FREE FILM : June 2020
June 1 - June 30, 2020 Global Project Prompt: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
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In June 2020, as world citizens took to the streets in mass numbffffers to protest the injustices of the American police system after the killing of George Floyd amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS initiated FREE FILM: JUNE 2020.
This iteration of the FREE FILM project aimed to empower artists engaging in documenting this moment in history. We distributed 200 rolls of film to photographers around the globe. As a response to the historical events of both a global pandemic and mass protests for racial justice in June 2020, they were prompted with the theme, “ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION, DIVISION.”
Photo by Lewis Dominick for FREE FILM : JUNE 2020
Using their time and creativity, the selected photographers took photographs on what the theme means to them and submitted the roll back to the FREE FILM project. The iconic images come from photographers in 13 countries around the world including Azerbaijan, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, the United States and Wales.
Photographers documented protests, the pandemic, desolate landscapes, natural disaster and everyday moments in between. Street photographer Andre D. Wagner worked closely with WORTHLESSSTUDIOS on editing and curating images for a culminating book. A complete digital library and self published photography book culminated the project in 2021.
“Instead of just focusing on single images, we are working on threading images together that speak to each other and hit a note that the images can’t do alone. So we’re finding a relation and narrative while working on a sequence that makes all the photos sing together.”
-Andre Wagner
THE FREE FILM : JUNE 2020 BOOK
Street photographer Andre D. Wagner worked closely with worthless studios on editing and curating images to compile into a book. This hardcover book designed by former New York Times Magazine Art Director, Caleb Bennett, is the third in the limited edition FREE FILM book series.
The book also includes an introductory text by Andre D. Wagner. This 77 page book includes 44 images from 30 photographers and access-code to the entire digital archive of over 3k+ images collected from the project.
Purchase yours today in our Shop.
Featured photographers include:
Alberto Newton, Aldemar Uribe, Amy Schaffer, Andy Shields, Ben Allen, Cesarin Mateo, Chris Garcia, Crystal Anokam, Derrick Benitz, Dominick Lewis, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Giovanni Martinez, Grace Hoyt, Jason Miller, Jim Pipkin, Jose Armenteros, Katie Frankenbach, Kevin Appiah-Kubi, Kevin Claiborne, Kristen Curette, Luis Santana, Mariola Rosario, Michael Bielawa, Mimi McCormick, Montana Strait, Pablo Unzueta, Parvathi Kumar, Roderick Laka, Stuart Massey, Tyson Crockett, and William Yan.
HOW IT WORKED
Step 1: Sign ups took place on line, first come, first served. We shipped out one roll of Kodak tri-X 400 35mm film to each participant across the globe, internationally.
Step 2: Participating photographers had a month, until June 30th, 2020, to shoot their roll of film on the prompt of “ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION, DIVISION.” Participants are asked to interpret the theme however they see fit.
Step 3: Once they have shot their film, participants return their roll of film by mail and filled out the return form to ensure their film is processed correctly.
Step 4: WORTHLESSSTUDIOS processed all film and scans were emailed FOR FREE to photographers, whether or not they choose to have their negatives returned.
Step 5: We worked with Andre D. Wagner to curate and design a hard-cover book of the project and made all images available online as a digital archive.
Andre Wagner Self Portrait
Visit https://www.andredwagner.com/ for more images and information.
ABOUT ANDRE WAGNER
Andre D. Wagner (b. 1986, Omaha Nebraska)is a contemporary photographer and artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He explores and chronicles the poetic and lyrical nuances of daily life and the human condition, using the city—particularly his own neighborhood and community—as his subjects. Hailing from Omaha, Wagner relocated to New York in 2011, initially pursuing a master's degree in social work before realizing his true passion for photography. His artistic journey aligns with the rich tradition of street photography, capturing the essence of the American social landscape through themes of race, class, and cultural identity. Wagner also has a self-portrait practice that’s been part of his work since the very beginning, it’s a body of work that continues to take new turns as his interior world evolves and enlightens. He also loves being in nature and photographing the landscape, considering it a study on light, shape, textures, and the healing powers of the natural world.
Wagner's commitment to his craft also extends to the meticulous process of developing his own black-and-white negatives and producing silver gelatin prints in his personal darkroom.
His photographs have been commissioned by The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, W Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, and Vogue, among other publications.
Wagner’s photographs have appeared in a number of solo exhibitions and group shows in Los Angeles, New York and North Carolina. His first monograph, Here for the Ride, was published by Creative Future in 2017. He is currently editing a 10-year body of work titled New City, Old Blues.
