R.I.P Larry Sultan

To say that 2009 has been hard on the photography community is an understatement. We've lost Irving Penn, Evelyn Hofer, Hellen Levitt, Luke Smalley, Julius Shulman and Polaroid. And now I'm sadden to hear of Larry Sultan's death. I was not a dedicated follower of his later work, but his 1992 Pictures From Home body of work was very influential to me.

May he rest in peace and may his work continue to inspire young photographers around the world. He has set the bar high has left incomparable images with us.

©Larry Sultan

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Massimo Vitali at Bonni Benrubi Gallery

Bonni Benrubi Gallery is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of new work by Massimo Vitali, LANDSCAPE with FIGURES 2. The exhibition will present recent photographs from Italy, Turkey and Croatia. From a vantage point high above a scene, Vitali’s large-scale color images capture a surreal, sometimes voyeuristic view of the landscape that is often inhabited by carefree figures, such as sunbathers on a beach or tourists on holiday. His vistas allow the viewer to reflect on the rituals of modern leisure as captured by his large format camera. Oblivious to his presence, the people in Vitali’s images offer a wealth and depth of narrative action, allowing the viewer to discover reality in unexpected ways.

Massimo Vitali's work is represented in major public and private collections around the world and has been the subject of several monographs and museum retrospectives. This is his fourth solo exhibition at Bonni Benrubi Gallery.

OPENING RECEPTION:
Thursday December 10th, 2009

Show runs December 3rd, 2009- February 27th, 2010

Bonni Benrubi Gallery
41 East 57th St. Floor 13
New York, NY 10032

212.888.6007
www.bonnibenrubi.com
benrubi@bonnibenrubi.com

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Arthur Tress blurb Book

I love Arthur Tress' work. He has put out a blurb book titled The Disturbed Land, which was brought to my attention by Timothy Archibald on his blog. I haven't seen the book in person but the few images that I see, I like a lot.

Check it out.

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The Exhibition Lab

The Exhibition Lab is now accepting applications for their upcoming 2010 master class.

The Exhibition Lab offers the unique opportunity for photographers to work directly with two New York City gallery owners, creating new work to be curated in two concurrent group exhibitions.

This new initiative will provide an opportunity for emerging photographers to have their work seen, recognized and developed by two deeply committed advocates for photography and the creative process.

Application is by interview and portfolio review only. Upon acceptance, you will continue to develop your work with the guidance of gallery owners Michael Foley and Sasha Wolf. A total of 14 photographers will be selected to participate.

From January to June you will meet 6 times with Michael and Sasha at one of their two galleries for 3 hours under a rigorous group critique session. This will not be for the faint of heart. In addition, you will have 2 one-on-one sessions with them for approximately 45 minutes.

In June, a final edit will be made and each photographer will then have the opportunity to exhibit their work in one of the galleries during the month of July and August 2010.

This is the first year for The Exhibition Lab. We invite you to contact us, find out more details and share any questions you might have for us. We will be having two open houses in January, which will give you a chance to meet us and see the galleries. This is a unique opportunity to share the experience of working together, receive guidance and feedback, enjoy a growing community and gain recognition and support to ensure a dynamic experience for everyone.

We invite photographers from all disciplines to apply. You must be able to attend the critique meetings in person. Please contact us to receive dates for the open houses, seminar schedule and pricing structure.

info[at]theexhibitionlab.com

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Project Basho's ONWAD '10 - SUCCESS!!

I'm so excited to announce that I have been selected to participate in Project Basho's ONWARD '10 exhibition!! The competition was very well-received, and the number of entrants reached over 400 with over 1400 images. The show opens in February 2010, I will keep you all informed.

Don't forget my work is still up at Emory University in Atlanta, for anyone who is in the area!

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Once You Go Black... (mega post)

Lately I've been kind of obsessed with black walls and black accents. It is a scary color because it's so dominant but if done well it can work beautifully. Click "Read More" to see 20+ more pictures!

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Susan Worsham

I learned about Susan Worsham's work through Too Much Chocolate's Sunday Showcase. The work caught my eye instantly. Not only is it strikingly beautiful but there is a sense of comfort and intimacy with the subjects accompanied by a slight hint of uncanny peculiarity that brings Sallie Mann, Tina Barney, Tierney Gearon and Gillian Laub to mind -all very fine photographers that I admire. The pictures seem normal at first sight, and later your eye catches a glimpse of fruit sprawled on the bed, an elder breast or an assembly of dead birds on the ground -all unexpected sightings but somehow so ordinary in these pictures. Worsham's sense of color is also exquisite and equally odd, making for complex images that somehow feel effortless.

