unlikely places and lost on the pages of dusty albums.

1000 Words (Michael Grieve and Tim Clark) would like to thank all the participants for a productive workshop and for making the workshop a pleasant and relaxed environment. The participants were:

Alan Nielsen (Brazil)
Natasha Caruana (UK)
Alessandra Ferragina (Italy)
Hyseung Jeon (South Korea)
Hil Van Der Waal (The Netherlands)
Andy Nelson (UK)

We, of course, would like to thank Erik Kessels for his teaching skills and powers of motivation and our local assistant, Omar Chennafi, and Stephen DiRenza for allowing us to use his beautiful riad for the week.

1000 Words is organising four more workshops in Fez for 2012 with some of the finest photographers and artists the world has to offer including Roger Ballen (others still to be confirmed), and will be making a call for submissions very soon.






















© Michael Grieve / 1000 Words

Places still available for the Erik Kessels workshop!

There are still two places available for our workshop with Erik Kessels at riad 9 in Fez, Morocco (12-17 September 2011). Though the camera will be the tool, this workshop will appeal to creatives from all visual disciplines, not just photography.

Here is a great video of Erik giving an overview of his work as part of California College of the Arts' Photography Lecture Series; filmed on 24 February, 2011, in Timken Lecture Hall on the San Francisco campus:



For more information on the workshop or more details on how to submit click here. (Please note, the deadline for applications has been extended to 14 August.)

Finally, below is the manifesto from the groundbreaking exhibition From Here On at this year's Les Rencontres d'Arles which Erik co-curated with Clément Chéroux, Joan Fontcuberta, Martin Parr and Joachim Schmid. The conceptual approach and playful attitude that is outlined will be echoed in the workshop and push those who are open to exploring more lateral ways of image-making.

NOW, WE’RE A SPECIES OF EDITORS.
WE ALL RECYCLE, CLIP AND CUT, REMIX AND UPLOAD.
WE CAN MAKE IMAGES DO ANYTHING. ALL WE NEED IS
AN EYE, A BRAIN, A CAMERA,
A PHONE, A LAPTOP, A SCANNER, A POINT OF VIEW.
AND WHEN WE’RE NOT EDITING, WE’RE MAKING.
WE’RE MAKING MORE THAN EVER,
BECAUSE OUR RESOURCES ARE LIMITLESS AND
THE POSSIBILITIES ENDLESS.
WE HAVE AN INTERNET FULL OF INSPIRATION:
THE PROFOUND, THE BEAUTIFUL, THE DISTURBING,
THE RIDICULOUS, THE TRIVIAL, THE VERNACULAR AND THE INTIMATE.
WE HAVE NEXT-TO-NOTHING CAMERAS THAT RECORD THE LIGHTEST LIGHT, THE DARKEST DARK.
THIS TECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL HAS CREATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
IT CHANGES OUR SENSE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO MAKE. IT RESULTS IN
WORK THAT FEELS LIKE PLAY,
WORK THAT TURNS OLD INTO NEW, ELEVATES THE BANAL.
WORK THAT HAS A PAST BUT FEELS
ABSOLUTELY PRESENT.
WE WANT TO GIVE THIS WORK A NEW STATUS.
THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT
FROM HERE ON...

Anders and that gut feeling

© Michael Grieve / 1000 Words

The 1000 Words Workshop in Fez, Morocco with the Swedish photographer Anders Petersen finished on 1 May 2011, and was an absolute success.

Anders Petersen is a self-confessed fish; once you think you have him in your grasp he will surprise you and slip away. Paradox is taught on an Anders Petersen workshop as an essential ingredient together with the need to embrace our fears in life and not to be afraid of being afraid. Petersen’s personality, charisma and experience make him one of the most vital teachers of photographic practice to those seeking to unlock an expression of themselves from the heart rather than the mind. Such was the experience in Fez, a location that provides the perfect backdrop, bursting with energy to engage the senses.

Petersen conducted a wonderful workshop, directing his students to shoot from the gut and reach the pinnacle as they go about "sharpening their pyramids".

