ELIZABETH AVEDON JOURNAL

8.23.2009

WILLIAM L. CASTLEMAN: Astrophotography

M-31 Andromeda Galaxy (Click Images to Enlarge)
Photograph (c) William L. Castleman/All rights reserved

M-101 Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major
Photograph (c) William L. Castleman/All rights reserved

M-104 Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo
Photograph (c) William L. Castleman/All rights reserved

M-8 Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius
Photograph (c) William L. Castleman/All rights reserved

Castleman with telescopes for the 2009 Texas Star Party

The Milky Way Rises Over 2009 Texas Star Party: View Time Lapse Video
William L. Castleman Website

8.21.2009

100 EYES MAGAZINE

from Living Stone, Dying River/100 Eyes Magazine
Photograph (c) Khaled Hasan/All rights reserved

from Children of the Black Dust/100 Eyes Magazine
Photograph (c) Shehzad Noorani/All rights reserved

from The Stone Throwers/100 Eyes Magazine
Photograph (c) Tanvir Ahmed/All rights reserved

“Pathshala is far more than teaching photography. Pathshala is about using the language of images to bring about social change.”

ANDY LEVIN is a photographer living in New Orleans, Louisiana and a former contributing photographer at Life Magazine and Black Star. In 2007 Levin was a finalist for the Eugene Smith Grant for Documentary Photography. 100 Eyes Magazine is edited, written, (beautifully) designed and programmed by Levin.

SHAHIDUL ALAM founded the Drik Picture Library in 1989 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography, taking advantage of a World Press Photo initiative. Most of the photographers showing work in this issue of 100Eyes went to Pathshala or taught there.

From Andy Levin's Introduction: "Alam and his fellow teachers, along with the World Press folks including Robert Pledge of Contact Press, have done a fantastic job. The students are exposed to classic photojournalism, poring over old issues of Life and National Geographic. Having spent hours going through the Drik archives I can testify to the training of the photographers– they always look for the single image that tells the whole story."

You can view the entire issue of Bangladesh x Bangladesh HERE

Andy Levin Website
Drik NEWS Photo Agency
Pathshala Institue of Photography
Shahidul Alam blog: Mandela

8.19.2009

PAUL McDONOUGH: NYC in 35mm b/w

Priest With Dark Glasses, NYC, 1970
(c) Paul McDonough/All rights reserved, Courtesy Sasha Wolf Gallery

Blind Man, Old Woman, Hari Krishnas, NYC, 1972
(c) Paul McDonough/All rights reserved, Courtesy Sasha Wolf Gallery

5th Avenue Parade, Group of Men and Boy, NYC, 1969
(c) Paul McDonough/All rights reserved, Courtesy Sasha Wolf Gallery

Photograph by Garry Winogrand of Tod Papageorge
helping a lady across the street, with Paul McDonough on the right

PAUL McDONOUGH documented life in New York City in 35mm black and white during the late 60's and early 70's. His images capture the "improv theater" feel the city streets had at that time. His introduction into the photography scene, including workshops with Garry Winogrand, came through fellow photographer Tod Papageorge. It's probably fair to say Papageorge influenced McDonough to get into photography after his earlier career as a studio painter. They had known each other literally since kindergarten and grade school. When Tod was 12, his family moved to a house just across the street from Paul's.

In the late 60's and 70's, you would find McDonough, Tod Papageorge, Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz in the Museum of Modern Art cafe deep in discussion. Before the 2000 MOMA expansion that now brings visitors in by the hordes, the MOMA cafe and sculptor garden was the nicest place in NYC to hang out over coffee. Beautifully designed by Philip Johnson, it had just the right atmosphere. On any given day you could find yourself sitting next to Cartier-Bresson at one table and sculptor Claes Oldenburg at another.

McDonough has been the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. His work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the New York Public Library, the Dreyfus Corporation and many other public and private collections. He's taught photography at Yale University, Pratt Institute, Cooper Union, Parsons School of Design and Fordham University. Expect Paul McDonough's book New York, 1968-1978 to be published by Umbrage Editions in 2010.

