Last minute addition to tonights proceedings

On top of all the official festivities regarding NYPH 08 in Dumbo tonight local gallery Farmani is hosting an opening reception for IPA: Best In Show - Portrait Edition, selections from the International Photography Awards 2004 thru 2007 Best of Show curators featuring work by photographers Paul Elledge, Julia Fullerton-Batton, Nadav Kander, Joyce Tenneson and Lauren Greenfield to name a few.

7.00pm - 9.00pm

Farmani Gallery

111 Front Street, Gallery 212

Things to do tonight . . . . 8x10, Earth day & not your average Joel

Its not even Thursday and yet who would have thought we would have so many fine offerings so early in the week. Problem is choices are going to have to be made as scheduling dictates although I bet you could get in all three picks if you were so inclined.

Tuesday April 22


The camera club of New York - Lecture Series presents Richard Renaldi

7.00pm

School of Visual Arts Amphitheatre

209 East 23rd street, bet 2nd & 3rd ave

general admission $ 10.00 / $ 5.00 for students with ID

Richard Renaldi's environmental portraits and landscapes are a collection of photographs about the social makeup of our country and our world. The portraits he makes of ordinary strangers encountered at home and on the road begin a quiet documents of individual struggles and triumphs. However because of the breadth of his interests, Renaldi's pictures try to shed light on our collective reality. Carrying an 8x10 view camera, his favored tool, Renaldi travels widely, constantly scouting for the next person to 'cast' in his ever-evolving narration about the people and places in this city, across the US and around the world.

During the lecture Renaldi will present work from his various long-term projects followed by an informal book signing.



The powerHouse arena : Shifting Landscapes featuring the work of Olaf Otto Becker, Edward Burtynsky, Joshua Lutz, Christopher LaMarca, David Maisel and Simon Norfolk.

opening reception 6.00 - 9.00pm

37 Main street at Water street Dumbo





Joel Barhamand: Soft & Hard - 6 new photographs

opening reception 6.00 - 7.30pm

L'Asso

192 Mott street at Kenmare

Out on the town . . . . last night

James White (L)

Well we did the decent thing for a change last night and made the long trek out to Brooklyn for the opening of the new Bond Street gallery. It turned out to be quite the ballyhoo, not in the freshly constructed main gallery but in next doors rather spacious annex which really is more of a photo studio then anything else. This is where the evenings action was centered with uber celebrity photographer James White in the house showing some of his scantily clad A list clientele. To be honest his work is really great but you know what it didn't really hold up in the flesh; this stuff looks fab in a magazine with a tight layout and a nice bit of type thrown on it not supersized and hanging on a wall.

Nevertheless it was quite the crowd and James's popularity as a photographer and a person was pretty evident by the who's who who turned out. Spotted in the mix were photo editors Brenda Millis: Mens Health, Maisie Todd and Nancy Weisman: ESPN the Magazine, Doris Brautigan, Alison Unterreiner: Esquire, photo directors (we don't want to ruffle any feathers) Fiona McDonagh: Entertainment Weekly and Micheal Norseng: Esquire, art buyer Alex Tasch: Euro RSCG, photo rep Matt Seminara: Friend & Johnson, Eric Miles director rare books and auctions: Photo-Eye, photographers Matthew Furman, Eric McNatt, Chris Bartlett, Ber Murphy, Michele Asselin, Jonathan Saunders, Robert Wright and Rafael Fuchs.

*Update* And in case you were wondering I did ask one of the photo editors in attendance whether she would take the time to look at APE's Flickr promo when it comes online - she said she would oh and I also heard mutterings that some reps would be taking part.

Out on the town

Massimo Vitali & I

Last night we made it uptown to Bonni Benrubi for the Massimo Vitali opening. A rather civil well behaved affair so no real craziness to report on. Spotted in the crowd were photographers Domingo Milella, Joe Fornabaio and Karine Laval.

Out on the town

Gus Powell (left), the tall one

Well we managed to get ourselves all the way up to 103rd street for the opening reception of Gus Powells 'Manhattan Noon'. It was my first time visiting 'The Museum of the City of New York' and I have to say there was quite the turnout considering the inclement weather and the northern environs. Plenty of fine drinks and tasty finger food to comfort the crowd.

5B4 aka Jeffrey Ladd (left)

Spotted in the mix were photographers Jeff Mermelstein, Darin Mickey, Bryan Leitgeb, Joe Fornabaio, photog/blogger Jeffrey Ladd aka 5B4 and Ber Murphy aka Pelicula 64 and Christina Cahill and Marcia Kebbon from Orchard Represents.

