Not the Same (Sifnos, Greece)
Over the past 16 years, no place on earth has been immune from change, certainly not Waterloo Region, where I live, … nor the Greek island of Sifnos. Factors such as advances in technology, shifting population patterns, and the effects of climate change have affected everyone, everywhere.
This exhibit, with the overall title and theme of Not the Same, is composed of three separate series, 2008, Echoes and Path Ahead. The 2008 series documents the past, showing aspects of Sifnos that I encountered in 2008 as I explored the island. Echoes deals with the present, both time-wise and in theme and photographic style. Path Ahead represents the future, which is more uncertain, in both the subject matter and the photographic style of the images.
2008:
My first trip to the Greek island of Sifnos was in 2006. I was looking for an island with relatively few tourists where I could experience authentic Greek island culture. Since then I have returned a dozen times, each time for approximately a 4-week stay.
Over the years I have explored the towns, the hills, the hiking trails and the seashores. It is a place where the landscape, history, and way of life are dramatically different from my own, but I have grown more and more comfortable with Sifnos and it with me. I am now fortunate to be able to call a number of the people good friends.
The images in this series, as the title implies, were taken in 2008. To me they represent how things were back then. While some aspects of Sifnian life have remained the same, many have changed … just as they have everywhere over the past 16 years.
Echoes:
It is the morning after. The echoes of the night before are still reverberating. You can feel them.
These are images of the “Steno”, the main pedestrian walkway in the town of Apollonia, on the Greek island of Sifnos. It is the hotspot of the island for strolling, shopping, socializing with friends and neighbours, eating out and enjoying the nightlife. As one might imagine, this well-used thoroughfare becomes very busy and crowded in the evenings, especially in summer, as tourist season heightens. Sounds of merriment emanate from everywhere and the alleyway that is the “Steno” pulses with life.
In the morning light, the appearance and sounds are quite different, but the echoes of the previous night are still there, hanging in the air … waiting to be brought to life again.
Path Ahead:
The past we have recorded in word, images and memory. The present we can see in front of us as we look around. But, what of the future? What will it be like? Which parts of the past and present will be kept? Which of those parts do we want to keep? Which do we not?
I see the Path Ahead images as metaphors for where Sifnians and all of us find ourselves at this point in time, as we stare ahead into a very uncertain future. We can see ups and downs, twists and turns, paths that are easier to see and follow and those that are not as clearly outlined, and paths that are safer to travel and those that are more dangerous. Which path will Sifnos choose? Which will we choose?
To view image gallery: Click here.
Over the past 16 years, no place on earth has been immune from change, certainly not Waterloo Region, where I live, … nor the Greek island of Sifnos. Factors such as advances in technology, shifting population patterns, and the effects of climate change have affected everyone, everywhere.
This exhibit, with the overall title and theme of Not the Same, is composed of three separate series, 2008, Echoes and Path Ahead. The 2008 series documents the past, showing aspects of Sifnos that I encountered in 2008 as I explored the island. Echoes deals with the present, both time-wise and in theme and photographic style. Path Ahead represents the future, which is more uncertain, in both the subject matter and the photographic style of the images.
2008:
My first trip to the Greek island of Sifnos was in 2006. I was looking for an island with relatively few tourists where I could experience authentic Greek island culture. Since then I have returned a dozen times, each time for approximately a 4-week stay.
Over the years I have explored the towns, the hills, the hiking trails and the seashores. It is a place where the landscape, history, and way of life are dramatically different from my own, but I have grown more and more comfortable with Sifnos and it with me. I am now fortunate to be able to call a number of the people good friends.
The images in this series, as the title implies, were taken in 2008. To me they represent how things were back then. While some aspects of Sifnian life have remained the same, many have changed … just as they have everywhere over the past 16 years.
Echoes:
It is the morning after. The echoes of the night before are still reverberating. You can feel them.
These are images of the “Steno”, the main pedestrian walkway in the town of Apollonia, on the Greek island of Sifnos. It is the hotspot of the island for strolling, shopping, socializing with friends and neighbours, eating out and enjoying the nightlife. As one might imagine, this well-used thoroughfare becomes very busy and crowded in the evenings, especially in summer, as tourist season heightens. Sounds of merriment emanate from everywhere and the alleyway that is the “Steno” pulses with life.
In the morning light, the appearance and sounds are quite different, but the echoes of the previous night are still there, hanging in the air … waiting to be brought to life again.
Path Ahead:
The past we have recorded in word, images and memory. The present we can see in front of us as we look around. But, what of the future? What will it be like? Which parts of the past and present will be kept? Which of those parts do we want to keep? Which do we not?
I see the Path Ahead images as metaphors for where Sifnians and all of us find ourselves at this point in time, as we stare ahead into a very uncertain future. We can see ups and downs, twists and turns, paths that are easier to see and follow and those that are not as clearly outlined, and paths that are safer to travel and those that are more dangerous. Which path will Sifnos choose? Which will we choose?
To view image gallery: Click here.