Photography.Book.Now Blurb Competition

Photography books seem to be finally having their heyday. With access to the distribution, promotion and production of books through online sources, it seems weekly I'm dazzled by another self published photographer and at the same time overwhelmed that I'm being so finicky about putting out my own. One could trace the enthusiasm to the gang at Photoeye, or the Dashwood Books, maybe even more likely is Martin Parr and Gerry Badgers excellent History of Photobooks books or perhaps simply the big publishers Aperture, Steidl, Schaden, Chronicle, Nazreali or the newer ones Loosestrife, Radius, etc., add to the mix fantastic Photobook blog 5b4 and it's easy to see a small part of 'why the boom'.
While the ramped up ability to produce is now more apparent than ever (esp. in photography circles), what's exciting is stumbling across some real jaw dropping book projects. Recently I've been knocked out by Andrew Bush, Anthony Hernandez, Paul Shambroom, Dawoud Bey, Christian Patterson and as equally by a single inkjet handmade book Stephen DiRado made for me of his mall photographs.
Well this summer I get the opportunity to see tons more books. The online book publisher Blurb is hosting a too-good-to-be-true competition with a grand prize of $25,000, as well as several runner up awards. I'm honored to be a juror in the company of Darius Himes, Jen Bekman, Charlotte Cotton, Elisabeth Biondi, Frish Brandt, Stephen Gill, Lesley Martin, Alan Rapp, Kathy Ryan, and Denise Wolff. I can tell you that this is a list of people you'd want to see your work regardless of prize.
The deadline is July 14th. There is an entry fee of $35 (very reasonable). Looking forward to the boxes at my door.

This Week

Woah. Tons of events this week in conjunction with the Art Fairs. My social anxiety is kicking in just looking at it all.
There is indeed many good things, the Art Fairs (look for my work at Robert Koch Gallery and Rhona Hoffman); the SAIC exchange show curated by Marco Poloni that opens on Fri. (Ed Winkleman recently discussed on his blog); the SAIC MFA Photo students; Ben Gest's new work looks exciting; Cecil McDonald; oh my...
Starts off this evening.

Tuesday:

Mind the Gap, Contemporary German Photography
Manuela Barczewski, Sonia Jimenez Alvarez, Annette Jonak, Sabrina Jung, Anatasia Khoroshilova, Anne Lass, Patricia Neiligan, Almut von Pusch, Rivkah Young
Opens Tues. 6-10pm
Country Club
1100 N Damen Ave.
Show runs from April 23d - 27th 3-6pm

Wednesday:

Julia Hechtman Lecture
Noon
Wed. April 23rd
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
280 So. Columbus Drive
Room 214

Anthony Goicolea Lecture
6pm
Wed. April 23rd
Columbus Auditorium (2nd Floor)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
280 So. Columbus Drive

Thursday:

Art Chicago, Next, the Artist Project, Artropolis, etc.
Private Preview.
Public hours:
Friday, April 25 11am–7pm
Saturday, April 26 11am–7pm
Sunday, April 27 11am–6pm
Monday, April 28 11am–4pm

Friday:

School of the Art Institute MFA Thesis Exhibitions
Friday April 25 9-11pm
Gallery 2 & Project Space
847 W. Jackson Blvd., 2nd & 3rd Floors
Exhibition hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Extending viewing: April 30 & May 16, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Three Hours Between Planes, Contemporary Photography From Chicago and Leipzig
Chicago Cultural Center
Participating Artists: Stefan Fischer, Jill Frank, Sveinn Fannar Johannsson, Stephanie Kiwitt, Chelsea Tonelli Knight, Dominique Koch, Lilly McElroy, Elise Rasmussen, Andreas Schulze, Jan Sledz, Scott Patrick Wiener
April 19–July 6, 2008
78 E. Washington Street, Chicago
Opening reception: April 25, 5–8pm, Gallery Talk: April 25, 5pm

Strange Habit
Curated by Luke Batten
Participating Artists: Shane Huffman, Steven Husby, Emily Kennerk, Curtis Mann and Alice Shaw
I Space
230 West Superior, 2nd Fl.
April 25 - May 31
Opening Reception Friday April 25, 5-8pm

Saturday:

