When I was twelve years
old, my mother handed down my first proper camera (after the inevitable
Kodak Brownie Box). It was an old Voightlander with bellows. The
aperture and speed of which, I had to guess for. So much mystery
and wonder!
In those days what caught my
attention was melancholy. B&W photography lent itself perfectly
to that. After some torturous B&W years, Colour dawned into
my life.
Today what obsesses me is 'capturing' beauty. Beauty, in every
day life. Beauty, in the moment.
'Capturing' is a means of
sharing my passion.
Born in Athens, Greece in 1947, I obstinately resisted learning
English, only to find myself, in the late 60s, studying photography
in London!
After an overland journey to Afghanistan, I 'dropped out of the
rat race' in '74 and built a 50-foot Ferro-cement sailing boat
to sail away into the sunset with my husband… Ten years
later, separated from him, I concentrated on raising my two lovely
daughters and gave birth to my son. As my children grew older,
photography crept back into my life despite my vain attempts to
burn all my negatives!
I am now living in Edinburgh,
capital of Scotland, doing corporate work for organisations with
heart.
I have recently set up "aliki's photolibrary" which is specialising
in Waldorf Education covering some 20 years of my work with various
Steiner/Waldorf Schools and also with Camphill Communities for
people with Special Needs in Britain, the USA and expanding...
Inevitably I also got involved with videomaking which to my surprise
doesn't require such a distilled moment in time to communicate
the message. Linking sound with imagery enthrals me.
Although the documentary approach is my primary preoccupation
I have recently completed a 5-minute experimental video 'The Gayatri
Mantra' which took me closer to where I am going. While conceiving
it, the desire to include visuals of ancient sacred sights guided
me to the rich heritage of my first Standing Stones. They abound,
all around Scotland. These Stones captured me, found me on a pilgrimage
to some very ancient part of myself… And this, is the gift
I received from this video.
I am currently collecting images and shooting video footage for
an ethnographic project recording the vanishing ways of life of
the Scottish Hill Folk 'whose deeply rooted spirituality is only
visible to the sixth sense'.
Simultaneously I am working
on a book/video 'The Hidden Voices of Scotland' relating to the
new spirituality emerging.
May my passion for travelling keep on taking me to distant landscapes
within and without. While photography keeps on calling me back
again and again.
The longing for interaction with the moment, in life, in love,
is unquenchable…
And photography seems to bring me closer to it. Providing a platform
for it.
