Information here:
Dec 30, 2008
SHOWS AND MORE SHOWS
Hello! I am back after the holidays and madly preparing for two shows. I hope you, my faithful readers, will find it in your new year's hearts to attend the openings!
Information here:
Information here:
Dec 8, 2008
LAST CHANCE TO OWN "ATOMIUM AT NIGHT"
Just wanted to remind everyone that the online auction 'emerging photogs--through dan cooney fine arts' ends on December 10th! My piece 'Atomium at Night is available. It's a great chance to own a limited edition world's fair print, and help out a struggling, emerging, starving artist. And no, I do not exaggerate.
www.igavel.com
And it's the 'emerging photographers' auction with my picture next to it.
Dec 7, 2008
ERIN GLEESON at the BROADWAY GALLERY
Food for
Thought:
Photography by
Erin Gleeson
Curated by Jade Doskow
At Broadway Gallery, 473 Broadway
(212) 274-8993
Opening Reception:
Friday December 19th, 6-8 p.m.
Broadway Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibit of Food for Thought: Photography by Erin Gleeson, curated by Jade Doskow, which will open on Tuesday, December 16th and close on Tuesday, December 30th, with a reception for the artist on Friday, December 19th from 6-8 p.m.
In the midst of the holiday season, the one constant most everyone can agree upon is the food. Erin Gleeson finds glamour and beauty in cuisine both everyday and exotic in her photography. In the Payard series---on display in the Broadway Gallery's project room---Gleeson teamed up with the renowned pastry chef Francois Payard, creating ethereal, colorful collages that mingle food and fantasy.
Enjoy the show, and remember....the pictures are not edible!
Thought:
Photography by
Erin Gleeson
Curated by Jade Doskow
At Broadway Gallery, 473 Broadway
(212) 274-8993
Opening Reception:
Friday December 19th, 6-8 p.m.
Broadway Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibit of Food for Thought: Photography by Erin Gleeson, curated by Jade Doskow, which will open on Tuesday, December 16th and close on Tuesday, December 30th, with a reception for the artist on Friday, December 19th from 6-8 p.m.
In the midst of the holiday season, the one constant most everyone can agree upon is the food. Erin Gleeson finds glamour and beauty in cuisine both everyday and exotic in her photography. In the Payard series---on display in the Broadway Gallery's project room---Gleeson teamed up with the renowned pastry chef Francois Payard, creating ethereal, colorful collages that mingle food and fantasy.
Enjoy the show, and remember....the pictures are not edible!
Nov 30, 2008
MY NEWEST PROPOSAL
Well the news is in: I have finally finished my second round for the Graham Foundation for Architectural Research. Now I must patiently wait while they review my images and statements and decide if my world's fair project is deserving of support---which I really hope it is!
This is the 1000 word proposal I submitted:
The sun had set and the sky was a strange electric blue; here was just an empty patch by the shores of Lake Michigan, a small pier, a grove of trees shuddering in the wind under a glaringly bright streetlight, and a nondescript park building. It was November, and as the Chicago wind picked up, it was a challenge to keep my fingers warm enough to work my wooden field camera. I set up the equipment on that cold shore, and made a long exposure, encapsulating the icy nothingness that represented the approximate location where the largest pavilions of the Columbian Exposition of 1893—the Agriculture Building and the Manufacture & Liberal Arts Building—had once stood.
This location is just one of the 15 world’s fair sites that I’ve photographed so far in Europe and the United States, and these locations are only the beginning of my project, Future Passed. Currently, there exist approximately 66 world's fair sites; my goal is to research and photograph all of them, planning 4-to-5 shoots annually. It’s a big project because it’s a big subject: World's fairs were unique, spectacular cultural events from which one can glean worldviews that came into and out of vogue, the rise of industrialism, the rise of modernism, architectural trends and progress, and the hopes and dreams of each era. After the fairs, the pavilions are immediately demolished, fall into disrepair, or ultimately are changed into a building with a different purpose. What remains on each site is indicative of specific aspects of the fair, though often misleading as to its original aspirations.
Before traveling to each site, I research what structures were proposed, examine original maps, and what major architects were involved in the design and construction of the fair. During the interim periods between shoots I contact museums and galleries, for purposes of research and exhibition. An ideal tour would be to exhibit the project in ex-world's fair buildings, some of which are now museums, providing the opportunity to place these sites into an immediate context in an old fair building whose function has changed. The project will also be presented as a book, with an introduction by a noted historian.
While many architectural photographers examine the complex ideas involved in the changing function of structures and sites---such as Robert Polidori, Richard Pare, and Joel Sternfeld---this will be the first time that the specific event of world's fairs is used to describe broader concepts of preservation, land use, and architectural progression. Thomas Ruff's photograph (1992) is an interpretive look at the Mies Van Der Rohe pavilion in Barcelona of the 1929 fair, but never has an individual attempted to assess the full scope of the fair sites in photographs. I see this project as existing in the lineage of archival, conceptual fine art projects such as the Bechers' collections of photographs of water towers, but also serving as a resource for architectural research; it will be subjective but at the same time definitive.
A subject of particular significance as I continue on this work is the differences in land use and attitude to historical preservation between different time periods, continents, and countries. The Eiffel tower of the 1889 Paris exposition, for instance, has been well maintained and has become a major tourist attraction. At time of construction, the tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world, although some critics considered the design of open metal trusses to be vulgar. While the Eiffel tower was originally intended as a temporary fair structure, the height provided invaluable radio communication and thus it was left standing. This bold feat of engineering became the iconic structure of Paris.
A contrasting example is the 1933-34 Chicago 'Century of Progress International Exposition,' which imagined a bright future far removed from the reality of the times. Because of the Great Depression, the public was perhaps more open to futuristic ideas in design and architecture. Model houses were the attraction at this fair, especially the Crystal House designed by George Frederick Keck, a dramatic, ethereal structure wrapped in glass and steel and fully encompassing the modern notion of 'form following function.'
