Michelle- Weekly Article for September 8

No. 83, Berlin, July 1990 from Pictures on the Street

Celebrating Photographic Garbage

photo-based art by Joachim Schmid
From Lens Culture Online Magazine

masha-artist statement

There is an everyday struggle of making the poetries of life transcend into art. At first, photography was the best way to capture the moment which I had found so intriguing. However I quickly realized that any kind of photograph is very nostalgic to me because it is all that is left from something that is now dead (the moment). Because of this, I feel the need to bring it(the photograph) to life; this is when I add dimension to the photograph- light, sound, layers, movement, making it anything but the original still-frame image. This remaking of the moment is a sort-of act of worship. It becomes a shrine, or a memorial for not just that moment captured but also for the actual act of capturing of the moment, which is another moment in itself. It is that perfect second when the world becomes so vulnerable that it lends itself to me. It is the moment when everything is the most vivid and raw. So as the photographer I am stealing this most truthful, precious moment, but only to bring it back in a different way. This act of “rebirth” ties into the act of illumination, which is why the photos are often backlit and emerging out of some kind of darkness. The illumination is actually a process with many parts- both literal and not. Initially the illumination begins with recognition- a moment that has been lived a thousand times before. This particular moment is so familiar, yet, so mystical because it lends itself to the notion that maybe we can have an idea of the future because we can fill in the moments that we already know will happen- seasons changing, death, dirty dishes, spending money, tears and laughter. Our lives are made up of these kind of moments that seem so habitual, but on the contrary are amazingly rich, hence the term being “caught up in the moment.” The art is always about recognition versus discovery. I believe it Is better to work with what you know- these moments that I become engaged in are much less an act of god, but more seemingly insignificant parts of everyday life. This is not to say that it is that easy- To see these moments is about living within them- living moments instead of living in minutes, hours, days, months, years.

Masha- Bio

Masha Badinter, imigrating from Russia in 1990, was surrounded by art throughtout her life before making her own. Her home in America was filled with old Russian painting of nostalgic landscapes and figures purchased from the very streets of her own birthcity, St. Petersburg. When she was eight, her father helped Boris Eaptekin, a painter, with the construction of his home in return for drawing and painting lessons for his daughter. Masha had always been more interested in expression and creativity than anything else during her high school years. in 2004 she was introduced to Neighborhood Studios, which was affiliated with the Music and Arts Centerf or Humanity in Bridgeport, Connecticut from a presentation they did during one of her high school art classes. From then on every summer she worked with a group of young artists such as herself, learning different crafts such as glass sculpture, sand casting, painting, drawing, etc. Sometime during those years she discovered photography though a photojournalism she was placed in. It was then that she realized how strongly she felt about the process of capturing life as images. Since then, she has been finding new ways to express her connection to the images that she captures. Recently, she has been working successfully within the limitless boundaries of installation and video.

Megan-Portfolio

Here's my portfolio

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photos_from_meg/sets/72157604989144989/show/

Caitlin - Bio

Yeah I didn't really know what to do here.

Caitlin Welge is a photographer and video artist that has been living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 2004. She currently attends Moore College of Art and Design working towards her BFA. Caitlin’s work reflects her take on society and feelings about her own generation. Caitlin has been doing darkroom photography since grade school and continued photographing at a constant rate. She got into digital photography in high school and became interested in video art in college. Caitlin is continuing to make her work in these mediums and hopes to combine other mediums such as lithography, which she has experience with, and other types of printmaking.

Inliquid Field Trip

We'll be visiting Inliquid on Wednesday (April 30th) during class. We'll meet in the lobby at Moore at 9:30 and go from there.

We'll take the Blue Line east from 15th St to Girard and walk to the Crane Building.

g-map:
http://tinyurl.com/6z56rz

PIFAS Field Trip

We'll be visiting the Philadelphia Institute for Advanced Study on Monday (April 28th) during class. We'll meet in the lobby at Moore at 9:30 and go from there.

We'll take the Blue Line east from 15th St to Berks and walk to the PIFAS.

g-map:
http://tinyurl.com/6zz4s6

Caitlin - Artist Statement Yeah...

The best way to describe my work is to describe my personality. I am a very outgoing and outspoken person that likes to keep people on the edge of their seats. I make art that has an emotional and physical effect on people more than just an aesthetic appeal. I focus on making art that interests me and holds my attention. My reaction and feelings about my photographs are as important to me as the viewer’s reaction and feelings. Since I was young I’ve had a fascination with horror movies, serial killers, and gore in general. I try to project this in my pieces. I prefer fantasy to reality and prefer shock and horror to beauty and serenity. Although I enjoy making grotesque works of art, I occasionally find a way to make the photographs beautiful in all their gory glory. Knowing that something I created can affect someone to the point of walking away or getting the chills is all I can really ask for.

