Another for Tonight

Another opening at the new Hous Projects LA location this evening from 4-7.  Stop in especially if headed to the contemporary fair.

Fishy Photos

This is pretty cool.  On Sunday the Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting photographers for one night only to have their run of the place, tripods, flashes and all.  For some reason seahorses and strobes don't mix, though.  It's the only time you can take your time and really set up and we all know how much fun aquarium shooting can be.  Tickets cost $23.95.


Info here.


Thanks, Aline!

But wait! There's more...

I just found out via Pixfeed that there's also an opening across the street from Alex Prager's show at M+B of James Welling's (of photogram and abstract fame) series Glass House, shot using color filters of Philip Johnson's masterpiece, designed in 1949.  This means you can pop right across the road to Regen Projects and get two shows for the price of, well, for free.

But there's even more. This also made me recall that there's a second opening tomorrow at the same time just one block away from these at Kopeikin Gallery of Mitch Dobrowner's excellent show so why not hit up all three?  Let the free wine flow.

James Welling: Glass House

Saturday, January 30, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Regen Projects
633 N. Almont Dr.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Art Los Angeles Contemporary - This Weekend

In it's inaugural year, Art Los Angeles Contemporary attempts to establish a contemporary fair in LA.  Compared to the LA Art Show, this looks like the list of galleries exhibiting is a lot more legitimate when it comes to contemporary art and I think it will have art of a higher caliber.

Of course, everyone knows that photography by the biggest names is not to be seen at photo fairs, but rather at the big contemporary art fairs. You won't see a Hoffer, Gursky, or Struth at a photo fair but you will see plenty at ARCO or Basel.  I'm not sure why this is but I'd guess it's because these top-tier photographers want to be seen as contemporary artists and command similar prices to painters so they tend to be repped by big name contemporary dealers who show at this type of fair.

In any case, I'm planning to check this one out.  $16 gets you a one day pass, which is pretty on par for museum entrance fees and should be well worth it.

Saturday Opening - Alex Prager at M+B

Tomorrow is the opening for a show of local, Alex Prager's newest body of work, Week-End at M+B Gallery.  I'll be heading to this one.

From the press release:

In the artist's own words, she is “documenting a world that exists and doesn’t exist at the same time.” The trilogy began with girls playing archetypal roles in Polyester. Then in The Big Valley, the roles took on lives of their own, and the separation between make-believe and real life began to dissolve. With Week-End, which signifies the peak as well as the extent of the period, the façade becomes so thick that the illusion is now more real than the world they actually live in. 

Life Support for Haiti

Wallspace Gallery in Seattle is hosting a benefit for Doctors Without Borders and thus, the Haiti Earthquake victims through a print sale. All photos are $50. Locals Mitch Dobrowner, Emily Shur, Liz Kuball and Aline Smithson have donated prints. Other standouts include Susan Worsham, David Bram, and Lydia Panas.

Check them out here.

Also for sale to benefit Haiti are smaller versions of the photos up in the current New Directions show, in which I have a piece. They can be seen here.

Go get some art and support a noble cause.

Copyright David Bram

Burtynsky Tonight!

Copyright Edward Burtynsky

I'm a little behind on this but Edward Burtynsky will be speaking for free tonight at USC.  Looks first come first served, so I'd get there a bit early. 

Thursday, January 28, 2010 : 7:00pm

University Park Campus
Gin D. Wong FAIA Conference Center/Auditorium
Harris Hall 101

Admission is free.

Details here.

Feature - Ian Baguskas

So while I usually feature CA photographers, I'm also partial to work created in our great state.  Just don't all of you east coasters come rushng in to take advantage or the rest of us will be without locations to shoot.  Oh wait, nevermind, this is California.  Well be just fine.  On second thought, I suggest you all move out here, having lived in both places.  It will be 68 degrees and sunny tomorrow.

Ian Baguskas completed an excellent series here in the Golden State called, Sweet Water.  He's also got one of the prints for sale over on 20x200 here for just $50.

