KEVIN CASHA EDITOR
THE BENEFITS OF ART DENNIS CUTAJAR
STEFAN CACHIA
SUSANNA DIACONO
TONIO POLIDANO
ORIELLA FORMOSA CARABEZ
P U B L I C AT I O N S
THE BENEFITS OF ART
P U B L I C AT I O N S
Published by
P U B L I C AT I O N S www.apsbank.com.mt
General Copyright © APS Bank Ltd, 2017 Literary Copyright © the Authors, 2017 Photography Copyright © the Photographers, 2017 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher and authors. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior consent of the publisher and authors. Permission for images are in accordance with local Data Protection and Copyright laws. Portrait photographs of the contributors by Kevin Casha.
The publishers would like to thank all those who supported this publication. Editor & Coordinator: Kevin Casha Design and layout: Joseph Mizzi Copy-editing: Martin Bugelli Produced by Midsea Books Ltd for APS Bank Ltd Printing: Gutenberg Press, Malta ISBN: 978-99957-1-093-4
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Contents
Foreword E. P. Delia, Chairman, APS Bank 6 Introduction Kevin Casha, editor 9 Biographical note 12 Personal, National and Universal Hilary Spiteri 14 Music: reception and response Dennis Cutajar 36 Catharsis: expressing emotion through art Oriella Formosa Carabez 56 Photography: a window of the soul Stefan Cachia 78 Retaining traditions through performance Susanna Diacono 96 Art from the start Tonio Polidano 112
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Foreword
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n 2015, APS Bank launched a new three-year project in which photographers were sensitised to lend their technical skills and artistic works to convey an annual message to the public. The main thrust of this project was summarised as ‘Photography with a Purpose’. It complemented other initiatives which APS Bank was undertaking at the time, recording the valid contribution that Maltese artists are making in the Visual Arts and in Music. Photography was thus given the recognition of being a branch of artistic endeavour in its own right. This project offered an opportunity to yet another group of artists to convey their thoughts and feelings on the world around them by capturing images and freezing them for the reflection of viewers. The camera substituted voice and sound, paint and brush, or clay and chisel. The first theme explored was Vanishing Malta. It presented photographs which poignantly illustrated, in monochrome or in vivid colours, five areas from everyday experience that were gradually disappearing from the local natural
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environment or national heritage. Five photographers, three Maltese and two expatriates, were entrusted to take note of and record the natural habitats, objects, skills, and social structures which represented village and town life in Malta and Gozo. They focused on the flora, chapels, traditional trades, village cores and forgotten structures. The exhibition and written text served as a reminder, in an attractive way, the beauty that is to be found in the Maltese countryside as well as in built-up areas. It exists in the squares, the old buildings, and new districts. It is there waiting to be noticed, appreciated and protected as long as it lasts. Neglect endangers the survival of endemic species, of historical monuments such as churches and watch-towers, or ordinary buildings which illustrate the workmanship of various craftsmen over the ages. This year’s topic is The Benefits of Art. Art, as expressed in its various forms, distinguishes the human race from the other creatures, space and matter that surround it. In the words of Hilary Spiteri, who contributed a keynote essay on Art as being ‘Personal,
National and Universal’, ‘Art generates the sense of Self, both individual and communal, is a form of Divergence, acts as a tool ... Cognition.’ This is a short but highly significant list, spelling out the benefits that Art renders to every single person individually, and collectively to the whole of society. Mr Spiteri illustrates his thesis with works by Maltese and foreign artists. This may be a novel way for many when viewing the output of many artists. Rather than being ‘objects’ to be noticed, talked about, or even collected – often as a hedge against inflation and as a source of financial wealth – works of art are a reflection of the heart and soul of their creators. They are subjective expressions on beauty and balance, serenity of nature, immensity of spaces, personal grandeur, or fears and doubts set in sound, vision, movement or a combination of the three. Kevin Casha is the editor of this book, and the curator of the photographic exhibition. He identified five promising photographers who were ready to undertake the challenging task of conveying the abstract attributes of Art defined above, into everyday events that are often unnoticed by many. They had to translate such ideas into a series of photographs which, together, visually explore the connotation of an artistic area for particular individuals or groups. People are encouraged to carry out certain activities, or to participate in social events, without actually realising that what they are doing is truly creating something new, or expressing themselves during traditional celebrations. They also do so in a subjective manner – hence re-inventing a custom by expressing it in a contemporary idiom which may be unique to them.
