Coppersmith

Today was not the best day. A short trip to San Francisco fell through and we had to eat the cost of the airplane ticket, never mind the disappointment of not going. A challenging and lucrative translation project that had been dangled in front of my nose by the editor was rescinded when the author changed his mind and hired a more famous translator. And finally I came across the attached article describing a project of workplace photography which elicited unwelcome envy.

Work Tables

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/traditional-italian-artisan-shops?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=3e8f5fd5d5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-3e8f5fd5d5-66214597&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_22_2018)&mc_cid=3e8f5fd5d5&mc_eid=1765533648

Titled Heroes  it depicts the workplaces of Italian artisans, and describes small business owners’ struggle for survival.

Puppet Maker vs. Mortuary Casts

Needless to say many of the images of the work tables reminded me of very similar subjects in front of my own lens. (Paired photographs show Pergolesi’s work first, mine second.)

None of the latter, of course, summed up in a coherent fashion that tells a story, but all just taken in in my usual way of cataloging the world as I see it. I started longing, jealously, for a cohesive project, some extended documentation of some worthwhile topic, rather than being my usual flâneuse self.

Leather vs Soap

Francesco Pergolesi certainly has a knack of creating atmospheric shots and I find his work beautiful, particularly when it is centered on the artisans themselves. Making it about an issue rather than being just descriptive elevates it to prominence. The series can be viewed at his website below.

http://www.francescopergolesi.com/?gallery=heroes&mode=f

Bakery Surface vs. Drawing Table

Tomorrow is another day…. and I’ll sweep something up. Maybe. Or maybe not.