Jay Dunn, photojournalist

Single Images from "Agadez to Accra"

2007-05-23T15:13:10+08:00

Single Images from "Agadez to Accra" COPYRIGHT 2008 FOCUS AGENCY In search of a story, there remain so many others, the simple mystery of each one just a remembered fragment of worthy lives. ************************************************************************************************************ www.jaydunn.com www.ritualandromance.com Humanitarian Issues & Cultural Tradition Worldwide ALL PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT COPYRIGHT JAY DUNN 2008 Bookmarkz

Cycles of the Sun, Burma

2007-09-30T19:55:58+08:00

Cycles of the Sun, Burma copyright 2008 Focus Agency Burma seems a land out of time, possessed of a strange, slow, and beguiling innocence. Before I can look deeper, the images I would be dreaming about somehow float forth, children playing inside orange boxes, bells jingling round the neck of my horse cart, the sweet bitter smell of spices and dust and wood fires, rust-red robed monks barefoot on the golden paya path, glimpses of water and houses on stilts, giant green banana bunches and curious beaming girls. Everywhere I go I am soon encircled by a shy and smiling...

Life and Death in Burma

2007-10-01T20:44:36+08:00

Life and Death in Burma copyright 2008 Focus Agency To the colorful procession coming from Wan Tha’s village, the magic of the moments to come were to be worth whatever pain they might feel in their feet from over a day’s walk. It is Palaung tradition for the man’s delegation to come to the woman’s home for the ceremony, and the weather was auspicious for the journey. Wan Tha was to marry Ma Ko the next day, January 7th, in Peinnebin, her community, and the approaching party was quietly excited. They had stopped for the night at a smaller village...

Every Sacrifice Counts, Burma

2007-10-01T21:47:19+08:00

To those of you who have been wondering how one so sympathetic to the Burmese cause could have been silent recently, I report it has not been quiet here at all. Here, in Beijing, in the company of my wife Ting Ting, the past ten days have for me been full of a bitter, muffled anger eating away from within at the duty I feel to be reasonable, to try to see both sides, to tread the middle ground. Against the dull swallowing of the hourly updates, the frenetic news-checking, the explicit photographs now choked off by the junta, there...

The Singers of Bani, Burkina Faso

2008-07-20T20:14:30+08:00

The Singers of Bani, Burkina Faso copyright 2008 Focus Agency The singers could be heard clearly as I reached the top of the escarpment looking down over the village, their exhausted counterpoint thrilling me still, in muted echoes so far from the small yard with high walls that made their cathedral. The dusty green of sheltering trees stood out against the gold and russet of this place, crafted of mud and straw and hard work from the unforgiving landscape of northern Burkina Faso. Nothing is over one story high in Bani, which makes the seven mud mosques that were built...

In The Clouds, China

2008-07-21T19:18:58+08:00

In The Clouds, China copyright 2008 Focus Agency In the Clouds is a meditation on the endurance of Tibetan Buddhist culture in two western provinces in China. Long a part of Tibet, Qinghai retains its flavor today as a separate jurisdiction, encompassing almost 720,000 square kilometers of high-altitude grassland, spectacular mountain ranges and forbidding saline stretches. Gansu is alternately dry and dusty, lush and lonely. Caravans along the famed Silk Road made stops at its many oases, and threaded their way through the province’s mountain paths. Both provinces still seem neglected in a way, places to travel through perhaps, but...

Lost on Chaoyang Lu, China

2008-07-23T08:54:22+08:00

Lost on Chaoyang Lu, China copyright 2008 Focus Agency For all the Chinese who will enjoy the very real benefits of Beijing’s Olympic-related improvements, such as the renovation and indeed rebirth of the subway system, there are ordinary citizens far from the spotlight who have simply been overrun by civic transformations made with little regard for those who are displaced. Grand avenues are a tradition in China, in keeping with the aspirations of an exploding economy gripped by rightful pride and thousands of new cars. But for those who live and work in the dusty, flat outskirts of the city,...

