It's time to show you some of the photographs I took at a photo exhibition at the beginning of the month and share a little about the tradition if understanding what the photo means requires.
This was a shared photo exhibition by two photographers, Emese Gál and Erika Simon, called "Hat, Scarf, Look". You can read my post about the first part here.
Erika Simon - Hands that weave stories
Those hands have wove million of stories. I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Transylvanian culture, so let me tell you why the title mention stories. Back in the past, before industrialization took over so many jobs that were made by hand, women used to gather in the afternoons and do handwork, like yarn spinning, weaving, sewing, crocheting, knitting, embroidering and share stories. I'm trying to be elegant in choosing the words, but what they did was gossiping basically.
Anyway, the photo is amazing and historical as well I'd say, because it captures an old lady practicing an activity that is on its way of disappearing.
What the two lady photographers have captured on camera is a lifestyle that is going to disappear with these people.
Emese Gál - The attic's treasures
This is another fantastic photo for several reasons. First, if you've ever been to any attic, you know how light is filtering through the lose roof tiles and creates those light channels. If there's dust, it's even better as you can see the channel better. Here you see the smoke or the steam (I can't decide which one it is), as a white channel.
The other beauty of this photo is that it captures all those (heavily unhealthy) delicious products they make after killing the pigs. Back in the day, when people were self-sufficient, pigs were grown to have meat and other products during winter. Then the sausages, ham and smoked meat was stored in the attic. Now that you can buy everything in the grocery stores, this tradition is only kept by those who opt to still be self-sufficient to some extent.
Erika Simon - After killing the pigs
This could very well be my paternal grandmother a good few decades ago, it's just that their attic was (still is) way bigger. They had a dedicated building to smoke the meat products and kept them there during the winter, but yeah, the lifestyle is the same.
After the exhibition I sent these two photos to my dad and his first question was: "Where is this?" Yes, he is funny sometimes. He loved them as he grew up having these yummy but unhealthy meat products every year.
Emese Gál - The fruit of labor
Yes, there was a time when men and women did everything, or most of the work themselves, from growing sheep for wool, then spinning yarn, then weaving whatever was needed. This lady seems to be doing it all as she has the wool ready for spinning. It makes you think how different life is today and how much (of should I say how little?) we know or can do. These activities are continued by some as hobbies and very few are doing them with the intention of selling.
Erika Simon - Threads of time
This is how it's done.
Emese Gál - Good Friday
A wonderful photo capturing two generations keeping this lovely Easter tradition going. Egg painting in some regions mean much more than just dying them in chemicals. This is a technique I have tried out once and failed miserably as it's not as easy as it looks at first glance.
Grandmothers, mothers teaching daughters doing this is the best thing a parent, grandparent can do. It's a skill to be appreciated.
Erika Simon - Grandma's treasures
I don't think there's a need to say anything here, their face expression says it all.
While I don't miss an attic full of ham, sausages and other fat products, I'd gladly try out weaving, egg painting and other activities you see here, not to mention taking portrait photos, which is a really delicate category.
Let me know what you think of these photos.
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