The five photographers reside in Malta, but one, Susanna Diacono, originates from Sweden. Hence there is this ‘outside view’ comment or observation of Maltese events – the retention or revival of traditional customs through performance in social festivities – expressed via photography. The other four Maltese contributors are Dennis Cutajar, Oriella Formosa Carabez, Stefan Cachia and Tonio Polidano. They explore the following themes: Music – reception and response; Catharsis – expressing emotion through art; Photography – a window on the soul, and; Art from the start. Their works are appealing and inviting to viewers, but they go further. They are a reminder of people’s reactions to the world around them. This surrounding environment triggers emotions, renders people reflective, relaxed and happy or tense, and perhaps even sad. Irrespective of the many difficulties which they are bound to encounter all along, this interaction between the individuals and the outside world makes life worth living. But to do so, they have to appreciate the relevance of even the smallest thing or event that they come across, and the merits of social involvement. This is a valid reason to impart the skill of art appreciation from an early age. Indeed, ‘Catch them young’ is the message conveyed by Tonio Polidano’s ‘Art from the start’. It is a means of conveying self-confidence, a critical evaluation of one’s work with the aim of enhancing whatever one is doing, and an appreciation of the output of others. The self and the communal thereby get together in a positive, constructive manner. This was the message illustrated in the APS Bank Calendar for 2017, THE BEN EF I TS OF A RT
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which makes up the third component of this project. People have to start early to appreciate the merits of Art. In doing so, they find opportunities to understand themselves and become more inclined to listen to the views of others in whichever format these are expressed. APS Bank highly values this collaboration with the editor/curator Kevin Casha, Hilary Spiteri, and with the five photographers who accepted the invitation to participate in this year’s assignment. It is this teamwork that has contributed to the success of
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this particular initiative. Thank you all. I am confident that the text and the exhibition will be both enjoyable to read and view and, at the same time, help us to understand better the true meaning of Art in the life of every person.
E. P. DELIA Chairman, APS Bank February 2017
Introduction
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uring my initial meetings with the photographers who I selected for this APS Bank project, it became obvious to all that the subject chosen, The Benefits of Art, was definitely not easy to illustrate through photography. Although it constitutes a broad subject – showing how art benefits and impacts our society – it took a lot of thought, research and group debate in order to generate engaging work which would be fit for the purpose of the project. During my initial brainstorming on this year’s endeavour, I wished to repeat what I had done last year and give an opportunity to talented photographers who, in my opinion, possess a lot of promise for Maltese photography. When choosing them, I did not give priority to age or gender but to their passion for photography, their good technical grounding, their creative eye and their conceptual vision. Another aspect which I took into consideration was the fact that they had never staged a major solo exhibition before. Having been through this experience myself, I can appreciate the fact that financial expenses and intricate logistics many
a time act as deterrents for promising photographers to showcase their work. The Benefits of Art project, the second in a three-year APS Bank series, consists of a photographic exhibition, a book and the Bank’s 2017 calendar. This multi-pronged approach is ideal to reach the general public through various media, create awareness and encourage further continued debate and engagement with the subject. The road is long and it takes dedicated effort and preparation to come up with work which is artistic, aesthetic, polished, professional and, last but not least, which creates a public debate. Similar to our first project, which had dealt with Vanishing Malta, a major part of the whole exercise is the academic article written on the subject. This time round, Hilary Spiteri – a multi-talented individual who is an artist, writer, publisher as well as a lecturer on Art, Art History and Systems of Knowledge – was selected. His academic article outlines and explores the subject in a masterly and probing manner and perfectly complements and explores the visual aspect of this project. I feel that the THE BEN EF I TS OF A RT
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choice of Hilary for this task was ideal. When it came to choosing the five photographers who would work on this project, I opted for a blend of artists coming from varied societal backgrounds. What was common to all of them was their willingness to work hard on the project’s concepts even though the theme was far beyond their comfort zone. Passion and enthusiasm were also requisites which I looked for in my choice of photographers. I met Tonio Polidano as a student at one of my photography courses, and he immediately impressed me with his discipline, organisation and engagement with photography. He was one of the first individuals I approached and I was proved right as the work he presented took patience, contact, time and skill to produce. Stefan Cachia was another one of my choices due to his aboveaverage technical abilities and his deep, conceptual thinking. Dennis Cutajar was my third male photographer and I knew that, similarly to Stefan, he would complement the group through his usual out-of-the box conceptual engagement. He even went as far as extending his knowledge in portrait and studio lighting techniques which were essential for the execution of his
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work. On the female side, I opted for Susanna Diacono, the only non-Maltese photographer in the group. Susanna is Swedish yet she has resided in Malta for quite some time. Through her, I wanted to include the outsider’s eye who would be looking at this theme in a different manner than that of a local artist. Last but not least, young Oriella Formosa Carabez completed the group. Oriella is a relative newcomer to photography but her enthusiasm and rapid progress in this medium made her an ideal choice in viewing the subject from a more youthful perspective. Due to the fact that many of the works necessitated the depiction of the human element, the photographers had the added task of securing releases and permissions for their work. I would like to thank all those individuals who cooperated and allowed their photographs to be incorporated in the project. Most particularly, Tonio Polidano’s work would not have been at all possible had it not been for the admirable support and cooperation of Ms Edel Cassar from the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, Ms Suzanne Vassallo from the Foundation for Educational Services, Il-Merill Childcare Centre coordinator Ms Bernice Borg and her assistants and,
last but not least, the children and their willing parents. In the same way, Dennis Cutajar’s ‘models’ were instrumental and essential for the success of his work. Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the APS Bank management and staff for making this idea materialise and for once again putting their trust in me. The Bank has always believed in making Maltese society aware of our heritage, societal and cultural issues and has for a long time been at the forefront of encouraging local art and artists. The Bank’s belief in photographic art is extremely beneficial not only for local artists but also for enabling the general public to further appreciate and cherish our inimitable talent. This project puts forward to the general public the work of all five photographers in the exhibition and the publication of the book and calendar. It is my wish that visitors to the exhibition and readers of this book and calendar are encouraged to look at art from a different perspective and to further realise how vital it is to our society and, finally, the importance that it should be given by the Island’s authorities.
