“Get up early to take photos of the marketplace…melons, pears, fish…bought bread from back seat of a car from a very happy man.” ~ Cherel Ito
Many artists are stereo-typically said to be self absorbed in themselves and their craft, often unable to relate to others and the world around them. Cherel Ito’s art of photography required that she go outside of herself and become a student of people, their emotions and the cultures in which they existed.
Cherel found inspiration in everyday scenes – a day at the market, the bathing of a baby in the river, brotherhood among people, celebration and ritual in different cultures, all fascinating stuff! It was a dream fulfilled when she found the next tale she could tell through her photo journalism.
This market scene is a story in contrasts between life as she knew it in America and life in other countries where Cherel traveled. Going to open air food markets is part of daily, community routines. Shoppers in Europe, in the Balkan region and in other countries around the world buy only what they can carry home in two arms – bread enough to last a day or two, a few custom cut pieces of meat, fresh fruit and veggies bought individually rather than in ten pound bags. http://bit.ly/kLgzO7.
In America we build behemoth food stores and grocery marts. The yearly overhead expense of running these commercial food centers is huge. The logistics of getting food from farm land to tabletop quickly, while it is still fresh and so does not spoil in transit is made complicated. Many decades ago, most Americans did away with visiting the community butcher, baker and green grocer (the local farmer) in favor of “one stop shopping” in supermarts. The good news is, there has been a resurgence in people’s interest in farmers markets. http://bit.ly/iFyBAR.
Through the Lens of Her Camera is an insightful book about cultural contrasts between community life in the United States and community life in other countries around the world. Cherel Ito’s work is housed in the permanent collection of theMuseum of Women in the Arts in Washington,D.C. www.nmwa.org because her perceptive eye captured some of the best photo-journalism and portrait photography there is, in history, of people and places across the globe.
This photograph brought to you by www.cherelito.com and www.throughthelensofhercamera.com.
