Pygmalion Karatzas
Architectural, Fine Art & Commercial Photography
Oceanus
Marine geophysical survey in Aneh Lebanon
by Pygmalion Karatzas
Features & Details
Primary Category: Photography, Expeditions, Documentation books
Hardcover, Imagewrap
Size: Large Format Landscape, 13x11 in, 33x28 cm
Pages: 110
Publish Date: Sept 18, 2019
Language: English
About the book
Documentary and artistic photography of the expedition of the Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography of the University of Patras in Anfeh Lebanon, head by professor George Papatheodorou and photographed by Pygmalion Karatzas.
It was a privilege to be selected by professor Giorgos Papatheodorou to join and document their marine geophysical surveying of the Anfeh region in Lebanon. The OCEANUS team of the University of Patras was invited by the Department of Archaeology and Museology of the University of Balamand and I joined their expedition between June 25 and 30, 2017. Being my first time in Lebanon as well as in such an expedition, brought a fluid combination of adjusting and exploring this new subject matter with my on-going integral approach to photography. The topographic-objective perspective was used to familiarise with the location and produce images that can be viewed with interest both by local people who know the area well, and by a broader audience who is outside the geo-archaeological field. The expressionist-subjective perspective was also included to add a feeling of timelessness, as these traces of civilisation extend through millennia. Their photographic treatment is intended to elevate them to pure existence, an on-site iconographic museum display.
The first day was spend in the sea, documenting the geophysical surveying of the OCEANUS team covering a large part of the sea north and south of the Anfeh peninsula. The second and third day were spend on land photographing the bay, village, promontory, the excavations of the archeologies, as well as near by historic landmarks like the Deir el-Natour monastery and saltworks. The forth day was spend in Byblos covering the castle, marina, and old town. The fifth day included a visit to the campus of the University of Balamand, the Balamand Abbey and the Phoenician wall in Batroun.
The project also includes other expeditions of OCEANUS in Greece with the generous support of the Honor Frost Foundation.
Distinctions:
- International Photography Awards 2017, Honorable Mention.
- Trieste Photo Days Festival 2018, Fringe selection.
- Tokyo International Foto Awards 2018, Honorable Mention.
- Siena International Photo Awards 2019, Semi-finalists.
