Here is a short profile of the 2014 W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Grant recipient, Joseph Sywenkyj.
The Photographer offers this advice to applicants for the W. Eugene Smith Fund grant. “Be sincere. Be sincere and honest with yourself about why you choose to photograph something. Be sincere and honest in your artist statement and proposal. And most importantly, be sincere, honest with and respectful of the people you photograph. I feel there is a lot of work out there that checks off all the right boxes when it comes to established ideas of authenticity, but the work lacks sincerity and heart.”
The Unseen Eye is a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund in Humanistic Photography. We refer to it as Smith or the Smith Fund. The grant most often comes at the point early in a photographer’s career when the funding to finish a long-term project is especially welcome. We think of Smith as the most prestigious grant in photojournalism.
The list of past recipients reads like a “who’s who” of contemporary photography from Jane Evelyn Atwood 1980, Eugene Richards 1981, Sebastiao Salgado 1982 on to Joseph Sywenkyj 2014, Matt Black 2015, and Justyna Mielnikiewicz 2016. The call for entries went out several weeks ago and applications are due by May 31st.
The Smith Board reached out to past recipients and asked them to talk about the impact of the Smith Grant on their careers. Joseph Sywenkyj received the Smith in 2014. He responded to some questions posed to him by my Smith colleague Lou Desiderio.
How did receiving the Smith Grant propel your career forwards?
Receiving the Smith Grant gave me the luxury of time not only to photograph, but also to think about who my main audience should be for my work moving forward and where and how my photographs can truly make a contribution. I decided to communicate directly with people in Ukraine – to engage with my community, with my neighbors and the country as a whole. That is what has changed most for my career and me since receiving the grant.
How did you use the grant money?
I used it for nuts and bolts type stuff: travel, hotels, fuel, new equipment, living expenses and to prepare for exhibitions.
What opportunities were opened up to you as a result of receiving the grant?
I am currently working on a 360 video / VR project along with a Ukrainian media NGO funded through a grant. The first of several films is almost complete. My approach and the themes I’ve been working on for years remain the same. I continue to tell stories on difficult and complicated subject matter with a tender approach.
What advice do you have for current and future applicants?
Be sincere. Be sincere and honest with yourself about why you choose to photograph something. Be sincere and honest in your artist statement and proposal. And most importantly, be sincere, honest with and respectful of the people you photograph. I feel there is a lot of work out there that checks off all the right boxes when it comes to established ideas of authenticity, but the work lacks sincerity and heart.
What would you look for in the work of a future grant recipient?
See above. I tend to respect photographers who really study and know place, people, culture and subject.
Are there any photographers you would like to see enter this year’s grant? If so, please list them and we will reach out to them.
Alexander Chekmenev, Maxim Dondyuk, Anatoliy Stepanov, Aleksander Glyadyelov.
Where has your work been featured recently?
L’Œil de la Photographie, Philip Jones Griffiths Award Finalist 2016 and Time Magazine. My work is also regularly featured in the Ukrainian media due to all the exhibits.
W.M. Hunt and Lou Desiderio
W.M Hunt is a photography collector, curator and consultant who lives and works in New York. He is a professor at School of Visual Arts and is on the Board of Directors of the W. Eugene Memorial Smith Found. His book entitled The Unseen Eye (published by Aperture) and focusing on his personal collection is one of the most intriguing compilations of photographs.
Applications for this year’s W. Eugene Smith Fund are available at the following address (deadline May 31st):