Ben Gest
Stephen Daiter Gallery
311 W. Superior St. #404
April 26 - June 28
Opening Reception Saturday April 26, 5-8pm

Cecil McDonald Jr., "Domestic Observations"
Catherine Edleman Gallery
300 W. Superior St.
April 26 - May 31
Opening Reception Saturday April 26, 6-8pm

Versionfest, Proximity, Ron Olsen and Chicago Events

It's that time of year for the annual Versionfest here in Chicago. Lasts years was a hoot and even made some people nervous. In fact a few hours away from now the Dark Matter group show opens in Bridgeport. I helped a bit with the curating and laying out the show last week and it's looking to be a good one. Dark Matter is a group show which tosses out the distinction between high and low art (let's face it, the artfairs have proven there is little difference), and instead taps into a collective consciousness that artists of all backgrounds seem to be responding to in their practice. Whether activism, collages from food containers, psychedelic vinyl porno drippings or an art informational Elotes cart these artists reach out to form communities, react against hegemonies or simple create laborious works meant to drizzle away time space and escape from one reality by creating another.
This Versionfest also marks a first for me, showing a work from my collection (in addition to one of my Thrift pictures). We included the drawing Ron Olsen made for me 2 years ago. Long time readers of the blog may recall my post on Ron and his drawing of 'perpetual battlefields'. Dark Matter indeed.

Detail from Ron Olsen, 2006 (War In Wal Mart Parking Lot)
Artists include:
Michael Genovese, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Michael T Rea, E.C. Brown, Jefferson Mayday Mayday, JC Hammes, Edra Soto, Adam Farcus, Brian Ulrich, Greg Stimac, Aron Gent, Chris Roberts, Ryan Davies, JJ Stratford, Alice Bradshaw, Randall Garrett, Daniel St george II, Sharon Parmet, Ryan Davies, Natalie Steinmetz, Cole Robertson, Lisa Yu, Christopher Ilth, A.S. Lawrence , Nat Ward, Natalie Steinmetz, Dave the Lightbulb man, Vicki Fowler, Thunderhorse, E*Rock, Neville, Erika Mikkalo, Jenny Inzerillo, J. Byrnes, Mary Balda, Jon Bollo, R.K. Shuquem, Nicholas Schutzenhofer, Jenny Tsiakals, Rose Candela, James Adam, AROE, Oscar Arriola, Juicy, Tony Arriola, Peter KISER Berry, CHILE, Sara Condo, COPE2, COSBE, CRAE, CYCLE, CYFN, Nicky Dieter, EGOR, EVOKE, FACT, GOMA, David COVE Gonzalez, GYROS, Joel DEPTE Ibarra, IRAK, JACK, Rick Jara, JARE, A. Lewellen, MELON, READ MORE, RIBITY, RK9, SHIP!, SIVEL, SMUT, SWEK, SWIS, TELLY, TRUE, TWIST, Ryan Valvick and many others . To see work by participating artists go to this Flickr page .


Another first is the debut issue of Proximity Magazine. If buddies Ed and Rachel Marzewski don't have enough on their plate with running the Versionfest and an art/performance venue, they're created a fantastic new magazine centered on local and global art and art communities. The first issue rocks and is chock full of interviews with curators, artists and writings on empowerment, cultural criticism and Chicagoland cholos. This city just got tons cooler. Buy one and feel your money funding the greater good.

Biggie Auction Time (Coast to Coast)

Untitled, 2006 Thrift 0609, c-print 30x40" ed. 1/5
Quite an honor to be included in 2 auctions taking place later this week.
It's also humbling to know that many of the organizations/venues many think have the powers to define artists are themselves struggling to get by as well. Art institutions are built on donations. Blindspot doesn't run many ads at all so revenue is built upon your support. Auctions are a case where everyone wins as you can contribute and potentially go home with artwork.
Here's the details:
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
MCASD
La Jolla, CA


Untitled, 2005 Thrift 0509, c-print 30x40" ed. 1/5

Blind Spot Auction
Thursday, April 10
Auction Preview at David Zwirner
April 8-10, 10am-6pm
David Zwirner
533 West 19th Street NYC 10011

Nu Yawkers, Fairs and Lite Bites

Hot off the heels of hanging (hanging consists of crate building, book editing and photo talk) with mustachographer, Chris Taylor who was visiting Chicago last week, I've teleported to the hometown of NY for a week of picture taking, checking out art fairs and seeing old and new pals. Come find me.

