The Work Of The Great Gregory Colbert As A Window Into The Outside World

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The famous Gregory Colbert is a versatile and truly remarkable personality. He is known as a Canadian operator, screenwriter, director, producer and photographer.

As a child, he was not particularly different from his peers. A boy was born in Toronto. His school gaps in knowledge, addicted to reading, replenished in libraries. Having received a far from brilliant certificate, the future photographer tried his hand at many works not related to creativity. In the 80s of the twentieth century, deciding to become a writer, he intends to settle on one of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. However, fate throws him to Paris, where he begins to work as a director. At the same time, he is captivated by photography.

In the 90s, a presentation of his exhibition entitled “Time Waves” took place in the Swiss Museum. This is the first exposition where a young photographer was seen by wealthy collectors.

Preparation of a unique project
The years 1992-2002 became a time of calm. About Colbert almost not audible. He, devoting himself to a difficult and unique project, travels through the “uncivilized” world, studies the relations of people with representatives of the animal world. Colbert Gregory visited Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Kenya, Namibia. And also, he visited other exotic countries. The number of his wanderings is 25-60.

Financial assistance in the project was provided to him mainly by private individuals. The photographer, working on a unique unpredictable project, came to the conclusion that any animals can poetically perceive the world around them. These are elephants, lynxes, leopards, cranes, crocodiles, rhinoceroses, etc. He was engaged in people. The models were Bushmen and Burmese monks. He attracted trance dancers, posed by representatives from exotic tribes, other nationalities.

Exhibition “Ashes and Snow”
The result of ten years of work – “Ashes and snow” – the author put in 2002 in Venice on 12600 sq.m. This is an exposition of unprecedented scale.

In 2005, to represent the exhibition in New York, was built a special building “Stray Museum”. The exhibition was seen by 10 million people, including visitors in Santa Monica, residents of Tokyo, Mexico City, etc. The closing of the most popular exhibition of works of one photographer, organized during his lifetime, was held in 2008.

Features of works and expositions
Over 50 photographic photographs of 3.5 mx 2.5 m format were presented at the exhibitions. As a rule, the work was done in dark brown tones with unique Japanese paper made by hand. All manipulation of development and printing are kept secret. It is known that Gregory Colbert did not use digital processing.

At the exhibitions of Colbert, the visitors got acquainted with 3 movies. And also, with 365 letters of a fictional traveler, addressed to his wife. Excerpts from some of the messages are included in the motion picture.

The works of an unsurpassed master were admired by the public excellently. After all, they create a special mood, they become original windows in the world around them. Works of the master with absolute silence, bliss and concentration overcome time. They evoke delight and a lot of emotions from a sense of belonging to the planet Earth. The charm of them is in stillness and silence, in the pause of the impetuous modern world.

Forgetting that any art, not excluding an artistic photograph, does not necessarily have to convey truthfully to the real world, criticism has also been applied to the extraordinary project.

For the noble exposition, Colbert Gregory was awarded titles and many awards. He, like a meteorite flying into the field of photographic art, became a laureate of the photo contest “Lucie Awards”, in Mexico City he was appointed an honorary ambassador, who oversees culture and tourism. The Venice Festival for a special prize nominated his film “Ashes and Snow”. The photographer also plans to show the famous exposition about the harmony of man and animals in other states. His biography will be supplemented by travel to all continents around the world.

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