Pictures from Home

Photographs by Manuel Llaneras of Cuba
Photographs by Ilia Varcev of Czechoslovakia

at the Photography Center of Atlanta

1769 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324

phone 404-872-7262

E-Mail Photoatl@mindspring.com,

image by Ilia Varcev, copyright 2003

Link to more Photos By Ilia Varcev

Pictures From Home, with works from the homelands of Ilia Varcev and Manuel Llaneras, is a celebration of their roots, families, and the places that hold special memories and emotions for the photographers. During the focused Atlanta Celebrates Photography, this visual celebration of images, shares with us the opportunity to share in the intimate, personal, creative, and visually delightful vision of two of Atlanta's finest photographers.

Rarely seen without cameras to their eyes or close by, both photographers are tuned to the documentary tradition and are fully immersed into photography's' expressive ability to capture the subtleties, the visual magic, of the moment.

Ilia Varcev photographed extensively during his first, and only, return trip to the city of Prague and the small village nearby where his parents have lived since he was a small child. These were the places where he had spent his childhood between a cooperative farm of Communist Czechoslovakia, and later a boarding school in Prague. Long known to those in the local photographic community, this is the first time that these works have been assembled together for an exhibition.

Image by Ilia Varcev, Copyright, 2003

Archived Text / Manuel Llaneras

Manuel Llaneras was forced into exile from his families home in Cuba when still a child. Returning to experience both the changes and stagnation of his home island, Manuel points the camera in a way that explores the complex and difficult relationship between himself and the place of his birth. Photographs from the hacienda that had been his grandfathers, of distant relatives, and as well as photographs of strangers in Havana, all reflect the visual, emotional, and intellectual reaction that Manuel is sharing with us in his photographs.
In a time where we are immersed in travel photographs made from the decks of cruise ships, so called social documentary work made from tour buses, and wildlife photographs made from Range Rovers, photographs made from the perspective of being deeply intertwined and involved in the places photographed, gives a new confidence in the photographs ability to communicate rich and complex ideas, as well as being truly delightful as visual documents in themselves.

Link to the commercial and fine art website of Manuel Llaneras

This exhibition gives us all the opportunity to share this vision and these experiences with the artists. Pictures from Home offers the opportunity to supply the lifeblood of financial assistance to the artists through the purchase of their work. While selling a painting by artist Georgia O'Keefe, Alfred Stieglitz stubbornly negotiated with his client, declaring that any price short of one which would allow O'Keefe to "buy" time to pursue her art would be ludicrous. Being a "Patron of the Arts" has been democratized and all of us that can afford the joy of being involved in the artists' creative process should give serious consideration of doing so.

Bill Gillespie, Atlanta, Georgia, 2003

Directions

Photography Center of Atlanta, Call 404-872-7262 to register, Visa/MC/Novus/AmEx, just off Piedmont Rd at 1769 Cheshire Bridge Rd, Atlanta, GA 30324 Nearby to I-85, I-75, and 400. For travelers on I-75 or I-85 Northbound, Exit on Buford Highway/Monroe/Piedmont on I-85 North (just after the split of I-75 & I-85), go down the ramp and immediately take next exit at Monroe Drive, turn left at the light, go one block to light where you will go straight (over Piedmont), the road you are on after crossing Piedmont is Cheshire Bridge Rd, and we are the third building on the right. From I-85 South bound, exit at Lenox Rd / Cheshire Bridge Rd and turn left onto Cheshire Bridge, travel 1 1/2 miles and we are on the left. From I-75 traveling south, just after the Howell Mill / Northside Drive Exit there will be a left lane exit to I-85 North, take that exit and follow the instructions for I-85 Northbound. Convenient Parking!