I also have new work from the Wright Commission up in the Scope fair (and maybe some others?).

SCOPE NEW YORK 08 - BOOTH #9, Project 4 Gallery
SCOPE Pavilion at Lincoln Center Damrosch Park
62nd Street and 10th/Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10023

This Is Gonna Be One More Night (I Miss)

Jason Lazarus
It's been amazing this last year doing so much traveling. The downside though is I miss a lot of the openings and social stuff going on in Chicago. Tonight is one that downright hurts. Some really great shows I've been aching to see are opening. Indeed if you're a 4 hour drive away from Chicago, I'd say get up and get behind the wheel.

Jason Lazarus This is gonna take one more night at Bucket Rider Gallery. Jason has been consistently producing stronger work that mixes his conceptual wit with a engaging social examination. He and I are working on a interview for the blog that you'll see soon.


Craig Doty
Craig Doty 12x12 at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Craig also is a young photographer churning out great ideas for some time now. This new work features portraits of unsettling moments of frustration, awkwardness, and vulnerability.

Lastly at Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Robert Heinecken: Dream/Circles/Cycles. Surely Heinecken's vintage works from 64-73 will provide some exciting new finds and rare examples of his photographic attacks on media and visual literacy.

Food For Thought

Kenosha, WI 2006 (Jello)
I finally escape the cold this week and head down to Charlotte, NC for the opening of the group exhibition Food For Thought at the Light Factory. I'll also be giving a lecture on my work as part of the festivities (though I can't guarantee streamers or cake).

Food For Thought, is curated by Ariel Shanberg, Executive Director, the Center for Photography at Woodstock.

Across the globe, food defines cultures and communities. It comprises and fuels entire economies. Its presentation, delivery, and subsequent consumption can express or stimulate that which words cannot. Every cycle of life within every culture, is in some way marked or symbolized through food. Food For Thought brings together artists working in photography and video whose creations explore personal and cultural connections to food.

Food For Thought features artist photographers Sian Bonnell, Christine Chin, Stephanie Diamond, Lucas Foglia, Mary Magsamen and Stephan Hillerbrand, Mary Parisi, Susana Reismanand Brian Ulrich.

Opens March 6th from 6-9pm
My lecture is at 7:30pm

The Details:
March 6 - June 29, 2008
The Light Factory
Spirit Square, Suite 211
345 North College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

Buy This Print (and others)

Detail of Marden Manufacturing Chair, Wright Commission, 2007, 20x26" c-print
Here in Chicago, the good folks who organize the annual Versionfest are having their annual auction tonight. With all the good goings and travels as of late I often miss all the local openings. This is another one that will be missed and too bad as there is bound to be a bounty of good art for sale and bargain to find. Check the names:

Cody Hudson, Judy Natal, Greg Stimac, Jason Lazarus, Michael T Rea, Mike Slattery, Seripop, Brian Ulrich, Paper Rad, Aron Gent, Sighn, Ryan Davies, Paul Nudd, Albert Stabler, Cayetano Ferrer, Jackie Kilmer, Rand Sevilla, Logan Bay, Ray Noland, Mike Genovese, Justin B Williams, Jeff Zimmerman, Alvaro Ilizarde, Jeremy Tubbs, Rivkah Young, Lukasz Wyszkowski, Marie Harten, JJ Stratford, Molly Delander, Tertou Uibopuu, Sarah Mckemie, Mimi Ruff, Brian Guido, Caitlin Arnold, Andrew McComb, Claudia Berns, Zack Abubeker, Philip Matesic, Nate Baker, Greg Gent, Anne Lass, Brian Sorg, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Victor Yanez-Lazcano, Michael DiGioia and others.

