Anthony Blasko: Florida Strawberries
Since 2013 the American artist Anthony Blasko has been attending The Plant City Strawberry Festival, an 11-day community event celebrating the annual strawberry harvest in Florida, USA. The annual Florida Strawberry Festival dates back to 1930, and was originally introduced as a way of celebrating the success of the state’s yearly harvest. Blasko’s beautifully rich images are produced at dusk, when the light starts to drop and the fair lights come on, bathing the attractions, vendors, and visitors, in the late afternoon light.
Many of the country’s fairground traditions are on display in the book, including corn dogs, amusement rides, and carnival games. Aside from the contemporary fashion and the odd phone here and there, the photographs’ contents feel ageless, and – without context – some would be exceedingly difficult to place in time.
According to Blasko, this forms part of the festival’s appeal, and is one of the things that keeps him coming back year after year:
“Local fairs and carnivals have a long history in America. Even as we lose our connection to our agricultural past, there is something timeless about gathering at the fair.” – Anthony Blasko
The cover of the book captures some of the spirit of the event, with the front emblazoned with a bright strawberry painting created by artist Shaun Morris. The book also comes presented in a fast food-style paper wrap reminiscent of burger and hot dog packaging. (via creativereview.co.uk/)
About the Author
Anthony Blasko is an American photographer from Ohio. His early work focused primarily on documenting his family. He is interested in the effects time has on people, their relationships, and the environment surrounding them. Recent personal projects include competitive bodybuilding, sex workers in Nevada, the gymnastics federation in Kosovo, and the American south.
His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Victory Journal, and he has worked with commercial clients, including Adidas, Beats, Ford, Powerade, and Nike. Anthony’s images are honest and intimate, communicating immediacy and compassion. The Strawberry Festival is an annual festival that takes place in Plant City, FL.
“I discovered it by chance while working on a larger project in the American south. Once I took a look at the film from that first trip, I decided to spend nearly a week at the fair shooting. I reached out to the festival and was able to get a press pass that gave me access and the ability to photograph wherever I wanted. I spend time in the south because I’m interested in its place in American history and its inability to move forward and progress. It would be difficult to find a place that’s more complex and visually interesting than the south within the states. I shot the entire project with the Pentax 67ii.”
Anthony is represented by the Supervision Agency.