1000 Words would like to thank Anders Petersen and the vibrant personalities of the participants who, after five intensive days, produced some extraordinary photography,a small snippet of which can be seen below. The concentration of time, perfect location and Petersen’s inspiration conspired to change the attitude and approach of the participants for the rest of their creative lives. They are:


Andre Faccioli (Brazil)



















Birgit Vagani (Italy)












































Emily Clarke (UK)

















Jim Clarke (UK)












































Nina Hove (Norway)












































Laura Hynd (UK)

























Samuele Pellecchia (Italy)



















Vanessa Bonnin (Australia)

















We would also like to thank Omar Chennafi for his local knowledge and assistance, Vanessa Bonnin for help processing black and white film, and the gracious presence of Stephen di Renza for being the perfect host.

Submissions are open for our next workshop in Morocco with Erik Kessels in September 2011. More information and details on how to apply is available here.

1000 WORDS WORKSHOP WITH ERIK KESSELS IN MOROCCO, SEPTEMBER 2011

*17.07.11 THERE ARE STILL TWO PLACES AVAILABLE-APPLY NOW!-DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 14.08.11!*

After two very successful workshops with Antoine d'Agata and Anders Petersen, 1000 Words is very pleased to present its third with Erik Kessels in Fez, Morocco (12-17 September 2011). Though the camera will be the tool, this workshop will appeal to creatives from all visual disciplines, not just photography.

"Nowadays, we consume images without really looking at them. It's every photographer's duty to make images that stand out from the daily visual clutter." Erik Kessels

Please scroll down for more information and how to submit.

ERIK KESSELS:

Erik Kessels' list of achievements are extensive. He is best described as a curator and publisher who conceptualises vernacular photography and produces unusual artworks. He is a founding partner and Creative Director of the highly successful and innovative advertising agency, KesselsKrammer in Amsterdam (yes, that is the actual website). He has won numerous awards and KesselsKramer comprises of thirty eight people from eight different countries and has been operating since 1996. He has designed, edited and published several books on vernacular photography through KesselsKramer Publishing – including the in almost every picture series, The Instant Men and Wonder. Since 2000, he has been an editor of the alternative photography magazine Useful Photography.

Erik is also noted for his particularly original curated exhibitions such as Loving Your Pictures at the Centraal Museum Utrecht, The Netherlands and at Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles. He was one of four curators (alongside Lou Reed, Fred Ritchin and Vince Aletti) of the New York Photo Festival 2010 where he presented the exhibition Use Me Abuse Me.

Aside from all that, Erik is a very nice man with a creative spirit second to none. His conceptual approach and playful attitude will push those who are open to exploring more lateral ways of image-making.

ABOUT US:

The organisation's flagship is 1000 Words, an online magazine dedicated to contemporary photography in the UK and beyond. It reviews exhibitions and photobooks and publishes interviews, essays and multimedia. We are committed to showing the work of lesser-known but significant artists alongside that of established photographers in the aim of bringing their work to a wider audience. Often incredibly diverse in terms of subjects, concepts, styles and techniques, yet by covering a wide spectrum of genres 1000 Words intends to make us reconsider the contemporary photograph.

Released quarterly, the magazine attracts over 140,000 unique visitors from more than 75 countries every month. In May 2010 the 1000 Words Blog was ranked at number 3 in The Top 25 UK Arts & Culture Blogs as part of a survey carried out by Creative Tourist and was also named as the winner of Arts Media Contacts' Photography Blog of the Year Award, 2010.

Yet 1000 Words is much more than just an online magazine. It is the first step in our concept. 1000 Words also operates a programme of exhibitions and events including four annual workshops in Fez, Morocco as well as talks, portfolio reviews, prizes and awards. In July 2010, we launched the 1000 Words Collection, in partnership with Troika Editions, offering limited edition photography prints at affordable prices from artists including Simon Roberts, JH Engstrom, Bruno Quinquet, Sarah Small, Trinidad Carrillo, Andrew Bruce, Leigh Ledare, Nuno Cera and Virgilio Ferreira.