The info:

Friday, February 15, 2008, 7- 12 pm
THE VERSION SILENT AUCTION
Co-Prosperity Sphere
3219 S Morgan St
map
phone: 773.837.0145

A fundraiser for
VERSION>08 DARK MATTER
April 17-27, 2008

Walker, Amy and Career Changes

It's been a long gray messy cold and snowy winter here (and maybe halfway). With that in mind, it's time to head out of town for exotic Minneapolis!
Actually North for the Winter is for good reason, the opening of a show I have work in called World's Away: New Suburban Landscapes at the Walker Art Center (yes one of my favoritest museums).
The opening is Friday and someone should make a video of people falling on the ice while trying to get to their cars after the opening (that would be me). The show already got a right up in Dwell magazine a month or so ago!

Details

Artists Include (woah check this list out!)
Chris Ballantyne, 
Kim Beck, 
Andrew Bush, 
Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI), 
Julia Christensen, 
Coen+Partners, 
Gregory Crewdson, 
Adam Cvijanovic, 
Benjamin Edwards, 
Estudio Teddy Cruz
FAT (Fashion Architecture Taste)
, Chris Faust, 
Floto+Warner, 
Dan Graham
I, NABA, 
Interboro, 
Lateral Architecture
, John Lehr
, LTL Architects, 
Paho Mann, 
Sarah McKenzie, 
Laura E. Migliorino, 
Matthew Moore, 
Stefanie Nagorka
, Catherine Opie
, Edward Ruscha
, SITE (Sculpture in the Environment), 
Jessica Smith, 
Greg Stimac, 
Lee Stoetzel, Angela Strassheim, 
Larry Sultan
, Brian Ulrich, 
Michael Vahrenwald

The opening is this Friday, February 15
from 9:00 pm to 12:00 am
Walker Art Center
1750 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

If I was smarter I would have conspired a solo show in Los Angeles like good friend Amy Stein.
Amy is indeed a smarty pants and her pictures and relentless schedule say so. If I could be in two places at once....

Her details:
Opens Sat. February 16th
from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Paul Kopeikin Gallery
6150 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(High of 73 degrees on Sat)

Finally word on the street is buddy Greg Stimac (also included in the Walker show) is making a change from photographs to acting. Note: the hat is acting, the Bud Light is not.

Portland Pics

Some snaps from the show in Portland.
(yes that is a box of clothes donations in the middle of the gallery)

Thrift Opening at Quality Pictures in Portland

It's off one plane and on another these days (or wait on runways for hours). Thurs. we're off to Portland for the opening of 13 pictures from Thrift at Quality Pictures. It's my first show of the year and includes quite a few new pictures. It's always an ordeal to get a show together, esp. a solo show. This one has been particularly hairy with everything seemingly last minute, the holidays, updating inventories and pricelists etc. Fingers crossed, we may actually pull it off. Some of the Thrift works also will be in a slightly smaller size, 20x26" which work quite nicely with the others, (30x40", 40x50 and 48x60"). Images will only be printed in 2 sizes, sometimes 1, in pretty small editions (5). Deciding on this stuff alone is enough to make ones head spin, let alone the printing. Thankfully i've had some time away photographing multi million dollar homes in Florida to curb the anxiety. It'll be good to see it on the wall and visit friends, Scott and Shawn. Join us!

The details:
Opens Fri. Jan. 11th from 6-9pm
The opening is also a closing drive for Portland's Thrift stores, so bring donations.

Brian Ulrich: Thrift
Jan. 11 - Mar. 1 2008
Quality Pictures
916 NW Hoyt
Portland, OR 97209
503-227-5060

Signing My Name 226 Times (and then some) 20x200

Eagle eye readers of the blog might recall a mention of small affordable prints of mine back in the summer. I like the idea of making prints for the many people who love the work but can't throw down the big bucks. Lucky for me Jen Bekman came up with a similar idea also this summer and since Jen is so swell the stars aligned...
It's actually tricker than it seems to find an image that will work in 3 sizes. Jen and I deliberated and came up with a print from my recent project in Thrift shops (this one from Charlotte, NC 2006).
My print is a lovely c-print in the 3 sizes, 8x10, 17x22 and 30x40 on Fuji Crystal Archive Luster.
This might just be guilt free shopping.
To order:

Art Fairs

Dekalb, IL 2007
I'm off to Miami to escape 5 degree Chicago for 80 degree sunshine and countless Art Fair insanity. I have mixed feelings about these things, I look forward to familiar faces, old and new friends, and actually seeing physical art objects. But seeing so much art and discussion of art as commodity only can be overwhelming, depressing even when something so powerful gets reduced to price tags. Luckily the system of this thing may just be made up of enough people who care to balance it all out. If not there's always the beach ;)

For those of you who are going, find me, say hello, or find my work and see actual prints which will be in a few places with Julie and Quality Pictures showing newer work and Koch and Galerie f5,6 showing big box shopper stuff.