He is represented by Sasha Wolf Gallery

8.18.2009

MATTHIAS VRIENS-McGRATH: Matthew Avedon in the Maldives

Matthew Avedon, the Maldives. Photograph (c) Matthias Vriens-McGrath

MATTHIAS VRIENS-McGRATH is a NYC/LA based Dutch fashion and fine art photographer. His signature style "uses humorous erotic overtones to inject personality and wit" into his photographs. Matthias has had solo exhibitions in NYC and the Netherlands. In addition to his work as a photographer, he has also been Creative Director of Giorgio Armani and Senior Art Director at the Gucci Group.

Matthias Vriens McGrath

Matthew Avedon: DNA, New York

Matthew Avedon 2013 Update

8.15.2009

INES D'OREY: Porto Interior

These images are part of an ongoing project, the result of my interest in strange and, at the same time, familiar spaces. They are the result of an urban experience, the experience of Porto, the city where I was born and where I live.

+ + +

INES d'OREY was born in the northern Portuguese city of Porto. She was educated at the London College of Printing and won the FNAC Award for Talents in Photography in 2007. Her ongoing project "Porto Interior" comprises a series of large-format photographs of public places in Porto. Using a series of photographic manipulations, d'Orey alters the urban motifs to impose the atmosphere she finds appropriate. Her aim is to capture the spirit of the place and intensify it so that it seems to have origin in another world. "They become images of mysterious transit zones, imbued with a melancholy beauty." Ines d'Orey was one of 100 photographers invited to participate in Review Santa Fe 2009. Her website.

8.12.2009

JESSICA TODD HARPER: Interior Exposure

(12-time Olympic Medalist)
Dara Torres at home in Florida with her daughter

Self Portrait with Christopher, Papa, and Ah-Choo, 2003
(c) Jessica Todd Harper/All rights reserved

Becky with Zephyr and Christopher, 2004
(c) Jessica Todd Harper/All rights reserved

There are no guarantees that if you work hard enough, or are talented enough, that you will be successful, be able to support yourself, or importantly, make a meaningful contribution to others. But in the meantime, if you are an artist, the art just comes - whether you like it or not- because you can't stop it.

Read the complete Interview with Jessica Todd Harper and Michael Werner on Two Way Lens. View Jessica Todd Harper website

8.10.2009

NICHOLAS VREELAND: Karnataka, India

Goat Herder, 2007. Karnataka, India (click to enlarge)

Tiger Boy, 2007. Indoor, Karnataka, India.
Photograph (c) Nicholas Vreeland/All rights reserved

About Nicholas Vreeland
Rato Foundation Photographs
Rato Dratsang Foundation Exhibitions
An Open Heart by The Dalai Lama, Edited by Nicholas Vreeland

8.05.2009

FERIT KUYAS: City of Ambition

Security Officer, Office Building, Chongqing, China 2005
Photograph (c) Ferit Kuyas/All rights reserved
Click images to enlarge

Restaurant Boats, Changjiang River, Chongqing, China 2005
Photograph (c) Ferit Kuyas/All rights reserved

Construction Site, Changjiang Nr. 1 Road, Chongqing, China 2005

Jialing River, Huanghuayuan Bridge, Chongqing, China 2005
Photograph (c) Ferit Kuyas/All rights reserved

FERIT KUYAS was born in Istanbul, Turkey. His career in photography followed his studies in architecture and law in Zurich, Switzerland. His most recent project CITY OF AMBITION: FAST FORWARD IN CHINA is a personal view of Chongqing, one of the largest cities in the world. Located in Southwest China in the Sichuan region, it was the capitol of China during World War II, now populated by almost 32 million people.

Kuyas has captured these images with a view camera on 4x5"color film. His book “City of Ambition” will be published in October 2009 (German Edition, Benteli Publishers) and spring 2010 (English Edition, Mets & Schilt Publishers). His work is available through the Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles and Galerie Monika Wertheimer in Oberwil, Switzerland. He was one of 100 photographers invited to participate in Review Santa Fe 2009. Ferit Kuyas website

8.01.2009

JEFFRIS ELLIOTT: In His Own Words

Islamic Woman Ascending Stairs

I am a painter and draftsman as well as a photographer. It is impossible for me to separate my photographic work from my traditional art. Such greats as Henri Rousseau, Marc Chagall and Joan Miro as well as Minor White and Wynn Bullock have all had deep influences on how I see the world.

