1/2 Pound Gummy Bear

90 times the size of a normal gummy bear....CRAZY!  Truth is, I'm sick and wanted to update but didn't want to have to think too hard about anything :P So, you guys get to hear about abnormally large candy.

Days With My Father

Days With My Father is a photobook that currently exists only online by Phillip Toledano.  It tells the story of his father, a man in his late 90's that doesn't have alzheimer's but had no short term memory.  For example, after Phillip's mother died, he took his father to the viewing, the funeral, etc, and when they got home he asked repeatedly where his wife was.  After realizing that it would just be too painful to relive the explanation time and time again, Phillip told his father she was in Paris.  

The way the website is laid out is a little hard to follow at first, but once you get a hang of it it goes very smoothly.  The mood of the photos paired with the (most of the time depressing) text work very well together and make the reader feel and become apart of what's happening in these two men's lives.  

I highly recommend checking out the whole website and reading the whole book.  There are over 40 pages, all with beautiful photos and words.  I looked more into more of Philip Toledano's work and I'm very intrigued; expect another post about his work in the near future.  

500 Days of Summer

Ok, ok, I promise I'll do an actual post later.  I just wanted to share this- seems likes its gonna be pretty great.  

My Sister's Keeper

No, I haven't read the book and normally this isn't even close to my type of movie, but this thing looks soooo gooood.

Cute

This is adorable despite the fact that it's for Fritos.

Six Word Memoirs

Six-Word Memoirs: The Legend

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Starting in 2006, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).

This semester in my Contemporary Memoir class we were asked to write a Six Word Memoir every week to share with the class.  They could be about anything and everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it as an exercise.  These were the ones I presented to the class each week:

1/27 Started bad, then met nice guy.

2/3 It's okay for time in between.

2/10 Motivated but on the wrong things.

2/17 Time for something completely brand new.

2/24 I hope I never stop looking.

3/3 I wish the DVD player worked.

3/10 Ticket to Australia appears too expensive.

3/17 Boys, booze, weed, work: Spring Break.

3/24 Wake me up when June's here.

3/31 I always wind up in Pennsylvania.

4/7 Wanted: a ring without loaded meaning.

4/14 I pray he keeps his word.

Some others that I've written this semester include:

Is happiness just an unreachable illusion?

The nice guy isn't always nice.

Seeking man to dote on me.

Cute when I need to be.  

I keep writing them as they come to me; lemme know what you think.  You should probably try writing your own as well :P

A girl can dream right?

Leather

Well...my birthday is coming up....leather jacket, tattoo...leather jacket, tattoo?  hmmmm

Professional Practices- Critical Art Review Assignment

Sarah H. Sachs' "Time Present & Time Past" show is a part of the MFA Thesis II Exhibition running from April 10-19 in the Meyerhoff Gallery. The works are photo montages of archived photos of Baltimore taken between 1920 and 1940 with her own recent photos taken in the same locations. In her words, the show is "more than a compilation of the past and present- it is a representation of a collapse of the time in between. My goal was to create images that show not only what has changed and remained over time, but to create photographic illustrations that explore the memory of the city itself and our place within it today."

Photography was the best way to approach the idea of representing this "collapse of time in between" the past and the present. Any other form of art would have merely been an artful representation. The photograph makes it feel real, something tangible. The images are combined so seemlessly that they really make the audience question what existed in the original archived photo and what's been added. Sarah's claim of representing the "collapse of time in between" was extremely successful. Take the image directly below: you forget about the 80 or 90 years that exists between these characters and they exist only together in this image.

Each image is so rich in detail that they keep the audience engaged. Your eye continually moves around, questioning what is old and what is new. It's quite playful in this way and very enjoyable. On top of everything, the quality of the prints are fantastic and everything is displayed beautifully. The old style of the frame with the contrast of being painted stark white is a perfect compliment to the images. The amount of images is perfect, too. There aren't too many that they become undervalued yet not too few that you wish there were more.

Overall, I found Sarah's show extremely successful in what she set out to do. Not only was the idea well carried out but the whole show was very technically accomplished.

Professional Practices; Artist as Curator Project

According to Wikipedia, a curator's responsibilities are as such: "In smaller organizations, a curator may have sole responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects. The curator will make decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversee their care and documentation, conduct research based on the collection, provide proper packaging of art for transport, and share that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications."

I believe that when an artist takes on a curatorial role it becomes another great tool to add to their arsenal. You gain a knowledge not only of how to put a good show together and how to take care of work such as storing it, etc., but you also get linked into the art world in a way that a regular artist does not. You meet more people and you have a higher level of respect I feel because you're in a position of power and therefore will have the opportunity to meet people higher up in the art world. This can be especially useful when it comes to getting your own work shown.

On the downside, you have to share your time between creating your own work and putting shows together. Therefore, your work can be put on the back burner because shows have deadlines whereas your work doesn't always.

