9/5/09 Barbara Justice Review of Ramin Samandari

It's 9:30 do you know where your blog is. So I looked in the Current and counted over 50 photo related openings that are going on during the month of September. The Current is a free publication that you can find pretty much anywhere, also if you are planning on having a show you can post it for free as long as it is two weeks in advance.

I got a chance to go see the new work of Ramin Samandari at Joan Grona Gallery. He is a San Antonian transplated from the middle east who teaches at Southwest Craft Center. His images were about the recent election in Iran and the senseless killings and attacks on civilians that are speaking out for their democratic rights.

The images show explicit bloodshed and death. They are documentary and political. They made me think of how fine art photography and documentary photography are different. They were sad and compelling and emotional. It made me think of media photographers capturing these images and sometimes getting killed or wounded. I don't know if I would do it or not.

I did look at some photographers that have been mentioned in class and Garry Winogrand came to mind because of his work. It reminded me about "social scenery events" and how some photographers seem to be in the right place at the right time to capture such dramatic imagery.

He was nice enough to be in the gallery and talk to people who had questions and explain his work. Definately worth seeing, it will make you think and probably give you goosebumps.