Kotama Bouabane’s Let It Go

This week I bought Kotama Bouabane’s Let It Go and Linzie Hunter’s Coney from 20×200. As broke as I am, trying to save money for a 4×5 outfit, I could not have resisted purchasing these two pieces. I have a tendency to come close to maxing out my credit card these past few months (my limit is very low..).. buying what? A few pieces every once in awhile from 20×200, a light meter, film, packing supplies, stuff that do not pertain to art, food, etc.

Tis the season to buy art, most of which are for good causes.

From the series The Human Stain by Will Steacy
Digital C-Print
Negative Made 2006, Printed 2008
Signed & Numbered
Limited Edition of 15
8”x10” Paper Size
6.5”x8.2” Image Size
$150

I received an email from the talented Will Steacy about the ridiculous, I mean insane, increase in his rent. With the hope of community helping him out, he’s started selling limited edition prints of his work.

from his email:

I am writing to ask for your support in helping me spread the word about a Limited Edition print sale I am offering through my blog (please see link below). My landlord recently raised my rent by $600 a month and I can not afford this. I have no other choice than to move. And here lies my dilemma, I do not have the money to pay for a move. So, in a last minute effort to raise money for a move I am now offering a Limited Edition sale of 5 images, each in an edition of 15, for $150 each. I would be honored and most grateful if you posted something about this on your blogs, told your friends, passed this along to any collectors you know or forwarded this email to anyone who might be interested. Anything would help. In my eyes, the power and strength of the blogs, the art world community and all of my friendships is the ability to get the word out there and to help me spread this message anyway possible. I thank you, your support means a great deal!!!

http://willsteacy.blogspot.com/2008/10/limited-edition-prints-for-sale.html

Much Obliged,

Will

Many of you have contributed to buying prints from me earlier this year for the sake of funding for my senior BFA show. I was overwhelmed by the support and hope the community can do the same for Will.

Also, there is Art for Obama (rescheduled bidding for Oct. 3rd). Big names, big money, all for a good cause.

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.

PDN Article

Rachel Hulin post

Conscientious post

Mark Tucker post

American Digest

Fox News

edit: Looks like Greenberg took down her website for the time being.

A Photo Editor Chimes in.

Art School Series by Matthew Monteith

There will be over achievers and there will be under achievers.

I am a self-diagnosed workaholic. Therefore being in a typical big university, I fall into the crack of never having a “life”, always in studio, and never able to get “shitfaced.” There have been moments where I wish I were sitting out in the sun and just enjoying the time.. but I also really enjoy being in studio. There’s two weeks until May 3rd, the big night of the senior photo majors, the big shebang a la Delavan Art Gallery.

I’ve been preparing my series for basically for the past year and a half and for some people in the class to pull (pardon the french) shit outta their ass in two weeks, makes me fume. Every hour awake, I’ve been thinking about the show, in the darkrooms, in the labs, in front of computer screens, and working away. They say, “Jane, you should get some sun. But wait.. can I waste half an hour of your time repeating something you’ve repeated many times before in Photoshop?” Right, I sound like a complete bitch now. Lending a hand is what I do and like to do.. holding a hand is not what I do.. especially if I explained something more than five times.. They should be the ones shitting their pants with the work that’s ahead of them…and don’t tell me how to feel.

Sure we all have different work ethics.. but if someone complains to me one more time about how much work they have to do, they should realize that hours spent at the bar or sunbathing could be put to better use.

This probably all due to stress but certainly something that’s been pent up for years here in college. People don’t know how to troubleshoot anymore.. experimenting to find solutions seem like a thing of the past. It’s all about fast and easy solution.. no hard work to deal with. Do people not want to learn anymore? Does it take that much brain power? Where’s their drive?

On the happier note, after consulting with every professor and mentor.. I came up with my own edit of 15 images for the show. It feels good to have made some decisions.. now onto coming up with a good title.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Chelsea gallery scene. When I started sending my resumes out to galleries looking for internships two- three years ago, I did my research in choosing galleries I knew showed work I enjoyed. Along with the galleries, I enjoyed, there were a handful of places I was hesitant about as I either never been to the place or knew it had large spaces and pieces of pretentious art with pretentious people. Being young, I thought, “what the hell.. it’ll be a learning experience.”

