Friday, October 09, 2009

bg/ish: The Photography of Ed Kashi

The Wolfman left the following comment on my previous post regarding Project Censored:

"You should look into the Shell and Africa dilemma. I saw a crazy documentary on Shell's exploits."

And he's right. And he has impeccable timing.

I went last night to the 50 Crows gallery to see an opening and book signing for photographer Ed Kashi. His work is really impressive, and one of his photo essays is regarding Oil in the Niger Delta. So, Wolfman, check it out, because I'm sure it goes hand in hand with the documentary you commented about.

Up close and in person, this was one of my favorite shots. (Click for a larger size)


If you're unfamiliar with 50 Crows, they are a foundation that "eschews media politics and prioritizes social awareness by using arrestingly real, timely photographic images as a catalyst for education, cultural understanding and social action." They feature some amazing work.

Check out 50 Crows...

and check out Ed Kashi.

1 comment:

Wolfman said...

Another side note about the Shell controversy: Not sure on the number of them, but quite a few, at the least, of their original oil lines/pumps are inactive or unused. Usually, it is due to low output, but they constantly leak and contaminate the water and land with no solution in sight. Shell owns the land and refuses to close up the lines and sell it or give it back to the locals. With monopolizing the land and allowing the failing lines to drip continuously, the locals are closer and closer to starvation, waste, and death.

Mad shit.