KEVIN CASHA 2017
The Benefits of Art
THE EDITOR
KEVIN CASHA
Amongst his major awards are the MIPP Photographer of the Year, the Malta Fashion It is quite misleading to say Award for photographers and that Kevin Casha is simply a his four-time win as the MPS highly respected and successful Photographer of the Year. He is professional photographer. a Fellow of both the MIPP and On top of having behind him a the Society for Wedding and career spanning over 37 years in Portrait Photographers (SWPP); photography, Casha is involved in many other important facets of art and an Associate of the Master Photographers Association of and culture. He is one of the most Great Britain. Another important awarded photographers, both milestone in his career came locally and internationally, and is a from the Societies of Great veritable reference point for the Britain, who presented him Maltese photography scene. with their highest accolade: the His involvement in Master Photographer for his cultural spheres encompasses contribution to photography. In curatorial services, writing 2014, he obtained a Masters in and co-ordinating the National Contemporary Digital Art from Picture Archive, publishing and the University of Malta. Casha expertly teaching photography. was also founder member of He organised (together with the Birkirkara Visual Arts Group Stephen Vella) the Higher (BVAG) and elected the group’s National Diploma Course in President from its inception Photography at the Malta in 2010 until 2014. He was also College of Arts, Science and Chairman of the Malta Trade Technology. This was the first Testing Board for photographers. serious local academic course in Locally, he has lectured photography which has now gone on academic courses at the up to degree level. Casha is a Institute of Art and Design, the much sought-after and respected University of Malta, Heritage international judge and lecturer Malta and numerous other with assignments having seen schools and private entities him at work in the United and is Course Director for Kingdom, China, Kuwait, Ireland, Lithuania and other countries. He the MIPP. His photography has been widely published, has been President of the Malta with no fewer than sixteen Photographic Society (MPS) books fully illustrated with and is the current Chairman and his images. Casha has staged founder of the Malta Institute numerous one-man exhibitions of Professional Photography in Malta, Italy, London, Corsica, (MIPP). To date, he is the only United States and Sicily. He person to have been awarded regularly acts as curator on the Honorary Life Membership various collective photography of two top local photographic organisations for his contribution exhibitions, projects and publications. Casha’s standing towards photography.
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in the international scene was further attested when, in 2015, he was chosen as a main judge and curator for The HRH The Prince of Wales’s Commonwealth Environmental Photography Award, held in Malta and appointed picture editor for the Out of the Blue book, published specifically for the occasion and launched during the CHOGM events in Malta. Casha has already collaborated with APS Bank on the 2015 exhibition called The Calm before the Storm, and Vanishing Malta. In both projects, he was curator and also editor of the publications complementing the exhibitions. Furthermore, in this same year, he was honoured by being appointed ‘Ambassador of Photography’ in Inner Mongolia, China. His links with the China Photographers Association (CPA) have already borne fruit through various exchanges and international exhibitions. The CPA is the largest photographic organisation in China. His latest contribution to local photography is his monumental publication Photography in Malta – The History and the Protagonists. This academic volume meticulously traces the initial beginnings of photography in Malta from 1840 till the dawn of the digital revolution. This publication has recorded the fascinating story of Maltese photography for future generations and is a treasure of information for all those who are interested in Malta’s history.
THE CONTRIBUTOR
HILARY SPITERI Hilary Spiteri was born in 1982 in Birkirkara, Malta. From a tender age, he nurtured a strong interest for the arts and in 1990 won the first prize in the Malta National Annual Art Competition. From 1993 to 1998, Spiteri attended the Mikiel Anton Vassalli Lyceum in Tal-Čandaq where he was introduced to the study of drawing. In 2000, Spiteri attended the Gian Frangisk Abela Junior College where he obtained his Advanced Level certification in Art and Religion. In that same year, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree course in Art (University of Malta), successfully graduating in 2003. He concurrently attended courses focusing on the art of Nude Drawing and Fresco and Printing Techniques at the University of Malta. In 2008, Spiteri obtained a Master’s Degree in Art specialising in artistic pedagogy, the Neoclassical movement and nineteenth-century art academies in Europe. During this period Spiteri conducted research abroad, especially in Rome. In 2011, Hilary Spiteri contributed to the history of art scene with his publication Academic Artistic Training in Early British Malta (Allied Publications). Simultaneously, he researched and developed the art of photography, from both a technical and a historical perspective. In 2014, Spiteri lectured at the SWPP Convention 2014 held at the Hilton
Metropole in London, presiding master-classes focusing on the correlation between Art and Photography. During this period, Hilary Spiteri contributed to the research of various history of art related publications and exhibitions including The Life and Work of Lewis Wirth and Helen Cavarra-Their Creative Partnership, authored by Prof Joseph Paul Cassar and Celebrating the Life and Works of Antoine Camilleri (1922-2005) exhibition held at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta. In 2014, Hilary Spiteri hosted his first solo exhibition at Regoledo di Cosio Valtellino in Italy, entitled Con gli Occhi del Cuore. In 2016, Spiteri contributed to the history of art scene with his second publication entitled Filial Churches in Malta: Qormi A Case Study (Horizons). His works of art are found in private collections in Malta and abroad. He produced illustrations for literary works and educational publications. Hilary Spiteri currently occupies the post of Head of Art Department at De La Salle College Sixth Form Malta, where he lectures Art, History of Art and Systems of Knowledge and lectures part-time in Contextual Studies at MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts.