Let me take you through one of my interview sessions at one such “pretentious” place.. where the walls echo.. and gallerinas’ heels click with annoyance… and nobody gives a crap who walks through the doors.
Fashion-wise, I am a t-shirt and jeans type of person and slap on a pair of sneakers and I’m good to go. Knowing I was heading the Chelsea for an interview, I snazzed it up a little bit with dress pants, a button down shirt, a pair of ballet flats, and my portfolio. Nothing too fashionable, nothing designer-made.. nothing close to what gallerinas wore on that day at that top Chelsea gallery.

The gallery was featuring a video piece that month, so after opening the huge and heavy door into the space, you get to deal with the very busy “gatekeeper” who’s usually either typing away or on the phone. No “hello, how may I help you.” Nada.

“Hi, my name is Jane Tam. I have a meeting with blah blah.”

You couldn’t see the space because there was a floor-length curtain blocking you from entering the space.

You hear the heels click and out comes your interviewer, dressed to impress, topped off with a red lip. She was wearing 3-inch heels, some fancy dress, and had perfect highlights to her haircut. From that.. I already knew.. “fuck, this place is not for me.”

When the art doesn’t impress you, and that video that was playing definitely did not impress, and the woman interviewing you seemed to spend a fortune dressing herself.. as well as the rest of the staff, not giving two shits about a new intern, please, just walk away.

Sure, I thought,” Jane, suck it up and maybe you’ll be able to expose yourself to lots of important people.” I’ve tried it. For two weeks, I tried being good and gritting my teeth while I filed for the 50th time and ran to get lunch and researched where to get concrete for some new piece going up, but I just couldn’t get over how a gallerina I worked with flirted with every guy who came in and looked like he had money, how she complained about her high heels that she wore everyday, how my black jeans and flats just didn’t look professional enough, and how every job I was given was in no way challenging. I hated how fashion was as important as the job and how fashion and trend was a priority to hiring.

Now I know interns do get all the grunt work.. but when you see the gallerina above you on a smoking break, clicking her shoes, and fondling over her blackberry, and you’re compiling the represented artists on file.. and there are 10 male artists and 2 females.. you wonder, where the hell are we?

I don’t know… I just could not deal in that environment.

(People know I interned at Jen Bekman.. and by far, one of the friendliest, most welcoming, and diverse gallery. I chose Jen over Chelsea.. just from the environment, the opportunities/responsibilities given to me, and the feeling.)
Read Cara Phillip’s “What’s a Lady to Do?”

Submit: Women In Photography contains a simple concept:

-To showcase work, news and ideas from women in the contemporary photo world.

-To create a collection of strong work by women actively creating work.

-To reach new audiences collectively.

Those interested in participating can submit as follows:

-5 jpegs from a cohesive project or a work in progress.

5×7 @150 dpi named “myname_title.jpg”

-short statement/bio

Email submissions to
womeninphotography at gmail dot com

Submission deadline for first monthly spotlight: May 1st. 2008 (11:59)

The 4 selected photographers will be given a week each to showcase a current project or a work in progress.

Psst… Prints are still for sale!

Grandfather’s chair, 2008 ¬© Jane Tam

After awhile, you really get tired of seeing the same few names float through the photography community. It’s not “emerging new artists” anymore, rather it is a community that selects the popular trends and joins the train. While this is great for those on the train, what about taking risks and allow the many “new artists” on board? After all, are we not a little bored?

Some speculated the decision was due to the current exhibition up at the Warehouse Gallery, titled, “COME ON:Desire Under The Female Gaze.” The CMAC heads were not too keen on the subject matter and how it would be perceived by the Syracuse public. Here is a the description of the show from the gallery website:

The Warehouse Gallery of Syracuse University launches a bold new exhibition, COME ON: Desire Under The Female Gaze, which focuses on the psychological, social, cultural and political dimensions of desire, subjectivity and pleasure.
…
COME ON reveals what is not represented in popular culture and provides a counterbalance to the ubiquitous imagery of sexualized female bodies created for mainstream heterosexual male sensibilities.

The art community in Syracuse have been growing at a fast rate thanks to Astria’s influence and connections with the art world. This scuffle throws the growth back 10 steps in making Syracuse a city with a quality art community.

The backlash has succeeded in receiving many supporters for Astria as well as a blog, titled “Syracuse Loses Again.” From there you can read the many many letters and press coverage about the situation. You can even read the obvious art censorship argument between Astria and Jeffrey Hoone in their email exchanges. Another interesting blog is Keep Astria.

The City of Syracuse Common Council appointed Astria Suparak to the Public Arts Commission for the period of three years, effective October 1, 2007. See The Post Standard Article.

Here is a flickr set of the COME On exhibit~