Ironically, all that remains of the Century of Progress International Exposition is an ancient Roman column, awkwardly erect in a remote park on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was a gift from Italy to honor General Italo Balbo's transatlantic crossing to the fair in a jet plane. The idea of this column---an ancient column, brought over by boat to celebrate the technological wonder of crossing the ocean in a jet plane, and the only remaining structure of a 1930's world's fair best known for its celebration of modern architecture---is a perfect example of the contradictions inherent in both the idea of the world's fair and what remains.
But while the sites' present conditions may not live out their original optimism, more recent fairs have kept that hopefulness alive, foreseeing a bright future based, this time, in sustainable architecture and preservation of natural resources. For example, the 2005 Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan (one of the sites I hope to photograph with the help of this grant) had the theme of Nature's Wisdom, and reflecting this sentiment, the fair structures were composed of recycled wood composite or bottles. As a result, the dismantled pavilions will affect the earth in a much kinder way than the clunky building materials of older fair constructions.
Bringing in fair sites on new continents is extremely important to the growth of my project. It has only been since the 1960's that Japan---or any Asian country---has hosted a fair, and to examine these sites will illuminate the differences and similarities in eastern and western thoughts on preservation and urban land use. Preliminary research has provided me with maps from both the 1985 Tsukuba site and 1993 Taejon site. The opportunity to explore and photograph these sites is essential to the project, and I sincerely hope to win the support of the Graham Foundation.
This is the 1000 word proposal I submitted:
The sun had set and the sky was a strange electric blue; here was just an empty patch by the shores of Lake Michigan, a small pier, a grove of trees shuddering in the wind under a glaringly bright streetlight, and a nondescript park building. It was November, and as the Chicago wind picked up, it was a challenge to keep my fingers warm enough to work my wooden field camera. I set up the equipment on that cold shore, and made a long exposure, encapsulating the icy nothingness that represented the approximate location where the largest pavilions of the Columbian Exposition of 1893—the Agriculture Building and the Manufacture & Liberal Arts Building—had once stood.
This location is just one of the 15 world’s fair sites that I’ve photographed so far in Europe and the United States, and these locations are only the beginning of my project, Future Passed. Currently, there exist approximately 66 world's fair sites; my goal is to research and photograph all of them, planning 4-to-5 shoots annually. It’s a big project because it’s a big subject: World's fairs were unique, spectacular cultural events from which one can glean worldviews that came into and out of vogue, the rise of industrialism, the rise of modernism, architectural trends and progress, and the hopes and dreams of each era. After the fairs, the pavilions are immediately demolished, fall into disrepair, or ultimately are changed into a building with a different purpose. What remains on each site is indicative of specific aspects of the fair, though often misleading as to its original aspirations.
Before traveling to each site, I research what structures were proposed, examine original maps, and what major architects were involved in the design and construction of the fair. During the interim periods between shoots I contact museums and galleries, for purposes of research and exhibition. An ideal tour would be to exhibit the project in ex-world's fair buildings, some of which are now museums, providing the opportunity to place these sites into an immediate context in an old fair building whose function has changed. The project will also be presented as a book, with an introduction by a noted historian.
While many architectural photographers examine the complex ideas involved in the changing function of structures and sites---such as Robert Polidori, Richard Pare, and Joel Sternfeld---this will be the first time that the specific event of world's fairs is used to describe broader concepts of preservation, land use, and architectural progression. Thomas Ruff's photograph (1992) is an interpretive look at the Mies Van Der Rohe pavilion in Barcelona of the 1929 fair, but never has an individual attempted to assess the full scope of the fair sites in photographs. I see this project as existing in the lineage of archival, conceptual fine art projects such as the Bechers' collections of photographs of water towers, but also serving as a resource for architectural research; it will be subjective but at the same time definitive.
A subject of particular significance as I continue on this work is the differences in land use and attitude to historical preservation between different time periods, continents, and countries. The Eiffel tower of the 1889 Paris exposition, for instance, has been well maintained and has become a major tourist attraction. At time of construction, the tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world, although some critics considered the design of open metal trusses to be vulgar. While the Eiffel tower was originally intended as a temporary fair structure, the height provided invaluable radio communication and thus it was left standing. This bold feat of engineering became the iconic structure of Paris.
A contrasting example is the 1933-34 Chicago 'Century of Progress International Exposition,' which imagined a bright future far removed from the reality of the times. Because of the Great Depression, the public was perhaps more open to futuristic ideas in design and architecture. Model houses were the attraction at this fair, especially the Crystal House designed by George Frederick Keck, a dramatic, ethereal structure wrapped in glass and steel and fully encompassing the modern notion of 'form following function.'
Ironically, all that remains of the Century of Progress International Exposition is an ancient Roman column, awkwardly erect in a remote park on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was a gift from Italy to honor General Italo Balbo's transatlantic crossing to the fair in a jet plane. The idea of this column---an ancient column, brought over by boat to celebrate the technological wonder of crossing the ocean in a jet plane, and the only remaining structure of a 1930's world's fair best known for its celebration of modern architecture---is a perfect example of the contradictions inherent in both the idea of the world's fair and what remains.
But while the sites' present conditions may not live out their original optimism, more recent fairs have kept that hopefulness alive, foreseeing a bright future based, this time, in sustainable architecture and preservation of natural resources. For example, the 2005 Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan (one of the sites I hope to photograph with the help of this grant) had the theme of Nature's Wisdom, and reflecting this sentiment, the fair structures were composed of recycled wood composite or bottles. As a result, the dismantled pavilions will affect the earth in a much kinder way than the clunky building materials of older fair constructions.
Bringing in fair sites on new continents is extremely important to the growth of my project. It has only been since the 1960's that Japan---or any Asian country---has hosted a fair, and to examine these sites will illuminate the differences and similarities in eastern and western thoughts on preservation and urban land use. Preliminary research has provided me with maps from both the 1985 Tsukuba site and 1993 Taejon site. The opportunity to explore and photograph these sites is essential to the project, and I sincerely hope to win the support of the Graham Foundation.
