Thursday, September 22, 2011

Opening Tonight - Vivian Maier @ Stephen Cohen

Vivian Maier: Street Photographer opens tonight from 6-9pm at Stephen Cohen Gallery.

The Stephen Cohen Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of works by recently discovered Chicago street photographer Vivian Maier (1926 - 2009).  The exhibition will showcase Maier’s wide range of images, from her wonderfully inspired self-portraits, and architectural views to her street portraits from New York, Chicago, and other cities, which document post-war America of the 1950s and 60s. 

Obscure until her work's recent discovery in abandoned storage lockers, Vivian Maier worked as a nanny in Chicago from the mid 1950s.  Born in New York and spending part of her youth in France, Maier traveled widely in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

The black-and-white images document Maier’s unconditional interest in the human figure set against a diverse and ever-changing urban culture.  Her images are clearly of their time, and it appears that Maier may have been influenced by the work of some of her well-know peers, whose photographs were being exhibited during the period that she was photographing.

The exhibition will highlight contemporary prints made by Chicago master printer Ron Gordon, and Sandy Steinbrecher from original negatives in the collection of Jeffrey Goldstein.  Maier’s images have been exhibited in Chicago, Germany, and Norway, and are currently on view at the Hearst Corporation in New York.  She has been the subject of media coverage from CBS, BBC, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and many others.

Feature - Kristopher Stallworth

Kristopher Stallworth teaches at Bakersfield College.  His Periphery series lights that city's landscape with car headlights on the outskirts of town, where residential meets agrarian. 


"An almond orchard photographed in the spring may well be a housing tract by the fall. In this group of images I hope to capture this shifting and fractured landscape."











All images Copyright Kristopher Stallworth
Troy Davis was most likely wrongfully put to death last night for a crime he didn't commit. Ours is the only Western, developed nation in the world that still has the death penalty, and a flawed one at that.

I can't help but think of Taryn Simon's The Innocents on a day like today.

More here.


William Gregory:

Wick's Parlor, Louisville, Kentucky
With fiancé Vicki Kidwell, whom he dated prior to conviction
Gregory was pool champion in prison
Served 7 years of a 70 year sentence for Rape and Burglary, 2002

Copyright Taryn Simon

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Interview



I was interviewed for the SIP blog and it went live Sunday. It was great that they could include some of the Inversion GIF's in the post as they're meant to be viewed.

Interview is here.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Thursday, September 8, 2011

On Listening to Others


John Burke

For those of you who follow the blog from out of town, September is usually our hottest month here in LA. Summer starts late after the June Gloom. I though it a good idea to go to a talk by Simon Norfolk this evening, both because of the nature of his project and also because of the added benefit of extended air conditioning time during the heat wave.

I did not regret my decision. Having studied foreign policy for my undergrad degree, the topic of Afghanistan and Simon's presentation of his experience there were particularly fascinating to me. I post about these talks because I usually find them worthwhile. They give special insight into projects I'm already interested in and I find myself leaving with a renewed hunger and motivation to create better work myself. Tonight was no exception so I thought I'd share some insight instead of just posting beforehand and not reporting what I've learned.

I learned a lot tonight but aside from the historical, Norfolk's presentation of John Burke's work and life was fascinating. Largely forgotten by history, Burke's work is being revived by Norfolk's project. I'd posted a thought about using historical projects as a basis for ones own but Norfolk's gone a step further than I could almost imagine anyone else engaging in such an endeavor doing. He believes Burke to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, photojournalists ever. Without getting into the details of why he believes this, I'd like to point out that he has engaged in deep study into Burke's life and practices and could, I imagine, be considered one of the preeminent experts on these.

He said at multiple points during his talk that he learned so much from studying Burke's photographs, evolving as a photographer as a result of that study. Truly, Burke seemed a photographic hero to him.

Just last night, in my internet travels, I stumbled upon this video of the comedian, Luis CK giving a tribute speech to George Carlin. In the speech, he says "everything that I do that's good is due to this guy..." He was touched so much by something Carlin said in a talk he'd heard that had inspired him in a difficult time to try a new direction, that he felt he owed his success to that moment and to Carlin.



