The Soul of Vietnam

Blossoming of Vietnam: Eleven years of photos and stories in today's exotic emerging country During my immersion in Vietnam I knew that much of the world was unaware of Vietnam today, as it grew to be the world's 13th largest population. It was less than twenty million then while nearing one hundred million today. How did Vietnam achieve that growth in the half century since surviving mass starvation at the end of World War II? My answer is that it happened because of its loving and intense culture, that is, its soul. In my heart I believe it is the culture that enlightened the heights to which Vietnam has risen after 1500 years of invasion, occupation, and suppression. - Lawrence D'Attilio This book is a beautiful, poignant, humorous and delightful portfolio of modern Vietnam that also informs about historical culture. Seamlessly exploring from North to South, the book expresses an awareness of subjects from the magnificent to the mundane. The aura of these vibrant photographs and stories preserves the natural beauty of the country and the traditions of the people. One can appreciate D'Attilio's memorable way to capture much of what people remember once they have visited Vietnam. Newcomers can be confident that the images represent an accurate contemporary idea of Vietnam as it exists now, instead of a travel agent's hyped post card view. D'Attilio's anecdotal stories separately focus on the weave of Vietnamese life now. Dynamic changes in the large cities are startling for their impact on Vietnam's millennial-old culture. The Soul of Vietnam also illuminates the agrarian rural life that is an underpinning of Vietnam's ongoing success. The author-photographer arrived in Vietnam in 2006, on the cusp of a wave of change. He found a country poised on the edge of an accelerating economic and cultural evolution, compelling him to return for three month trips eighteen times. D'Attilio hoisted his cameras in secretive alleys, darkened caves, and city streets filled with waves of people. He thrived on his effort to create matchless images defining Vietnam s extraordinary culture. D'Attilio observes; We mature more when we live within a strikingly different culture and find our inner selves expanding. Every person can use that experience to feel at home in today's connected world. Born in New York City, artist-photographer Lawrence D'Attilio grew up in a fertile world of contemporary artists and marine biologists from many countries, as they frequently visited his parents. Those youthful times made him aware of other cultures and magnified his inquisitiveness about the origin countries. Gradually he gripped the meanings, composition and moments distilled in the viewfinder and ultimately implemented in the images in THE SOUL OF VIETNAM. From his earliest projects, D'Attilio has probed the constructive developments in human movements. Impacted by his parallel proficiency as an aviator and professional musician, his art projects flourished . Prominent are URBAN INVERSIONS (1970-1996) that depicted transitions in the industrial Midwest, ANCHORS (1998) which experimentally altered Street Photography, RITUALS (2004) that mused on leisure settings, and THE NEW GLOBAL WOMEN (2009 - present) exploring young Asian women's cultural stresses. The New Global Women along with The Soul of Vietnam resulted from D'Attilio's epic determination to understand Vietnam's 21st century transformations. Using photographs and words, THE SOUL OF VIETNAM is D'Attilio's intimate homage to a culture that thinks on its feet, comprehends its place on Earth, and perceives its elevated status in the world. With one foot in the past, its move into the global arena will be fascinating to observe. In English with parts also translated to Vietnamese.