+ + +

I was first introduced to the work of JEFFRIS ELLIOTT a few years back when he submitted his series Mother and Portraits From Mexico to Photo-Eye Gallery Photographers Showcase, then juried by Rixon Reed, Melanie McWhorter and myself. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeffris and viewing his impressive work from the Middle East at the 2009 Portfolio Viewing at CCA/Center For Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, NM.

In Elliott's own words: Minor White introduced me to the conscious link between a spiritual life and the photographic image. I worked as Minors apprentice, helping with his darkroom, arrieses, viewing sessions and classes at M.I.T. We also traveled through Nova Scotia photographing and camping. I was in the beginning of my artistic life and Minor was nearing the end of his. He introduced me to the work of his spiritual teacher Gurdjieff, which later led me to living and practicing ZaZen.

Elliott was one of 100 photographers invited to participate in Review Santa Fe 2009. Website: www.jeffriselliott.com

7.27.2009

MARVI LACAR: Maasai Women Project

Mary Silio. The Tasaru Ntomomok Safehouse for Girls, Kenya

MARVI LACAR came to the U.S. at age 15 from the Philippines. After receiving a bachelor's degree in Michigan from a liberal arts college, Lacar worked for several non-profit organizations before pursuing her master's degree in Journalism at the University of Texas in Austin. She completed a visual journalism fellowship at the Poynter Institute and interned at the Philadelphia Inquirer before moving to NYC in 2004.

Lacar was the 2008 winner of the Levallois - Epson Photography Award for her Journey Through Avignon. For her work documenting the progress of Maasai girls, women and men who are fighting against Female Genital Mutilation she won the 2008 Jurors Choice, Project Competition from the Santa Fe Center for Photography. She has been a nominee for the Joop Swart Masterclass and recognized by Communication Arts, PDN, and American Photography. Her clients include The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, Paris Match and Stern Magazines among many others.
Project: Healing the Deepest Scars: Rescue and Rehabilitation of Maasai Girls Escaping Circumcision and Early Marriage

Lacar lives in NYC with her husband, photojournalist Benjamin Lowy.
Website: http://www.marvi.net
PhotoBetty Post

7.25.2009

DIANE ARBUS: Homage

Photograph © Estate of Diane Arbus

DIANE ARBUS b. March 14, 1923, d. July 26, 1971
+ + +
The more specific you are, the more general it'll be

The documentary below (in 4 parts) explores the work and ideas of photographer Diane Arbus in her own words as spoken by a close friend. It includes reflections by some of the people who knew her best; daughter Doon Arbus, teacher Lisette Model, colleague Marvin Israel, and then Director of the Museum of Modern Art Photography Department, John Szarkowski, from a PBS 1972 Documentary.

Conversation with Alan Cumming and Amy Arbus
Who Is Marvin Israel? Trailer

7.18.2009

LACEY TERRELL: offSET

"In this series, I have used my experience as a still photographer on films and locations as a starting point, but have turned my camera off set. Slipping behind the metaphoric curtain of center stage, I will look back at the constructed reality being played out, or wander into uninhabited areas. I am intrigued by where the artifice of movie making and the 'real' intermingle. As I hunt for images that occupy this space, I become a flâneur of sorts; a solitary figure roaming the outskirts of the location, studying the spectacle before me, looking for things unnoticed by others." Lacey Terrell was one of 100 photographers invited to participate in Review Santa Fe 2009.
Lacey Terrell Website

7.14.2009

KIDS WITH CAMERAS: Calcutta

We believe that photography is an effective tool in igniting children's imagination and building self-esteem. We believe in the power of art to transform lives, for both the artist and the viewer.

+ + +

BORN INTO BROTHELS, a film by Photographer Zana Briski and Co-Director Ross Kauffman, won the 77th annual Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who lived in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers worked as prostitutes.

Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, founded Kids With Cameras in 2002, teaching photography to children in Calcutta's red-light district. She gave each of the children a camera and taught them the basics of photography and camera mechanics. Kids With Cameras has since expanded workshops to include Haiti, Jerusalem and Cairo.

