Call for Entries

The Coalition of Photographic Arts, an organization I have been involved with for more than 3 years, has posted the call for entries for our 2nd Annual Juried Exhibition.

You must be a resident of Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota or Michigan to submit. Our juror this year is George Slade, Artistic Director of the Minnesota Center for Photography.

The deadline for submissions is June 25, 2008.

Analysis

Thank you, thank you Gallery Hopper! Have you, too, had a moment when you were offered EXACTLY what you needed to hear?

Then and now

Kerry - Edwards 2004 Mel Trittin

This picture ran in the New York Times early last week. 75,000 people turned out in Portland Oregon to hear Obama. When I was cleaning out my folders I came across this picture I took at a Kerry-Edwards rally almost four years ago. The one reminded me of the other. I am hopeful that this November will be an outcome that doesn't make me want to move to Canada. Perhaps people will have a larger effect than paper.

Small Town

When you live in a small town it is a small thing to walk a couple of blocks to observe the Memorial Day ceremony. To stand in remembrance of military members who have died serving at the pleasure of the Commander in Chief and Congress.

Memorial Day Weekend

Hope you have a relaxing long weekend. I avoid calling if a "holiday" because, like religious observances, our market driven culture has taken a somber day of remembrance and turned it into an opportunity to shop the sales. We have eclipsed the first definition of holiday:

1. a day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or in honor of some person.

In order to have more of this:

7. of or pertaining to a festival; festive; joyous: a holiday mood.

I wonder how many years it will take before September 11 is formally given federal holiday status and can also be treated as a BIG BIG DOOR BUSTER occasion?

Dawoud Bey

Sarah from Class Pictures Dawoud Bey


If you haven't taken Brian's advice (or missed it) and added What's Going On? - Dawoud Bey's new blog to your regular reading you should. You really should!


The focus, intensity and generosity of spirit evident in his work is now available in his writing.

SF Cameraworks print sale

Untitled #6411 2008 from the series Roaming, Todd Hido

The Intrepid Art Collector gave the heads up that SF Cameraworks has their 2008 Fine Prints posted. Prices range from $350 to $1250, but remember that a large portion of that is tax deductable.

Scroll down the page to the J John Priola print still available for $350! This program is a remarkable opportunity to collect and support photography.

I love getting mail

Although the package looked as though the truck had driven over it...several times, the contents came through just fine. I have more coming. Perhaps tomorrow?

Geeks just wanna have fun!

I spent a long day spring cleaning my files. Consolidating folders, renaming, backing up. All the things we're supposed to integrate into our "workflow", and put off. Here are two videos to cleanse the palate from all the heavy analysis I see coming out of the New York Photo Festival (see this post for a brief example, do a search if you really want to go down the rabbit hole because frankly I don't see why I should do ALL the heavy lifting. On the other hand if you need one more incentive, it seems Robert Frank chose Charlie LeDuff to serve as a modern day Kerouac.).

Good times.

Jane Tam

My Aunt's Tin Foiled Kitchen 2008 Jane Tam

Last month Jane Tam opened a store on her web site to help defray costs associated with her Senior Thesis exhibit. I quickly purchased My Aunt's Tin Foiled Kitchen and Untitled (Can I Come Home With You).

Untitled (Can I Come Home With You) Jane Tam

She has since graduated with her BFA and moved back to Brooklyn. She still has prints available. One can say that one is altruistically helping out a gifted young artist. The truth is closer to jumping at beautiful prints (read her CV if you don't believe me) from an artist who's prices, no doubt, will soon be adding zeros.

Full disclosure. I just ordered one more. I'm altruistic that way.

Planets aligning

from the Mars series 2006-07 Tamir Sher

I received an email from Israeli photographer Tamir Sher the other day introducing me to his blog and website. I was able to take the time to have a look around today. His galleries are Flash based and when you enter, jazz piano plays. Thelonius Monk. Yesterday Jen Bekman had a special edition to benefit SFJazz which I purchased. The edition? Mark Ulriksen's Monk.

Take a look through the projects Mars and After Mars as well as his other series. Intriguing work.

I'm not sure if these coincidences take astronomy and convert it to astrology.

Homeland Security

Bob Shanley Palm Beach Post

Baghdad? No, Boca Raton. The Boca police were able to put on all their gear when they turned out to quell fear when hundreds lined up for housing vouchers.

Really, it's funny if you don't think about it too hard......

via We're Just Sayin

"It's just...the idea!"

Modern Art Notes provided this link to a short interview with Robert Rauschenberg recalling the creation of Erased deKooning 1953. It could not be more poignantly fitting.

"It's not a negation, it's a celebration."

Liz Kuball Print Sale

Copyright 2007 Liz Kuball

Liz Kuball has entered into the realm of blogosphere commerce with a print offer, and it's a twofer. I would recommend jumping over there while there are still a few left. Liz needs a new lens!

I'm happy, Liz is happy, my framer is happy. Win, win, win!

Mother's Day

My daughter and husband love me. They are taking me to ....



Flight of the Conchords tonight! Brunch and a corsage this is not!

Who am I?

Jon Gittelson started this. I have the utmost respect for Cartier-Bresson, I was just hoping for someone with a little more je ne sais quois. It must have been the morgue question.

Photoshop humor

via ninja crayon

Heart

Big Brown passing Eight Belles on the way to the finish, Photo: Morry Gash AP

I bring this photograph to your attention to recall Eadweard Muybridge. Eight hooves off the ground.

I do not wish to address horse racing. I have ridden thoroughbreds. I have trained thoroughbreds. I have been with horses when they were born and I have been with them when they died. A brilliant stud or gelding will give you 100% most of the time. In my experience, a good mare will give you 125% most of the time. Last November 9th I made the humane decision to euthanize my 24 year old thoroughbred mare in the face of devastating illness and 2 weeks of fruitless medical treatment. The tragedy of Eight Belles' breakdown after running the race of her life yesterday at the Kentucky Derby brings me great sadness. She was another mare with an astounding heart who gave everything she had.

Wearing your heart

on your wrist. Re:vision from Australia has a line of bracelets made from lens pieces. The bad news is the cost seems tied to the price of the lens in its first life. Is this recycling or cannibalizing?

On books

The latest essay in the ongoing Words Without Pictures project is a paean to the photo book, Who Cares About Books? by Darius Himes. Be sure to read the post by Jason Fulford in the discussion forum on the right hand side.

Darius ends with a cautious tone regarding the self-publishing trend. Susana Raab's self published 'zine Rank Strangers has cleanly, delightfully avoided the pitfalls he warns of. It is a beautifully produced collection that makes me smile every time I pick it up.

Finally, I was able to get a copy of Here You Are at Art Chicago last week. This is a compendium/catalog of work by the photographers represented by Kaune, Sudendorf ( Note:I tried several times to get to their web site and repeatedly come up with a white page. Either they are down or they take minimalism to a new level). Luke Batten & Jonathan Sadler, Marina Gadonneix, Nathan Baker, Christian Patterson, Peter Granser, Greg Stimac, and Jason Lazarus are all included in this high end catalog that leaves most other galleries in the dust. Score!

The Artful Life

Leslie K. Brown has posted on wall text again. Brilliantly funny!