Then we hopped the 6 train back to Union Square to catch the tail end of Erika Larsen's 'Young Blood' opening at the Redux Gallery. Again a packed house and one was most relieved to see they had the freight elevator in operation to help transport the masses to the 12th floor.

Erika Larsen (left)

Spotted here were the Ground Glass herself Cara Phillips,man about town Rafael Fuchs, photo editors Amy Berkley Field and Stream, Erica Beckman Fortune Small Business.

Things to do this week . . . . New York

If you want a more extensive list of all the happenings in the photo world be sure to check out State of the Art's weekly 'Where to Go and What to See' segment here. On 'The Jackanory' we are going to continue with our things to do postings but as opposed to trying to cover everything I am keen to feature the goings on that particularly tickle my fancy. So heres this weeks musts for me.

Thursday January 17


Manhattan Noon: Photographs by Gus Powell

The midday meanderings of New Yorkers on their lunch breaks, famously captured by Frank O'Hara in his 1964 collection Lunch Poems, are the subject of Manhattan Noon, the first large-scale New York presentation of the recent photographs of Gus Powell. The exhibition features some 30 color images, taken by Powell during his lunch hour, that capture the city's inhabitants in, as O'Hara wrote, "the noisy splintered glare of a Manhattan noon."

The Museum of The City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue @ 103rd Street
New York, NY 10029

6.00PM - 8.00PM

*Space is limited so be sure to RSVP to 212 534 1672, x 3322 or rsvp@mcny.org*



'Young Blood' By Erika Larsen

Erika working as a contributing photographer for Field and Stream has been documenting the landscape of hunting and fishing since her first assignment for the magazine in 2004. For the past year, Larsen has been traveling the country capturing the hunting experiences of children on camera. Her first photo essay for F&S, "How We Hunt" garnered her a National Magazine Award nomination.

If hunters are a dying breed, no one told these kids. That was the message Erika Larsen returned with after more than a year of photographing young hunters all over the country. In the face of studies that cite fading interest among youth in traditional outdoor sports, Field & Stream dispatched Larsen during last year's hunting season to get beyond the numbers. Her goal, she says, was to capture the intense connection that kids have with the natural world, to tap into their raw enthusiasm, and to get at the pure, unfettered joy of the hunt. "These kids were all hunting for the experience of it," says Larsen. "To them, anything they shoot is a trophy. They weren't looking to make it into the record books; they were just excited to be out there." Courtesy Field and Stream

Redux Gallery

116 E. 16th St bet Union Sq. East & Irving Place
12th Floor

6.30pm - 8.30pm

*Be sure to give yourself extra time as the last time I was by there was only one elevator working in the building*

Last night on the town

Well we took ourselves out and about last night trying to take in as many openings as possible and didn't end up doing so bad after all.

Domingo Milella (left) The Jackanory (right)

First up was Domingo Milella at TracyWilliams Ltd. This was my first visit to the gallery which it turns out covers two floors in a west village brownstone. Interesting space, a hybrid of sorts, a galler/house, with the big prints exhibited in regular sized rooms that maybe unwittingly give potential buyers a true glimpse at how these mighty pieces might size up in their own homes. That's the thing isn't it, much of the art we view here in the city is on display in vast Chelsea warehouses that bear little or no physical relationship to the spaces in which the work may eventually be hung. I had never really thought of that before and Milella told me later that the images were specifically chosen for each of the rooms. Remember a 52 inch flat screen TV doesn't necessarily work in every space so why should a massive print, remember size isn't everything, proportion can be.

Martin Schoeller & me

We then made our way to the Marty Schoeller opening at Hasted Hunt. Can I say full house, it was certainly chock a block with a strong turn out for this most popular of photographers.

Dawoud Bey and me again

Then it was on to 347 west 27th street where we checked out the Bart Michiels show 'The Course Of History: The Mediterranean Theatre' at Foley Gallery before descending a floor to Aperture for Dawoud Bey's 'Class Pictures'.

So far so good right on schedule to making plan as mapped out in Tuesdays post here. Unfortunately this is where the nights activities got held up as Aperture certainly know how to keep a large crowd grounded; an ample supply of alcohol coupled with en suite bathroom facilities always seems to do it, so Katy Grannans opening on the lower east side was a miss. Although I am happy to say we made it down to BBlessing for the 'Adolescence and the Virtues of Maturity' extravaganza only to join the mighty hoardes waiting to gain admission. Fuck that so, the scene on the inside looked just as packed, I was certainly interested but there was no way through the throng.

The scene outside BBlessing, is that Danielle Levitt in the door ?