Julie Saul Gallery
Pulse Miami

Quality Pictures
Aqua Hotel (this one is one of my favorite fairs, more relaxed, chill and personable)

Robert Koch Gallery
AIPAD

Galerie f5,6
Photo Miami

For those of you not hanging out in Miami, I've added a considerable amount of new work to my website in Thrift and the recent Wright Auction House commission.

Off to Beverly

Off again for a few lectures in conjunction with the shows at Monserrat College and the Photographic Resource Center.
Come say hello.

Here are the details of the talks:
Thursday, November 28, [Contemporary Cocktail], 8 - 10 pm
and Friday, November 29, 11:30 am

Both lectures at Montserrat College of Art
23 Essex Street
Beverly, MA 01915

Cornucopia: Documenting the Land of Plenty
[Exhibition runs Nov 8, 1007 - Feb 2, 2008]

Ad | Agency, Photographic Resource Center, Boston, MA
[Exhibition runs Nov 8, 2007 - Jan 27, 2008]

Planes, Hybrids and Miles...

Thomas Perry at Work, Johnson City
It's been a whirlwind over the last few weeks and continues. I'm enjoying it though a nasty head cold is trying to tell me to slow down. I've been lecturing, teaching, doing some editorial work and somehow managing to even get started on new projects. Up to my neck in photography is actually nice and all this stuff at best seems to inform and give perspective to my own pictures.
2 weeks ago I had a great time as a visiting artist down at East Tennessee St. University and the students of the amazing Mike Smith. One Mr. Thomas Perry, an encyclopedia of random pop culture knowledge, graciously drove me about, kept me up late and even made me coffee. I paid him back by taking his picture at his sometime work at a liquor store (see above).
From Tennessee the good folks at Portfolio magazine hired me to take photographs at a local Kmart. 8 hours later my assistant Erica and I crawled out from an avalanche of backroom marked made-in-china boxes and florescent wonderland quite pleased with our results.
From Kmart I rented a Hybrid and made it from Chicago to Cleveland in 5 hours and one tank of gas. Back in Akron it was a veritable reunion of sorts and was filled with that eerie familiarity. A fun lecture and seeing old friends, meeting new ones and again exciting to see some strong stuff developing in the student work; the amazing redesigned Akron Art Museum and new work from my old professor Andrew Borowiec. Andrew's been working hard and it shows, a logical but bold leap in his new pictures in color, more on those later.
Today nursing the head cold. Tomorrow I'm off again for a shoot for the NY Times, taking pictures of rocks and religion (as in fossils). Keep an eye out for some things here I've been working on. The long overdue 20x200 picture. As well as a few other involved posts I've been working on in the not-so-spare moments.

I won't be heading out to the 2 openings with my work this weekend but that doens't mean you shouldn't:
Ad Agency
Photographic Resource Center
Boston, MA
Opens Nov. 8th till January 27, 2008
Features: Kate Bingaman-Burt, Dean Kessmann, Jonathan Lewis, Michael Mittelman, Diana Shearwood, Matt Siber, Hank Willis Thomas, Brian Ulrich, and Penelope Umbrico

Cornucopia: Documenting the Land of Plenty
Montserrat Gallery
Beverly, MA
Opens Nov. 8th till February 2, 2008
Features: Xing Danwen, Chris Jordan, Brian Ulrich, JeongMee Yoon and Portia Munson

Boston, Chicago and Ohio

Some of my previous teachers and good friends have openings this weekend:
Barbara Kasten exhibits vintage work from her archives at Stephen Daiter Gallery here in Chicago.
Opens Fri. Nov. 2 from 5-8pm
Stephen Daiter Gallery
311 West Superior St., Suite 404
Chicago
Nov. 2 - Dec. 22