The photographs taken by the children are available for purchase in the Kids' Gallery, and also as a signed Limited-Edition Portfolio. 100% of proceeds from sales of the children's prints and book, go directly to support their education and well-being. Archival prints on Somerset paper: 17 x 22 inches, $175 - 36 x 48 inches, $500.

There are also updates on the children on the Kids With Cameras website. One of those children, Avijit, was 11 when he began photographing in the brothels district he lived. "An innately talented artist, he's won many competitions for his paintings. Charismatic and restlessly creative, his images were among the most compelling of the workshop. Avijit was invited by the World Press Photo Foundation in Amsterdam to be part of their Children's Jury in 2002. In 2005, he received a four year high school scholarship to attend an incredible school in America." Avijit has now been accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. To help fund his education expenses, he's selected nine of his photographs taken and combined them into a collection of nine 4 x 6 postcards. You can help Avijit realize his educational goals by purchasing this Postcard Collection. $30. plus shipping and handling.

Purchase Avijit's Postcard Collection here
Kids With Camera's

7.12.2009

FERNANDO DELGADO: The Architecture of Nature

Click images to enlarge

It is only natural after 25 years contemplating, scrutinizing and promoting images, that I find myself behind the camera making images

+ + +

FERNANDO DELGADO was born in Cuba in 1957 and moved with his family to the U.S. when he was 12. In 1975 he attended The Cooper Union School of Art in N.Y., studying with prominent graphic designers Milton Glaser and Herb Lubalin. After Cooper Union, he had the opportunity to study with renowned art director Henry Wolf, artist Louise Nevelson and photographers Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton and William Klein at Parsons School of Design.

As a Creative Director for 25 years, Delgado successfully worked with an impressive list of clients such as Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Young & Rubican Advertising, among others. He co-authored a collection of French fashion photographer Guy Bourdin's innovative, surreal and erotic images in the book Exhibit A: Guy Bourdin. In 2005, he moved to Placitas, New Mexico from NYC and returned to his first love, making images, embarking on a successful career as a fine arts photographer.

Photographed using natural light, the Botanical series The Architecture of Nature (above) was inspired by Karl Blossfeldt’s botanical studies for use by architects. I recently spoke with Fernando Delgado in Santa Fe:

ELIZABETH AVEDON: Tell me about your experience studying with Louise Nevelson. What stage of her life did you meet her? Your photographs in your COMPOSITIONS series are reminiscent of her work.

FERNANDO DELGADO: In 1979, a group of students from Parsons had the opportunity to be part of a seminar at Louise Nevelson's studio on Spring and Mott, before that area was even called SOHO.

On the first day, Ms. Nevelson (as she liked to be called), sent us out on a hunt on garbage day. The directive, to bring back any forms or shapes that intrigued us. The criteria for selection was open to anything that interested us in whole or in part. During the course of the remaining days, we witnessed her creative process of examining, eliminating, cleaning, and careful storage of some of our treasures (in wooden barrels) with the promise of one day being used on a Nevelson work.

Although the class had more to do with sculpture, we also saw her prints, collage, drawings and other work in progress. The studio was small, crammed, but orderly and surprisingly clean. This was towards the end of her life, since she died 9 years later in 1988. Ms. Nevelson, was in a word, eccentric, but also very real. She spoke her mind and she did it openly and eloquently. I was mesmerized and at times very much amused, and I dreamt that one day I too would enjoy that freedom and clarity not only in my work, but also as an artist. From Ms. Nevelson, I learned to be a good editor, the complex power of inspired simplicity and a renewed appreciation for form, light and space.

EA: I am in awe of William Klein. Did you study with him, work for him? Please explain...

FD: During my years at Parsons (1977-1981), my fascination with Fashion kicked into full gear. During my years as an illustration major, I was first exposed to the work of Guy Bourdin, studied Fashion Illustration with Steven Meisel, attended workshops with Helmut Newton and booked models through the school's Model's Office for Robert Mapplethorpe.