No worries though it was quite the night, with a veritable who's who spotted during our travels. Out and about were photographers Chris Bartlett, Eric McNatt, Joe Fornabaio, Adam Friedberg, Christopher McLallen, Ber Murphy, Jeremy Liebman, Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, Christy Whitney, Anna Bauer, Ofer Wolberger, photographer/bloggers Robert "Don't get on the plane" Wright, Raul 'Mexican pictures' Gutierrez, William 'Vignette' Brinson, gallerist Jen Bekman and photo editor Keri Pampuch from Quick and Simple.

Things to do this week . . . . New York

Well here we go again ! Looks like there is plenty happening around town again as we come out from our holiday slumber. Here are a few tasty treats that may tickle your fancy.

Wednesday 9 January


The fabulous Katy Grannan brings us not one but two openings and receptions this week.

First up is 'Another Woman Who Died in Her Sleep'

Greenberg Van Doren Gallery
730 Fifth Ave @ 57th Street

6.00 - 8.00pm


Thursday 10 January


Katy Grannan 'Lady Into Fox'

Salon 94 Freemans
1 Freeman Alley

6.00 - 8.00pm

In the new works, Grannan explores the uneasy relationship between fixed photographic portraiture and her subjects’ mercurial identities. The photographs are replete with ambiguity and contradiction: they are evidence of an invented, unknowable self, confronting inescapable photographic description. Her subjects are “new pioneers,” three northern Californians who struggle to define themselves under the scrutiny of relentless sunlight. California serves as both a literal and metaphorical backdrop for Grannan’s photographs. It is a mythical destination and a real end-point where sunshine illuminates both the abject and the joyful.

Lady into Fox features Gail and Dale, two middle-aged transsexuals and best friends whose experience in the world is mediated by romantic escapism and willful delusion. Grannan thoroughly embraces her subjects’ vision of themselves, their interpretation of femininity, and the pleasure they derive from gender mimicry and performance. The photographs, however, also describe the pair’s solitary interior lives and their deeper existential need to be visible.

Another Woman Who Died in her Sleep follows Nicole, an elusive and complicated woman with whom Grannan worked for nearly three years. Grannan’s shifting photographic approach mirrors Nicole’s ever-changing persona, her defiance, and her near self-annihilation. Here, Grannan questions photography’s ability to describe a complex individual with a single photographic “truth.” Courtesy Salon 94

Domingo Milella

Tracy Williams Ltd
313 West 4th Street bet Bank & West 12th Street

Reception with the artist: 6.00 - 8.00pm

This is Domingo's first solo New York exhibition. A recent graduate from SVA, Milella has spent a little time in his past working with yours truly before going on to greater things working for two of the all time greats, Massimo Vitali and Thomas Struth. Sure to be a big star in his own right don't forget where you read it first.

Milella’s perspective offers us a fresh interpretation of the changing face of our surroundings to day. Close by or far off borders, nations, megalopolis, are the subject of a geography at the edge of importance and function. Using an 8 x 10 camera, Milella captures these contradictory panoramas subtly noting the struggle for place between man and nature in contemporary society. His photographs have a certain impartiality allowing the viewer to interpret the image and draw their own conclusion. Nature seeps through these photographs as vegetation merges with trash in Cuautepec, Discarica, Mexico City. Unfinished rooftops and building debris pile up as the sun pierces the hot landscape in Naucalpan, Mexico City.

Milella’s photographs of industrial cities are not tyrannical. These are images filled with respect and complicity. Unsettling and passionate at once, Milella’s images speak volumes about the urban-human dilemma. However, a sense of hope reigns within his photographs even in the grimmest of settings. Nature’s power to evoke change in the urbanized jungle is brazenly evident. Courtesy Tracy Williams Ltd

Martin Schoeller 'New Work'

Hasted Hunt
529 West 20th Street, 4th Floor

Opening Reception 6.00pm - 8.00pm

In this show Marty brings us more BIG heads. Black & white and color work will be on display that has not been exhibited on the east coast before. Its a cornucopia of faces including celebrities, athletes, musicians, politicians, his family and the debut of his specially commissioned pictures of members from the Amazonian Pirahã tribe. Martin lugged all his gear into the jungle to capture the striking, mysterious faces of the rarely photographed Pirahã people, an indigenous hunter-gatherer tribe that lives primarily on the banks of the Maici River in Brazil. Currently numbered at approximately 360, the culture is in grave danger of extinction. These photographs were specially commissioned by "The New Yorker."



Dawoud Bey 'Class Pictures'

Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th floor

Press & Patron Preview: 6.00 - 7.00 p.m.

Opening Reception: 7.00 – 9.00 p.m.