Dawoud Bey exhibits new and early work from 1975 - 2005, at the Howard Yezerski Gallery in Boston.
Opens Sat. Nov. 3rd from 5-7pm
Howard Yezerski Gallery
14 Newbury Street
Boston, MA

I'm off to Ohio for a return to my undergrad days in Akron. I'll be giving a lecture at the Myers School of Art.
Mon. Nov. 5 at 6pm
Myers School of Art
University of Akron
150 East Exchange St.
Akron, OH

PowerShammy™

(or bridging the Minneagrapher - Chicagrapher connection)




I first met Paul Shambroom while a lowly graduate student here in Chicago. Paul was having an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Photography along with some unknown kid named Alec who always wore hats.
Paul gave me great advice on my early pictures of shoppers and we stayed in touch over visits to Minni, NY or Chicago.Paul's pictures of democracy in action, nuclear arsenals and office spaces-like-an-archeaological-dig were not only an example of what photography can become but also that it can be an function as art and social critique.
His latest work continues his investigation of power and power structures in security training facilties across the US and opens tonight here in Chicago.

Paul Shambroom: Security
Opens: Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, 5-8 PM.
Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago
Show runs until Nov. 24

In the Flesh

I've been enjoying this semester in the classroom so far. Especially a class I'm teaching at Columbia called Digital Imaging Studio. Don't let the name fool you, it's mostly a seminar class focusing on social art and photography and advertising strategies. A good group with lots of ideas.
One of my favorite questions to ask students is how many have actually seen a print by Walker Evans, Arbus, or Frank, or perhaps even Goicolea? (3/4 hands go up) From there it's 'How about in a book?', this usually garners a few more hands. And finally, 'how about online?'... all hands raised. I do this usually to demonstrate that the quality and size of your images online is one of the most important ways to present your work. In most cases 90% of people will only ever see work online. I think about this often when I get a chance to actually see prints in an exhibition. The differences are startling and I believe the best way to really understand anyone’s work is to actually see it (in person!).
With my head in the books, I've hastened to mention a few exhibitions where you can actually see my prints also (caution this may involve shutting off the computer).

Nooderlicht Festival, Groningen, The Netherlands
Sept 16 - Oct 28, 2007
Act of Faith, and Material World exhibitions
This amazing annual festival of photography complies shows with a sociological theme each year. Add to that the beautiful city of Groningen. I have 2 images from the Thrift series in the main Act of Faith exhibition and about 7 pictures in the exhibit Material World

Stalking Suburbia, Westport Art Center, CT
Sept 20 - Oct 26, 2007
Curated by Lauren Ryan, STALKING SUBURBIA features work by Gail Peter Border, Andrew Bush, Anthony Goicolea, Todd Hido, Miranda Lichtenstein, Suellen Parker, Julia Peirone, Peter Piller, Bill Owens, Alec Soth and Brian Ulrich. Good company with some good friends. You can read a review in the New York Times here.

So let me know what you think of the prints (and Groningen)

On Collecting...

These last few years I've had the opportunity to meet and befriend some amazing people who collect art. I, like many, expected that the illusionary figures who participate in art buying hide behind some castle walls with a mote and drawbridge. Handing a bucket down from the the terrace to exchange cash for elaborate artworks.
Ok, maybe not that dramatic but I have been very pleasantly surprised to meet many people who understand that buying art has a direct and political effect. In fact perhaps more than any other aspect of consumerism, collecting art is an act that supports not only the work but directly effects the artist to continue working. In fact it seems to have a very long history of working this way and today how often can one say they have that direct connection with their purchases?
Well now it's your turn. I'll be participating in an upcoming edition of Jen Bekman's 20x200 project. And in the meantime I have a few works (some full size prints, other smaller proofs) in some great upcoming auctions. (In this case I'm the one trying to support the fine folks at the following places so bid early.)

The Center for Photography at Woodstock
Annual Auction
Bid online now until the event on Saturday Oct. 6th

Minneapolis Center for Photography
Annual PhotoBravo auction
Saturday Nov. 3rd

SF Camerawork
Annual Benefit Auction
Saturday Dec. 1st

On the Mic

After a 9 hour return flight from Munich and about a 12 hour sleepfest I'm right back into the thick of things and trying hard to get caught up with the endless; emails, posts, scanning, teaching, printing, etc... Luckily Munich was fantastique, invigorating and i'm full of more ideas than time to do them, a wonderful thing.
This week is spread thin in one of my favorite ways, lectures. (Perhaps a longing for my days in a band?)

