Ryan Pyle Blog: Grazia Neri Closing

Hello.

I try not to post to many news-ish items on my blog, mainly because there are other sites that accomplish this task much more effectively than I do. But today when I woke up I had an email in my inbox that both shocked and saddened me, and I felt compelled to blog.

You see Grazia Neri is not just another agency in Italy. They are "the" agency in Italy. And they have been a leading light in Italian photography for 42 years and my experiences with Grazia Neri have always been great. Their sales and assignment people have always been warm and welcoming.

I have been represented by Grazia Neri, as an assignment photographer, since 2005; just shortly after Corbis scrapped its assignment photography division. At first I think I was just the only person they knew in China and wanted to fill that gap, but over time our relationship grew and we had the chance to collaborate on several exciting projects.

I want to thank all the people I've worked with at Grazia Neri, over the last few years, for their passion for photography and their professionalism. The Italian photography industry lost a key player in progressing photography, all eyes will be watching to see what attempts to step in and fill that void. A sad Friday indeed.

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Official Press Release - English
- Some financial information has been removed from this post.

After 42 years of excellence and integrity in the world of italian and international Photography and Photojournalism, Grazia Neri Agency is now compelled to enter into liquidation (voluntary winding up). The extreme editorial and advertising crisis that has started in the second half of 2008 and has exploded in 2009 has brought the Agency to a severe financial crisis. All of this in a very short time. The crisis of the italian editorial market is such as not to leave hope for a recover in short or medium time.

We have made all efforts to cut the Agency costs and in the last months and to the last moment we have looked for a suitable strategic partner but with no success.

In this situation, with a huge grief for our history, for the employees, the sales team, the international and italian photographers, agents and friends, for all the splendid human experiences of years, regretting the loss of an important cultural role, Grazia Neri Agency has decided to terminate its activities.

In the next months the Agency will continue its operations only to accomplish ongoing projects, tasks and activities which are necessary to the liquidation.

Thank you for your extraordinary work, creativity, friendship and help that have highly contributed in writing this beautiful collective story of more than forty years.


Michele Neri
Milano, September 17th 2009
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Ryan Pyle
Photographer
ryan@ryanpyle.com
Website: www.ryanpyle.com
Archive: http://archive.ryanpyle.com
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Ryan Pyle Blog: China's Textile Slowdown

Hello,

I just wanted to make you aware of some new work I've completed on China's battered textile industry. Above is a brief slide show of the work, follow THIS LINK to the NYTimes article by David Barboza.

The textile industry, like most other low end manufacturing in China is in a funk because of lessening demand from North America and Western Europe. David and I visited several factories in China's textile industry hub, the city of Shaoxing, Zhejiang province.

During the boom years it was often very difficult to gain access to factories and speak with industry leaders because no one wanted to talk about how much money they were making or how successful their company's were; for various fears and potential backlash. But during the visits on this recent trip, managers and owners were very candid with us about how orders have dropped and production numbers have fallen; resulting in massive layoffs. I even had someone from the textile industry government regulation agency ask me if I could call him sometime to discuss the distress in the industry even further, a rarity.

Often foreign journalists and photographers in China are not accepted amongst the Chinese business community as being honest and objective; but during this economic downturn I've noticed a real change in the attitudes of the business elite; they actually want to talk to us and share their stories of how the current downturn is affecting them. My hope is that this dialog and exchange continues when the boom years return.

As an outsider, or a non-Chinese person, documenting China it is important to me to be accepted amongst the business (and even political) community as being an honest and objective story teller. I hope this era of openness continues; it's a wonderful feeling being invited to several factories and getting to speak with the decision makers - instead of sneaking around and trying to piece together information by talking with employees on lunch break. Better pictures, and better journalism, better for everyone involved I reckon.

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Ryan Pyle
Photographer
ryan@ryanpyle.com
Website: www.ryanpyle.com
Archive: http://archive.ryanpyle.com
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