Lost Ceremony – Ghosts in the Workshop by Adam Marelli

I haven’t covered an exhibition in a while and I thought this specific project perfectly summed up the inspirations here on the site, actually it’s almost uncanny the parallels between the two. The project as a whole focuses on Japanese Master Craftsmen as an endangered species, and has been part of photographer Adam Marelli’s multi year study on the uncertain future of ancient traditions. As a creative himself, Adam is fascinated by the philosophy behind Japanese crafts, so he combined his experience as a builder with his artistic training to reveal the shy personalities that normally remain inside their workshops through a series of photographs.

A new exhibition by Adam Marelli, titled ‘Lost Ceremony’, opened last night at the Impossible Project Space in New York City. It will run until April 17th, 2013 and is a “must see” for anyone inspired by making, crafts or photography. As you can see from the photographs presented here, Adam does a sensational job at capturing the different individuals using Impossible Project film and a vintage polaroid SX-70. The misty and grainy images definitely add to the whole concept and give you an idea of the battle that these craftsmen are having to go through to survive in these current times, with mass production and other novelty items crowding our ecosystem.

This is just one part of Adam’s ongoing series, which will sure to be expanded on for years to come. So it will be interesting to see what direction we take and if more people will support these humble workers, I’m hoping that they win their battle and that they teach other younger individuals to carry on the process. Personally, I’m a young creative and I find this very inspiring so I’m sure others out there will too, passing on the message is the best thing that we can do. That’s why I recommend visiting the exhibition if you’re in New York to have a browse, you can’t really go wrong. I’d also urge you to check out Adam Marelli’s website for future updates on events and exhibitions, hopefully he’ll be taking this worldwide some day soon. Enjoy!

adammarelliphoto.com
the-impossible-project.com

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