My favorite artist curated show is Is It Possible to Make a Photograph of New Jersey Regardless of Where You Are in the World?. The artist that curated it is actually considered a full-time blogger more so than an artist: Laurel Ptak. Laurel runs the world famous blog, i heart photograph. In the end of 2007 Laurel was asked to curate a show for the Pierro Gallery in New Jersey and she settled on the concept of putting out an open call for entries of images of New Jersey created from anywhere in the world. Submissions had to be entered in digital form and if chosen were printed and featured in the gallery space as well as on Laurel's blog. Anyone could submit in any form, even camera phone submissions were asked for. The entries numbered in the thousands and were extremely entertaining to say the very least. To see the full pdf file of the show's catalog, go here. I highly recommend checking it out.

I know the deadline has already passed for this call for submissions, however it's the best one I found that peaked my interest. I found it on re-title.com.

Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto, ON
Deadline March 1, 2009

Call for Submissions from Artists and Curators

Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography is a non-profit artist-run centre committed to the advancement of photographic art. We encourage the submission of exhibition proposals from emerging, mid-career and established artists and curators who are innovative in their use of materials and approach to subject matter.

Gallery 44 views photography within the larger context of contemporary artistic practices and relevant cultural issues in Canadian society.

Submission Guidelines
Please submit the following:

1. A maximum of twenty slides or digital images (CD must be readable on MAC OSX) representing a recent body of work or a specific project. Digital images should be:

RGB, jpeg format no larger than 1024 x 768 pixels at 300 dpi. They should be numbered 01 to 20 (01_tree, 02_house, 03_car etc.) Slides must be: numbered and marked with the artist's name and a red dot in the lower left corner. GALLERY 44 DOES NOT ACCEPT ORIGINAL ARTWORK.

2. An image list indicating title, year, medium and dimensions.

3. An artist's statement, curatorial statement, or other written description.

4. A physical description of the proposed exhibition, including the number of works, the space required and any unusual installation requirements.

5. A curriculum vitae, resume or biography of the artist(s) and/or curator (including all artists if it is a curated exhibition).

6. A self-addressed envelope (SASE) with sufficient return postage. Without an SASE we will not return submission packages and will dispose of submission materials appropriately.

Gallery 44 welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with other arts and community organizations. Please contact us to discuss your project.

Please see www.gallery44.org for a floor plan of the gallery and further information.

Contact and mailing address for submissions:

Melissa Bennett, Exhibition Coordinator
Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography
401 Richmond Street West, Suite #120
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
P 416.979.3941
F 416.979.1695
melissa@gallery44.org
http://www.gallery44.org

Self Portrait?

MICA/Loyola Photo Exchange Show

A few months ago, Matt Dandy and I were asked to curate a show together of MICA Photo work to be shown at Loyola College.  Obviously, we jumped on the opportunity, however I don't think either of us realized all of the aspects of the job that can easily slip through the cracks.  When it came down to the final week before the show went up, he and I were both on the phone constantly with different people, sending out numerous emails, and meeting together daily to get things like the layout, name tags, title, etc.  figured out.  But, in the end, it was a thoroughly useful experience and even though it was stressing me out its now turned me on to the idea of pursuing a career (or at least side job) in curating.

 
The space we had to work with was a little cramped; we wanted to use L-brackets to put the work up and couldn't cause the case wasn't deep enough.  The plexi was also scratched a little more than we liked, but all in all we made the very best of the space.  Please excuse the reflections in the plexi :)

A big thanks to everyone that submitted their work to Matt and me!  Even though it was stressful, we both loved doing it and were extremely proud and happy with ourselves when it was all said and done.  The show is still up on the first floor in Loyola's arts building, right down the hall from their auditorium, so if you're in the neighborhood you should probably check it out :) 

Special Guest Aaron Talbot

Aaron Talbot, a brilliant graphic designer and great friend, provided me with this response that he wrote to a NYtimes Magazine article.  Read the article first here to have a complete understanding of Aaron's initial response.

"I think it's very true. We incorporate Facebook into our own lives as much as it incorporates us into it's own identity. Having an online identity does not make us another faceless, indistinguishable character on the internet but gives us a face with power and purpose.

Having had the opportunity to grow with this technology and now using it to promote not only myself but MICA I've seen the power it can have. We really do have the power to shape opinion as the Saudi women did, or create an event that hundreds of people will attend (Laurie Drugal Opening & Performances). And within those same moments we have the ability to connect with people on a personal & sometimes intimate level.

As the world of social media expands individuals as well as companies and institutions alike will be able to create a complete and holistic identity. One that connects with people on and off the web and becomes more than just a marketing & PR tool, but gives the company or institution an identity & persona. -aaron_talbot"

Big Thanks to Aaron for contributing to my blog :)

Letters, Words, and Phrases

Last Professional Practices class we went to Goucher College and visited their Rosenberg Gallery.  The space itself is a little questionable, being that it is a lobby to an auditorium and all, however curator Laura Amussen definitely makes the best of it.  The show thats up right now is pretty awesome, called Letters, Words, and Phrases.  The image from above is a digital photo montage of real cloud formations- they have not been altered in any way.  Couple Susan Eder and Craig Dennis took over 2 years to gather all of the letters, numbers, and symbols that make up the piece above, titled New Cloud Roman.  

