This article tells us the success story of how neighboring Ashaninka communities of the Amahuaca have pushed out Odebrecht, a Brazilian energy company, looking to build a dam on the Tambo river not far from the Inuya where the Amahuaca live.
However the onslaught of development and the push for dams in the region is still fierce. The communities of the Tambo river now face another battle. As the article states here - 'The Ashaninka will now turn their attention to convincing Brazilian company Electrobrás, interested in building another dam on the Tambo River – the Tambo-60 – to withdraw.'
Read on by clicking the link below:
AMAZON WATCH » Brazilian Construction Company Cancels Plans for Mega-Dam in Peru
It is my hope that the energy companies intending to develop oil projects on Amahuaca territory will be met with the same opposition.
In 1961 Cornell Capa ventured into the Amazon to photograph the Amahuaca, a community thought to be disappearing at the hands of Western development. Half a century later I have recaptured these kind and peaceful people. Despite influences from the outside world, the Amahuaca still hold much of their culture in tact. Unfortunately, they now face the hardest battle of all, the battle against oil. Follow this blog to learn about my photography project and the campaign to help the Amahuaca.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
NEWS FROM THE CONCRETE JUNGLE (including the launch of my website!)
So some of you are probably wondering where in the world has Miss Needles been the past month? We haven't heard a peep from her with regards to the Amahuaca project! And rightly so. So I will begin with a heartfelt apology for having seemingly gone MIA.
I assure you I am taking this project very seriously, having uprooted myself from San Francisco and moved to NYC on a more permanent basis to work closely with the ICP and get the project off the ground. I am adjusting to this new face-paced and expensive city, working three service industry jobs to stay afloat in the Big Apple. In order to develop the Amahuaca project, witnessing it expand and evolve both in scale and scope, I hope these factors are testament my deepest commitment and investment in this project. Naturally, they serve both and catalysts and hurdles for moving the project forward whilst I am very busy trying to find a balance between work and...work. Oh boy!
I am sorry that, like with most projects of this nature, it all seems to be taking longer than one would have originally expected. I believe that despite delays, ultimately what lies in store is in fact much bigger than what we had initially anticipated. All in all, it is very exciting!
The following account of what has been in the works over the last month will hopefully get you all as excited as I am about what is in store for the future.
I assure you the site is a work in progress. The presentation is continually changing as I fine tune the site and the images.
A more complete context for each image including descriptions and overall album summaries to follow. For now, there is a general summary 'about this site' which describes the overall intention of the project and the use of the images for a future campaign. I hope you enjoy what you see and please feel free to send me as little or as much feedback as you would like. I will take the good with the bad, and hope it can all contribute to improving the direction of the project.
Second, those of you who have rights to an image or more should all begin to consider which images you are interested in so I can begin to put a list together of which ones I need to print and send out to you. (It is important to note a couple of black lines across some of the black and white images. These were a scanning issue so with original prints and improved HD image uploads they will not appear.)
Third, last week I had a very productive meeting with a curator at the ICP (International Center for Photography) who was excited about the project and has agreed to help us in terms of providing the original prints that were taken by Cornell Capa fifty years ago for our exhibition. This is a massive step in the right direction as it solidifies the prospect of showing Capa's prints with my own in the same gallery space. At this point it is not likely they will be exhibited at the ICP but she did mention that there is potential for it in the future (which is majorly exciting!!)
And so to ensure a successful exhibit at a scale that can really make a difference in raising the kind of awareness needed to support the Amahuaca people and protect their future, there is a clear need to create a book to compliment the showcasing of the images. This will be something concrete people can walk away with from the exhibit. At the moment we envision this composed by Chris Hewlett's writing and my images (a modern version of Huxely and Capa's 'Farewell to Eden' from 1961 as it were) which not only details the nature of Amahuaca culture, but also will given an account of the current situation these people are faced with given the force of the oil industry in the region. The combination of an exhibit, a book and the marketing that is involved in putting these all together is going to require more time and seeking out new ways to fund the project. At moments we are looking into grant options an the like.