Photo Artillery Opening Friday and Gordon Magnin Feature

There's an opening reception for Photo Artillery: In the Realm of the Lenses tomorrow night at Stephen Cohen Gallery:


This exhibition, guest curated by Tulsa Kinney and Paige Wery, Artillery's editor and
publisher respectively, explores sexuality employed by artists using photography-based work.

Among that work and on the flyer below are some amazing collages by local, Gordon Magnin.  I'm definitely going to check this one out.

Friday, Jan. 22,  7-10pm
7358 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036

All images Copyright Gordon Magnin

Eggleston in LA

Just saw on the LACMA website that we'll be treated to a show of over 200 of his photos.  I know it's in October but it's exciting to have something like that to look forward to.  I wonder if he'll come for the opening.  If so, I hope he shoots some while here.

William Eggleston: Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961-2008
October 31, 2010–January 16, 2011

William Eggleston is widely recognized as an undisputed master of color photography, a poet of the mundane, and proponent of the democratic treatment of his subjects. His inventive use of color and spontaneous compositions profoundly influenced the generation of photographers that followed him, as well as critics, curators, and writers concerned with photographs. This exhibition will include approximately two hundred photographs, the artist's little-known video work Stranded in Canton, his early black-and-white photographs of the sixties, and the vivid dye-transfer work of the early seventies, as seen in the Museum of Modern Art's landmark catalogue of 1976, William Eggleston's Guide. Highlights from the last twenty years will include selections from the Graceland series and The Democratic Forest, Eggleston's great, dense anthology of the quotidian.

Quote of the Week

"What is important is to create an object capable of conveying the sensation as close as possible to the one felt at the sight of the subject"

- Alberto Giacometti

Friday - Stream @ Space 15 Twenty

Not sure if we'll be quite out of the rain enough in time for this but Friday brings us a simultaneous bi-coastal photo projection show called Stream. It will be shown in Baltimore and at Space 15 Twenty here, which is worth checking out if you haven't yet.  Besides, there's a rain location indoors there should one be needed.

More for the Weekend

Remember the Too Much Chocolate / Kodak film grant?  Well, they've announced the winners, complete with examples of the submitted series and statements and a short blurb about their projects they'll be using the film to complete.  Really interesting to see.  There are no Angelenos in the mix but Molly Landreth is a west coaster up in Seattle.  Congrats to all!

Aside from all the Photo LA madness this weekend and the Dobrowner opening at Kopeikin tomorrow, there will be an opening tomorrow also at Duncan Miller for Jeff Dunas from 7-10.

Enjoy the photo-filled weekend!

Copyright Molly Landreth

Daniel Cooney Emerging Artists Auction

It's that time again - time for a little shameless self-promotion.  I hope you all can forgive me. It doesn't happen that often on here.

I have the photograph below available for bidding in the current Daniel Cooney Emerging Artists Auction for a very reasonable price.  It is an edition of 5 and the auction is live for 3 weeks.  I'll take you out for a beer and some photo conversation if you buy it.

Also in the auction are locals Emily Shur and Nicole Lloyd.  Go check it out!

Opening - Mitch Dobrowner at Kopeikin

I'm very excited to see Mitch Dobrowner's show at Kopeikin Gallery, opening this Friday the 15th from 7-9pm.  There will be a second opening if Photo LA's got you busy and you are a local on Sat. Jan 30th from 6-8pm.

Mitch has a great talent with light and I love his work because it reminds me of the amazing and enormous nature of the planet and indeed, universe in which we live. I've always said the thing I most appreciate about photography is its ability to transport me to another reality, if only for a brief moment, and I feel Mitch's work really succeeds at this. Anyone recognize that crazy city second from last?

 

Photo LA!

It's that time of year and Photo LA is once again upon us.  Kicking off tomorrow night with an open bar (if anything like last year) fundraiser for the Annenberg Photography Department of LACMA at $75 per ticket. Other events of note outside the pair itself and the gallery / project booths include an interesting project based around Stephen Shores' La Brea (which I just found out is of the corner of Beverly and La Brea where the same but redesigned Chevron is across the street from the Honey Baked Ham).

