A new exhibition that sheds light on the inspiration behind a photographer’s vision, an adventurer’s memoir, and a filmmaker’s feature has opened to rave reviews in Century City.
“Inside Tracks: Behind the Lens on the Assignment of a Lifetime” opened Friday, Oct. 3 at Annenberg Space for Photography Skylight Studios, and pulls focus on award-winning photographer Rick Smolan’s journey that began with a National Geographic assignment in 1977.
Smolan presented a free talk at Skylight Studios Thursday in the lead up to the opening as part of the space’s Iris Nights lecture series. He offered insight on his stunning images and elaborated on his experiences that lead to a lifetime of images and his new book “Inside Tracks”.
Thirty-seven years ago, Smolan, a young American photographer, was sent to document Robyn Davidson, a 27-year-old Australian woman who was undertaking a nine-month, 1700-mile journey through the desolate Australian outback.
Davidson and Smolan’s story evolved beyond the originally commissioned May 1978 National Geographic article to “Tracks”, a best-selling memoir by Davidson.
“From Alice to Ocean”, a groundbreaking book/CD-ROM project by Smolan also emerged from the journey and the feature film “Tracks” starring Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver was released late September this year in the U.S. The film wowed audiences at Venice, Toronto, and Telluride film festivals and is currently screening at cinemas around town.
Weaving together elements from all of these projects, the exhibition “Inside Tracks” illustrates the lifelong impact of the original assignment for Smolan.
A new short documentary film, a high-definition slideshow of his photographs, an audio tour narrated by Smolan and an augmented reality presentation allow visitors to experience the journey through Smolan’s lens, according to Skylight Studios.
“This rare vantage point serves to immerse the viewer in an ancient landscape swept by rain, heat and dust and inhabited by all varieties of marauding life, from poisonous snakes and wild bull camels to swarms of clamoring tourists,” the studio stated.
“Inside Tracks” will be on display at Skylight Studios while the Annenberg Space for Photography is closed for technology upgrades.
Skylight Studios are located directly across the park from the Annenberg Photography Space at 10050 Constellation Boulevard. For more information, phone 213.403.3000 or visit www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/skylight-studios.
