Acclaimed photographer Jamel Shabazz has curated an exhibition at Photoville this year, showcasing young photographers from diverse backgrounds who use documentary photography to address pressing social issues. He leads a conversation with them on this panel.
Presenters: Soraya Matos Donato Di Camillo Michael McCoy
Moderators: Jamel Shabazz
Location: St. Ann’s Warehouse
Presented by:
Supported by:
Photoville Talks at St. Ann’s Warehouse are produced by United Photo Industries and supported in part by PhotoWings and the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation.
Acclaimed photographer Jamel Shabazz has curated an exhibition at Photoville this year, showcasing young photographers from diverse backgrounds who use documentary photography to address pressing social issues. They have covered topics from albinism to post-traumatic stress. Join this panel discussion with Jamel and three photographers, Soraya Matos, Donato Di Camillo, and Michael McCoy, whose work is included in the exhibition.
Soraya Matos is a travel, lifestyle, and culture photographer based in San Francisco, Cali., but often found elsewhere.
More than a traveler of the globe, she is an explorer of ideas, using photography to document the full spectrum of the human experience, while making us wonder about our society in an ever-expanding, interconnected world.
Donato Di Camillo was born the lone son of Italian immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York. He suffered behavioral problems as a child, moving in and out of institutions and jails after being expelled from school at age 16.
He taught himself photography after serving a federal prison sentence in Virginia. He first photographed bugs, plants, and anything else within 120 feet of his domicile, as restricted under an order of home confinement.
His work now focuses on people, and it has been featured in multiple publications and news sources around the world, including the BBC, The Washington Post, CBC, and Huffington Post.
His first collection is slated for publication in late 2019. He currently resides in Staten Island.
Michael McCoy I like to think of myself as a storyteller through photography, and my camera lens offers a concrete expression that will transcend time. My passion for photography came in my early years, and it has allowed me to identify and navigate the subtle nuances that make each person unique. Catching them at just the right moment produces exquisite works of art that will be cherished forever. My photographs have been described as engaging, affectionate, insightful and alluring.
My entire life has been dominated by my passion for photography. From the minute I picked up a camera, I was captivated. I love telling the story about the relationships between individuals; capturing those special moments of joy and contentment. Whether it’s a congressional hearing, portrait assignment, or breaking news, I like to capture the in-between moments that are the most candid and authentic.
Over the years I’ve worked successfully in every kind of setting: on Capitol Hill, parks, historic locations, on city streets, in churches, you name it. I’ve also been able to use my skills as a photojournalist to capture the powerful, emotional moments during the Black Lives Matters protests, and the protests surrounding the Freddie Gray case.
A list of Michael’s clients, and his work has been seen in the following publications: Reuters, The Washington Post, The Washington Post Magazine, AARP, Rotary Club, Behavioral Health System Baltimore, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Getty Images, NBC News, ABC News, MSN, Afro Punk, The Rotarian Magazine, AARP, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Canadian Broadcast Corporation, and Channel News Asia just to name a few.
Jamel Shabazz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. At 15, he picked up his first camera and started to document his peers. In 1980, he embarked on a mission to extensively document New York City, from youth culture to a wide range of social conditions.
Shabazz says his goal is to contribute to the preservation of world history and culture. He has worked with a wide range of organizations centered on inspiring young people in the field of photography and social responsibility. He has been a teaching artist with the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the Bronx Museum’s Teen Council youth program, the International Center of Photography, Friends of the Island Academy, and the Studio Museum in Harlem’s Expanding the Walls Project.
Shabazz is the author of 5 monographs. He is presently working on a new book, The Book of Life.
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
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