I can't say that I've had a similar moment, but surely I've been touched, tormented, inspired, and ashamed (in a good way) by other photographers work, which makes me gradually a better photographer. This is why I feel it is important to view work, research, and go to talks like these.

Aline Smithson @ WallSpace

Aline Smithson's solo show opens Saturday at Wall Space in Santa Barbara. She'll be showing works from a number of series.



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Simon Norfolk Lecture & Book Signing @ LACMA

Copyright Simon Norfolk


Simon Norfolk will discuss his new book and sign copies at LACMA tomorrow, Thursday Sept. 8 at 7pm in the Brown Auditorium. Tickets are free and available the day of the event. Details here.

"British photographer Simon Norfolk will discuss his images of Afghanistan alongside those by 19th-century Irish photographer John Burke taken during the Anglo-Afghan war (1878-80). Norfolk finds modern parallels in his depictions of bomb-damaged buildings, local communities, internet cafes, soldiers and embassy workers, and draws comparisons across a century of British involvement in the region. A booksigning will immediately follow the talk."

Related question: How long is long enough to engage in such a dialog without it being thought of as mooching someone else's ideas or concept? I'd say that 130 years in this case is certainly long enough but what if less time has gone by? What if someone went shooting down the Mississippi tomorrow, taking their cue from Alec Soth? Is there such a thing as too soon? If so, how long should have passed for the new project to be interesting or independent enough? In the case of the La Brea Project, 35 years was enough for them. Would ten be? Five?

Be sure to check out the online feature of the book here.

Steve McCurry @ Peter Fetterman

Steve McCurry, The Iconic Photographs opens (no word on a reception as far as I can tell) Saturday, September 10 through November 30. There is a nice selection on their site but you really should go see the prints - especially the close up portraits.



Steve McCurry, recognized universally as one of today’s finest image-makers, has won many of photography’s top awards. Best known for his evocative color photography, McCurry, in the finest documentary tradition, captures the essence of human struggle and joy. Member of Magnum Photos since 1986, McCurry has searched and found the unforgettable; many of his images have become modern icons. Born in Philadelphia, McCurry graduated cum laude from the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University. After working at a newspaper for two years, he left for India to freelance. It was in India that McCurry learned to watch and wait on life. “If you wait,” he realized, “people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view.”

His career was launched when, disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into rebel-controlled Afghanistan just before the Russian invasion. When he emerged, he had rolls of film sewn into his clothes of images that would be published around the world as among the first to show the conflict there. His coverage won the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad, an award dedicated to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year, awarded by the National Press Photographers’ Association. That was the same year in which he won an unprecedented four first prizes in the World Press Photo Contest.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Quote of the Week - Geoff Dyer

It would take entirely too long for me to transcribe this so just head to about 4:40 in this video and listen to Geoff Dyer's fantastic account for a wonderful minute or so. The entire panel is worth watching - both days.

Short and sweet:

"However bleak and miserable looking the world was, it would still be more interesting to go out there and document it than it would be to do this kind of art photography of stacks of film".

- Geoff Dyer

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Feature - Kathleen Hawkes

One of Kathleen Hawkes's tableware pieces is featured in a current show at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art of winners of its juried competition, Looking Forward (juror: Edward Robinson - Associate Photo Curator at LACMA), on now and during the upcoming downtown art walk on Sept. 8th. Disclaimer: I have a piece in the show. I really like the unique feel to the series, which isn't easy to achieve with still lifes. I'm featuring work from her Tableware series.













All images Copyright Kathleen Hawkes


Quote of the Week - James Dodd

"Like Robert, I too felt the need to distance myself from my older work (in my case was Olympic Dreams), both aesthetically and story wise, which for me was in order to avoid being pigeon holed as a photographer who can only produce one type of work."

- James Dodd

I think many of us want to shoot a variety of things in a variety of ways, despite the market often rewarding those that do what we are trying to avoid. I know I do.

Job Opportunity - San Francisco

DwellMedia

Associate Photo Editor
Reports To: Photo Editor
Location: San Francisco, Ca

Job Summary

About Dwell
Dwell Media, LLC is the parent company of Dwell magazine, Dwell Digital + Mobile, Dwell on Design events, Dwell Insights Group, Dwell Homes Collection and Dwell TV. Founded in 2000 by Lara Hedberg Deam, Dwell has received countless industry awards and is widely regarded as a leading voice in the modern design movement.