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Music: reception and response In this project, it was my intention to photographically explore the impact of different genres of music on emotion. In this manner, I would be attempting to combine two topics I am particularly passionate about. In photography, I have generally shied away from portraiture, preferring to work in what I perceive to be more serene and tranquil genres such as landscape and travel photography. Hence I felt that this project gave me the perfect push to delve into a genre I had yet to explore. This meant I had to do some exhaustive research to get up to speed on the basics of professional studio lighting techniques and decide on what equipment was best suited for the purpose. My main interest was to portray each individual participant’s natural reactions to music. An initial preoccupation was the fact that most people being photographed in formal settings tend to be guarded, strained, posed and contrived. In fact, I actually consider getting people to act and emote naturally in front of a camera as the single most challenging aspect of the project. My chief concerns throughout this project were how to relax my participants, getting a natural response from them, and how to capture this in a simple, reproducible and serial manner. What type of lighting was I to use? Most professional photographers would agree that studio lighting units are more versatile and powerful than continuous lighting sources and that would make it easier for me to achieve a crisp set of images. However, I felt that having strobes continuously flash into the participants’ faces, would prove not only to be tiring, but would also reduce the chances of having sitters relax completely and ignore the camera. I felt that having a less intrusive type of light source would render the whole process less menacing and help most individuals to gradually get used to the surroundings and simply concentrate on the music being administered. My next endeavour was to select a lighting pattern and focal length that would enable me to photograph a seated, and yet completely un-posed individual, who would be practically free to move about as long as he or she remained seated. I had recently taken interest in the work of Peter Hurley, a photographer who predominantly uses high-key lighting for his characteristically tightly cropped headshots. In his book The Art Behind the Headshot, he places great emphasis on the importance of capturing emotion in his subjects. I was convinced that this was one of the primary reasons why his work has gained popularity over the past few years. Even if I do not feel that my images bear any resemblance to his in terms of style, I initially felt this was a good point of departure to try and achieve my aims. Most lighting setups, masterfully utilised, have a direct impact on the mood of the image captured. This was something I was actively trying to minimise. By utilising an incredibly simple high-key set-up, with two light sources overexposing the background and another two illuminating the subject from opposite sides, I was able to shoot portraits with a plain, white unobtrusive and shadow-less background. This lighting configuration did not impose on the mood of the images, hence enabling the viewer of the final work to focus primarily on the participant’s facial expression. The setup proved to be flexible enough to readily illuminate the participants’ faces in whichever direction they looked, without resulting in any heavy shadows, which might have obscured facial expression.
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Initially, I flirted with the idea of using a 135mm prime lens for the project, as this flatters most subjects and lends itself readily to headshot photography. However, during the very first session, I opted for a more versatile 50mm focal length. This gave me the benefit of more depth of field at the same aperture, and gave me enough space to capture some of the body gestures and movements exhibited by the sitters. These proved to be just as important as facial expression. The 50mm lens further allowed me to photograph remotely, with the camera placed firmly on a tripod, without constantly having to reframe the shot. I felt this helped take the participants’ focus away from myself and the camera and better concentrate on the music itself. To further aid viewers to zoom in on the subject of interest, I decided to shoot in monochrome rather than in colour, and participants were asked to wear plain dark clothing. Other than that, the only other instruction given was to try and refrain from interacting with anyone, including myself, during the whole session. During my research on this topic, it became increasingly apparent that this subject is currently being heavily explored especially in the field of neuroscience. On a more casual level, a number of people have filmed other people’s reactions to new music; however, I could not come across any serious attempts to systematically record emotional response to music using photography as the medium of choice. In this project, I readily refrained from being overly scientific and rigorous in my approach, however anyone interested in the topic would find a wealth of related literature as much has been written in the scientific community about the impact music has on our emotions. Perhaps of particular interest, is the therapeutic effect of music. A recent review of twenty-five trials, by Raglio et al, published in the World Journal of Psychiatry concluded that music can be used therapeutically in patients exhibiting mood disorders related to neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis and dementia. From the neurochemical point of view, music is known to be capable of activating limbic and paralimbic structures, including the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and hippocampus. These are all structures shown to exhibit abnormal function in patients with a high depressive component. Essentially, music positively triggers the brain’s reward system. At the psychological level, music is thought to engage several social functions, increasing communication, social cohesion and even promoting the formation of empathic relationships. I encourage the viewer to enjoy this simple experiment. It proved to be a pleasant and rewarding experience for all involved and I hope that any interested individuals will prospectively refine and improve upon this work in the future. DENNIS CUTAJAR
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DENNIS CUTAJAR was born in 1983 in ĹťebbuÄĄ, Malta. From a young age, he was casually interested in photography. However, it was only after he graduated as a dental surgeon in 2007, that he purchased his first digital single lens reflex camera, initially with the primary intention of documenting his clinical cases. Over the next few years, he actively continued to seek out formal training, as this passing interest slowly but surely developed into his main pastime and passion. A member of the Maltese Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP) since 2011, he has attended numerous workshops and conventions and actively participates in a number of competitions organised by the same Institute. In 2013, he successfully completed an advanced diploma in photography, with the Institute of Photography of the United Kingdom. He also availed himself of the valuable mentorship of a number of highly regarded photographers, including Kevin Casha and Charles Calleja.