1000 Words is governed by its board of directors who play an active role in the direction of the organisation. They are: Camilla Gore, Nicholas Barker, Simon Baker, Aron Morel, Louise Clements, Tim Clark, Michael Grieve and Norman Clark. The 1000 Words Workshops are organised by Tim Clark, founder and editor-in-chief at 1000 Words and Michael Grieve, 1000 Words deputy editor, lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and a photographer represented by Agence Vu.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

The 1000 Words Workshop takes place in an authentically restored riad situated in the medieval medina, at the heart of the beautifully evocative city of Fez, Morocco. The workshop will be an intense experience lasting six days between 12-17 September 2011 and will consist of 12 participants. The medina is a vibrant labyrinth that will permeate all the senses. Surrounded by the Atlas Mountains, it offers a visually stunning backdrop for this truly unique workshop.

We are looking for a diverse range of participants who understand the work of Erik Kessels and feel that their own art will benefit from his guidance. As we said before, though the camera will be the tool, this workshop will appeal to creatives from all visual disiplines, not just photography.

"A lot of photographers are looking into ways to make their work public," says Erik Kessels. "Almost every photographer has their own website. But for a lot of photographers, there is also a strong need to publish a book or have an exhibition. How do you communicate these needs to the outside world? Also, which kind of tools are there to use?"

Erik Kessels will first give a lecture about his own experiences on these subjects. There will then be a workshop where photographers will find their own way to proceed in their future work. Subjects will be: 'How to edit your own photographs?' 'Self publishing' and 'How can photographers communicate about their own work?'.

Over the course of several days there will be different short briefs for the attending photographers. These will teach them to be more playful and communicative with their own work.


PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

The cost of the workshop will be £1250 for 6 days. Once participants have been selected they will be expected to pay a non-refundable deposit of £350 within two weeks. Participants can then pay the rest of the fee according to deadlines (see below). Participants are encouraged to arrive the day before the workshop begins for a welcome dinner. The price includes:

-tuition from Erik Kessels (inluding defining each participant's project;shooting;editing sessions;creating a coherent body of work;creation of a slide show;projection of the images of the participants.)
-a welcome and farewell dinner
-lunch everyday and snacks during the afternoon
-24 hour help from the 1000 Words team and an assistant/translator with local knowledge.

Participants will be expected to make their own travel arrangements and find accommodation, which in Fez can range from £150 upwards for the week. We can advise on finding the accommodation that best suits you. Remember that most of your time will be spent either at the riad or shooting. For photographers using film we will provide the means for processing and a scanner. Photographers shooting digital will be expected to bring all necessary equipment. Please note that for the purposes and practicalities of a workshop, digital really is advisable. All participants should also bring a laptop if they have one. Every effort will be made to accommodate individual technical needs.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

We require that you send 10 images as low res jpegs and/or a link to your website, as well as a short biography and statement about why you think it will be relevant for you to work with Erik (approx 200 words total). Submissions are to be sent to workshops@1000wordsmag.com with the following subject header: SUBMISSION FOR 1000 WORDS WORKSHOP WITH ERIK KESSELS.

30 June 2011: Deadline for applications
15 July 2011: Successful candidates contacted
29 July 2011: Deposit due (£350)
31 August 2011: Second instalment due (£900)
11 September 2011: Arrive in Morocco for welcoming dinner
12 September 2011: Workshop begins
17 September 2011: Workshop ends

Succes gewenst!

Places still available for Anders Petersen workshop in Morocco!

There are still two places available for the 1000 Words Workshop with highly-acclaimed Swedish photographer, Anders Petersen at riad 9 in Fez, Morocco (27 April-1 May 2011). We are asking both professional and amateur photographers to submit entries for this rare and challenging experience.

Watch these video clips from a previous workshop for a taster Anders in action. This should get your creative juices flowing:





Please click here for more information and how to submit. As you'll, see we've extended the deadline for applications to 28 March.

1000 WORDS WORKSHOP WITH ANDERS PETERSEN IN MOROCCO, APRIL 2011

© Anders Petersen

*07.03.11 THERE ARE STILL TWO PLACES AVAILABLE-APPLY NOW!-DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 28.03.11!*

1000 Words is very pleased to present its second workshop with highly-acclaimed Swedish photographer, Anders Petersen, in Fez, Morocco (27 April - 1 May 2011). We are asking both professional and amateur photographers to submit entries for this rare and challenging experience.