Nov 29, 2008
PRE-THANKSGIVING OPENINGS
You have to forgive me---I have fallen horrifically behind in my blog-writing. I've been a bit preoccupied trying to make money, see family, and sweating over my grant proposal for the Graham Foundation.
I checked out several openings on November 20th.
First of all:
JONAS WOOD at Anton Kern Gallery
This show was great. Big, colorful paintings of people, living rooms, animals, all matter of everyday, painted in a style which felt like David Hockney meets Barry McGee. There was an impressive turnout at the opening, including Roberta Smith and Jerry Saltz, among others. Fun stuff.
Also went to see Christopher Gielen's urban landscapes at Dan Cooney Fine Art.
At HASTED HUNT was the neo-fluorescent candy-coated photos of Julian Faulhaber. Photography---especially architectural photography---tends to often take itself a bit too seriously, and these pictures were slick technically but fun otherwise, the colors oversaturated and dizzyingly bright. I prefer more serious stuff, but lighter fare is sometimes necessary, right?
Along these lines, upcoming at Yossi Milo is the also colorful, architectural work of Josef Schulz. I'm a big fan of Schulz's work. It is elegant, simple, well-executed, and exists at the exciting crossroads between photography and painting and new media. The pared down, abstracted forms bring to mind Serra's gigantic sculptures as well as color field painters like Ellsworth Kelly.
I checked out several openings on November 20th.
First of all:
JONAS WOOD at Anton Kern Gallery
This show was great. Big, colorful paintings of people, living rooms, animals, all matter of everyday, painted in a style which felt like David Hockney meets Barry McGee. There was an impressive turnout at the opening, including Roberta Smith and Jerry Saltz, among others. Fun stuff.
Also went to see Christopher Gielen's urban landscapes at Dan Cooney Fine Art.
At HASTED HUNT was the neo-fluorescent candy-coated photos of Julian Faulhaber. Photography---especially architectural photography---tends to often take itself a bit too seriously, and these pictures were slick technically but fun otherwise, the colors oversaturated and dizzyingly bright. I prefer more serious stuff, but lighter fare is sometimes necessary, right?
Along these lines, upcoming at Yossi Milo is the also colorful, architectural work of Josef Schulz. I'm a big fan of Schulz's work. It is elegant, simple, well-executed, and exists at the exciting crossroads between photography and painting and new media. The pared down, abstracted forms bring to mind Serra's gigantic sculptures as well as color field painters like Ellsworth Kelly.
Nov 13, 2008
EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLINE AUCTION THROUGH DANIEL COONEY FINE ARTS: AUCTION BEGINS NOV 14TH
I will have a photograph from my world's fair project available through an
online auction of emerging photographers. This is through Daniel Cooney Fine Arts
and www.igavel.com. It is a great opportunity to buy the work of exciting new talent at a potentially recession-proof price!
Please bear in mind: it is best to register for the auction fairly early, but bid closer to the end. This is when the action happens! The auction will be held on
www.igavel.com starting November 14th.
online auction of emerging photographers. This is through Daniel Cooney Fine Arts
and www.igavel.com. It is a great opportunity to buy the work of exciting new talent at a potentially recession-proof price!
Please bear in mind: it is best to register for the auction fairly early, but bid closer to the end. This is when the action happens! The auction will be held on
www.igavel.com starting November 14th.
Nov 9, 2008
GALLERY HOP: WHAT'S GOING ON IN CHELSEA
On my rounds in Chelsea this week, I saw work which ran the gamut from thought-provoking to dreamy to mediocre. I'll start with the good stuff first.
Zhang Xiaogang's large cool-toned paintings at Pace Wildenstein were great.
As peculiar and off-putting as a novel by Haruki Murakami, the paintings put me in a space that can best be described as a hazy dream-world in a German interrogation building (such as the video piece 'Stasi City' by Jane & Louise Wilson) The painting style was somewhat cartoonish and washy, with large blackish and greenish fields of color. Certain elements appeared repeatedly, such as bare lightbulbs with carefully---albeit not perfectly---drawn cords draping across the canvas.
The artist explains his work as indicative of the elusiveness of memory; 'memory isn't a thing that can actually present the past', but something which undergoes 'continuous revisions.'
Next up: the truly not inspiring work of Andreas Gursky at Matthew Marks Gallery on 24th Street.
I have great respect for Gursky in the entire scheme of things as a fine art photographer. Who else can lay claim to selling PHOTOGRAPHS, of all things, for such huge prices? Who else has made such work that is just really really big? Not many. And I appreciate his large photographs about large-scale consumerism, I really do.
But this show proved that perhaps Mr.Gursky needs to take a break. Or, maybe, work really really small. Or buy a new sports car. The really really big photographs of a club which looks like a giant hive and that was designed by a DJ friend of his just didn't say anything about anything. There's a big picture of the club with kids in it, and a big picture of it empty except for the artist and his son. Sigh.
Next....the Humble Arts Foundation show at New Century Artists 'Things Are Strange.'
I'm going to give a little shout-out to all of my SVA colleagues who were in the show; it's a great opportunity to see the work of Alison Malone, Matthew Baum, and Amy Stein if you haven't already.
'Things Are Strange' was a fun and exciting visual take on 'strange,' be that a psychadelic spider or a one-eyed cat.
(Spider photograph by Hannah Whitaker)
Zhang Xiaogang's large cool-toned paintings at Pace Wildenstein were great.
As peculiar and off-putting as a novel by Haruki Murakami, the paintings put me in a space that can best be described as a hazy dream-world in a German interrogation building (such as the video piece 'Stasi City' by Jane & Louise Wilson) The painting style was somewhat cartoonish and washy, with large blackish and greenish fields of color. Certain elements appeared repeatedly, such as bare lightbulbs with carefully---albeit not perfectly---drawn cords draping across the canvas.