Copyright Stephen Shore

There will be a portfolio walkthrough on Friday from 5-8 and I highly recommend checking this out, especially if you are considering attending a review in the future. Going to this last year and seeing how others presented their work well prepared me for my reviews at PhotoEspana this year.

Finally, the Photographer's Fling Ball hosted by Center and organized by Aline Smithson is Saturday night.  I'll be at that and the opening party tomorrow so if anyone would like to say hello, shoot me an email.

All Photo LA event info can be found here. There are a number of other activities I did not specifically mention so take a look.

Fraction Magazine

There's a new issue of Fraction Magazine up this week and it's not one to be missed.  A partner of Center, Fraction's one of a crop of online photo magazines that have cropped up in recent years and is not to be missed.  The current issue boasts an excellent portfolio by the man himself, Mr. Toledano and a really interesting series by David Maisel of culled x-ray's of Statues from the museum world.

Woops, looks like I missed one.

Here's another photo show / happening going on tomorrow night. Go get your photo on.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION: Los Angeles

ISM: a community project is celebrating instant film and the Polaroid
600 Series with a special, one night only, gallery exhibition +
limited edition book featuring over 200 professional and amateur
photographers from around the world.

Saturday, January 9th, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Bergamot Station, Copro Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave T5, Santa
Monica, CA 90404

The special event will be accompanied by live musical performances
with The Fling, Sam Outlaw and The Romany Rye.

Sponsored by Copro Gallery, The Impossible Project and For Your Art

RSVP: http://www.ISMcommunity.org/RSVP

Saturday Openings

So it looks like there are two interesting group show openings happening tomorrow. You'll have to venture a bit farther than might be usual to check out the first at Sylvia White Gallery in Ventura, which looks to be a great one. Guest-curated by Darryl Curran and Robert von Sternberg, the show follows the trajectory of artists over 40 years, with origins in a 1969 show curated by von Sternberg at the Downey Museum of Art, showcasing artists working in Southern California.  There are some big names in this one:

Lewis Baltz, Darryl Curran, Robbert Flick, Susan Rankaitis, Robert von Sternberg,Robert Heinecken, Jo Ann Callis, Anthony Friedkin, Jerry McMillan Eileen Cowin, Jane O'Neal, and Todd Walker.

Opening reception Saturday, Jan. 9  from 3-5pm
Through Feb.13

Sylvia White Gallery

1783 East Main Street
Ventura, California 93001
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday Noon-5PM
805.643.8300

Additional story here.

Copyright Robert von Sternberg

The second is called "Put Your Finger on the Button" (ahem) and features the work of female photographers Alex Prager, Alma Márquez, Amanda Marsalis, Ashira Siegel, Brandy Eve, Cheryl Dunn, Deanna Templeton, Jeaneen Lund, Kassia Meador, Laura Flippen, Lauren Dukoff, Rebecca Wright, Susanne Melanie Berry, and Taylor Brittenham.  It runs through February 6th.

Opening Sat. January 9th at New Image Art Gallery - 7-10pm
7908 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood CA 90046
P 323 654 2192

(Copyright Alex Prager)

Feature - JUCO

Fashion team JUCO is made up of Julia Galdo (who was born in the same little town that I was) and Cody Cloud, whose art project I previously featured here.  Individually talented, they make an excellent team.  I'm particularly drawn to their work because I feel it is a great mix of art and fashion photography.

Interview with Julia the  here.

May 2010 be wiser for all

Further proving that 2009 was the year we lost our collective sanity (or was it `08 and we just paid for it in `09?), the 3rd highest price fetched at auction for a photograph last year was for this utterly dull photo by Canadian west coast photographer, Jeff Wall.  One of an edition of two, it sold for a remarkable $770,500.



















Via