Spirit Matters, China

2008-07-24T18:47:27+08:00

Spirit Matters, China copyright 2008 Focus Agency Spirit Matters is about the other China, the one of magicians, ideas, and history books, of power plays, and colliding giants, the China of brilliance, evanescence and inventiveness. This is what an image maker hopes for, and rarely finds, when the clamor of the city recedes for a second, when the traveler stops moving and starts really seeing. In the crush of culture and religion these moments have no beginning or end, they are references, and illusions, they flash by and then are gone, a moment's peace frozen in time by a camera...

Ordinary Days, China

2008-07-24T20:23:11+08:00

Ordinary Days, China copyright 2008 Focus Agency While Chinese are rightly proud of their country's economic expansion and increasing influence in world affairs, skyscrapers, widened streets, and modern housing have made unrecognizable many of the hutong neighborhoods that were the traditional backbone of Chinese cities. But away from the frenetic new urbanization, some of these communities still remain, and day-to-day street life continues much as usual, with cottage industries hard at work, children playing everywhere, and card games and gossip on the corner. In these fast-disappearing areas, it is easy to forget the clamor and the traffic jams - the...

LIST of ALL STORIES

2008-07-25T14:07:15+08:00

Lost on Chaoyang Lu, China The price of change in China: swept forward or left behind. gallery slideshow A Stranger's Eye, China At once essential and neglected, Shanxi is fiercely independent. gallery slideshow Wutai Dreams, China A mountain-top treasure of more than forty temples retains its mystery. gallery slideshow Hands of Pride, China Labor and farming remain powered by the human back. gallery slideshow Outside the 5th Ring Road, China Relentless construction in Beijing offers choice but also marginalizes. gallery slideshow Ordinary Days, China Away from the new urbanization, life as it has always been. gallery slideshow Spirit Matters, China...

Hands of Pride, China

2008-07-26T18:54:09+08:00

Hands of Pride, China copyright 2008 Focus Agency Much of China today is about modern and money, admirable for its singular focus and determination to make up for lost time. Yet the public reality of progress in the cities masks an elusive and often passionate China of the countryside, a land of hard work and strong opinions. While there have been tremendous improvements in people's lives, many of the visible realities of labor in years past have been simply buried by an avalanche of cars, steel, and concrete. In most places, labor and farming remain powered by pride and the...

Wutai Dreams, China

2008-08-02T20:08:28+08:00

Wutai Dreams, China copyright 2008 Focus Agency Wutai Shan, or "Five-Terrace Mountain," as it is known, is one of China's four major monastic communities. Spared destruction during the Cultural Revolution, in part due to its remote Shanxi location, modern-day Wutai Shan is still a wonder of religious history, home to a national treasure of more than forty Buddhist temples set among some of North China's most rugged alpine scenery. At 3,000 meters, Yeduo Feng reigns over the valley. Northernmost of the five peaks ringing the village of Taihuai, it is often snow-capped far into the summer. For the most devout...

SWING STATE: new reportage from NH, USA

2008-11-01T23:34:57+08:00

SWING STATE slide show click here New Hampshire is a “swing state” in the 2008 US presidential elections, and symbolically important to both candidates, especially John McCain, who won it in the primaries. While it has only four electoral votes, it also boasts the first place it is possible to vote in a regular Election Day: tiny Hart’s Location, population 28, most of whom are likely to vote just after midnight on November 4th. Conway, at the center of Carroll County, is a rural community in the heart of the White Mountains, with an older population, and there has been...

CHANGE STARTS HERE: 17 Voters for Obama

2008-11-07T00:22:14+08:00

"CHANGE" slide show click >> here << In the tumult and triumph of the recent US Presidential elections, there have been so many stories. For me, as a photojournalist who has been abroad for more than eight years, none has been more more inspiring than coming home to witness the quiet determination of these New Hampshire voters to have their say in history. The tiny town of Hart's Location, population 29, has always been proud to be first to vote in the nation. At precisely 12:01:01 AM on November 4th, 2008, the voting began, and was completed by unanimous agreement...