"You have to focus on what you are doing, not just as a photographer, but as a human being." Anders Petersen

Please scroll down for more information and how to submit.

ANDERS PETERSEN:

The importance and achievements of Swedish photographer, Anders Petersen, cannot be overestimated. As a social realist he has had a significant influence on a bitter/sweet attitude that strives towards a `subjective documentary´ approach to photography. Taught by Christer Strömholm in the 1960s, Anders has continued and expanded the necessity for photographers to embark on personal diaries of the life, places and people that they experience. He has published more than 20 photobooks from the highly regarded and classic, Café Lehmitz (1978) to the more recent collaboration with JH Engström with From Back Home (2009). He is represented by Galerie VU in Paris, Marvelli Gallery in New York, Gun Gallery in Stockholm and Rat Hole Gallery in Tokyo.

ABOUT US:

The organisation´s flagship is 1000 Words, an online magazine dedicated to highlighting the best contemporary art photography worldwide. It reviews exhibitions and photobooks and publishes interviews, essays and multimedia. We are committed to showing the work of lesser-known but significant artists alongside that of established photographers in the aim of bringing their work to a wider audience. Often incredibly diverse in terms of subjects, concepts, styles and techniques, yet by covering a wide spectrum of genres 1000 Words intends to make us reconsider the contemporary photograph.

Released quarterly, the magazine attracts over 140,000 unique visitors from more than 75 countries every month and in May 2010 the 1000 Words Blog was ranked at number 3 in The Top 25 UK Arts & Culture Blogs in a survey carried out by Creative Tourist.

Yet 1000 Words is much more than just an online magazine. It is the first step in our concept. 1000 Words also operates a programme of exhibitions and events including four annual workshops in Fez, Morocco as well as talks, portfolio reviews, prizes and awards. In July 2010, we launched the 1000 Words Collection, in partnership with Troika Editions, offering limited edition photography prints at affordable prices from artists Simon Roberts,JH Engstrom, Bruno Quinquet, Sarah Small, Trinidad Carrillo and Virgilio Ferreira. The 1000 Words Workshops are organised by Tim Clark, editor-in-chief and director at 1000 Words and Michael Grieve, 1000 Words deputy editor and photographer represented by Agence Vu.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

The 1000 Words Workshop takes place in an authentically restored riad situated in the medieval medina, at the heart of the beautifully evocative city of Fez, Morocco. The workshop will be an intense experience lasting five days between 27 April - 1 May 2011 and will consist of 12 participants. The medina is a vibrant labyrinth that will permeate all the senses. Surrounded by the Atlas Mountains, it offers a visually stunning backdrop for this truly unique workshop.

We are looking for a diverse range of participants who understand the work of Anders Petersen and feel that their own photography will benefit from his guidance. Depending on individual needs the daily structure begins with lunch at the riad and during the afternoon Anders will encourage group participation in looking, critiquing and developing ideas and image making. In the late afternoon participants will begin to photograph. The week will end with a slideshow of the work created. Undoubtedly it will be a very creative and highly rewarding experience for those who wish to push themselves.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

The cost of the workshop will be £1250 for 5 days. Once participants have been selected they will be expected to pay a non-refundable deposit of £350 within two weeks. Participants can then pay the rest of the fee according to deadlines (see below). Participants are encouraged to arrive the day before the workshop begins for a welcome dinner. The price includes tuition from Anders Petersen, a welcome and farewell dinner, lunch everyday and snacks during the afternoon, 24 hour help from the 1000 Words team and an assistant/translator with local knowledge. Participants will be expected to make their own travel arrangements and find accommodation, which in Fez can range from £150 upwards for the week. We can advise on finding the accommodation that best suits you. Remember that most of your time will be spent either at the riad or shooting. For photographers using film we will provide the means for processing and a scanner. Photographers shooting digital will be expected to bring all necessary equipment. All participants should also bring a laptop if they have one. Every effort will be made to accommodate individual technical needs.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

We require that you send 10 images as low res jpegs and/or a link to your website, as well as a short biography and statement about why you think it will be relevant for you to work with Anders (approx 200 words total). Submissions are to be sent to workshops@1000wordsmag.com with the following subject header: SUBMISSION FOR 1000 WORDS WORKSHOP WITH ANDERS PETERSEN.