The artist explains his work as indicative of the elusiveness of memory; 'memory isn't a thing that can actually present the past', but something which undergoes 'continuous revisions.'
Next up: the truly not inspiring work of Andreas Gursky at Matthew Marks Gallery on 24th Street.
I have great respect for Gursky in the entire scheme of things as a fine art photographer. Who else can lay claim to selling PHOTOGRAPHS, of all things, for such huge prices? Who else has made such work that is just really really big? Not many. And I appreciate his large photographs about large-scale consumerism, I really do.
But this show proved that perhaps Mr.Gursky needs to take a break. Or, maybe, work really really small. Or buy a new sports car. The really really big photographs of a club which looks like a giant hive and that was designed by a DJ friend of his just didn't say anything about anything. There's a big picture of the club with kids in it, and a big picture of it empty except for the artist and his son. Sigh.
Next....the Humble Arts Foundation show at New Century Artists 'Things Are Strange.'
I'm going to give a little shout-out to all of my SVA colleagues who were in the show; it's a great opportunity to see the work of Alison Malone, Matthew Baum, and Amy Stein if you haven't already.
'Things Are Strange' was a fun and exciting visual take on 'strange,' be that a psychadelic spider or a one-eyed cat.
(Spider photograph by Hannah Whitaker)
Nov 1, 2008
Show Opening November 7th: Rachel Barrett at the Broadway Gallery, Curated by Jade Doskow
RACHEL BARRETT:
THE NEW AMERICAN LANDSCAPE
Curated by Jade Doskow
At Broadway Gallery, 473 Broadway
(212) 274-8993
www.broadwaygallerynyc.com
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7th, 6-8 p.m.
Broadway Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibit of Rachel Barrett: The New American Landscape, curated by Jade Doskow, which will open on Saturday, November 1st and close on Saturday, November 15th, with a reception for the artist on Friday, November 7th from 6-8 p.m.
Working in the tradition of a long and rich photographic history, Rachel Barrett isolates odd, often dreamy moments, framing for the viewer a delicate choreography between people and the natural and constructed environment. Like the pictures of Barrett's predecessors, from Atget to Winogrand to Shore, the familiar and the strange are often swapped or the boundaries nebulous.
The protagonists of Barrett's world become characters in a drama only the artist understands; it is up to the viewer to insert themselves in their own way into these vignettes. Barrett's figures are small in scale within the frame, and they are seemingly about to be swallowed by the earth and sky around them. The work is pensive, moody, a bit theatrical---the lost melodramas of everyday life frozen and presented for inspection.
This is Rachel Barrett's first solo show in New York. More of her work can be seen at www.rachelbarrett.net
THE NEW AMERICAN LANDSCAPE
Curated by Jade Doskow
At Broadway Gallery, 473 Broadway
(212) 274-8993
www.broadwaygallerynyc.com
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7th, 6-8 p.m.
Broadway Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibit of Rachel Barrett: The New American Landscape, curated by Jade Doskow, which will open on Saturday, November 1st and close on Saturday, November 15th, with a reception for the artist on Friday, November 7th from 6-8 p.m.
Working in the tradition of a long and rich photographic history, Rachel Barrett isolates odd, often dreamy moments, framing for the viewer a delicate choreography between people and the natural and constructed environment. Like the pictures of Barrett's predecessors, from Atget to Winogrand to Shore, the familiar and the strange are often swapped or the boundaries nebulous.
The protagonists of Barrett's world become characters in a drama only the artist understands; it is up to the viewer to insert themselves in their own way into these vignettes. Barrett's figures are small in scale within the frame, and they are seemingly about to be swallowed by the earth and sky around them. The work is pensive, moody, a bit theatrical---the lost melodramas of everyday life frozen and presented for inspection.
This is Rachel Barrett's first solo show in New York. More of her work can be seen at www.rachelbarrett.net
Oct 31, 2008
SUPPORTING LADY PHOTOGS IN DC
Photo by Susana Raab
WHAT: FotoWeek DC opening + Silent Print Auction of
"Women by Women: A Juried Exhibition by WPOW members"
DATE/TIME: Thursday, November 20th - 6:30 to 8:30 pm
WHERE: Sewall-Belmont House and Museum
144 Constitution Ave, NE Washington DC 20002
(Next to Hart Senate Office Bldg / Metro: Union Station)
DESCRIPTION: The Women Photojournalists of Washington craft a visual journey through the lives of women and girls around the world. From the desperation of an emergency room in Haiti, to an ordered classroom in China; from the bubble gum pink of a girls bathroom during a middle school dance, to a whitewashed detention center on Mexico's border–moments of beauty, humor and darkness present themselves in their rawest form.
COST: Free!! (Bring your checkbooks or cash if you plan to bid during the silent auction!) Can't make the event but still want to bid on our photos? Bid online at: http://womenphotojournalists.org/auction/index.html
Curated by Ken Geiger, National Geographic Senior Editor and MaryAnne Golon, Time Magazine, Consulting Editor
More about WPOW:
Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW) is a non-profit organization of 175 women working within or studying the field of photojournalism in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
While still in the minority, women are a quickly growing segment within the historically male dominated field of photojournalism. WPOW seeks to both address the specific needs of Washington DC area female photojournalists by nurturing professional growth, and to educate the public about the role of women in this field.
Oct 27, 2008
KEHINDE WILEY @ the STUDIO MUSEUM OF HARLEM
Second day before closing, I caught the awesome show at the Studio Museum of Harlem, "The World Stage: Africa, Lagos, Dakar", the amazing paintings of Kehinde Wiley. I have seen Wiley's work before---maybe at Deitch Projects, I'm not sure---but I didn't remember it having such a powerful effect. In Wiley's newest work, he sets up shop in various locales and soaks in the culture of that place, through hanging out with locals, visiting museums, and studying the relevant history. In Lagos, Dakar local African men were given the chance to pose in stances based on those of local monuments and statues; it was a give and take between artist and subject at these photo shoots. As a result, the gestures in the paintings are almost dance-like, such as in "Place Soweto: National Assembly".
