The medium of limitless possibilities that is photography has been with us for almost 200 years.
Despite its great advancements, its early days still influence and dazzle a majority of professional photographers and artists. Such is the case of Cendrine Marrouat, Hadiya Ali and David Ellis, three members of the PoArtMo Collective.
The result? Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography. This unique collection of artistic styles brings together different innovative concepts of both gripping writing and stunning visual imagery.
In the first part of the book, photographer and painter Ali introduces us to two of her favorite photographers by reimagining and recreating images in the nature of her photographic idols — Irving Penn and Karl Blossfeldt.
In the second part, photographer, poet, and author Marrouat shares a selection of her reminigrams, a digital style that she personally created to honor and pay homage to the early days of photography.
Author and poet Ellis rounds things off with a series of pareiku poems (the poetry form he co-created with Marrouat), offering fresh outlooks for his sincere, heartfelt adoration of photography of the past.
A fascinating and compelling book, Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography will leave you with a deep sense of appreciation and a greater understanding of photography.
PoArtMo Collective is a gathering of inspirational artists, writers and photographers that combine their talents to produce positive, mixed media projects that stimulate the minds of the people who delve into them.
Release date: March 16, 2021
Available everywhere ebooks are sold!
Pre-release review:
A must read for photography and poetry lovers.
Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography is a lovely journey through three artists’ interpretations and integration of photography pioneers’ works into their own art.
Hadiya Ali’s photos, which pull inspiration from Irving Penn and Karl Blossfeldt, give the reader much to explore and examine, seeing something new with each pass of the human lens.
Cendrine Marrouat’s Reminigrams artfully incorporate her homage to old photography and the magic of layers in modern photography processing. Delightful texture plays upon Cendrine’s personal images which adds more intrigue and another layer of story to the resultant images.
Finally, David Ellis’ contribution of Pareiku and Haibun poetry, which is inspired by archival images, brings word and language together in a delightful, thoughtful rendering of expression.
The book is a gratifying visual and prose experience for those who appreciate photography and poetry.
Natalie Brown – Musician, Branding & Marketing Strategist and Lifestyle Vlogger
Reviews:
Cendrine Marrouat, David Ellis, and Hadiya Ali are visionaries in their arts.
Inspirational and innovative, Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography is a must for anyone with an interest in photography or its history and for anyone who likes to view the world through a unique and captivating lens, as well as those who just have an appreciation of poetic form.
Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read
To look is to comprehend the world that surrounds one, and to create is to bring to life the world that is within him. And that is exactly what Marrouat, Ellis and Ali did, they let themselves be influenced by the visual imagery from the past, and then recreated it in their own, unique ways. Seizing the Bygone Light encompasses both the past and the present with its engaging imagery and intriguing writing. It is an interesting book that offers a significant understanding of photography, while its authors show their creativity and different visions of the past by being innovative and imaginative. Marrouat, Ellis and Ali found an effective way of honouring and reimag(e)ining the past, making it an endless well of inspiration for many more artists to come.
Ana Savković – ZiN Daily
Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography captures the essence of emotions within the images enclosed by the authors, and the words of poetry that accompany them.
Ritu Bhathal
I loved some of the chosen images, which left me feeling wistful, in some ways, and ignited inspiration within me.
An interesting book for photography enthusiasts, with a love of poetry.