To capture the beautiful, yet simple, pictures, Bob Farese travelled far and wide.
From a starting point of his home in San Francisco, California, he ventured as far as the Faroe Islands and Iceland in the north, and Chile’s national parks in the South.
By day, Farese is an established researcher. But for these images, he took a “phenomenological” approach – that is, studying the water through close observations, rather than by analysis, and focusing on the emotional impact of the subject, rather than its chemical properties.
Although these images were captured in a diverse range of locations, you wouldn’t necessarily know it just by looking at them. You’d be hard pushed to pinpoint any of these shots, for they are close-ups which blur the boundary into abstraction at times. It’s a good blend of documentary and fine-art photography. To that end, it perhaps won’t be to everybody’s tastes, but I found it hugely enjoyable to peruse through the images.
The exact location and time of the photographs are still recorded – perhaps a nod to Farese’s scientific background. Couple this with some of the meditative quotes that go with the photographs and it’s quite a fascinating contrast.
Water is of course the most important substance on earth, and this is a beautiful celebration of it. It’s well worth a look if you’re interested in something a little bit different, something which mixes together the arts and sciences in a very special way.
Another interesting aspect of this book is that Farese worked closely with the acclaimed documentary photographer and Magnum member, Matt Black, who provided guidance. Other influences on Farese’s work include Gueorgui Pinkhassov, another Magnum Photos member, while the award-winning photographer Laura El-Tantawy was his first mentor.
Overall this book also aims to urge the reader to “care for water”, serving as timely reminder not to take it for granted.
A Perfect Medium by Bob Farese, Jr is published by MW Editions and is available to buy now. ISBN: 9781969303029
Related reading:
- This photographer walked hundreds of miles across the North of England to capture more than 4000 images
- These stunning pictures of stark Brutalist architecture in Korea will make you realise you can find beauty in anything
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