Dennis has been concurrently working on a number of photographic projects. Perhaps most notable are a street photography theme attempting to investigate social isolation, and a less conceptual seascape project, exploring the lesser-known parts of the Maltese coastline. He has always tried to refrain from offering well-defined descriptions of his own photographic style, claiming he readily acknowledges that style inevitably evolves over time. In his experimentations, he has drawn inspiration from classic and contemporary photographers alike. Initially obsessed with abstract fine art photography, most of his work is heavily influenced by contemporary photographers such as George Barr, Bruce Barnbaum and the late Saul Leiter. Dennis describes his imagery as an abstraction of everyday life and most of his composition is imbued with strong geometrical lines and patterns. He still pursues a busy full-time career as a dental surgeon with a special interest in aesthetic restorative dentistry.
overleaf Key to image captions: (a) Music played in upper left image (b) Music played in upper right image (c) Music played in lower left image (d) Music played in lower right image
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Catharsis: expressing emotion through art Have you ever listened to a piece of music and felt a sudden rush of emotion surge through you and the urge to get up and dance? Why do we purchase artwork to decorate our homes or sing nursery rhymes to our children to calm them down? Patients often claim that listening to relaxing music and art practices diminishes their pain, whilst surgeons often listen to classical music whilst performing their work to improve their focus. Music can psych us up before an important event or help us harmlessly vent our anger or express our love. Since time immemorial, mankind has resorted to art for its ability to induce or convey emotions. The striking ability of art to merely change our moods, or even our physical condition and actions, has assured its prominent status in human culture and everyday life. Through music, dance and other forms of art, we give ourselves a repertoire of emotional experiences; a channel that taps our subconscious and releases our emotional tensions. Unfortunately, we are currently living an increasingly materialistic lifestyle. We are often encouraged to hide our feelings and are taught to appear strong, since emotional people are often labelled as weak. However, we do not realise that suppressing our feelings means building up resentment and accumulating stress which is detrimental to our health. By embracing this emotional release, we benefit from a deeper level of connection with our inner self and emotional wellbeing. In a world where we are taught to appear strong and flawless, we can resort to art to unravel our emotions and release tension. Artists put their feelings in a visible form through their creativity and embark on a path of courage. This fulfilment of creative and emotional expression is therapeutic; an antidote to suppressing unwanted emotions and thus boosting our happiness levels. The title of my photographic project attempts to epitomise all this in one word –
Catharsis. Through my work, I seek to demonstrate the alluring effect that art can have over people; in engaging audiences, building interpersonal ties, increasing community cohesion, bridging gaps between cultures and increasing tolerance towards others; especially minority groups. This collaborative creative process results in a collective experience of public expression. It benefits both the performer and the audience in dynamic and profound ways. Music and art have always been an integral part of my life. Before embarking on the journey towards becoming a photographer, I was previously a musician. Consequently, my choice of subject is derived from the fact that I have always found music fundamentally healing and mood-altering. Playing an instrument is highly therapeutic and intrinsically rewarding. It evokes a sense of inner peace and joy which any musician can vouch for. When performing in front of an audience, one experiences a feeling of euphoria, which simply cannot be compared to merely listening and consuming. It does not seem to matter whether the outcome is perfect or not - it is always an exhilarating and fulfilling experience whether practising alone or with others. My photographs attempt to explore a number of artistic local events during which I sought to focus on capturing the passion and mood of the performer and the response of the audience, together with the connection and flow of emotions between the two subjects. I have chosen to depict my images in colour, since I believe that the use of colour makes things come to life and feel more realistic and vivid, transporting the viewer to the often lively and
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exciting atmosphere of these artistic events. Attending these events led me to interact with the audience and the performers and I especially admired the enthusiasm and fervour of the artists and their will to share their talent and express their creativity. I was happy to engage with the audience, observe their perceptions, feedback and reactions. It is obvious that art is of benefit both to the audience, as well as to the performer and that the local public is learning to appreciate the dedication and effort undertaken by the artists. I particularly acclaim parents who chose to bring their children to these artistic events and encouraged them to participate, dance and sing along to the music. This project further made me realise that the audience left the event with a general sense of satisfaction and release, derived from the resulting connection and positive reaction to the performance. I hope that my work serves as a means of raising awareness on the importance of such artistic events and the need to offer more support and opportunities to artists. On personal reflection, I believe that art has made me a happier, calmer person and has distracted me from other worries. I hope that my work makes viewers aware of the valuable rewards derived from art and the positive, vital role it plays in our everyday lives. Personally, this process has fuelled a sense of desire and longing to engage in the performing arts and to experience once again the emotions an artist feels when performing in front of an audience. My hope is that this passion for art is transmitted through my photographs. During this process, another significant point which hit home is that no matter what cultural condition, religion, ethnic background or age, art has the power to influence everyone. We must become conscious of its benefits on improving our lifestyle and society. ORIELLA FORMOSA CARABEZ
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ORIELLA FORMOSA CARABEZ nĂŠe Casha, was always drawn to the arts, probably because artistic genes run in her family. She first discovered photography as a means of documenting geographical investigations, whilst reading for a degree in Geography at the University of Malta. This fuelled her admiration and love of nature, as well as a sense of longing to learn and discover more about the beauty of our natural surroundings. Slowly but surely she developed a curiosity for the world around her and through her photographs she sought to capture the sites she discovered, thus encouraging her to delve deeper into photography. However, at the time Oriella used to play the violin with a band, which required a serious level of commitment and dedication, leaving her little free time to devote to this growing interest. After ten years of commitment with the band, she felt that it was time to put music temporarily aside and take up a new challenge. Oriella enrolled in various photography courses and became a member of the Malta Institute for Professional Photography (MIPP) in 2012. Since then, she started taking photography more seriously and became an active member of the Institute. Throughout the years, Oriella attended various courses, workshops and lectures so as to keep herself updated. She also enrolled in the MIPP
