There's this guy, Mauro Scattolini, who either has, or plans to have, a bunch of photos of sheep herders in Italy. He describes them as "nomadic" but I don't think that's true, I think it's the standard practice of moving livestock to one place for the summer, and back for the winter. These are not nomads as such, more like people with two homes.
That said, it looks pretty cool. This is definitely a dying tradition, as lands are enclosed and so on. The pictures seem to be just what you'd expect, but they are competent and appealing, and the subject matter is genuinely compelling.
Click here for the photographer's page for the project, and you'll see what I am talkng about. Make sure to check that page out first for, reasons.
The kickstarter campaign itself is here. To be blunt, this is a pretty lousy page. It blathers on about "transhumance" which I had to look up and it means "that thing where you move livestock up the mountain for the summer, like in Brokeback Mountain, but the gay sex is optional" and doesn't give you any good pictures.
But that's where you'd go to buy the zines. It's an all-or-nothing so there's less risk for you, I think.
I am debating whether or not to back it myself. It's almost my cup of tea, but maybe not quite, and I do watch both pennies and shelf space quite carefully.
You might like it, though!
Wow, $33K goal...How many "zines" does that print?
ReplyDeleteThere's a bunch of rewards, but the one that matters is: 65 euros for 5 zines. He was hoping to pre-sell 460 sets, so 2300ish zines, at 13 euros per zine.
Delete13 euros for a zine seems a little high, honestly, but once you pay yourself a little something and pay for packaging and postage, it's probably not *much* overpriced.
It's a, um, long shot at this point.
wow. I love them. I will get them. I don't know what's going on with "zines" and "first volume" already completed, but I will poke the guy to find out, and then hope to receive many photos of beautiful, rather goat-looking sheep. And sheep-dogs! and Italian countryside... and old Italian guys too. He says there are travel expenses too, neh. [stone seal]
ReplyDeleteI have pledged for the set including artisanal wool things - which also appeal to me - if the project comes to fruition and a set of photos arrives on North American soil, you may look at them and save room on your shelves
Delete[stone seal]
A very Jean Mohr project (a good thing, if a little dated). I've done a tiny bit of shepherding in recent years on a friend's Highland small holding, and there is a deep satisfaction to be had in that hands-on life. Sadly, but understandably, fewer and fewer youngsters want to take it up. I mean, it's wet, dirty, and 24/7... And the phone signal up there is terrible...
ReplyDeleteMike
Yes, it's possible I find the work attractive precisely because I just read a Berger/Mohr thing that was filled with basically the same pictures, perhaps with a bit more grain.
DeleteHope it works out for him. Although I find the whole thing a bit overwrought. To put it bluntly, my translation is that he spent time out of a house, away from social media and the news, and instead lived in nature with other human beings and animals - dogs and livestock. Something humans have been doing for several thousands of years. It good that he’s had this experience. I too enjoy going hiking and camping and leaving the digital world and politics behind (although I do take a DSLR). Thankfully he didn’t use the word ‘authentic’. Looks like he got some very good shots too.
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