Ring Bound Portrait Format Calendar A3 Format: 420mm x 297mm

For 11 years I’ve chosen to call Tbilisi home. Whilst it’s not the most comfortable choice from a number of perspectives, it does represent to me a unique artistic canvas that delivers contrasts and challenges as the city develops in its own dynamic. I’ve always walked the less beaten path; in the late 1990’s I chose to move to the border region between East Germany and Poland - as a result I wrote my university dissertations on the transformations of societies from centrally planned economies to wild young free-markets - a transition from planned should-be perfection to unregulated and imperfect chaos. Tbilisi, and Georgia is another example of such a process, yet of course  this is a place with her own unique characteristics.

For the day-to-day I usually take photographs on digital cameras; their immediacy, convenience and lower cost of operation are truly a wonder of the modern age, yet at the same time they also distract in the creative process when compared with the limitations of film. I learned my craft on film, paying my dues every few days as I squandered my stipendium on film and developing in Frankfurt an der Oder. The discipline I learned from this period endures till today and is perhaps more intense as I’ve been drawn to shoot 6x6cm film in what’s known as 120 Format on 70+ year old cameras. You only get 12 shots per roll, have to metre the scene and focus manually with a relatively shallow depth of focus - all in all a far slower and more deliberate process than being able to fire off frames on a digital camera. These limitations become a strength - forcing you to really concentrate and hope that your multiple calculations combine to make a pleasing image that captures and communicates your idea. Naturally, where possible I try to bring this methodology to digital photography too - which is why I’m happy to display images captured on digital formats next to those on film  - because the feeling transmitted is consistent, I also know I often have to think when asked; which camera, lens and medium were used to create a certain photograph -  for me, a good sign. That being said, all of the photos used to make this calendar were made with film.

The choice to make photos on square format film gives not only a different aesthetic but also a significantly different feel - I describe the works I’ve created and shown the last years as “quiet photography” - the main idea behind this is slowing down to appreciate the beauty we find in the every day, the photos created should have a feeling that endures for a long time; so rather than follow fashions they should have their own style and timelessness despite being created in the contemporary.

Tbilisi is far more than just a city; she’s a confusion of a melting pot of cultures. The confluence of the Aragvi and Kura Rivers occurs at her north-western most tip, the city is a curved tunnel sandwiched between hills which shield her at lower altitudes from harsh winds from most directions - whether you choose to believe the story of the etymology of T’bili-si being a warm place she certainly is the capital of the Caucasus with today’s city home to an ethnically diverse populace speaking multiple languages, agreeing on little yet rubbing shoulders and rubbing along peacefully. The vibe and energy of the city is undeniably bohemian; an escape from the confines of the province; she’s grand and theatrical whilst being welcoming and warm. To me it’s no surprise that creatives from all over the globe are drawn to Tbilisi and experience her as the lover you can’t quite give up. Irresistible yet frustrating in equal measure, she’s always good for material. Trying to put your finger on quite what it is that keeps you hooked is a futile exercise - once she’s under your skin, she stays there.

I hope you enjoy the photographs I’ve created and curated for this calendar, for many years I’ve wanted to make a film-only medium format homage to Tbilisi and I’m delighted that for 2025 I can release this. Whilst I realise this collection focuses on the nostalgic rather than the modern I wanted to communicate a Tbilisi feeling, I hope that you get that every month of the coming year.

Yours,

Adrian