RiverArts invites American photographer, Jason Gardner, to join their Artist Conversations series on Sunday, April 14. Gardner will share details from his new book and collection, We the Spirits, exploring his 15-year journey through 15 countries as he visually documented the ritual and festival of Carnival.
We the Spirits focused on documenting tradition, folklore, and community within the celebrations. Contrary to its perception in modern media, the festival of Carnival is more than parties and parades. Gardner explores traditions dating back from pre-Christian times of universal themes that rejoice the coming of spring. Collaborating with ethnographers and local experts, Gardner chose subjects in smaller villages and remote towns to most accurately present the complexities of these local customs. We the Spirits have been featured in Photolucida’s Top 50 portfolio, GEO Magazine France, and The Guardian (UK).
This conversation will be led by Marie-Louise Miller, producer and curator of the RiverArts Artist Conversation Series. She shares, “I am quite honestly moved by these images as they express to me the deep connection between culture, cultural history and the undeniable force of nature on our lives and deaths. Through his lens, Jason guides us to touch a world most of us could never see, much less experience. I cannot wait to experience these images in large format and with his guidance on April 14th.”
Jason Gardner is an American photographer, based in Paris and New York. He tells stories, using photography and writing, within the framework of Visual Anthropology. He is passionate about culture, ritual, and music and how they impact human expression.
In 2013, Jason published A Flower in the Mouth, a photobook about the culture, music and rituals of Carnaval in Pernambuco, Brazil (Visual Anthropology Press, USA). Now he continues with We the Spirits (GOST Books, UK, 2024). Jason’s work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, GEO France, This is Colossal, L’Oeil de la Photographie, Sunday Times Magazine (UK), Rolling Stone, Le Parisien, New York Magazine, FotoMagazin (Germany), NPR.org, and SPIN Magazine.
Gardner is currently based in Paris. Regarding his connection to the Rivertowns he shares this sentiment, “I grew up in Hastings, most of my classmates were with me all the way from Hillside kindergarten to Hastings High, and my parents still are residents, so I return often. I still have a strong connection to Hastings, and I’m especially proud to share this international cultural project of the last 15 years with my hometown!”
This conversation will be held at Ted & Nune Studio, where an exhibition of this collection will be held from the opening reception on April 6 through May 19. Copies of the book will be available for purchase following the conversation.
Tickets – $15 in advance, $20 at the door; tickets can be purchased at https://riverarts.org/event/we-the-spirits/
Please visit RiverArts on-line to read more about its mission, core values and programming calendar.