Fourth, I want to confirm that the evolution of the project will not affect each of your rewards which you will receive in due time, once selections have been made and I have received your mailing information as well. Those of you who are granted exhibition invitations will simply be waiting a little bit longer for the exhibit to happen. But at least when it does, it will be that much more successful!
Fifth and Finally, Last and NEVER Least! I have to take this opportunity to thank you all again so much for your unending support and patience as I follow through to complete what is the most exciting endeavor and challenge I have ever put myself up against. The overwhelming support from friends, family and followers of this project has been so moving for me and I cannot be grateful enough. I forever want to make you proud.
Sending you all my warmest regards, best wishes and Happy Holidays (for those celebrating Thanksgiving this week!)
I assure you I am taking this project very seriously, having uprooted myself from San Francisco and moved to NYC on a more permanent basis to work closely with the ICP and get the project off the ground. I am adjusting to this new face-paced and expensive city, working three service industry jobs to stay afloat in the Big Apple. In order to develop the Amahuaca project, witnessing it expand and evolve both in scale and scope, I hope these factors are testament my deepest commitment and investment in this project. Naturally, they serve both and catalysts and hurdles for moving the project forward whilst I am very busy trying to find a balance between work and...work. Oh boy!
I am sorry that, like with most projects of this nature, it all seems to be taking longer than one would have originally expected. I believe that despite delays, ultimately what lies in store is in fact much bigger than what we had initially anticipated. All in all, it is very exciting!
The following account of what has been in the works over the last month will hopefully get you all as excited as I am about what is in store for the future.
First, I have purchased a website domain and begun to upload my selected images onto my photography website! Click on the link below and enjoy scrolling through some of the images I have
recently put up.
I assure you the site is a work in progress. The presentation is continually changing as I fine tune the site and the images.
A more complete context for each image including descriptions and overall album summaries to follow. For now, there is a general summary 'about this site' which describes the overall intention of the project and the use of the images for a future campaign. I hope you enjoy what you see and please feel free to send me as little or as much feedback as you would like. I will take the good with the bad, and hope it can all contribute to improving the direction of the project.
Second, those of you who have rights to an image or more should all begin to consider which images you are interested in so I can begin to put a list together of which ones I need to print and send out to you. (It is important to note a couple of black lines across some of the black and white images. These were a scanning issue so with original prints and improved HD image uploads they will not appear.)
Third, last week I had a very productive meeting with a curator at the ICP (International Center for Photography) who was excited about the project and has agreed to help us in terms of providing the original prints that were taken by Cornell Capa fifty years ago for our exhibition. This is a massive step in the right direction as it solidifies the prospect of showing Capa's prints with my own in the same gallery space. At this point it is not likely they will be exhibited at the ICP but she did mention that there is potential for it in the future (which is majorly exciting!!)
And so to ensure a successful exhibit at a scale that can really make a difference in raising the kind of awareness needed to support the Amahuaca people and protect their future, there is a clear need to create a book to compliment the showcasing of the images. This will be something concrete people can walk away with from the exhibit. At the moment we envision this composed by Chris Hewlett's writing and my images (a modern version of Huxely and Capa's 'Farewell to Eden' from 1961 as it were) which not only details the nature of Amahuaca culture, but also will given an account of the current situation these people are faced with given the force of the oil industry in the region. The combination of an exhibit, a book and the marketing that is involved in putting these all together is going to require more time and seeking out new ways to fund the project. At moments we are looking into grant options an the like.
Fourth, I want to confirm that the evolution of the project will not affect each of your rewards which you will receive in due time, once selections have been made and I have received your mailing information as well. Those of you who are granted exhibition invitations will simply be waiting a little bit longer for the exhibit to happen. But at least when it does, it will be that much more successful!
Fifth and Finally, Last and NEVER Least! I have to take this opportunity to thank you all again so much for your unending support and patience as I follow through to complete what is the most exciting endeavor and challenge I have ever put myself up against. The overwhelming support from friends, family and followers of this project has been so moving for me and I cannot be grateful enough. I forever want to make you proud.
Sending you all my warmest regards, best wishes and Happy Holidays (for those celebrating Thanksgiving this week!)
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