For the past fifteen years, Dawoud Bey has made striking, large-scale color portraits of high school students across the United States, from a wide economic and social spectrum. Each portrait is accompanied by a brief autobiographical statement from the student. By turns poignant, funny, or harrowing, these revealing words often contradict our assumptions about youth in America. Bey’s unusually respectful and perceptive portraits transcend teenage stereotypes and establish him as one of the best portraitists at work today. Courtesy Aperture

An intriguing show comes at us courtesy of BBlessing and Table Bros

'Adolesence and the Virtues of Maturity' curated by Vincent Skeltis and Daniel Jackson

Featuring the work of Studio Von Birken, Andrew H.Shirley, Danielle levitt, Vincent Skeltis, Daniel Jackson, Justine Parsons and Brendan Donnelly.

BBlessing
181 Orchard Street

Rsvp recommended: rsvp@bblessing.com

8.00 - 11.00pm

Thursday night is certainly action packed I reckon you could do it all, but it won't leave much time for hanging around. I havent made my plan yet beut it could go something like this. Start with Milella then up to Hasted Hunt for Schoeller followed by Aperture a quick cab to the lower east side for Grannan et volia nicely in time f for 'Adolescence and the Virtues of maturity' around the corner on Orchard Street.

Things to do this week . . . . New York

Tuesday December 11

Young Collectors Panel Discussion

6:30 p.m.

Free Admission

Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th floor

Moderator: William Hunt, Hasted Hunt Gallery

Panelists: Gael Zafrany, David Kronn, Michael Hoeh, Todd Oldham, and others

At what stage does one go from being an avid fan of photography, making occasional purchases of prints, to defining oneself as a “collector”? What are the joys and pitfalls of evolving a collection? What do you need to know and at what stage does it matter? Esteemed collector and dealer William Hunt moderates a discussion with a varied group of collectors who will share their experiences and answer audience questions.


Wednesday December 12

Gerhard Steidl, Pascal Dangin and DAP invite us to celebrate the launch of Philip-Lorca diCorcia's book 'THOUSAND' published by steidldangin.

6-8 pm cocktails

David Zwirner
533 West 19th Street

Slipcased softbound edition available for sale.

Limited edition containing an original polaroid also available for viewing and order.

Things to do this week . . . . New York

I will be out of town but the good folks at Aperture amongst others are looking to keep you busy this week in my absence.

Monday, November 26

Gillian Laub
Artist's Lecture
6:30 p.m.

Free Admission
New York Public Library
Mid-Manhattan Library
455 Fifth Avenue

Gillian Laub has worked in Israel and Palestine, producing portraits of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Nablus, and other locations in the region. Her first book, Testimony (Aperture, June 2007), contains fifty of her portraits of Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, displaced Lebanese families, and Palestinians. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War.

Tuesday, November 27

Magnum Celebrates 60 Years
Book Launch and Celebration
6:30 p.m.

Free Admission
Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th floor

Aperture is pleased to host the launch party for Magnum Magnum, a Thames & Hudson publication celebrating sixty years of the vision, imagination and brilliance of Magnum photographers. Each photographer is represented by six of their works as chosen by, and including a critical text by, another Magnum member. Many Magnum artists will be in attendance.

Wednesday, November 28

Richard Misrach: On the Beach
Talk and Book Signing
7:00 p.m.

Free Admission
Strand Books
828 Broadway @ 12th Street

One of today’s most prolific contemporary masters, Richard Misrach is internationally renowned for his carefully considered, beautifully rendered epic works. In Richard Misrach: On the Beach, a lavishly produced, oversized monograph that features the long-awaited publication of this spectacular series, Misrach hones in on our delicate relationship to the sea. This is the largest book ever published by Aperture and also the first major publication of new work by Misrach in many years. The artist will share a slideshow presentation of his work and sign copies of his book.

Thursday November 29

Richard Misrach: On The Beach
Exhibition opening and book signing
6.00pm

Pace/McGill Gallery
32 East 57th Street, 9th Floor

Friday November 30

I am bummed I wont be able to get my copy of Darin Mickeys 'Stuff I Got To Remember Not To Forget' signed at the J&L Books night.

Also present and signing will be Ed Panar 'Golden Palms' and Anne Daems '72 Girls and Some Boys Who Could Be Models'.

6.00pm - 7.30pm

ICP
1133 Avenue of the Americas, 43rd Street

Congratulations JT

Photo © Jonathan Torgovnik

Big shout out to inspirator and friend Jonathan Torgovnik this years winner of the National Portrait Gallerys Photographic Portrait Prize. Torgovniks powerful portrait is of Joseline Ingabire, a victim of rape during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, it is from his series 'Intended Consequences: Mothers of Genocide, Children of Rape'. Photographed with her two children, born at the height of the conflict, the portrait explores the terrible impact of the atrocities of war and aims to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of women abused in Rwanda.