Award in Still Photography Course which she successfully completed with Distinction. Although interested in a number of genres of photography, her passion is street photography. She is drawn to the thrill and sense of adventure of shooting in the streets and the satisfaction of capturing unadulterated, unique moments, emotions and the seemingly insignificant details of life as it happens. In the past few years she also started to focus on commercial work such as conferences and events, as well as private portraiture work. Her main inspiration comes from observing everyday life, the healing calmness of nature, listening to music and a sense of adventure. Photography has became an integral part of her life especially since it pairs perfectly with her love for the outdoors. It also complements her other passion of travelling and adventure, which leads to her fascination of the world’s diversity. Through her photographs, she also seeks to capture the culture of the people she meets and their environment. Oriella envisages continuing her photographic journey by obtaining an MIPP Qualification and to pursue working on a number of personal projects. Her priority is that her images continue to be created from the heart and hopefully transmit her feelings to the viewer and inspire others to appreciate and care for the world around them.
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Photography: a window of the soul The body of work I chose to present under the Benefits of Art theme is intended to provoke the reader to venture beyond the visual aspect of the photographic medium at face value, and delve deeper into its significance and effectiveness in expressing the inner journey and life experience of humankind. This experience relates to friends and strangers alike, essentially and inevitably that of every human being. We are all bound on a journey of discovering self, of being and living, in search of a deeper meaning and significance, as we navigate the crests and troughs of life, whatever the latter may have in store for us. Questions arise along the path we follow, some of which are satisfied on our journey, even if in part, others remaining unanswered. These questions and experiences stir within us feelings and emotions, some welcome, hopeful, joyful, encouraging and sought after, others less called for, at times disturbing and distressing. It is this share of negative and positive experiences that define and highlight the uniqueness of our paths as individuals. Personal emotions and experiences can be expressed in a myriad of ways and photography is one effective way of communicating this realm. In her article Photographs
in Therapy, psychotherapist Laura Prins says that images have a tendency to be more effective in expressing certain emotions by overcoming the barrier of cognitive filters such as rationalisation, verbalisation and other protective defences. With my predominant inclination towards outdoor activity and travel, I am naturally drawn into action when and where I am in my element; roaming cities, trekking and in touch with nature. Ever since I started taking my photographic walk seriously, I have noticed a steadily-increasing awareness and sensitivity towards my surroundings, be it in the countryside, far from the madding crowd, or bang in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a frenzied urban setup. My mind never seems to cease hovering in search for frames, snapshots, snippets of life, with the ultimate aim of freezing and preserving that moment for future personal recollection and onward transmission to others. The great photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson wrote, ‘To take photographs means... putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.’ One way of communicating feelings is through imagery and my prospect is of seeing my images interpreted as I perceive them, suggesting the solace and steadfast reference I seek to keep in sight before me as I hop on and ride the bandwagon of life together with fellow humans. Nothwithstanding this, I invite the reader to arrive at his own interpretation of the images, perceptions and conclusions that are formed as a result of one’s unique life journey and also to probe the reason for the hope that I have, an unfaltering hope, a hope that never failed me (1 Peter 3:15). As my all time favourite outdoor photographer Ansel Adams states ‘You don’t take a photograph, you make it.’ Every photograph can be seen as a representation of the photographer’s life and soul, be it conscious or unconscious. One study carried out by Dr Robert U. Akeret (Akeret, 1973) goes to state that ‘It’s all there in the Photo’, and that one has to grasp the fundamental elements constituting an image. This study states that organisation (composition), lines and patterns, negative space, lighting and colour and selection of focal point/s all come together to communicate the photographer’s priorities, intended mood portrayal, and message to be conveyed. My contribution to this publication attempts to
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express life’s emotions and feelings, the highs and the lows, through a combination of the aforementioned elements that ultimately constitute the final image. Having a particular preference for black and white photography, in particular for its aptness to a theme that is relatively abstract in nature, I quote Ted Grant who is credited with saying ‘When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes but when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls!’ I dare extend this reflection to every subject I have captured, dispensing with the element of colour, inviting the reader to peek through the window of the soul, the soul of the Psalmist, the soul of the photographer, the reader’s very soul. STEFAN CACHIA
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STEFAN CACHIA was born in 1973, only venturing into serious photography as late as 2013. Questioning the fascination behind still imagery afforded by amateur and established photographers, Stefan’s curiosity swiftly translated into a passion for the same artistic medium. An engineering graduate by profession (University of Malta, 1994) he started off by following a beginner’s course organised by the Malta Photographic Society in Valletta, a mentoring course by Maltese photographer and tutor Kevin Casha and subsequent tuition on image editing by Maltese photographer Martin Abela. Stefan has thereafter owed his progress to MIPP lectures, events and competitions, coupled with a persistent personal endeavour for self-learning. Being relatively new to photography, Stefan has exposed himself to various genres, each of which presenting specific challenges and demands. Stefan started off his venture shooting nature macro but subsequently his fondness for landscape and street photography became exceedingly apparent. Being an outdoors person, very
keen on trekking and travel, his fondness for landscape comes as a natural predisposition. Stefan has a preference for monochrome expression (Ansel Adams is a favourite, combining landscape with black and white interpretation). In March 2015, he embarked on a trip of a lifetime to Iceland with renowned Maltese photographer Rene Rossignaud. This trip gave him the opportunity to capture stormy weather with raging seas and dramatic overcast cloud formations. Stefan has a passion for landscapes and seascapes, paying particular attention to lighting and shadow. Stefan’s present endeavours are to progressively refine shooting and editing technique and ultimately push his creativity boundaries to yield fine art photography. Stefan takes time to research various themes fervently before embarking on a shoot and humbly observes and learns from other seasoned artists’ work. He aspires to develop his own style in the years to come. This is Stefan’s first venture into fine art photography.
