Revisiting Truth and Beauty 17 years on

‘Baku’, Azerbaijan, August 2003

Today I did my first ever Throw Back Thursday post to social media, on Instagram. I suppose I’m feeling nostalgia for travel and things like gallery shows with the new reality of the Coronavirus pandemic. We’re on day 4 of the Shelter in Place order for the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s challenging, but also a window in which to step back from the routine.

I started going through files and found this photo that I took while on a trip to Azerbaijan in 2003. I’d traveled there with a friend to attend an Azeri wedding. It was a rich experience. I’m not quite sure what else to call it… hundreds of enthusiastic guests flooded into the ceremony & reception at a grand hotel along the Caspian Sea; it felt like being in a movie.

While the wedding was enchanting (color, music, dancing!), the most intriguing part of the trip was exploring Baku and the surrounding areas with my camera. Azerbaijan is full of unexpected beauty and mostly gracious people… I say mostly because there were a couple of frightening encounters, one with corrupt police (v scary), and those were moments when I had to weigh pursuing photos against risk. Looking back now, I wouldn’t take the same chances that I did then, though in the end everything worked out ok.

Shortly after returning home from the trip I entered this photograph, Baku, in an art show at The Phoenix Center called Truth and Beauty. I was over the moon the night of the opening to learn that Baku was awarded Best in Show. I’d wished I could tell the young boys and gentleman in the picture about it, but didn’t have names or contact information. The boys are adults now, somewhere, and the old man may no longer be around. Even though I wouldn’t necessarily do it over (the intrepid solo walks), I’m glad to have the memories.

Laura with ‘Baku’, traditional Black and White darkroom print