Last night at the Asia Society in New York, a packed auditorium attended the ceremony that presents this prestigious grant. There are many awards and grants ceremonies in our industry, and all aim to celebrate and highlight the work of talented women and men, however, there is something rather special about this ceremony.
Smith was both purist and perfectionist, and did not suffer fools or pomp gladly, and I think he would have approved of the event last night that bears his name. It was appropriate, relevant and straight to the point. With a welcomed absence of out of place ‘razzamatazz’ or ‘bling’, we were served a series of presentations from former winners and finalists including a dark and disturbing multi media film by former winner Stephen DuPont entitled, Generation AK’ that documents the struggle of the Afghan people.
This year has seen extraordinary events, and as I write this images that purport to be the body of Col. Gadaffi appear on CNN, and we have lost two of our own, two friends and colleagues, Tim and Chris, and Sebastian Junger the keynote speaker, gave afitting tribute to them and also announced that the loss of his friend has made him decide to no longer cover any conflict. Instead, Sebastian will launch a foundation that will help to train photojournalists in basic field medicinethat may help them survive in hostile environments. To his point, if anyonewith Tim and Chris had even a basic knowledge , they may have stood more chance of survival. Bravo Sebastian for this remarkable and important venture.
Another wonderful moment and a treat was hearing the voice of the great man himself as a short presentation had W Eugene Smith introducing and narrating a series of images from the Spanish Village, I could definitely hear more and will do so when I find the source of this gem.
And Bravo to Krisanne, such a worthy recipient. She has dedicated herself to this tragicstory that documents the plight of the women in Swaziland, she told me of dreadful statistics that tell us that every other women between 15- 29 is HIV positive. Although Krisanne has backing and respect from the community, it has not been an easy project to finance, and she told me just how much this grant means to her. So Bravo W.Eugene Smith Board and Foundation for making this happen every year.
Aidan J Sullivan
Vice President Photo assignment
Getty images
The Board of Trustees of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund announced that New York-based photographer Krisanne Johnson is the recipient of the prestigious 2011 W.Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography for I Love You Real Fast, a five-year project documenting young women coming of age amidst the H.I.V./AIDS epidemic in Swaziland. The project earned her a $30,000 grant to continue her ongoing work to explore the struggles and triumphs of women in Swaziland and other parts of the world. The Grant recipients were selected from 291 entries from 40 countries.
The announcement was made during a reception last night at the Asia Society in New York. Sebastian Junger, the internationally acclaimed best-selling author of The Perfect Storm and War, director (with Tim Hetherington) of the Academy Award-nominated documentary Restrepo, and contributor for Vanity Fair, gave the keynote presentation.
“I am truly honored to receive a Grant from an organization bearing W. Eugene Smith’s name,” says Krisanne Johnson. “This recognition will help share the struggles of young women in Swaziland and bring greater attention to a problem that must be addressed. The Smith Grant will also allow me to continue to focus on this and other stories around the world without the restrictions associated with lack of funding.”
In addition, Dominic Bracco received a $5,000 W. Eugene Smith Fellowship for his documentary, Life and Death in the Northern Pass. Focusing on Ciudad Juarez, quite possibly the most violent city in the world, Bracco explores how society has become so ingrained in a tradition of violence that there is no immediate way out.
The Howard Chapnick Grant was presented to Ryan Libre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, who will use the funds to build a documentary arts library and gallery as part of Documentary Arts Asia’s mission to promote visual literacy.
“The work that is being produced and the stories being told by documentary photographers all over the world are both inspiring and encouraging,” explains Whitney Johnson, Director of Photography of The New Yorker, and one of this year’s judges. “Ms. Johnson’s essay takes an insightful and sensitive look at issues facing young women in Swaziland. Similarly, Mr. Bracco took an enormous risk to tell a story of violence that seems to be spreading across large and small cities. Both are extraordinary bodies of work, Johnson continued. “Each year the decision process seems to get more and more difficult as photographers explore aspects of life with a passion and commitment to excellence.”
“What immediately struck us about both Krisanne Johnson’s and Dominic Bracco’s bodies of work was how both of these photographers took the topics that have been addressed by countless photographers, and depicted them in a completely fresh and unique way,” explains Rick Smolan, President & CEO of Against All Odds Productions and the head of this year’s jury.
“Krisanne Johnson’s images of Swazi girls, just coming into the prime of their lives, brought these young women to life. There is a human tendency to close down when we witness suffering and so often, the approach to covering AIDS is to bombard the viewer with the horror, the hopelessness, the suffering. By showing us their joy as cheerleaders while possibly losing their friends or family members to AIDS; their playfulness on dates with their boyfriends while dealing with an AIDS epidemic; and the complications of living in a society where the modern world meets polygamy, make us relate and deeply care about these women as individuals.”
The adjudication panel for the W. Eugene Smith Grant included Rick Smolan (President & CEO, Against All Odds Productions, and Chair, 2011 W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography), Marloes Krijnen (Director, FOAM Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam), and Whitney Johnson (Director of Photography, The New Yorker).
The 2011 panel of judges for the Howard Chapnick Grant was drawn from the W.Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Board of Trustees including, Rich Clarkson (co-founder of the Howard Chapnick Grant), Helen Marcus (Honorary Emeriti of the W. Eugene Smith Fund), Robert Pledge (Past President of the W. Eugene Smith Fund), and Marcel Saba (President of the Smith Fund).
Additional Finalists:
Christoph Bangert (Germany) “Fukushima”
Michael Christopher Brown (USA) “I Am a Man, Libya”
William Daniels (France) “Lenin’s Ethnic Time Bomb”
Jon Lowenstein (Germany/USA) “Shadow Lives USA”
Fernando Moleres (Spain) “Juveniles Behind Bars in Africa”
Stephanie Sinclair (USA) “Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides”
Joseph Sywenkyj (USA/Ukraine) “Verses”
Now in its 32nd year, the continued interest and demand for photographic grants is a great testament to W. Eugene Smith, a true pioneer in exploring the human condition and exposing the truth with his camera. Established in 1979, its primary purpose was to support and encourage photographers producing humanistic photo stories in the style of the legendary American photojournalist who sought to expose the truth about issues affecting and afflicting humankind.