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Retaining traditions through performance I have been coming to Malta since 1993 and finally moved here 18 years ago. The island has always intrigued me as a small proud nation with diverse cultural heritage and art. Strong family values and traditions appear to be very important, since its society is fairly provincial. However, over the years, Maltese society has shifted towards a more cosmopolitan style which, in itself, is nothing bad. However, I have realised that these changes make it vital to support local traditions and values as these may otherwise unwittingly disappear over the years. When I was first approached by curator Kevin Casha and given the opportunity to participate in this photographic APS-backed project, I was rather puzzled. The project title was not at all simple but, at the same time, intriguing. The Benefits of Art is a rather wide topic and not exactly easy to depict. After extensive research and discussion with the group of artists participating in this same project, I decided to embark on this through looking at retaining artistic traditions. I wanted to see how art can be further employed to maintain traditions. The areas I approached were traditional Maltese folk singing – Għana, the art of lace and filigree making and traditional costumes. I first came across Għana in a village bar. Although not understanding the language, the concept of story telling, humorous or provocative banter and the repetitive melody intrigued me. This is not seen on a daily basis today but still exists in small village communities and amongst a core of musicians. During the yearly Għanafest, which is organised by the Arts Council of Malta, it was uplifting to surprisingly discover how a few youngsters, with their parents and grandparents, performed this ‘passed down’ art. During this festival, other handcrafts and art forms are showcased. Where traditional Maltese lace-making is concerned; women were gladly showing off their technical skills and explaining the art of bobbin lace making. What was in the past a nobility fashion item, as seen depicted in the numerous paintings and collections from the 18th century, is now an artistic part-time activity or cottage industry mainly aimed at the tourism industry. Equally intriguing is the art of filigree, whether it is silver or gold. The patient manual skill and labour of twisting thin strands of wires into aesthetic and artistic decorative shapes to create jewelry or ornaments is nowadays under threat. It is not as fashionable or glamorous as it was in the 18th century. At that time, wearing beautifully crafted filigree used to be a status symbol for nobility but now, this too is kept alive mainly through tourist interest. Seeing a folklore group performing Maltese dancing, I came across the Għonnella or
Faldetta. Obviously not in use today, it is depicted in many paintings across the island but also in images from as recent as the 1950s - it was not that long ago that it suddenly fell out of favour. Researching more about the Għonnella brought me in contact with Marquis Nicholas De Piro, a well-known historian and author, who thankfully opened his 16th century palace to the public. His large collection of antiquities includes elegant specimens of these garments. Opening a storeroom in his museum-home revealed shelves with boxed and catalogued
Għonnelli of different qualities and uses. Although it will never come back in fashion, it still deserves to be showcased as part of Maltese heritage. At least, its memory is being kept alive through folk dancing.
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I truly enjoyed this project as I have come in direct contact with people who genuinely strive to keep some of the most rare art forms and crafts alive for future generations of Maltese. Malta, being such a small country, could easily be overwhelmed by external influences in this modern social media controlled world; however there is still an enthusiastic number of individuals who are thankfully willing to keep alive artistic Maltese traditions and pass them on to the next generations. SUSANNA DIACONO
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SUSANNA DIACONO née Nyiredy was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her parents are of Hungarian origin but Susanna grew up in Stockholm and Göteborg (Gothenburg). At the age of 26, she moved to Yorkshire in the United Kingdom for five years and for the past 18 years, she has lived in Malta. Susanna was introduced to photography at an early age, getting her first analogue camera at the age of 9. Tucked away in a windowless room, her father showed her darkroom processing during the long dark winter days in Sweden. Life took Susanna on a science-based career, one that requires absolute attention to detail and precision. Her understanding of colour was enhanced during her post-graduate degree course at the University of Leeds, which included work with spectrophotometry. However, photography always remained a background hobby. Three years ago, Susanna decided she needed a challenge in her life and photography was the ideal choice; so she decided to pick up loose ends, this time with a digital camera. She has become increasingly fascinated by the
actual process of planning a photograph, the artistic input and the ‘scientific’ opportunities and limitations that digital photography presents. Under the patient guidance of top photographer Kevin Casha, she started her journey into the world of digital photography and joined the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP) on the Still Image Photography course. This gave her a boost to pursue photography on a different level. Susanna is drawn to open spaces such as the mountains and the sea, engaging in the challenges encountered in capturing the awe that she feels particularly when alone in nature. She also loves the cheekiness of street photography and the stories, the humour, the smiles, the faces and the sense of motion that these images can convey to the viewer. Susanna feels that her harshest critic is herself but she enjoys the fact that she knows she can always push herself to do better - there is so much to learn and this excites her. In the near future, she plans to present a body of work in order to obtain an MIPP qualification.