14 February 2011: Deadline for applications
28 February 2011: Successful candidates contacted
14 March 2011: Deposit due (£350)
31 March 2011: Second instalment due (£900)
26 April 2011: Arrive in Morocco
27 April 2011: Workshop begins
1 May 2011: Workshop ends

Lycka till!

Antoine and beyond

© Michael Grieve / 1000 Words

In October 2010, 1000 Words held its first workshop in the medina of Fez, Morocco with the very special Magnum photographer, Antoine d’Agata. The workshop was a resounding success with all 12 participants producing vibrant and intimate photography. The location of Fez offered unique challenges and presented an intense backdrop for photographers to be truly creative. It is easy to get lost in the medina and this was perhaps the underlining and appropriate theme to the week.

1000 Words (Michael Grieve and Tim Clark) would like to thank all the participants for their tremendous energy and contribution. They completely opened up to the experience and allowed themselves to discover new approaches and push their mental and emotional selves to the limit. The participants were:

Richard Bee, UK
Martin Bogren, Sweden
Laura Hynd, UK
Miwako Homma, Japan
Edoardo Pasero, Italy
Alex Lau, USA
Katie White, USA
Joao Linneu, Brazil
Roberta Holden, Canada
Karin Crona, France
April Mountfort, Australia
Kay Erickson, USA






















© Michael Grieve / 1000 Words

We would also like to thank Antoine d’Agata for his incredible skill as a teacher and for his warm and gracious presence.

The workshop would not have been possible without the assistance of Omar Chennafi for his practical knowledge of Fez and for bringing a wonderfully positive attitude to a fervent and industrious atmosphere. And Vanessa Bonnin, who provided us with the means to process black and white films and sourced the only person in Morocco who supplies the necessary chemicals!

1000 Words is organising four more workshops in Morocco next year and will be making a call for submissions very soon. Until then, check out more photos from the workshop over at the 1000 Words Photography Magazine group on Facebook.

Gihan Tubbeh

All images © Gihan Tubbeh from the series Nights of Grace.

Pictured here are a few brilliant examples from a talented young Peruvian photographer called Gihan Tubbeh.

"The project presented is not intended to tell a story, " says Gihan Tubbeh of her sparkling collection of photographs, adding, albeit obliquely: "It is rather an assemblage of soiled images that are read among each other."

"If I could sum up the series in one word I would say it's about transgression," she explains, which clearly echoes the subjective approach, technique and intimate emotion of the great Magnum photographer.

"The photos document the most primitive and instinctive conditions of humanity. The tone is acid: it talks about the vulnerable excess of desire, the insatiable hunger for pleasure on the edge of suffering, about violation towards the flesh, joy throughout offense, the eternal return towards the visceral, the morbid by wounding and being wounded.

For transgression to exist, there must be awareness of good and evil, guilt, and condemnation of sin. But this knowledge is left suspended, hidden in our consciousness as a thumping secret that causes greed and temptation towards the forbidden. The body is the battleground between Eros and Thanatos, between desire and destruction; the woman is mother and destroyer, which represents masculine desire. This way, we break life's boundaries with our bodies, resisting thirsty to nights' pain, moving in between crime and repression."

Gihan Tubbeh (26), Peru, followed three years on audio-visual communications at the University of Lima, before studying photography at the Centro de la Imagen, also in the Peruvian capital. Her work has appeared in Die Zeit,Travel and Leisure, and Vision magazine, as well as in numerous publications across Peru. Gihan has featured in a number of group and solo exhibitions across Peru and Europe. She also forms part of Versus Photo, a Peruvian collective of photographers. On 2009, she was one of the twelve photographers who joined the Joop Swart Masterclass of WWP. This year, Gihan won the 1st prize in Daily Life stories with Adrian, a 13-year old autist of the World Press Photo competition. Recently, she has been selected to join Reflexions Masterclass which will begun on May for a two-year seminar. Her last solo exhibition was this past July 2010, Purge in OJO AJENO Gallery.