Since I couldn’t make the cross-global trip to China for the Pingyao International Photography Festival, I made sure my awesome curator, Jamason Chen, take some photos of the event and whatnot. Seems like I also won an award there! My project, “Foreigners in Paradise” has won the award of a Ping Yao International Photographic Festival 2008 Emerging Photographer.
Stalking the festival website, looking for more information and using google translate, I finally found my name amongst the news article (2008映像杯中国平遥国际摄影大展新人奖: 谭珍玲 with 10 other talented artists~).
and it seems the talented Jill Greenberg did not have any when it came to the job of photographing John McCain for cover of The Atlantic.
I am all for Greenberg having political views in her artwork but she was hired for a commercial job to fulfill a non-partisan photo-shoot. I respect her work and her guts but this current news adds fuel to the fire of the media war between Republicans and Democrats. She is painting McCain as a victim and that is one thing we definitely do not need right now. What we need as a country is to wake up from these tasteless acts, from McCain’s ads to Greenberg’s defacing. We don’t need these radical acts of moronic behavior. Have a little class, please.
I’m always plugged in and my ipod can be an extension of my body when it comes to leaving my house. Lately I’ve been so preoccupied with not being occupied while walking, I zone out and feel like absolutely no thoughts are running through my head. Happens a lot when I go out during my lunch break and take my continuous walks to get away from Photoshop. From this zombie state, I almost got in two accidents involving cars coming my way and me being completely out. Don’t worry nothing happened.
Recently I’ve rekindled my love of the New York Public Libraries and found my library card, therefore catching up on my reading. The great thing thus far has been the ability to sit in the park benches or cafes and immerse myself into these novels. No ipod turned on, I catch conversations of strangers sitting near me. In Once Upon A Tart, there were two men chatting about the politics of the economy, Bush, China, Russia, some Tourneau event in the Upper West Side, and everything about crazy McCain and Palin. One dressed in sweats and rollerblades, the other is an immaculate suit, pressed to perfection, the slickest hair and the shiniest shoes. Their world seems like it would never collide with mine.
Sitting at Madison Square Park yesterday, during my break from Enfoco’s Portfolio Reviews, so many people were out and I caught some hilarious conversations and acts. The lady next to me had some sort of a throat problem.. and her loud farts sounded like duck quacks. A woman two seats over was hollering on the phone to her girlfriend about how crazy she must be to move in with a man she just started dating last week. A St. Bernard slugglishly walking through the park with his owner, a man wearing linen shirt and pants w/ a cigar. This is what I missed from being plugged in 24/7.
From all this time looking at others, I needed to think about my goals and the potential future I want to pave. I spend a lot of time online and usually it’s because I want to be in the know, what artists are doing, what new cameras are out, what new digital editing techniques I can learn, what crazy politics and gossip is going on, just about everything. Reading Cara Philips post about the ability to take risks, have the confidence, and be able to take criticism from mentors really hit the nail on the head for me. My family always took the modesty route as ego can often lead to gossip and problems.
Adapting to that role, I have grown to help others and especially friends with info I know, from getting jobs, resumes, website building, and just plain advice. I don’t know everything but I’d like to help any way I can. I know they have the work available to be able to make it out in the art world. I try very hard to get them into the drive. But you know what, if you try and they don’t appreciate the push, I should not waste my energy. Maybe it’s because I would like to surround myself with friends that are just as motivated and have that sense of community. College is over and I’d really like to think it’s time to set some goals and don’t be afraid of failure.
I’ve been on the search for a 4×5 field camera preferably lightweight and wood (for mainly superficial reasons). Came across a new Chinese brand, Chamonix, and quite intrigued. If only I was going to China, this would be my main investment! Though I don’t have much money so this will have to wait a few months.
