Description:
Part martial-arts manual, part oral history, part coffee-table photo book, and the culmination of many years of labor and love at the request of the Avril family in Haiti. A teaching tool, a gift, and a legacy all wrapped up in one book.
Brief description: Charles Espey is a world-renowned maker of violin bows based in Port Townsend, Washington, as well as a documentary photographer and filmmaker. His career as one of the world's most sought-after bowmakers has given him the time and resources to travel the world in search of images for much of the year. His photographic work shows superlative respect for the cultures he documents, from community-based reforestation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest to the African-American rodeo scene of rural Mississippi to the boatyards of his hometown. In each of these contexts, he demonstrates a profound knack for earning the trust of marginalized communities, and documenting people in moments of action, connection and introspection. His work can be seen at charlesespey.com.