Part III in my brief ongoing survey of photographers from Eastern Europe, focusing today on Latvian photography.

The Latvian Museum of Photography houses a collection of contemporary Latvian art photography as well as a historical collection. Some of the more interesting contemporary artists follow:

Arno Antums creates manipulated photomontages, supplemented with graphic and painted elements.

Uldis Briedis captured the announcement of the declaration of independence of Latvia in 1990.

Janis Knakis' images contain surrealism influences.

Young Latvian artist Arnis Balcus repeatedly shoots his own self portrait.

Wilhelm Mikhailovsky is another photographer to embark on a project, Mine 365 Days of 1999, which captures one whole year in its entirety. He also photographed the period leading up to one man's execution.

Back on the international front, Salam Pax, the Iraqi blogger behind Where Is Raed? has started a photoblog. His first post on 13 June shows a Friday sermon in Kadhmia Mosque (via Anything But Ordinary).

Aperture has recently posted an imaginary interview by Japanese fine art photographer Yasumasa Morimura [in Japanese, click through links to department store floors in left menu)] with Frida Kahlo, taken from Daughters of Art History.

Julie Taymor, who made her directorial debut with Titus, has her new film, Frida, opening in Tokyo next month at Bunkamura Le Cinema in Shibuya. I, for one, will be clamouring to attend the first screening, as Frida Kahlo is the first artist whose work I fell in love with when I began studying art history twelve years ago.