Lissa Gotwals Photography. Lissa Gotwals 5518 Turkey Farm Road, Durham, NC 27705 919.740.0536 919.680.4712 lg@lissagotwals.com all images copyright LG 2007.

- Project 1 Central Park South -

Downtown Durham’s aesthetic might best be expressed by the idea of wabi-sabi. It’s the Japanese recognition of beauty in imperfection, and acceptance of constant flux. There is beauty in impermanence. It’s a kind of beauty that takes time to reveal itself, but Durham’s cracks and flaws do give way to creativity, diversity and respect.

This aesthetic is reflected in Foster Street, a physical and metaphorical gateway to downtown Durham, running through the middle of the newly-coined “Central Park District.” Originating at the edge of the historic Old North Durham neighborhood, it feeds right into the heart of the city.

This street is comfortably familiar to me. It takes me to the YMCA, to my studio space, to my favorite movie theater. Over the years that I’ve lived near downtown, I’ve become increasingly attracted to the slowly changing, jumbled landscape of this particular street and the surrounding area. But it was the mutual respect between diverse members of this community that really drew me in once I set out exploring the district with my camera.

The emergence of Durham Central Park has been slow but steady. A school is flourishing. Beautifully renovated spaces have opened their doors. Many low-rent artist studios and half-century old businesses have managed to co-exist amid the growth. It seemed that this pace of change could be the ticket to maintaining a balance between preservation and development.

However, there are more changes occurring than I ever imagined when I embarked on this project. Many of those old neighborhood businesses, that seemed they would stand the test of time, are closing their doors, the properties purchased by developers. Change is inevitable and is an element of wabi-sabi afterall. My hope, though, is that innovation and history will coexist and the neighborhood’s imperfect fabric will continue to weave itself through the streets welcoming workers, artists, residents, and visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and colors. This ongoing photo project is my personal way of preserving moments and landscapes throughout the stages of an ever-evolving downtown space—a snapshot of Durham’s humility and harmony.

- Project 2 West Fjords -

Sheep are not just a livestock animal in Iceland – they’re a way of life.

A life embraced by Agust Gislason and Selma Samuelsdottir in Iceland’s West Fjords. We first met the sheep-farming family in 2003, when we braved the cliff-side, hairpin turns to Arnesreppir, a small community where farmers get more government assistance for hardship than any other remote village in Iceland. At the time, Agust had delayed retirement in hopes that one of his sons or daughter would choose to endure an increasingly more difficult and isolated life and take over the sheep farm.

This seemed unlikely, given the facts. Though they still famously outnumber their human cohabitants, Iceland’s sheep decreased in number by nearly half in 20 years. Government spending on agriculture has also gone down by half. For the first time in human history, more people are living in cities than outside them, and Iceland is onboard. Deserted sheep farms have become part of the country’s landscape.
When we revisited Arnesreppir three summers later, much to our surprise, a new generation of farmers had emerged. Agust’s son Gummi decided to take over his father’s farm. His daughter, Julianna, will be one of 5 children in the town school this year. Unlike his parents, Gummi had a choice: live in the city where an easier and more lucrative life awaits, or reclaim the family tradition in a far away fjord. He chose the sheep.

-These images are a selection from a broader collaborative piece with writer Krista Mahr.-

I am a freelance photographer based in North Carolina, where I feel at home. I am growing new roots on an old turkey farm with my husband and daughter. However, I will never lose my longing for travel and adventure, so I am also available for assignments far, far away.

My work has been published in a variety of local, national, and international publications. I focus on editorial, portrait, travel, and documentary photography, but I can almost always be convinced to try something new.

I first picked up a camera as an excuse to head out and explore, to document cultures. I quickly learned my camera’s value as a means to connect with people and share their stories. I feel privileged to be working as a photographer, as my work reminds me continually that there it is beauty in every person, place and moment.

I was a staff photographer at the Independent Weekly in Durham, NC from 2004-2006, during which time I received both state (NC Press Association) and national (Association for Alt Newsweeklies) awards for my work. I studied photography at both the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine and The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in Durham, NC. I also have a degree in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Please contact me for specialized portfolios, a list of clients, references,
availability, or pricing.

Lissa Gotwals Photography

lg@lissagotwals.com

www.lissagotwals.com

919-680-4712