The first is this Wed. 9-19
Photoshelter City Tour
Alhambra Restaurant
1240 West Randolph
Chicago
2:15pm
Free

The second is a talk with some of favorite artists here in town with one of my favorite famous ones. Melanie Schiff, Ben Gest and I will be speaking with author Michael Newman about the current Jeff Wall exhibition at the Art Institute (and digital photography).

Thurs. 9-20
Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
6-7pm
Free

Hope to see (and hope the jet lag is gone)

COPA Juried Show

Very honored and excited to be jurying the first annual Coalition of Photographic Arts Juried Exhibit. The COPA is an organized community made up of practitioners from students to professionals, collectors, and enthusiasts dedicated to contemporary photography in the greater Milwaukee area. Looking forward to the many surprises and discoveries of the oh-so-many agraphers out here in the midwest.

Deadline for Submissions: June 1, 2007

Eligibility:
Original photographic (film or digital) works executed 2004 or later by residents of Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota

I'll be giving a talk on my selections and my work on Sat. July 28th.

Opening Reception:
July 27 4-9pm at WCPA
Exhibit runs from July 27 - August 31

Venue:
Walker's Point Center for the Arts
911 W. National Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 672-2787

The Map... Version, Art Chicago, et al...

Putting on an exhibition is a daunting task, let alone a large festival. There are walls to be built, painted, plans to follow, supplies to find, text to write, websites to build, help to find, equipment to wire, lights to light, and the ever present surprises, (in addition to getting people there and.... the artwork)!
Needless it's also exciting and sitting in front of a pile of work from some of our favorite photographers is even more intoxicating.
In fact to get you all to there, my new assistant Kristin made a wonderful little Google map so you can plan your visit around Chicago. Full of all the fun stuff and art places around the city with a full map of all the locations for the Versionfest (including the infamous Kaplans).
MAP

Chicagraphy.org

Julian Montague, from the Stray Shopping Cart Project
Somehow Jon Gitelson and I have managing some time to curate a large photo show for the annual un-commercial Versionfest here in Chicago. This years line up is a bit more refined and hopes to showcase mini-shows of 10 of our favorite agraphers...
We launched a website, www.chicagraphy.org to announce the event. The show also coincides with the very commercial Art Chicago fair.
Needless next weekend should be a good time to visit the windy city. It'll feature:
Amy Stein (New York, NY); Bill Sullivan (New York, NY); Jason Lazarus (Chicago, IL); Zoe Strauss (Philadelphia, PA); Shawnee Barton (Chicago, IL); Todd Deutsch (Minneapolis, MN); Michael Northrup (Baltimore, MD); Julian Montague (Buffalo, NY); Mary Farmilant (Chicago, IL); Jack Edinger (Chicago, IL)

It's All About the Benjamins....

Buy This Print, Madison, WI 2005 22x28"
Time again for the annual auction to help fund the annual VersionFest. I'll have the print above available and there will be many good bargins to be had, (including lots of Chicagraphy).
Some of the many:
Cody Hudson, Paper Rad, Jack Edinger, New Catalogue, Jason Lazarus, Nathan Baker, Brandon Sorg, Brian Sorg, Curtis Mann, Claudia Berns, Matt Siber, Anni Holm, Chase Browder, Jon Gitelson, Alee Peoples, Scott Weiner, Felipe Garcia, Ryan Davies, Michael Genovese, Greg Stimac, Johana Wawro, Juan Chavez, Rachael Olson, Mike Slattery, Scott Whipkey, Eloise Dahl, Stereo Field Mouse, Rebecca Moy, Nancy Julson-Riely, Gisela Insuaste, Jeremiah Ketner, Mark Didado, Yunicorn, Daniel Peter, Brian Sowell, Sarah McKemie + Terttu Uibopuu, Caitlin Arnold, Justin Schmitz, Tammy Mercure, Phelan La Velle, Joe Rynkiewicz, Ashley Singley, and many others..

Friday April 6, 7pm
Co-Prosperity Sphere
3219 S. Morgan St.
Chicago