The accompanying exhibition presents a selection of 60 works from the nearly 7,000 entries, including this years four shortlisted artists. The show opens in London today and runs through February 24. Torgovnik will receive a prize £ 12,000 and knowing him I am sure he will put this money along with the grant he recently received from Getty Images to good use as he continues to work on this project. Read more about Jonathans efforts here for better tomorrows for Rwanda.

I usually run into Jonathan about once a year now, when he's not jetting around the globe on assignment as a contract photographer for Newsweek or starring in adverts for Sandisk flash cards. We like alot of others met back at Printspace in the days when the mighty c-print was the medium of choice. Images from his latest project 'The Israeli Reserve Soldier' are featured in the current Aperture magazine. I hadn't checked out his site for quite a while, looks like he has given it a good reworking, check it out here.

Things to do tonight . . . . Dumbo

Photograph © Simon Roberts

Tonight sees the launch of new Dumbo gallery Klompching with its inaugural opening of 'Motherland' a visual exploration of contemporary Russia by British photographer Simon Roberts. Roberts spent a year traveling through the country covering over 75,000 kilometers and in doing so has created one of the most comprehensive photographic accounts of this vast country by a Westerner. The resulting book published by Chris Boot is a real gem and a must have in any collection.

The gallery is owned and run by husband and wife team Debra Klomp and Darren Ching, he being the creative director of PDN and number one Birmingham City fan. They will feature the work of emerging talent alongside under recognized work by established photographers. In addition to exhibitions the gallery will have a full schedule of events including gallery talks, presentations, book launches and signings, check out their news page here for all the goings on.

Roberts will host a walk through the exhibition on November 1st where he will be in conversation with Darius Himes, editor of Photo-Eye, space is limited and will be restricted to the first 25 people to arrive, so start lining up now.

Heres to you KlompChing we wish you every success.

Promo time

Last night I managed to get along to the PDN Self Promo Award Party at Milk Gallery. It was certainly chockablock what with the Photo Plus and all; plenty of out of towners with their expo credentials proudly on display. Hey why don't you all relax a little and dispense with the name tags don't you know that anonymity is the new cool.

I have been to the last few of these parties and as well as having the winning entrants on display there is a wall or two devoted to the also rans, those promos that didn't quite make it to the winners circle. As usual it is overwhelming whats on display and the amount of money that goes into producing these pieces; tens of thousands of dollars between the photography, time, art direction, design, printing etc,etc. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, I cannot imagine the combined costs of all the promos a single photo editor or art buyer receives during a year and how much $ ends up in the bin.

As usual a bang up job by the PDN people with hot buffet stations and drinks a plenty. Spotted here in no particular order were photographers Emily Shur (in from LA for the week, check out her cool website redesign), Eric McNatt, Christopher McLallen, Shannon Fagan, award winner Monte Isom, Lisa Wyatt, Art Streiber, Jessica Antola, Amanda Marsalis and her new rep Deborah Schwartz of DS Reps, rep Laura Reid of Redux Pictures, ace producer Duffy Higgins of A76, Rassi and Bevan of Milk Studios and the PDN crew Holly Stuart Hughes, Darren Ching, Anthony LaSala and Jeanine Fijol.

Things to do tonight New York . . . . Eric Weeks

Photo © Eric Weeks

The School of Visual Arts BFA Photography Program, in association with the gallery Pablos Birthday is presenting a lecture tonight with Eric Weeks in advance of his 'World Was in the Face of the Beloved' show opening at said venue October 20, see artists statement below. Weeks will be showing and telling about this work and more from his 20+ year career at the schools Amphitheatre, 209 East 23rd street at 7.00pm and its free to the public. A monograph has been produced in conjunction with the show and will be available for purchase and signage following the lecture

I have been photographing my wife Stacy, whom I married four years ago this fall. My relationship with her is the closest, kindest and most successful of my life. My photographs of her are a celebration of this accomplishment.

This work is about a character who is becoming one within the given landscape. She is someone who is okay with who they are and where they are in the world, while at the same time, she questions her place in the universe. She is my protagonist. Although I do not directly intend to expound on the tenets of Zen Buddhism, there is certainly the suggestion of that kind of spiritual tranquility in the photographs. I want my photographs to offer a respite from all the courser conundrums of humanity.

In short, I want these photographs to speak about ideas of beauty: the beauty of this woman in these attractive clothes; the beauty of the landscape and the figure relating to that space; and also about the beauty of analogue photography. Often, these photographs are playful, fun and peaceful.