The piece above is by Ruth Bowler and is called Sedition.  All of the letters are individual blocks, numbering well into the thousands, precisely stacked next to one another to make phrases from books that have been banned in the past.  She crafted each one of these blocks and even though they vary in size they fit together to make a perfect slab.  Incredible.  That's devotion.  I believe that it also shows a great admiration and joy in the craft of the thing; it wasn't about the final project as much as it was the process and I truly appreciate that.  The image below I took while I was there; I think you can see the individual blocks a little easier in it.

This piece is actually done by my Professional Practices professor Cara Ober, as she was featured in the show.  I love Cara's work and she's just an all around awesome person and artist in general.  I'll more than likely be blogging about her soon with more examples of her work.  This piece is called Pretty Soon.  

While we were there, we learned that Goucher will be opening a new gallery over the summer months.  They built a new space and everything for it.  Laura talked about some of the shows that are planned and they sound fantastic.  Definitely will be a gallery I'll have to keep up with.  

oh bmore....

Random

Saw this piece today laying on the floor in the Brown Center waiting to be hung in a show.  I dunno who's it is, but I like it.

Raoul Middleman

So last week I blogged about how in my Professional Practices class we went to the Grimaldis Gallery and Raoul Middleman's show was up.  I loved his show, especially his self portraits.  Well today I got into the elevator to go to class and standing there was none other than the fabulous Raoul himself :)  I said hello and told him how I loved his work and he was simply wonderful!  He was very kind and excited to talk about his work.  It was a nice little bright spot to my day :)

Professional Practices; Gallery Assignment

The gallery I'd like to work with locally is the Camerawork Gallery located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It's main focus is exhibiting work from local photographers and is managed by three local photographers: Ivana Pavelka, Rolfe Ross, and Michael Poster. The gallery is located under the Marquis Gallery.

The show currently on display is by Susana Raab and is titled Patrias Obscuras: Peru and Mongolia (image above). The images reflect her own personal journey through the two countries. The next show opens on May 1st and is called WHAT IT IS: An Abstract Art Photography Installation by Carl Berg. Camerawork has a constant open call for entries and to submit you have to provide 3-6 exhibition quality, unmatted and unframed prints representing the body of work you wish to exhibit as well as a CD or web URL with additional examples of work wish to be shown. You also need to provide an artist statement describing the work as well as complete contact information. Seems pretty minimal and easy compared to other submission requirements. I think this is because they aren't looking for professional artists but just local ones that have great work. This is why I'd like to work with them; I enjoy the idea of a laid-back, relaxed situation for my first gallery. Also, I love the area.

The international gallery I'd like to work with someday is the Stills Gallery which is also Scotland's centre for photography. The gallery is located in Edinburgh and their director is Deirdre MacKenna.

This image is from the latest show, Urban Reflections, and is done by Dan Graham.

This is an image from a past show and is done by Peter Hujar.

The website doesn't provide any information about a submission policy. It actually doesn't provide much information about the gallery exclusively but more about the photo services it provides including classes, internships, and residencies. I'd like to work with this gallery as well as the first because I love the area and the prestige of it being Scotland's centre of photography.

Jack's House

A few weeks back my Photo Book class went to Jack Wilgus' house on a field trip.  I blogged about it then cause Jack's amazing and all, but I just got the email today with the pic that we took when we got there.  Such a good time :)

The guy at the top is Jack!!  And the lovely older lady next to him is Laurie Snyder, the chair of the photo department.  She's wonderful.

Lucky Bastard

After meeting Justin at MICA earlier this week, Amy Stein was obviously impressed enough with him that she blogged some of his photos!!!  Super exciting and congrats to Justin for it!!!  You definitely deserve it and I couldn't be any happier for you!

C. Grimaldis Gallery

Yesterday in my Professional Practices class we went to the C. Grimaldis Gallery on Charles street, just a little ways down from the Walters.  We talked with the curator about the goings on in a gallery and steps that artists should take when applying to a gallery, etc.  Talking with her was super rewarding; after working with Matt to curate the Loyola show (pictures to come later) I've really been considering working in a gallery.  Anyway though, the show in the gallery right now is Custer's Last Stand and Other Painterly Obsessions from Raoul Middleman.  I enjoyed the whole show, however my favorite section by far was his collection of self portraits.  He loves to paint; he paints all the time and when he doesn't have a model he paints himself.  This has resulted in literally hundreds of self portraits and the gallery decided to feature just a few however it was still enough to cover an entire section of wall space.  

This is his Custer's Last Stand painting and as you can see from how it had to be installed below it is HUGE.  Work this big always blows my mind.  I love being able to get close to it though and being able to see all the different sections and brush strokes, etc.  Overall, the trip to the gallery was very enjoyable and highly rewarding.