Wednesday, November 3, 2010
2 Shows, 1 Building. Opening Tomorrow at 111 Front St
Klompching Gallery presents Jim Naughten’s first solo exhibition in the United States, featuring photographs from Re-enactors.
In this body of work, Naughten has photographed some of the thousands of people, who step out of their daily lives to transform into historical characters from the First and Second World War.
Naughten has investigated the phenomena of re-enactment culture with a formal photographic rigour, that contributes to the role of photography in reinventing history. The portraits, themselves, are mostly three-quarter profile, from the legs up and with a stark, neutral backdrop. The striking detail of each image draws attention to the exactness of the costumes being worn and to the expressions of the subjects. Titled only with reference to nationality, unit and rank — nothing of the real lives of the individuals is revealed. The viewer is compelled to look and to wonder about who chooses to play a WWI Gunner, a US Medic or an SS Officer?
Inspired by Richard Avedon’s In The American West, Naughten has stripped away the context of the participants, heightening the sense of artifice. These flawless digital prints — that include tanks and battle scenes — chromatically echo photographs of the past, yet are undoubtedly contemporary.
Jo Ann Walters Vanity + Consolation at Kris Graves ProjectsJo Ann Walters has been practicing photography since the early 1980's. This selection of exquisite color photographic portraits from Walters' series Vanity + Consolation were made between 1985 and the present. She has been described by seminal photographer William Eggleston as "one of the few independently original photographers working in color today.” These original color prints have never been exhibited in New York. Walters uses her small blue-collar hometown, Alton, Illinois, as her continuing inspiration. Approaching her subjects through the eyes of an insider with all of the ambiguities and contradictions this implies. Walters observes the intimate moments of the women, girls, children, and families pictured within the confines of the domestic space, Walters examines the complexities and forcefulness of inner life.
Both shows run November 4th - December 18th. Join me at the openings tomorrow evening from 6-8pm. Click here for directions.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Senate Arts Vote
Did you ever make the Honor Roll as a student? Being recognized for being in the top of your class – what an accomplishment! Well, our U.S. Senators brought home their grades and although they weren’t graded on their paintings or musical scales, some managed to make the arts Honor Roll.
The Arts Action Fund graded the members of the U.S. Senate on their support for the arts just like on those report cards that you used to bring home - except we used criteria like voting in support of the arts, joining the Senate Arts Caucus, and more. Senators had three opportunities to vote on the arts during the past two years—from including the arts in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to supporting public art along our nation’s highways to ensuring museums received federal funds. Your senators had the chance to stand up for the arts and many of them rose to the occasion.
Whether they speak out in support of the arts, are aware of the economic role the arts play and the well-being they provide in their state, or simply quietly cast their vote, each of the thirteen Senators we have featured received an A+ to B+ on their support for the arts. And they aren’t the only ones – in fact there are thirty-seven who received a B+ or above on our Congressional Arts Report Card.
Sadly, there are also many who failed in their support of the arts. You can learn more about what it means to fail the arts and who these Senators are in the Dirty Dozen feature of the Congressional Arts Report Card.
Making the Honor Roll affects more than just those Senators who find their names there. Acing the arts as a Senator means supporting the arts for the whole country. It is the support of the arts at the federal level that helps the arts in your community, and communities across the country thrive.
Take a moment to let these Senators know that while they might not receive a gold star for their A grade like they once did, their support is noticed. Share the Honor Roll via Twitter or Facebook with the links below and help get the word out. Or go one step further and support the arts year round by lending your voice to the growing grassroots movement for the arts in America.
View the grades for all members of the Senate.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
20x200- Amy Stein's Halloween in Harlem
Untitled (Hulk) and Untitled (Powerpuff Girls) from Amy Stein's Halloween in Harlem series are now available from 20x200. I have seen the prints in person and they are beautiful. I'm very excited to get my copies and hang them up. This is such a great opportunity for would be collectors and art lovers limited on funds to own works by established and emerging artists. Amy's prints are selling out fast so get yours now!
"I am a big believer in the 20x200 mission of (limited editions × low prices) + the internet = art for everyone and was flattered when they asked me to participate. For my 20x200 edition I made the decision to offer C-prints which meant hand printing every last photo. It almost killed me, but I am in love with the final prints. Check out the 20x200 site to see (and purchase!) the editions." - Amy Stein
PDN Photo Plus Expo
Its that time of year again and PDN's Photo Plus Expo is gearing up to start tomorrow. Designed for professionals and advanced amateurs in the photographic and imaging industries, PDN PhotoPlus Expo showcases the latest advances in photography. Attendees are able to explore hundreds of exhibits and attend a wide variety of photography and imaging seminars. I will be a panelist on the Grant Writing 101 seminar presented by David Walker, Executive Editor, Photo District News with Ellen Liberatori, Author, Guide to Getting Arts Grants, Yukiko Yamagata, Associate Director, Open Society Institute,and Brenda Anne Kennealy, PhotographerThursday, Oct 28, 2010 - 8:45 AM to 11:45 AM
Click HERE for a list of seminars.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York City
October 28-30, 2010
New York City
October 28-30, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Inner Views- Zwelethu Mthethwa
Don't miss this exhibition on view at the Studio Museum until October 24th.
Zwelethu Mthethwa: Inner Views brings together three series by South African photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa (b. 1960). “Interiors” and “Empty Beds” document the domestic lives of migrant workers around Johannesburg, South Africa, while “Common Ground” focuses on the shared experience of natural disasters in urban areas, featuring houses in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, after wildfires.
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