The greatest misconception would be that these photographs are traditional “portraits” of my wife, or images that explore our emotional relationship. There are aspects of portraiture in the work, as well as self-portraiture and fictional narrative. I want to blur the line between all of these types of imagery.

My previous work has involved contemplation and exploration into the nature of human relationships while making narrative photographs. In past series I have examined the connection to family, looked at the bond between couples, addressed ideas of masculinity in a portrait series of men, and more recently combined photographs of seemingly disparate subjects to suggest metaphysical and sexual interactions. The images of my wife continue this investigation.

I am enamored of the great Dutch and Italian Renaissance painters, and my work is informed by their strong formalism, attention to light and shadow, and considered color palettes. Some influential painters for me are Caravaggio, Vermeer, Georges de la Tour and Poussin. As far as Twentieth Century painting, I believe that Edward Hopper’s influence is pretty evident. I am also informed by many great photographers. Some of the photographs in this series directly reference earlier photographic works such as Alfred Stieglitz’s portraits of Georgia O’Keefe, Masahisa Fukase’s photographs of his wife Yoko and, of course, Harry Callahan’s photographs of Eleanor. August Sander, Baron Adolph de Mayer, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall and Gregory Crewdson inform others.

I am challenged by the many possibilities of making photographs of my wife over a long period of time. How will they change as we move forward and age together? My photographs of Stacy are in many ways only in their beginning stages, as is our marriage. I am excited by the promise and potential of both our life together and the ensuing photographs we will make.

Things to do tonight . . . . Los Angeles

If you are in Los Angeles tonight and have a hankering to know once and for all 'Does Size Matter ?' then get yourself along to LACMA where there will be light-hearted debate on this most serious of questions; artist Jason Fulford and LACMA's new Curator of Photography Charlotte Cotton explore the issues of increasing size and seductive production values in contemporary photography today as part of LACMA's Conversations With Artists series.

The conversation kicks off at 7.00pm and its totally free and no reservations are required, very accommodating. Books (courtesy of D.A.P.) and refreshments will be served after the event until 9.00pm.

Jason is not only one of my favorite photographers but he is also the J behind J & L Books. Unfortunately I will have to miss this weekends New York Art Book Fair where J & L will be holding court amongst some of the other 120 exhibitors as I am back out on duty in the editorial trenches.

A Heads Up

Just wanted to remind you that coming up at the end of the month, the 28, 29 & 30 to be exact sees the return of The NY Art Book Fair. The fair includes art and photography books, art catalogues, artists' books and 'zines offered for sale by over 120 international publishers, booksellers and antiquarian dealers and best of all there is free admission to help you stay on budget. There is however a benefit preview on Thursday the 27th proceeds going to Printed Matter, Inc should you wish to get a head start on all the goodies.

It was here last year I purchased one of my all time favorite books 'European Fields The Landscape of Lower League Football' by the Dutch master Hans van der Meer as well as some other fine finds.

Things to do tonight . . . . New York

© Sarah Silver

With Mercedes Benz Fashion Week going on full force in New York this week those of you requiring an extra fashion fix might want to tear yourselves away from the runways and get down to 'Click Chic: The Fine Art of Fashion Photography' at the Visual Arts Museum at SVA. Tonight see's the opening reception from 6.00pm to 8.00pm. The exhibition documents the vitality of fashion photography as a vehicle for creative expression, formal experimentation and social commentary. If you can't make it by the show runs through October 6 and might be well worth a look see for those of you with the passion for fashion.

The show features the work of six emerging and established photographers all graduates of SVA. The group consists of Guy Aroch, Roderick Angle, Maki Kawakita, Ryan Michael Kelly, and Sarah Silver and the show has been curated by Dan Halm.

Out and about

Chelsea was a veritable zoo last night as a swarm descended on area galleries to take in a beautiful September evening, free booze, beautiful people watching oh and of course the real reason we were all there ? the art and photography. To say the streets were hoppin would be an understatement.

First stop for me was the Alen MacWeeney show. Much as I had expected to be honest with most of the images available for preview on the gallery website here. But some of the prints were exquisite; well worth an up close and personal look. There were also some breathtaking colour prints from MacWeeneys 1990 monograph 'Bloomsbury Reflections' on display and there were signed copies of the out of print book for sale. All in all my travelling party, Mr & Mrs Arun Kuplas and Mr & Mrs Ber Murphy agreed the munchies were most tasty, who makes those exotic tortilla chips ? Alen / Steven ? Spotted in the crowd were photographers Marc Asnin and Dietmar Busse.