In my senior year, I had the opportunity to study with Henry Wolf and William Klein, who were pivotal in my switch from illustration to photography. With Wolf, I learned to trust my photographic instinct and with Klein to understand photography beyond the still camera. The first session was devoted to watching his film Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo where the world of fashion on film is at once, fiction and reality. I was fascinated by the craft of film-making and the vast numbers of talent necessary to make it happen. It was performance art, very public and quite different from the seemingly insular world we experienced with Louise Nevelson. His teaching style was unstructured and discussions would range from technique to philosophy. From William Klein I learned to see in motion, humor, layering, composition and the power of black and white imagery, and most of all to have fun and be in the moment.
Exhibition: NaturalMenteNational Hispanic Cultural CenterJuly 17th, 2009 - January 2010

Fernando Delgado Photography: Upcoming Exhibitions
www.Fernandodelgadophotography.com
An Interview

7.08.2009

RAYMOND MEEKS: Middle Air

From Raymond Meeks Artist Book Middle Air
Photograph (c) Raymond Meeks

Raymond Meeks Artist Book Middle Air

Memory is an undeniable force behind making art, the drive not to forget, documenting the events of our lives over and over again, longing to fill the void of what's missing.

+ + +

MIDDLE AIR is photographer Raymond Meeks sixteen page artist book that traces the routine cutting of a sparse section of lawn in the backyard of his home in rural Montana. The eleven photographs were printed in the order they were exposed from one roll of 120 mm film. Each book contains "elements" (drawings, markings, etc) unique to the moments prior to their preparation for shipping. Two silver gelatin prints (7.5 x 7.5") hand printed by Meeks and processed to archival standards, accompany the book. The pages are "french fold" and hand sewn by book artist Rory Sparks, in an edition of 40 books and prints.

Purchase MIDDLE AIR
About Raymond Meeks

7.06.2009

JULIE BLACKMON: Domestic Vacations

The Dissolute Household painting by Jan Steen

The Dutch proverb "a Jan Steen household" originated in the 17th century and is used today to refer to a home in disarray, full of rowdy children and boisterous family gatherings.

+ + +

JULIE BLACKMON is the oldest of nine children and now the mother of three. Her photographs have been honored with numerous awards since she began exhibiting, including American Photo Emerging Artists 2008, first prize from CENTER/Santa Fe Center for Photography Project Competition, and PDN's 30, among others.

DOMESTIC VACATIONS: "The paintings of Steen, along with those of other Dutch and Flemish genre painters, helped inspire this body of work. As Steen’s personal narratives of family life depicted nearly 400 yrs. ago, the conflation of art and life is an area I have explored in photographing the everyday life of my family and the lives of my sisters and their families at home. These images are both fictional and auto-biographical, and reflect not only our lives today and as children growing up in a large family, but also move beyond the documentary to explore the fantastic elements of our everyday lives, both imagined and real.

The stress, the chaos, and the need to simultaneously escape and connect are issues that I investigate in this body of work. We live in a culture where we are both "child centered" and "self-obsessed." The struggle between living in the moment versus escaping to another reality is intense since these two opposites strive to dominate. Caught in the swirl of soccer practices, play dates, work, and trying to find our way in our "make-over" culture, we must still create the space to find ourselves. The expectations of family life have never been more at odds with each other. These issues, as well as the relationship between the domestic landscape of the past and present, are issues I have explored in these photographs. I believe there are moments that can be found throughout any given day that bring sanctuary. It is in finding these moments amidst the stress of the everyday that my life as a mother parallels my work as an artist, and where the dynamics of family life throughout time seem remarkably unchanged. As an artist and as a mother, I believe life’s most poignant moments come from the ability to fuse fantasy and reality: to see the mythic amidst the chaos." — Julie Blackmon

Julie Blackmon 2009 New Work
Radius Books "Domestic Vacations"

8.23.2009

8.21.2009

8.19.2009

8.18.2009

8.15.2009

8.12.2009

8.10.2009

8.05.2009

8.01.2009

7.27.2009

7.25.2009

7.18.2009

7.14.2009

7.12.2009

7.08.2009

7.06.2009

PHOTO + ART NOTES

peopleviews

Journal Archive

2013 Jan - Sept

2012

Search This Blog

Subscribe: PhotoNotes

2011

2010

2009