She says of the work:

"This series of photographs is taken in and around Virginia, the place in which I grew up. The title comes from a book written by my father’s ancestor, to show the lineage of the Fox family in Virginia. For my own purpose, it acts as a metaphorical map, of the rediscovered paths of my childhood home.”

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In which my Father is Robbed of his Dream

My father served in the Peruvian Navy for over 30 years. He took his job very seriously; he was possibly one of the most honest, hard working, smartest and morally apt officers the Peruvian Navy has ever seen. He graduated from his class with the Sword of Honor, given to him for his achievements in academics, athletics and discipline. I heard over and over again from his colleagues what an incredible person he is, how the Peruvian Armed Forces -known for being incredibly corrupt- had never seen an officer with such intelligence, determination, and above all pure honesty, decency and self respect. When the time came for him to become the General Commander of the Navy (highest rank possible), 95% of his class had already been fired and the other only ones left were him and a couple officers well below him in rank who were still there due to their connections.

When the time came for my father to be promoted to the highest rank possible he was asked to leave the Navy. Actually, he wasn't asked; he opened the news paper one morning and in there, printed, was an announcement that he had been laid off from the Peruvian Armed Forces. This was done so that a Mr. Nothing who knew somebody who knew somebody, who happened to be way below my father in rank, could get the promotion. This decision was so disrespectful and obviously wrong that the they couldn't bear tell it to my father's face, they had to do it secretly and let him find out via the news paper, which is insulting to a man who spent his entire life bringing change and respect to the institution. This was a big deal, he was going to be reporting directly to the president and now he was unemployed while an unqualified officer enjoyed my father's job.

This picture was taken as my father was in the shower, getting ready to put on his uniform for the very last time as an Admiral of the Peruvian Navy. A moment that I'm sure, although he did not say it, was very painful and sad. He wore his uniform for one last time with pride to officially meet with the people who fired him, to show his honest face to their shameful ones- the ones that threw him out when he was literally hours away from getting what he worked for for 33 years.

He laid his uniform on the bed and I immediately knew I had to photograph it. I was in high school then, but I knew I had to. This picture is very important to me.

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Picturing Home Exhibition Opening pictures!

Unfortunately I was not able to make it to the opening of "Picturing Home" because well, I'm in NY and the show is in Atlanta. But FEAR NOT! I have pictures of the opening and a link to a photo gallery. I have to say I'm really honored to be amongst so much great work!

Click here to visit the photo gallery.

(That's my picture on the right)

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Picturing Home at Emory University

REMINDER!!

I have work in the Picturing Home exhibition over at the Emory University Visual Arts Gallery.

Exhibition Dates: December 3, 2009-January 29, 2010

Opening reception: Thursday, December 3, 5-7 pm; jurors’ talk at 7 pm

Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday, 12-4 pm, and by appointment
and from December 17, 2009 - January 10, 2010

Visual Arts Department & Gallery
Emory University
700 Peavine Creek Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
404-727-6315

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'Tis The Season

Two winters ago I started photographing stranded Christmas trees, abandoned on the curbside. I am sure there are about 1000 photographers who have taken this picture before, but there is something very strange that I feel every January when I see these trees, almost like bodies, discarded. Something that was once loved, decorated and looked after with such care and spirit becomes an object that is discarded with no hesitation. Some still carry evidence of the life once lived, with tiny shiny strands or glitter remains; some are stuffed in to body bags of sorts. They line the streets for almost a month until they are turned into mulch.

I can't wait for this season to com around so I can resume the shooting.

© Rafael Soldi

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Blane Bussey

I met Blane Bussey last summer -we shared a summer job that I'm sure we both would like to forget. Blane happens to be a great photographer and a very awesome guy. So here are some of his pictures. You can visit his website here.

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Dorothea Lange- A Life Beyond Limits

This is a bit a of a dorky photo book, I know. It almost sounds so predictable and dry: a biography of Dorothea Lange. But fear not!!

Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits is in fact excellent. Yes it is not contemporary fiction or a murder mystery novel but rather a historical recollection of this woman's fascinating life. What makes this book interesting is Linda Gordon's point of view as a historian and not a photographer. Gordon remains objective throughout the book (so far) and addresses the many sides of Lange's life, from her idealistic ideas about the power of photography to her troubled husband and delinquent family.

If you can grab a copy and read it! It's particularly interesting to read this as we go through this recession -things haven't aren't much different than in the 30's!

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