Photo © Kohei Yoshiyuki

Next up was the hotly anticipated Kohei Yoshiyuki show 'The Park' at Yossi Milo. The gallery was packed to bursting and it was hard to get a good look see at the pictures themselves but apparently the artist was somewhere in the crowd signing the accompanying book. I was informed the print run has been limited to 1,000 copies so you might want to get your order in fast. I did not get a copy but friend and 'Inspirator' Eric McNatt snapped up one for his collection. Also spotted were Jennifer Pastore from the New York Times T Magazine, Jenny Burgos of ace scanning house Sugarhill Works, Dietmar Busse (again) and man about town Rafael Fuchs.

Photo © Danziger Projects

Then it was a quick hop skip and a jump to Danziger Projects for Andy Freeberg's 'Sentry' show. To be quiet honest I really wasn't enamoured by the narrow gallery space; okay it was busy and thats good but it was hot, hot, hot so we didn't last long but I did like the photographs and managed to grab a couple of extra mini Budweiser cans for the onward journey.


Finally we headed one block further north to the Aperture Foundation Gallery for the Lisette Model show. The place was buzzing but there was still plenty of room to move around and enjoy the huge and varied volume of work on display. A well stocked bar helped keep all happy and the end of the evening came very much like closing time down the pub with flashing house lights and I swear I could hear the bartender calls to kindly finish up ladies and gents, its gone waaaaaaaaaay past the time. Spotted here were Kellie McLaughlin (formerly of Retna now at Aperture), Rafael Fuchs (again), Eric McNatt, artist Dominic Albo, Christopher McLallen, Karl Doyle, the always entertaining Lauren Fleishman and boyfriend Scott Rudd and the papa bear himself Bruce Weber with partner Nan Bush buying up the Aperture bookstore. All in all a most enjoyable evening was had by all.

More Martin Parr . . . . does the man ever stop !

Photos © Martin Parr

Just when you thought there wasn't another minute in the day perenial 'Whats the Jackanory ?' favorite Martin Parr has another collaboration up his sleeve. Not only is it already completed its currently on show in Tokyo, where does he find the time ? So far this year he's done this, this and this I am sure I am only scratching the surface. Like or dislike his photography you got to give the man some props he is with out doubt one of the most prolific artists of our time.

The latest project I discovered is a hook up with ace British designer Paul Smith. 'Paul Smith @ Ilford' is a series of fashion photographs taken by Parr of people on the streets of Ilford, Essex, England wearing Paul Smiths Autumn/Winter '07 collection.

What makes this series even more remarkable is that Parr has forsaken the use of flash and some of the pictures evoke another era, perhaps 70's or 80's Britain. Did he do this on purpose ? or maybe he left the ring light on the train up by mistake ? The man never ceases to amaze and inspire.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Martin at the 'Colour before Color' show still up at Hasted Hunt in NYC. I was a bundle of nerves as one is when meeting an idol, managed to fumble my way through 30 seconds of conversation, got him to sign my copy of 'The Last Resort' and presented him a shrink wrapped copy of my own upcoming monograph 'A Room with a View' (more on that later). There are only 4 copies of the book in existence at the moment and he has one. I wonder did he ever take the time to open it ? I am sure he did he is a stand up bloke. Hey Martin if you are reading this let me know what you thought, oh and by the way I am looking for someone to write the forward, do us a favor between all the jet setting and put pen to paper and help an editorial photographer attempting a little fine art get a bit of street cred.

Heres to you Martin Parr, your the dogs bollox !

That was the week that was . . . . Last week

Whatever happened to the Friday Foto you may ask. It was a busy week of work and travel and not much time left over for tending to the blog. It ended up going something like this.

Tuesday drove up to Boston from NYC for a Wednesday shoot. Its so much easier to drive, the plane ends up being the same or longer. Its for a new client, Conde Nast's Portfolio magazine. I won't go into details but Portfolio is a relative newcomer in the business magazine arena, kind of Vanity Fair meets Fortune, they even sent a location scout to peruse the office space I would be shooting in advance and I had a stylist and groomer on the day which is not the norm for this type of shoot. Managed a quick trip to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston after my own scout. Had a short 30 minutes to explore the space and see the Philip Lorca diCorcia show before closing time. The museum itself is stunning and I thoroughly enjoyed the show, I had seen the 'Heads' before when the debuted in New York but it was the early work that really stood out for me. Although some of the prints could have done with a bit of spotting.

Wednesday, my birthday, started with an early enough call time but I had my eye on the clock as we had a 6pm flight from Boston to New Orleans via Philadelphia we needed to make for Thursdays gig for a different client. It can be unnerving mixing jobs for different magazines on consecutive days allowing for a little travel in between. The Portfolio gig went well, I got into my groove quickly and the subjects were game ball for anything. Its always difficult first time out with a new client, there are certain expectations on both ends, this is not the time to be trying anything new but to stick to your game that's why you are there.