One bit of information which was not provided was the significance of the brightly colored patterns both enveloping the figures and serving as backgrounds; I would assume they are taken from each specific locale of where the painting was made, but if anyone out there knows more specifically, please let me know! Wiley's technique is nothing short of perfection; invisible brushstrokes, and a complex understanding of color which is nothing short of a modern Vermeer. In a documentary describing Wiley's practice (on display in the Museum), he explained his process as first: photo shoot, then digital work to enhance the colors already present. The nuances in the skin tones were obviously carefully labored over, and the sculptural shadowing combined with the large scale gave each painting a special, monumental quality. ('On Top of the World,' Kehinde Wiley, 2008)
Oct 24, 2008
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN at Site Sante Fe
While in Santa Fe, I finally had the opportunity to visit the well-known Site Santa Fe contemporary art center. The current show was the 7th international biennial to be held there, 'Lucky Number Seven,' curated by Lance M. Fung.
I do appreciate the fact that Fung chose---to more or lesser degrees---emerging artists, many of whom were from the region.
However, much of the work was not exceptional, and came up short of inspiring new conversation or dialogue.
New York based artist Nadine Robinson's piece was the most impressive, a giant trio of X's perched atop the SITE Santa Fe building, illuminated at night with hundreds of industrial bulbs. The 3 X's reference both the historical religious reading of the cross and plays with more contemporary notions of 'x-rated.'
Studio Azzurro had the most interesting and fun piece in the exhibition, featuring locals walking up a city sidewalk, digitally projected on a gallery wall, larger than life. The viewer could place their hand on any of the figures walking by, at which point the figure would turn and face the viewer and give them directions in the area. As a long-time urban dweller, I appreciated this investigation into how people treat and interact with one another in a busy city area. Ignore? Keep eyes focused forwards? Make eye contact? Or talk to each other?
Probably the weakest work in the show was the sculptures of mother and daughter team headed by Eliza Naranjo Morse. Their sculpture---reminiscent of a long piece of poop---was chosen to be draped over the entrance to the museum. If a piece is, in essence, advertising how and where to cross the threshold from outside to in, it better be a strong, or at the very least, interesting, or offensive, piece of work. This was none of those. And especially in contrast with Nadine's giant x's, I really don't know what the curator was thinking to offer this very important site to these artists and this piece of work. I appreciate that they chose 'local' materials for their piece such as clay, but so what? This was an example where MORE would have been effective; the result was just weak. This picture is from some of their other sculpture draped elsewhere in New Mexico.
On one hand, I respect Fung for bringing in regional artists to an international exhibition space, especially as regional work is such a huge part of the art market in New Mexico. However, if it can't provoke thought or be visually seductive, there has to be more to it than 'being regional.'
I do appreciate the fact that Fung chose---to more or lesser degrees---emerging artists, many of whom were from the region.
However, much of the work was not exceptional, and came up short of inspiring new conversation or dialogue.
New York based artist Nadine Robinson's piece was the most impressive, a giant trio of X's perched atop the SITE Santa Fe building, illuminated at night with hundreds of industrial bulbs. The 3 X's reference both the historical religious reading of the cross and plays with more contemporary notions of 'x-rated.'
Studio Azzurro had the most interesting and fun piece in the exhibition, featuring locals walking up a city sidewalk, digitally projected on a gallery wall, larger than life. The viewer could place their hand on any of the figures walking by, at which point the figure would turn and face the viewer and give them directions in the area. As a long-time urban dweller, I appreciated this investigation into how people treat and interact with one another in a busy city area. Ignore? Keep eyes focused forwards? Make eye contact? Or talk to each other?
Probably the weakest work in the show was the sculptures of mother and daughter team headed by Eliza Naranjo Morse. Their sculpture---reminiscent of a long piece of poop---was chosen to be draped over the entrance to the museum. If a piece is, in essence, advertising how and where to cross the threshold from outside to in, it better be a strong, or at the very least, interesting, or offensive, piece of work. This was none of those. And especially in contrast with Nadine's giant x's, I really don't know what the curator was thinking to offer this very important site to these artists and this piece of work. I appreciate that they chose 'local' materials for their piece such as clay, but so what? This was an example where MORE would have been effective; the result was just weak. This picture is from some of their other sculpture draped elsewhere in New Mexico.
On one hand, I respect Fung for bringing in regional artists to an international exhibition space, especially as regional work is such a huge part of the art market in New Mexico. However, if it can't provoke thought or be visually seductive, there has to be more to it than 'being regional.'
SHARON CORE and AMY ELKINS at Yancey Richardson Gallery
Several good shows opened up last night, including Sharon Core and Amy Elkins at Yancey Richardson Gallery.
Sharon Core's show in the main gallery, 'Early American,' featured exquisite still lives, an homage, in essence, to Raphaelle Peale, considered the first early American still life painter.
In the rear project gallery was Amy Elkin's project 'Wallflowers,' featuring cute young men up-front-and-center of flowered wallpaper.
I loved these two projects together. It would have been great to see the works in one room, instead of separate spaces. Both artists used a painterly, careful use of light and color palette; both are heavily entrenched in art historical reference.
This show is open until December 6th.
Sharon Core's show in the main gallery, 'Early American,' featured exquisite still lives, an homage, in essence, to Raphaelle Peale, considered the first early American still life painter.
In the rear project gallery was Amy Elkin's project 'Wallflowers,' featuring cute young men up-front-and-center of flowered wallpaper.
I loved these two projects together. It would have been great to see the works in one room, instead of separate spaces. Both artists used a painterly, careful use of light and color palette; both are heavily entrenched in art historical reference.
This show is open until December 6th.