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Art from the start As a freelance photographer for the last six years, my portfolio has broadened to quite a wide spectrum. I have shot many photographs that include a variety of scenarios, but when approached by the curator to participate as one of the photographers for this project, it was immediately clear that this was going to be very challenging.
The Benefits of Art is a topic that would probably be easier to write about and clearly more difficult to express visually. After lengthy considerations, the subtitle I selected – Art
from the Start - is taken to be understood as art from a very young age. Strongly supported by my family, friends, fellow photographers and a local child care centre, the objective and contribution towards this project involved taking a look at children as they express themselves through art. It aims to demonstrate the impact of education through art from a very tender age. The main objective was to capture moments when toddlers participated, both individually and in a group, in various forms of artistic educational activities bringing out more than just the actual activities themselves. Most of all, what I wanted to document were the intense expressions as well as the loving bond that is forged between the dedicated childcare assistants and the children. Motivated by the energy of these young children and the overwhelming support of the parents who accepted to have their children photographed on this project, everything seemed to fall into place perfectly. The full support of the child-care centre coordinator and her assistants was crucial to be able to keep the number of hours of photography to a bare minimum and as straightforward as possible, considering the restlessness that children tend to have. Furthermore, I did not want to interrupt the sessions any more than what was inevitable. The actual photography sessions were generally very productive and involved zooming in on several details which would help to widen the concept’s message. It was evident that the children were very keen as early learners and enjoyed the activities ranging from music to singing, acting and colouring. The latter was perhaps the most exciting of all their activities since this involved the total freedom of using their hands to dip into colours and unleashing their unbridled creativity. To the relief of their parents, such messy activities are not usually done at home. It was the perfect opportunity for me to capture beautiful expressions of fun and happiness. I found this to be a most rewarding exercise which helped me become further aware of the necessity for children to be weaned at an early age into artistic exploration and experimentation. I wish to thank all those involved in making this project a successful one, in particular, my family, Ms Edel Cassar from the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, Ms Suzanne Vassallo from the Foundation for Educational Services and coordinator Ms Bernice Borg, together with her assistants at the Il-Merill Childcare Centre, Pembroke. Their full support in achieving this task was paramount in completing this project. Last but not least, I wish to thank Mr Kevin Casha, project curator, for his constant support and guidance as well as APS Bank Ltd, who sponsored this worthy project. TONIO POLIDANO
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TONIO POLIDANO’s background is far removed from photography. He studied Telecommunications and qualified as a Marine Radio Officer back in the 80s. He soon changed profession working in Procurement and Asset Management, a role he has held for the past 30 years. Born and raised on the colourful island of Malta, Tonio has from a young age been exposed to the light and textures of the Mediterranean. He started his adventure in photography quite a few years ago. Tonio would always be carrying a pocket camera around, until, five years ago, he decided to replace it with his first SLR. This opened up new horizons. From then onwards, he never looked back and has since enjoyed taking photographs for pleasure – a passion for the photographic medium had been kindled. In 2011, he joined the Malta Photographic Society and enrolled in a basic course which allowed him to understand the real mechanics behind the one device that captures images and most of all, memories. He discovered that his passion is mostly directed towards artistic creations. Tonio manages to create an engaging photograph by using simple and very basic props that one would tend to find lying around anywhere. His skills continued to
be developed through learning the art of capturing light and shadows as well as other intriguing techniques. In 2014, he became a member of the Malta Institute of Professional Photography and in 2015 graduated from a course in Still Image Photography with Distinction. He plans to continue to develop his photography skills over the coming years and to have his first solo exhibition in the coming months. Tonio is also currently serving on the MIPP Executive Committee for 2016. His spectrum of photographic subjects is very broad and dynamic: he has been commissioned to attend and photograph a number of national events such as the visit of Prince William to Malta for the Independence Day celebrations in 2014 and CHOGM 2015. He has also been contracted for a number of commercial projects. Over the past year he has developed a particular flair for commercial portraiture and marketing photography. Tonio continues to live by a phrase he learnt over the past years: ‘Capturing Light’. This phrase has become his motto and derives primarily from his innate dedication for the art of photography. Tonio is married to Marisa and they have a 25-year old son, Kurt.
The future of our young generations. ‘What does the future hold for these toddlers? While photographing the artistic activities performed by these young children at such a tender age, it made me see things from a different perspective. The thought crossed my mind as to what this generation will be doing in 30 years time.’
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