Dwell Media, LLC is the parent company of Dwell magazine, Dwell Digital + Mobile, Dwell on Design events, Dwell Insights Group, Dwell Homes Collection and Dwell TV. Founded in 2000 by Lara Hedberg Deam, Dwell has received countless industry awards and is widely regarded as a leading voice in the modern design movement.

We are looking for a passionate Associate Photo Editor to join our creative team. You will have a keen eye for high quality photography, excellent multitasking skills and a high capacity visual memory. You will be highly organized, self motivated, enthusiastic, know how to self review your work, and have exceptional people skills. You will be a strong and fair negotiator with a sense of humor. You will assist the Photo Editor with the evolution of Dwell Media and overall photography, and thrive in a creative, collaborative environment.

This is not a staff photographer position.

  • You will work closely with the Photo Editor to conceptualize, assign and produce photo shoots.
  • You will research and collect images for existing art stories, digital projects and special issues.
  • You will edit all images from your stories.
  • You will work with the Photo Editor, Executive Editor and the design team members on story layouts.
  • You will negotiate fees and contracts with photographers and reps for assignments and existing art.
  • You will keep all in house tracking systems and data bases current and manage all photo returns and story pdf’s.
  • You will research and discover new photographers appropriate for Dwell Media.
  • You will initiate, collaborate, and contribute to the environment of the creative staff
    in a positive way.
  • You will prep images for digital use and contribute to Dwell’s content management system (CMS).

Required Skills

  • 2+ years photo editing experience or comparable
  • Ability to work collaboratively
  • Ability to meet deadlines with completed work
  • Ability to double check your own work and follow projects through to completion
  • Ability to multi-task, manage tight deadlines, and achieve quick turnarounds
  • Possess strong organizational skills, with mindfulness of team needs
  • High knowledge of Adobe CS5 and Excel
  • Knowledge of and experience in digital asset management is a big plus
  • A clear understanding of the Dwell visual voice
  • Enthusiasm for your team, a good sense of humor, and the desire to own the projects you work on are absolutely essential

To Apply

Please send cover letter, resume, and PDF portfolio with relevant samples of your work to: artjobs@dwell.com

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will not be responded to.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Opening Saturday - Redefining Hollywood @ Analog Salon





The Analog Salon is a project by Digital Fusion that highlights exceptional talent in the world of fine art photography. By partnering with industry leaders, DF is showcasing artists in its salon setting in Culver City by celebrating new, emerging and established photographers with an emphasis on Los Angeles based artists.


The new space represents a modern movement in supporting the arts by providing not only a space but a full production and marketing project to showcase talent and support artist efforts. The space will provide sponsored printing and framing, sponsored events based on the work and will include lectured, discussion panels and artist talks. All events will have a reception event and will be backed by local arts and entertainment media.


Along with Samitaur Constructs and under the guidance of architect Eric Owen Moss, Digital Fusion has provided a space to display and celebrate photography. Regular curated gallery exhibits will occur at the Culver City canvas setting. A dynamic partnership has been established with Contemporary Cultural led by cultural curator Edgar Varela as well as partnerships with local art world staples; Artweek LA & LA Canvas.


Partnerships have also been established with The Lucie Foundation, an organization established to support photography. We have also partnered with local radio station KCRW, the hub of cultural happenings in the Los Angeles regional area as well as Dublab, a radio collective specializing in cultural exploration of sight and sound.


Redefining

HOLLYWOOD

An exhibition of Photography by

Twelve photographers

August 27th -September 30th, 2011

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 27th, 7-10 pm

Exhibition on View Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm

Special Event for Photography on September 21st, 7-10

Other Exhibitions planned for November-December and 2012 on the website

The Analog Salon

3535 Hayden Avenue, Suite 100

Culver City, CA 90232

www.AnalogSalon.com


Thomas Alleman, J. Wesley Brown, Siri Kaur, Gordon Magnin, Gray Malin, Claire Mallett, Brend Reinhardt, April Rocha, Ryan Schude/Lauren Randolph, Emily Shur, Aline Smithson, Lacey Terrell