Between Three Cultures, USA

2009-06-08T05:24:45+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, May 28, 2009. Community within a community, Zapotec speaking Mexican-Americans and immigrants maintain their connection to San Pablo Guila in their native Oaxaca through religion, cultural traditions and food. A significant group lives in the Illinois suburb of West Chicago. At one time, the Zapotec kingdom was the most powerful and populous in Mesoamerica, as evidenced by the monumental architecture of Monte Alban, their ancient capital, and the widespread dialects of the Zapotec language. That their modern-day descendants have maintained such a strong connection to their culture is surely due to both a strong sense...

Cinco de Mayo, USA

2009-06-08T01:59:05+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, May 3, 2009. The fifth of May, or "Cinco de Mayo," is celebrated with great fervor in Chicago's Latino community, with a three-day festival in Douglas Park and a sizeable parade along Cermak Road in the south of the city. Not to be confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which is September 16th, the holiday commemorates the Mexican Army's unlikely defeat of a better-equipped French force at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Although it is not considered a major holiday in Mexico, a Cinco de Mayo event is seen in the US as a way...

A Mass for Arturo, USA

2009-04-28T04:36:24+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, April 21, 2009. A moving funeral for community leader and philanthropist Arturo Velasquez at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel in Chicago. Born in 1915, Mr. Velasquez entered the US at age 8, parlaying good business sense and a generous heart into multi-million dollar family enterprises. He wished to be remembered with Violet Parra's poem "Gracias a la Vida." "Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto, me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro, perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco, y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado, y en las multitudas el...

El Viernes Santo, USA

2009-04-14T09:02:32+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, April 10, 2009. Images from a faithful re-enactment of the "Via Dolorosa," or the "way of suffering" in Pilsen, one of Chicago's many Latino neighborhoods. Beginning at the Providence of God Parish with Pilate's condemnation of Christ, the three-hour Good Friday procession follows the "Stations of the Cross," culminating in Christ's crucifixion and entombment, marked with a service at St. Adalbert's. Photographs commissioned for Hoy newspaper.

Golden Gloves, USA

2009-03-31T01:03:40+08:00

"Hamlin" versus "Garfield Park," "Matadors" versus "Old School", this is more than just neighborhood pride, it is boisterous, brittle self-confidence, real discipline, and necessary attitude. Started more than eighty years ago, the annual Golden Gloves boxing tournament is a rite-of-passage, a baptism in fire, if you will, a true test of character for the 16-and-over fighters who have trained hard to get here. Affiliations, friendships, even devoted parents and entourages - everyone and everything drops away at the sound of the bell. One hooded sweatshirt said it beautifully - "Better to Sweat in the Gym than Bleed in the Streets.”...

Disappearing Detroit, USA

2009-02-04T12:01:41+08:00

“Urban explorers” dare each other inside the decaying shells of once-useful factories - artist collectives paint whole buildings orange, the color of dereliction. A third of the population has left, never to return. The federal government lays down the law, former king-size industrial manufacturers choose bailouts, and foreign ownership, their days of designing and producing for the most part over. The mayor’s in jail, the city has laid off ten percent of its work force, irate citizens feel free to torch empty homes themselves, as there’s no more money for demolition. Were this scenario a movie, it might have more...

Young Mariachis, USA

2009-06-28T06:02:44+08:00

view slidehow here USA, IL, Chicago, June 4th, 2009. Young "mariachi" Ivette Espinoza is able to maintain a strong link to her Mexican cultural heritage through classes offered at several Pilsen schools. The solo in "El Cascabel" (The Rattle from the Snake) is difficult - the instrument is known as a "vihuela," unchanged in design since the Renaissance. Veteran musician Victor Pichardo, of the band "Sonos de Mexico," and his son Yahvi, a former Chicago Public Schools music teacher, began a pilot program in 2008 which enables students to build upon their skills year after year. Photographs commissioned by "Hoy"...

Transcending Frontiers, USA

2009-07-11T08:16:07+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Illinois, Chicago, June 13, 2009. Never less than original, Mexican painter Hector Duarte’s pointedly beautiful “Murallas sobre lienzo” at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago is a classical lesson in muralist traditions, blending art, current events and politics in a dream-like commentary on borders and the influence and importance of immigrants. Photographs comissioned by HOY newspaper for a feature story.

