11/20/10 10:22 PMDocumentary Photo projects

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Documentary Photo projects

Dyer Street Portraiture: Chambers returned to El Paso, Texas, the cityof his alma mater (Austin High School), to take a look at a particularstreet, Dyer, that intrigued him when he was a teenager. He puttogether this project, and it was later exhibited at various galleries,and American Photo Magazine listed it in their Notable Exhibitionssection, March, 1986 issue. This work provides intimate street shots,and reveals the nature of the environment by detailed backgroundcontent. The environment is one of simultaneity, where militarypersonnel blend with the locals. >>

Descendants 350: Chambers put together this project as a part ofRhode Island's 350th Anniversary Celebration in 1986 (funded byProvidence 350, Inc.). He chose to mix images of Descendants withtext about their respective Ancestors (Founding Fathers) as acelebration, but also to encourage the study of history. The projectwas well-received, exhibited at ten different sites throughout RhodeIsland, received a Governor's Proclamation (RI), and accepted by theSecretary of State (RI) as a part of the Rhode Island State Archives.Buy this book. >>

Hot City: Chambers made over 100,000 images during his tenure asStaff Photographer for the Executive Office of the Mayor, Providence,Rhode Island. They provide an archival record of Providence and itspeople during 1985 to 1989, a period of time that echoed a listing byNewsweek magazine (February 6, 1989), which stated thatProvidence was one of the ten hottest cities to live and work inAmerica. The exhibition was funded by Rhode Island Hospital TrustNational Bank, and the negatives are a part of the City of ProvidenceArchives. >>

Southwest of Rusape: The Mucharambeyi Connection: When Chambersfirst arrived in Zimbabwe as a Peace Corps Volunteer, he had theopportunity to spend Christmas 1992 with the Mucharambeyi family ina rural area Southwest of Rusape. The images combine a documentaryportrait style with the utilization of an environmental backdrop toconvey the lifestyle in a Traditional African rural setting. Theexhibition was funded by the United States Information Service(USIS), officially opened by the U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe andaccepted as a part of the USIS Archives. >>

People to People: Chambers teamed-up with Choi Ok-soo, a Koreandocumentary photographer, to have a two-person show and contrasttheir perspectives and styles. This was the first time that a Western(American) photographer and Eastern (Korean) photographer hadcome together in Gwangju, South Korea to show a dual approach atdocumentation of the Korean people. The images were accepted as apart of the Kumho Art Foundation Archives (1997). >>

Buddha's Stones: A Stacking Comparison: When Chambers was livingin South Korea, he traveled to the Buddhist temples on numerousoccasions, and became interested in Buddhist philosophy (quotesfollow). He also noticed a unique practice of stacking stones as a formof worship and asking for good fortune. He decided to document thisbehavior, and compare these stone formations as a study in

11/20/10 10:22 PMDocumentary Photo projects

Page 2 of 2http://www.tomrchambers.com/pdpjs.html

technique, and to pay tribute to those Korean people involved withthis form of religion.>>

The People of Longhu Town: Chambers collaborated with ZhaoZhenhai, a Chinese documentary photographer, by putting together atwo-person show, Zhao/Chambers Joint Photo Exhibition. This wasthe first time in Henan Province, China for a Chinese and an Americanphotographer to come together to offer an East/West perspective onthe Chinese People and Culture. Zhao's photos cover a twenty-yearperiod (1984 - 2004) throughout China, and Chambers' photos weretaken in 2004. >>

Wide-screen China One, Wide-screen China Two, Wide-screen ChinaThree, Wide-screen China Four, Wide-screen China Five and Wide-screen China Six: Chambers has been in China since 2003, and thisblack and white coverage of the people and environs is ongoing sincethat time. It involves a great deal of China [Zhengzhou, Kaifeng,Luoyang, Anyang, Deng Feng (Shaolin Temple), Dunhuang, Lonzhou,Xian, Xiahe, Beijing, Shanghai, Hanzhou, Shaoxing, Guilin, Yangsuo,Zhaoqing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong]. The images are elongated fora wide-screen effect, and they are formatted as a slide show. Pleaseallow considerable loading time. Buy this book. >>

Wide-screen Hungary: Chambers spent two weeks [February 1 -15,2006] in Hungary at the invitation of Istvan Horkay [artist and IDAACommittee Member], and this black and white coverage is of theBudapest and Revfulop [Horkay's hometown] areas. After a four-yearworking relationship on the Internet, Chambers and Horkay met inBeijing, China at the 2005 IDAA exhibition in November, 2005 and asecond time in Hungary as these images indicate. They are elongatedfor a wide-screen effect, and they are formatted as a slide show.Please allow considerable loading time. Buy this book. >>

Wide-screen India 1 and Wide-screen India 2: Chambers spent threeweeks [July 10 - 28, 2006] in India at the invitation of the NationalInstitute of Design in Ahmedabad to conduct a workshop for its NewMedia Design graduate students. In between conducting theworkshop, Chambers documented Ahmedabad and the surroundingareas. The images are elongated for a wide-screen effect, and they areformatted as a slide show. Please allow considerable loading time.Buy this book. >>

The Great Wall: Color photographs of The Great Wall ... Mu Tian Yu ...near Beijing, China. These images are almost a private encounter inthe sense that Chambers was alone most of the time during his trekalong the ancient barrier. Chambers' students in China say, "You'renot a man until you've walked the Great Wall." Chambers walked partof it, so he guesses he's 'part man'. The images are elongated for awide-screen effect, and they are formatted as a slide show. Pleaseallow considerable loading time. Buy this book. >>