10:15 DOT COM
My friend Beth turned me onto this really cool website, where you upload a photograph you take at 10:15 a.m. I love the idea of all of these simultaneous lives coming together on a website at a specific moment. Here is one of the pics from 10:15
photo by Jay Heinz of Chapel Hill, NC 'Unicorns and Freakin' Rainbows'
photo by Jay Heinz of Chapel Hill, NC 'Unicorns and Freakin' Rainbows'
Oct 18, 2008
ART AND NATURE IN NEW MEXICO
New Mexico is incredible.
It's my 3rd time here, and the first time I've been here with my 4 x 5 camera and much better skills at making pictures. It is stunning here---an extremely wide and vibrant color spectrum, tiny humble homes set against massive, impassive mesas and mountains, and a moon that doesn't disappear until late in the afternoon. Made some pictures in White Sands, Raptor Lake, and along Route 3 in the middle of some rolling hills dotted with farms and yucca and trees, the leaves a pale golden green in the sparkling autumnal sun. It was pretty awesome.
Now in Santa Fe.
Saw a really lovely photography show at the Monroe Gallery of the work of Stephen Wilkes, another photographer who has been investigating the rapidly changing environment of China.
The image I found most enigmatic in the show was this:
Farm house before demolition, China, 2006, Stephen Wilkes
This photograph was exhibited as a diptych with a matching image, the farmhouse just now a pile of rubble. While I have certainly seen plenty of before/ after destructions depicted in photography, the strange, ethereal lighting and overcast, yet shimmering sky really contributed to the overall feeling of: is this really happening?
It's my 3rd time here, and the first time I've been here with my 4 x 5 camera and much better skills at making pictures. It is stunning here---an extremely wide and vibrant color spectrum, tiny humble homes set against massive, impassive mesas and mountains, and a moon that doesn't disappear until late in the afternoon. Made some pictures in White Sands, Raptor Lake, and along Route 3 in the middle of some rolling hills dotted with farms and yucca and trees, the leaves a pale golden green in the sparkling autumnal sun. It was pretty awesome.
Now in Santa Fe.
Saw a really lovely photography show at the Monroe Gallery of the work of Stephen Wilkes, another photographer who has been investigating the rapidly changing environment of China.
The image I found most enigmatic in the show was this:
Farm house before demolition, China, 2006, Stephen Wilkes
This photograph was exhibited as a diptych with a matching image, the farmhouse just now a pile of rubble. While I have certainly seen plenty of before/ after destructions depicted in photography, the strange, ethereal lighting and overcast, yet shimmering sky really contributed to the overall feeling of: is this really happening?
Oct 14, 2008
TROPICAL STORMS IN PUERTO RICO
Well wanted to add a brief something in here....have been on my honeymoon in Puerto Rico for the last couple of weeks, which has been quite an adventure, from the boozshie pools at El San Juan Resort and Casino to the wild coasts of Rincon to the insane, extremely verdant jungles and mountains of the interior of the island. After that, the odd, decrepit city of Ponce, the rain forests of El Yunque, and now....stuck in Fajardo, a small coastal town trying to escape the island before the hurricane scheduled for tomorrow!
So, rather than go to the tropical Caribbean island of Vieques as planned, we've decided to abandon PR and head to New Mexico instead, one of our favorite places to road-trip, camp, and make 4 x 5's. My friend Sarah Palmer has made some pretty sweet pictures out there.
Shelter, White Sands
2008, Sarah Palmer
So, rather than go to the tropical Caribbean island of Vieques as planned, we've decided to abandon PR and head to New Mexico instead, one of our favorite places to road-trip, camp, and make 4 x 5's. My friend Sarah Palmer has made some pretty sweet pictures out there.
Shelter, White Sands
2008, Sarah Palmer
Sep 27, 2008
BENEFIT TO SAVE THE BOWERY: TONIGHT, SEPTEMBER 27TH
I am helping out with a benefit to help stop the rampant destruction along the Bowery. For those of you new to town, the Bowery only recently became home to all of those swanky hotels and high rises. Its history is much more colorful and sordid than what it has become.
In addition to music and performances, there will be a silent art auction---great opportunity to score a great piece of art and help support a grassroots organization. Artists include Mette Madsen, Aimai Reporter, Anna Sawaryn, Gilda Pervin, Phillipe Solomon, Sally Young, and an 11" x 14" by yours truly, from my ongoing photo project examining the rapid destruction of Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Hope to see you there!
Bowery Alliance of Neighbors
BAN
presents
An Evening to Save The Bowery
Saturday, September 27, 2008
6:30 - 9:30 p.m
at
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery
one block north of Houston St.
music, poetry and film
--art auction--
--raffle--
proceeds benefit the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (BAN)
a grassroots organization working to protect
residents, small businesses - the neighborhood
&
the historic character of the Bowery
admission: $10 per person
additional donations welcome
checks payable to:
Bowery Alliance of Neighbors
184 Bowery #4
NYC, NY 10012
∼ boweryneighbors.org ∼
In addition to music and performances, there will be a silent art auction---great opportunity to score a great piece of art and help support a grassroots organization. Artists include Mette Madsen, Aimai Reporter, Anna Sawaryn, Gilda Pervin, Phillipe Solomon, Sally Young, and an 11" x 14" by yours truly, from my ongoing photo project examining the rapid destruction of Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Hope to see you there!
Bowery Alliance of Neighbors
BAN
presents
An Evening to Save The Bowery
Saturday, September 27, 2008
6:30 - 9:30 p.m
at
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery
one block north of Houston St.
music, poetry and film
--art auction--
--raffle--
proceeds benefit the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (BAN)
a grassroots organization working to protect
residents, small businesses - the neighborhood
&
the historic character of the Bowery
admission: $10 per person
additional donations welcome
checks payable to:
Bowery Alliance of Neighbors
184 Bowery #4
NYC, NY 10012
∼ boweryneighbors.org ∼
Sep 26, 2008
BUCKMINSTER FULLER AT THE WHITNEY MUSEUM
A big part of American worlds fair history is the geodesic dome, the creation of a wildly brilliant engineer / inventor named Buckminster Fuller.