Luna Negra Dance Theater, USA

2009-07-25T23:58:02+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, July 2nd - 24th, 2009. Founded by Cuban-born artistic director Eduardo Vilaro, Luna Negra Dance Theater celebrated the company's 10th anniversary with a triumphant pair of Millennium Park performances in collaboration with Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Souza and the Grant Park Orchestra. Luna Negra creates, performs and teaches the work of contemporary Latino choreographers. Photographs commissioned by "HOY" newspaper for a two-page feature story.

Fiesta del Sol, USA

2009-08-04T09:12:49+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, July 30 - August 2, 2009. "Fiesta del Sol," one of the largest Latino festivals in the USA, began in 1972 as a block party. Originally concieved of as a fund-raising event by the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, which focuses on grassroots issues such as education, healthcare, housing and immigrant civil rights, it is now a full-bodied celebration of roots, achievement, and Hispanic pride. Photographs for HOY newspaper by Jay Dunn.

Independence Day, USA

2009-09-14T08:50:10+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, IL, September 13, 2009. The neighborhood of "La Villita," or "Little Village" is host to one of the best-attended parades celebrating Mexico's Independence Day, with enthusiastic and vocal crowds lining the whole route along 26th St. from Kedzie west to Kostner. Photo for an "HOY" newspaper front-page story

Little Village Justice, USA

2009-09-14T09:15:13+08:00

View slideshow here USA, Chicago, September 14, 2009. The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, headquartered in a predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood of Chicago, campaigns not only against pollution but for clean power, park facilities, urban agriculture, and restoring public transit. Persistent grass-roots lobbying over the course of ten years for the conversion of the Celotex clean-up site into a much-needed park has kept the issue front-and-center for local politicians and residents alike. LVEJO's staff and volunteers make significant outreach and education efforts, and it is a fact that many of their most eloquent spoke-persons are teenagers – committed, passionate, and involved....

Aguijon Theater, USA

2009-08-21T09:55:28+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, August 4 - 12, 2009. Founded in 1989 by actress/director Rosario Vargas, Aguijon Theater Company is committed to creating and performing Spanish-language work that "stings" the social consciousness of its audience. Working from its own dedicated space in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood of Chicago's West Side, Aguijon has built an international reputation, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a gala at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Photographs commissioned by "HOY" newspaper for a feature story.

The Traveling Virgin, USA

2009-09-29T10:01:03+08:00

view full-screen slideshow here United States, Illinois, Chicago, September 25, 2009. Since 1623, the revered figure of "Nuestra Senora de los Lagos," or "Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos" in Jalisco, Mexico has provided comfort and miracles for those who believe. Sometimes known as "The Traveling Virgin," for seven days she graced the Church of the Good Sheperd in Little Village, and hundreds of Catholics came from miles around to pay their respects. Yellow police tape outside politely marked where tonight's lines on this seventh day would form. For Father Benjamin Arevalos, saying the early mass and new...

La Cueva, USA

2009-09-25T09:47:08+08:00

view slideshow here USA, Chicago, IL, September 16, 2009. Late into the evening and the small hours of the next morning, celebrants of Mexico's Independence Day flocked to Ruben Lechuga's "La Cueva" club to cheer on six candidates for "Miss Gay Mexico 2009." Miranda, the winner, will get to perform onstage for a year. Unsigned and unadvertised, this club is a haven of welcome in a still conservative society. Photographs commissioned by HOY newspaper for a cover story.

"Xantolo" in Veracruz, Mexico

2009-11-02T03:05:43+08:00

view full-screen slideshow here MEXICO, Veracruz, Tantoyuca, Oct 27- Nov 4, 2009. “Xantolo,” the Nahuatl word for “Santos,” or holy, marks a week-long period during which the whole Huasteca region of northern Veracruz state prepares for “Dia de los Muertos,” the Day of the Dead. For children on the nights of October 31st and adults on November 1st, there is costumed dancing in the streets, rather than a graveside vigil, and a carnival atmosphere, while Mexican families also honor the yearly return of the souls of their relatives at home and in the graveyards, with flower-bedecked altars and the foods...