Air travel is certainly challenging at the moment. As a regular flier one feels that the whole system is teetering on the brink and when things start to go wrong they suddenly escalate to complete meltdown. Its going to be a long summer as the vacationing masses and the latest security threats add to the already over burdened skies. The week before I waited 3 hours on the runway @ JFK, nothing unusual ? But we had just landed and the airport was in chaos following some earlier weather. There were 80 planes waiting to take off, the taxi ways were chock a block with arrivals and departures no way of getting to our gate.

In Boston we managed to get on an earlier flight, which in due course was delayed but still left enough time for the connection in Philly, more than was originally allowed. I do not like flying US Airways (never found them to be very reliable not that the others are much better) but there were not many options in getting to New Orleans from Boston, there was no direct flight. The New York area airports were enjoying their own delays due to weather so it was a relief to land in Philly in reasonable time. But one look out the window was a view in to our future. There must have have been 40+ planes waiting to take off and we could not pull up to our gate as it was already occupied although there were plenty of empty unmanned gates available, frustrating, another 30 minute wait.

We finally made it off to discover that indeed our flight to New Orleans was of course delayed. Time to explore dinner options, bleak and a chance to regroup. Boarding time was now scheduled for 8.50pm which seemed reasonable and we would make an the extra hour with the time change, chance of a night cap at the hotel ? Well there was of course no chance, 8.50pm was now 10.50pm and to add to the delay the crew for our flight were still on another plane stuck on a taxi way trying to get to their gate.

We finally boarded and settled in. As luck would have it the plane did not appear to be full for a change ! One really appreciates those increasingly rare flights when you have not one but two empty seats next to you. Where is everyone going all the time ? Well we couldn't leave the gate just yet as though we now had a crew, we didn't have any ice or refreshments and the plane could not take off until we were serviced. One look out the window gives further cause for concern, mounds of bags just sitting there out in the open ! Baggage handlers wandered around aimlessly seemingly nonchalant to their fate. Hope the gear makes it, fuck ! Next up, time for our own weather as the storm clouds start to gather, lightning and heavy rain, the ramp is closed, bags are getting soaked and we are not going anywhere. At least we have drinks and a nutty air hostess who seemed to be losing her fragile mind as she ranted on about how bad US Airways is and how much the Philly airport sucked. Our Captain announced that we indeed were the fortunate ones as that it was now time for some of the planes that had been waiting to take off since 5pm to return to the gates as they would not make their final destination as a result diminishing fuel tanks and that crews were over their regulated work hours. Hooray for us !

When the storm rolls through we finally take to the tarmac but its another wait before we take off. Thankfully we are heading south as the storm moves east and we get shuffled to the front of the line as anyone heading the other way is left sitting. Its after midnight and we have a 6.45am call time.

3.00am touchdown New Orleans, managed to get some sleep in, this is the time one feels that if the plane is going to crash that you don't really care as you are so tired. Not feeling too bad when we land, so glad the flight wasn't full. And the bags made it I couldn't believe it and they were dry. This is my first time staying in downtown New Orleans unfortunately there will be no night cap, not this morning.

Thursday 6.00am rolls around quick. This time its ESPN the magazine following around the New Orleans Hornets Chief Communications Officer on NBA draft day. A combo 'day in the life' style reportage gig with some set up portraits. Most of the day we are office bound with little action but we get in a decent lunch and spend draft night @ an extravaganza they have organized in their own arena next door to the imposing Superdome. The team is back in New Orleans following a two year hiatus in Oklahoma City as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Its tough to tell if the franchise has a big future in the city after everything its been through and attendance @ the event was low even given the free entertainment, $1 beers and concessions and the 13th pick.

We got done around 9pm but found it difficult to find a cab, they weren't exactly lining up outside, perhaps another sign of the Hornets future. We ended up walking a few blocks before being successful, the driver thought we were golfers with all the gear and was only too happy to tell us about his exploits the night before with some Chinese women. I did get to walk down Bourbon Street though and have a pint but one couldn't help but feel the city was pretty quiet, particularly for a Thursday night.

Friday morning 9.50am flight to Newark. It is jam packed but minimal delays. Only been gone for four days but it feels like a lifetime as it always does especially with the variety of people and locals one can come across in a finite time. Driving through Soho and along a pock marked Houston street the line of people queuing up to snag an iphone from the Mac store on Prince snaked around and down and around again. Good to be back and at the same time looking forward to hitting the road again.