The show currently open at the Whitney museum is a brilliant portrayal of two creator's interpretations of how we experience space --- and domes. Buckminster's dome was featured prominently in the Montreal 1967 worlds fair.
In addition to Fuller's drawings, models, photographs, and other such paraphernelia, there was also an exhibition of Paul McCarthy's work. Instead of the performance art involving condiments and cooks 
which most people are so familiar with, this was installations examining how we understand space. One piece involved standing in the middle of a small, square room which slowly rotated. Each wall had one door in the center. As it slowly rotated---viewers standing inside and spinning along with it---each wall started slowly opening up, the door opening slowly and then slamming shut violently. It was disorienting and an interesting examination of our perception of structure as a solid and non-moving entity.
The show currently open at the Whitney museum is a brilliant portrayal of two creator's interpretations of how we experience space --- and domes. Buckminster's dome was featured prominently in the Montreal 1967 worlds fair.
In addition to Fuller's drawings, models, photographs, and other such paraphernelia, there was also an exhibition of Paul McCarthy's work. Instead of the performance art involving condiments and cooks which most people are so familiar with, this was installations examining how we understand space. One piece involved standing in the middle of a small, square room which slowly rotated. Each wall had one door in the center. As it slowly rotated---viewers standing inside and spinning along with it---each wall started slowly opening up, the door opening slowly and then slamming shut violently. It was disorienting and an interesting examination of our perception of structure as a solid and non-moving entity.
JOEL STERNFELD AT LUHRING AUGUSTINE
As many of my colleagues know, a day gallery hopping is never completely awe-inspiring or rewarding---in fact, it can be often downright depressing.
So, I was extremely pleased to see the show at Luhring Augustine of Joel Sternfeld's large-format photographs around Oxbow in upstate New York.
I find it very fulfilling to find work like Sternfeld's still so solidly holds its own in the contemporary art world, as opposed to trendier, flashier photography with less gravitas. These photographs depict the subtle nuances which nature presents in one tiny corner of the world over a period of time. The work is sincere, beautiful, and perhaps a bit obsessive---my favorite type of photography. Even if the work is a 'break from the sublime' as the press release describes, the pictures are luscious just in their scale and perfect composition. Each photograph is obviously the product of a very slow, meditative picture-making process.
So, I was extremely pleased to see the show at Luhring Augustine of Joel Sternfeld's large-format photographs around Oxbow in upstate New York.
I find it very fulfilling to find work like Sternfeld's still so solidly holds its own in the contemporary art world, as opposed to trendier, flashier photography with less gravitas. These photographs depict the subtle nuances which nature presents in one tiny corner of the world over a period of time. The work is sincere, beautiful, and perhaps a bit obsessive---my favorite type of photography. Even if the work is a 'break from the sublime' as the press release describes, the pictures are luscious just in their scale and perfect composition. Each photograph is obviously the product of a very slow, meditative picture-making process.
THE GRAHAM FOUNDATION
The Graham Foundation is an organization whom sponsors scholarly works in architectural research. This past week I submitted this proposal for continuing work on my world's fair project. I sincerely hope the Foundation can help support 'Future Passed:'
Into the London sky soared an incredible structure; 900,000 panes of glass delicately strung together by thin bands of iron, surrounded by an impeccable display of landscaping. Designed by Joseph Paxton, this massive structure was the architectural equivalent of total imperial might, the crowning achievement of industrial Victorian England. This was the great Crystal Palace of the first world’s fair, the Great Exposition of 1851.
Future Passed is an examination of how the sites and structures of world's fairs---conceived and built for a temporary, specific purpose---interact in today's unforeseen environment. World’s fairs were considered ‘timekeepers of progress,’ indicative of each era's greatest human achievement. Some of the most important architects of the 19th and 20th century were commissioned to construct fair pavilions, dazzling, unusual structures incorporating the most cutting-edge materials and engineering prowess possible at the time. Among them are Daniel Burnham, McKim, Mead, and White, Louis Sullivan, Eiffel, Le Corbusier, Ando, Mies Van der Rohe, and the landscaping of Frederick Law Olmstead.
But, what happens after the fair leaves town? Tragically, these extraordinary structures are often immediately demolished, reappropriated for far less grand ambitions, or simply neglected. There is a seeming arbitrariness to what survives. In Philadelphia, two of the four remnants from 1876 are fair toilet buildings. In Paris, we have such national icons as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, and the Palais de Tokyo. In Flushing Meadows Park of New York, Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion of 1964 sits in sad decrepitude, its stocky concrete support columns chipped and covered in ivy. As an architectural photographer, I became entranced with the fantastical buildings overgrown with weeds, often neglected and ill-fitting among the sleek, modern high-rises looming around them. I use time of year and day---as well as a lush or stark color palette---to further convey the atmosphere of these sometimes-ghostly sites.
To date, I have photographed 15 fair sites, including Paris, Brussels, Seville, Barcelona, Spokane, New York, New Orleans, San Diego, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Due to financial constraints, I have not yet had opportunity to photograph sites in Asia. With the support of the Graham Foundation, I would expand the project to include important architectural spectacles in Japan and Korea, such as Kenzo Tange's Festival Plaza in Osaka of the 1970 Expo.
The ultimate function of Future Passed is to serve as the definitive---albeit subjective and conceptual--- archive of photographs of world's fair sites. The final goal involves a five-year plan: to photograph 3-5 sites a year for the next five years (projected end date: 2013). When I have photographed 40-50 sites, I will approach museums and galleries for exhibition of large-scale color prints; ideal venues would be museums originally constructed for world’s fairs, such as the Queens Museum in New York and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Additional plans involve a hardcover book. (I have worked with Kiki Bauer of Powerhouse books on preliminary layout.) Future Passed has been exhilarating and challenging, and I sincerely hope the Graham Foundation can help to further this project.
Into the London sky soared an incredible structure; 900,000 panes of glass delicately strung together by thin bands of iron, surrounded by an impeccable display of landscaping. Designed by Joseph Paxton, this massive structure was the architectural equivalent of total imperial might, the crowning achievement of industrial Victorian England. This was the great Crystal Palace of the first world’s fair, the Great Exposition of 1851.
