Grand Theatre, Second Floor
308 St. Clair Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 223-4415
www.grandtheatrefrankfort.org
Hours: Monday – Friday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Being in Havana
Featuring John Sarsgard
Website: www.johnsarsgard.com Instagram: @johnsarsgard
Dates: August 23 – November 24, 2021
Events: Artist Reception, October 29, 5-7 pm
Frankfort Field Trip with Festival Director Paul Paletti, October 30 9–3pm
I am a documentary photographer and an amateur anthropologist. I photograph everyday life and make portraits of people who interest me. People and their situations, creations, places and expressions are for me often beautiful and ordinary at the same time. I photograph the unusual when I see it, but I look for the everyday. I work in public places or where somebody invites me to go. Motion, gesture and expression show me people living rather than posing, often as part of an unfolding event. People are sometimes aware of my photographing them but usually are not, as I try to be unobtrusive without hiding. My work is concentrated on Cuba, mostly Havana, and New York City, mostly Manhattan. Focusing on two very different places I begin to experience, not just observe, and feel less like a photographer who parachutes in, looking for cool images. I want to be a participant, not a disinterested reporter.
Life on the street in Havana includes more than getting from one place to another. People work, socialize, argue, dine, shop, flirt, and make music. The street for many is an extension of the living room. I want to show you what los habaneros see as they go about life in their city.
Both black and white and color photographs are included. Havana is a colorful place, color is an important part of being there, and I think the color work I am exhibiting needs to be in color. However, it is sometimes a distraction from what I try to portray. I am showing the black and white work as platinum prints, a completly archival medium that reflects the timless moments I am trying to capture. Platinum is a completely handmade process that adds to my connection with the moment. The prints are a “thing” to me as well as a photograph.