Tuesday, December 14, 2010

From the Archive: Banksy

"Elephant in the Room", September 14, 2006 © Marissa Roth
A photograph of Thai, the Thai elephant, getting her paint job touched-up before being placed in one of the installations, "The Elephant in the Room", at Banksy's "Barely Legal" exhibition in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse. Thai was painted in non-toxic paint matching the colors of the wallpaper in the room, emphasizing her ability to blend into the background, in an installation designed to bring attention to world poverty. Marissa photographed Thai for the New York Times.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Starlight Children's Foundation



Starlight makes a difference in the lives of families with sick children by providing activities and entertainment both in and out of hospital. Marissa documented five families for the organization, which then published an annual report packed with black and white images.

"In partnership with photojournalist Marissa Roth, Starlight has captured a powerful group of photo essays that illustrate the journey of hope and pain that families experience when the crisis of childhood illness strikes. We are proud to unveil the first three of these emotionally charged essays to you as part of this annual report."

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Love Letter To Tibet

Praying Monk at Ganden Monastery, Near Lhasa, Tibet, September 2010 © Marissa Roth

"Tibet holds a profound place in my heart and seems to have a mysterious hold on my being."

"From the first time I met some Tibetans, while working on a Los Angeles Times photo assignment in India in 1985 about a Tibetan refugee camp outside of New Delhi, I felt an innate kindred spirit that has remained ever since. Every day for 21 years I have worn a Tibetan necklace that I bought in 1989 from a refugee in Goa.

In 2007, I decided to go to Tibet for my 50th birthday. Not knowing, but hoping I would respond photographically, I purchased 100 rolls of Kodachrome film to take with me. I knew I didn't want to shoot digitally, or in black and white, and felt that Kodachrome would suit the luscious reds and golden yellows present in the monasteries, in monks' robes and wall paintings and tapestries.

I went back to Tibet in September of 2010 to complete the project - what I call a 'photographic meditation' on Tibet. I don't consider it a travel piece, or a political statement, but rather a love-letter to Tibet that captures the emotion and spirit of that magical place."

Open To Beyond

Budapest Subway, Hungary, 1994 © Marissa Roth

The title of this blog was drawn from a 20-year retrospective of images culled from Marissa's archive that reflects her vision in single frames addressing eclectic subject matter from around the world. As a born and bred Los Angelan she often says she may be in LA, but her heart is with her cousins in Budapest.