Future Passed is an examination of how the sites and structures of world's fairs---conceived and built for a temporary, specific purpose---interact in today's unforeseen environment. World’s fairs were considered ‘timekeepers of progress,’ indicative of each era's greatest human achievement. Some of the most important architects of the 19th and 20th century were commissioned to construct fair pavilions, dazzling, unusual structures incorporating the most cutting-edge materials and engineering prowess possible at the time. Among them are Daniel Burnham, McKim, Mead, and White, Louis Sullivan, Eiffel, Le Corbusier, Ando, Mies Van der Rohe, and the landscaping of Frederick Law Olmstead.
But, what happens after the fair leaves town? Tragically, these extraordinary structures are often immediately demolished, reappropriated for far less grand ambitions, or simply neglected. There is a seeming arbitrariness to what survives. In Philadelphia, two of the four remnants from 1876 are fair toilet buildings. In Paris, we have such national icons as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, and the Palais de Tokyo. In Flushing Meadows Park of New York, Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion of 1964 sits in sad decrepitude, its stocky concrete support columns chipped and covered in ivy. As an architectural photographer, I became entranced with the fantastical buildings overgrown with weeds, often neglected and ill-fitting among the sleek, modern high-rises looming around them. I use time of year and day---as well as a lush or stark color palette---to further convey the atmosphere of these sometimes-ghostly sites.
To date, I have photographed 15 fair sites, including Paris, Brussels, Seville, Barcelona, Spokane, New York, New Orleans, San Diego, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Due to financial constraints, I have not yet had opportunity to photograph sites in Asia. With the support of the Graham Foundation, I would expand the project to include important architectural spectacles in Japan and Korea, such as Kenzo Tange's Festival Plaza in Osaka of the 1970 Expo.
The ultimate function of Future Passed is to serve as the definitive---albeit subjective and conceptual--- archive of photographs of world's fair sites. The final goal involves a five-year plan: to photograph 3-5 sites a year for the next five years (projected end date: 2013). When I have photographed 40-50 sites, I will approach museums and galleries for exhibition of large-scale color prints; ideal venues would be museums originally constructed for world’s fairs, such as the Queens Museum in New York and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Additional plans involve a hardcover book. (I have worked with Kiki Bauer of Powerhouse books on preliminary layout.) Future Passed has been exhilarating and challenging, and I sincerely hope the Graham Foundation can help to further this project.
WORLD'S FAIR SEATING CHARTS
My current body of work involves shooting world's fair sites around the globe. I am completely obsessed with this project. I have tried 'casually shooting' other subject matter, but it fell flat. My goal is to shoot 4-5 sites each year for the next five years, and then put out a huge book, and exhibit the work in various locales both along the way to that end and at the culmination of the project.
There is no way my wedding could escape unscathed from my world's fair project. I have designated each table a specific fair structure. To the end, I designed Victorian style pseudo-postcards using my photographs.
I also created a seating chart depicting each of the fair-pavilion-tables and who sits at them.
There is no way my wedding could escape unscathed from my world's fair project. I have designated each table a specific fair structure. To the end, I designed Victorian style pseudo-postcards using my photographs.
I also created a seating chart depicting each of the fair-pavilion-tables and who sits at them.
MARRIAGE and GROWING UP
I am finally marrying my boyfriend of 6 years, a sweet, Filipino painter named Lambert. The families mutter 'it's about time' under their breath while smiling and hugging us. I never was the type of lady whose goal it was to get hitched - it wasn't something I actually ever thought about. But it seems like the right time to take on this new commitment. Lambert and I have been through a lot: 3 different apartments in Brooklyn, 5 weeks in a car traveling around the American west, countless photo shoots, and bike rides through the Bronx dressed in costume.
THE CLOSEST THING TO A DIGITAL 4 x 5 : THE CAMBO
Being unemployed gives me a lot of time to think about my photography, as I can't afford to actually go on a proper shoot at the moment.
Every day during breakfast, I leaf through the Calumet catalog that has not made it's way into the recycling. In the newest one was this beautiful instrument:
So, my birthday is in November. If any of you are wondering what to get me, you can get me this camera. And some lenses.
This is the closest thing I have seen to a digital large format camera. The design looks great. I do appreciate the vigour and suffering of traveling with 30 film holders, lugging them from shoot to shoot, and huddling in a yucky hotel room with my arms in the changing tent, loading and unloading film. This camera would probably save me a lot of time---and that would be amazing.
Every day during breakfast, I leaf through the Calumet catalog that has not made it's way into the recycling. In the newest one was this beautiful instrument:
So, my birthday is in November. If any of you are wondering what to get me, you can get me this camera. And some lenses.
This is the closest thing I have seen to a digital large format camera. The design looks great. I do appreciate the vigour and suffering of traveling with 30 film holders, lugging them from shoot to shoot, and huddling in a yucky hotel room with my arms in the changing tent, loading and unloading film. This camera would probably save me a lot of time---and that would be amazing.
ABOUT MYSELF AND WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS BLOG
This is a very brief intro to myself and why you should find this blog so utterly fascinating.
I am a recent-ish MFA photography graduate from the School of Visual Arts (May 2008).
I am unemployed.
I am getting married in 8 days.
I live in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.
I have serious goals for this blog. It is not going to an obnoxious, typical, fine-arts-shmoozing photography blog. Yes, I will link to my friends who make kick-ass work. Yes, I will go on and on about geeky photo stuff which I find fascinating. But there will be no cheesy 'photo comparisons' by various famous photogs, or links to every trendy photographer out there, or any type of rhyme or reason...it will much be much more subjective than all of that.
WHERE DOES IT BEGIN
I've been meaning to start a blog for quite a while.I've started maybe five that I never followed through on. This one, I have the fullest intentions of following through on. For today, anyway.
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