In March 2011, Jim Shannon and Toby Deveson travelled to India to photograph, amongst other things, Holi festival. The resulting images form a narrative of intense fun, intrigue, drama and tradition told in an original and surprising way.
While their passion for photography has evolved from similar roots and backgrounds, their methods could not be more different. Colour and black and white bounce off each other, complementing, and yet at other times competing with each other. Film and digital stand apart, sometimes whispering, but also shouting about their differences: subtle, painterly and almost biblical alongside sharp, honest and vivid.
Both sets of work could stand alone, successfully depicting the wonderful festival of Holi, and yet Jim and Toby have chosen to bring them together in this intriguing project, each adding dimensions and elements, not only to each other’s work but to the visualisation of the festival.
And it is the festival itself that stands to gain the most from this collaboration. A feast of exuberance, music, dance and colour, celebrating the arrival of spring and the birth of Krishna. Holi encapsulates and represents everything that is remarkable about India and is amongst the most vivid, intense and inclusive of all spring festivals.
This collaboration between Jim and Toby, this alchemy of techniques and mediums feeding off each other, truly brings the festival to life for those unlucky enough not to have been there in person.
And it is thanks to Howies that this small taster is here to tease us and to coax their larger and more ambitious show to life, details of which will be posted on their websites in the near future.
April 8, 2018
March 19, 2018
April 27, 2017
February 27, 2017
December 1, 2016
November 11, 2016
November 7, 2016
November 5, 2016
September 25, 2016
August 11, 2016
July 1, 2016
April 9, 2016
March 20, 2016
February 15, 2016
November 11, 2015
November 10, 2015
October 20, 2015
November 16, 2014
September 13, 2014
September 12, 2014
September 2, 2014
August 16, 2014
August 15, 2014
July 1, 2014
June 2, 2014
April 25, 2014
April 20, 2014
April 19, 2014
April 15, 2014
April 8, 2014
December 4, 2013
November 28, 2013
November 17, 2013
November 16, 2013
November 15, 2013
March 17, 2013
February 22, 2013
February 5, 2013
December 1, 2012
June 22, 2012
June 9, 2012
June 8, 2012
June 6, 2012
June 5, 2012
June 4, 2012
June 3, 2012
June 2, 2012
June 1, 2012
February 15, 2012
February 13, 2012
January 25, 2012
January 20, 2012
January 19, 2012
January 17, 2012
January 2, 2012
October 7, 2011
September 3, 2011
August 19, 2011
October 16, 2010
October 15, 2010
September 15, 2010
August 22, 2010
August 3, 2010
June 29, 2010
March 28, 2010
December 8, 2009