Art reflection

On Saturday, April, 12 i went to the crane building to check out some art as well as see the actual space that I've heard so much about. First I went to the Ice Box space where I saw
The Soft Epic or: Savages of the Pacific West by Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib. I had seen their work before at Vox Populi, but this encounter was completely different. As soon as i entered I felt like i was in the presence of some kind of post-apocalyptic port-hole. I was totally stunned before I even noticed the 5 projectors. The room was huge and dark and made me forget instantly about the mid-day sunny weather that i had just come from. The art had a presence, to say the least. It took me a minute or two to actually get back down to earth because of how blown away i was by this colossal collage of moving images. When I actually began to examine all the parts that made up the video i was a little bit disappointed only because the loop was so short. Everything i saw- the fires, the deteriorating buildings, the debris, the animal headed cop, the horny tiger- all awesome until i began to notice the pattern. That really took away the buzz of amazement I had because it reminded me instantly of the mechanics. I feel like any kind of special effects are totally ruined the minute you realize how they are executed on top of the fact that it reminds you that you are definitely looking at something that is fabricated. Its that feeling of awe and wonderment- if only for a moment, when you question what you know because you simply cant believe your eyes. Maybe if i never worked with moving images myself it would have been different. But overall, i think it was pretty great. My favorite part was the sound- really awesome mixture of actual instruments, ambiance, and noise. The sound was perfect, it caught me for a lot longer than the visuals.
Next i went to the Nexus gallery and saw two photographic works- Susan Abrams "From Stillness" and Tasha Doremus's " New Work". Susan Abrams's work was interesting but didn't really stand out to me. It was the average innitial reaction of "Oh, thats cool." I did really like Tasha Doremus's work. I thought it was really beautiful the way the handmade paper gave a totally new dimension and meaning to the image of the photograph. I especially like the ones where you had to really look for the image and try to separate it from the paper with your eyes. They were really nice to just look at and enjoy. I thought it was also really cool that the artist made her cards on that same paper that the art was made out of. I really appreciate the work because I often feel like it has become so easy to make a good-looking photograph thanks especially to digital technology. Click.Load.Print.Done. Its not even about how much time it takes but its more about the fact that the process is so widely known and understood that theres no mystery left at all. I liked Tasha Doremus's photos because it was evident that there was a process and there was mystery- these are the things that are important to me when i look at art.

Deadline update

Assignment 5 - Student Artist Lecture

Give a 15 - 20 minute lecture about your work.

Deadline: Monday, May 5th (pushed back from Wednesday, April 23rd)

Field Trip - Kate Ware Curator of Photographs, Philadelphia Museum of Art

We'll be visiting The Perelman Building at the PMA during class on Wednesday, April 23rd. We'll meet in the lobby at Moore at 9:30 and walk up the Parkway.

The Perelman Building is the newly renovated building just across Kelly Drive from the main museum building. It looks like this http://www.philamuseum.org/perelman/. The address is the corner of Fairmount and Pennsylvania Avenues Philadelphia, PA 19130.

We'll be meeting with Kate Ware Curator of Photographs; Julia Dolan, who organized the Ansel Adams show; and John Vick, a curatorial fellow at the museum.

Please come prepared with a question or two about museum careers, how a curator's perspective on pictures/shows/etc. might differ from that of an artist, Ansel Adams, Lee Miller, photography in Philadelphia, what a curatorial fellow is/does, etc.

Directions:
http://tinyurl.com/4oah54

Perelman Exhibitions:
http://tinyurl.com/2ghrpc

Field Trip - Sarah McEneaney's Studio

This is a heads-up that we'll be visiting Sarah McEneaney's studio on Monday during class. We'll meet in the lobby at Moore at 9:30 and walk over from there.

The address is 1110 Ridge Ave, bright green door, bell no 1, on Ridge just north of intersection of 11th, Ridge and Hamilton (between Callowhill and Spring Garden).

g-map: http://tinyurl.com/4e9nrj

Here are some links to pics & words about Sarah's work:
http://www.tibordenagy.com/#/artists/ (click on "artists" and scroll down to Sarah's name)
http://www.icaphila.org/exhibitions/past/mceneaney.php
http://www.brooklynrail.org/2006/06/artseen/sarah-mceneaney

FLUXspace field trip

This is a heads-up that we'll be visiting Fluxspace on Monday evening (April 21st). We'll meet in the lobby at Moore at 6:30 and go from there. Caitlin I know you're meeting us there, anyone else who's not riding the el with us just send me an email or let me know in class on Monday morning.

We'll take the Blue Line east from 15th St to Somerset and walk from there.

Here are driving directions:
http://tinyurl.com/3tamt3

Here's the flux site:
http://thefluxspace.org/

Megan - Links for Assignment 6

These are just a few links that I could find about art contests and call for artists. Thought it might help.


Pittsburgh Film makers
http://www.pghfilmmakers.org/artserv/callsforartists.html


List of art events and contests:

http://www.pixiport.net/

http://www.artshow.com/juriedshows/page5.html

http://www.artshow.com/juriedshows/index.html


Inliquid.com for art contests.

http://www.inliquid.com/opportunities/opportunitylocalex.php


Vox Populi Gallery

http://www.voxpopuligallery.org/vox.php?vox_blog=on


On the funnel pages there is a list of galleries on the side. I'm sure one of those galleries has a call for entries.

http://www.funnelpages.com/index.html


Good luck.

biographies

Here's a long list of biographies for y'all to copy:

http://www.inliquid.com/heartworks/artists.php

Masha, is this the thing you were talking about? Looks decent...

sarah- Art response

The National Liberty Museum is a great place that features exhibits on diversity, acceptance, peace, and pays homage to well known Americans that had to overcome obstacles to reach their goals. Almost all of their exhibits feature beautiful sculptures from artists all over the world including Dale Chihuly, Czeslaw Zuber, John Knowles. Although most of the sculptures are glass, there are several made from stone, metal, and even candy. The work that really stood out for me was a sculpture by American artist Sandy Skoglund of two children made entirely of jellybeans. It may sound silly, but all the colors and the glossy texture looked really beautiful. It’s a visiting exhibit dedicated to teaching children that even though we all look different, we are all made from the same stuff. A sign hanging next to the exhibit really summed it up:

“Although they come in many different shades and sizes, every jellybean contains exactly the same ingredients inside. All human beings are also the same inside….just like me, just like you.

The next time you see someone different from yourself, try to be aware of your feelings about that person. Instead of thinking about what makes you different, think about what makes you just the same.”

The jellybean kids were just so unpretentious. They were fun and different, not just there to look pretty, but to give children a visual representation of harmony. I’ve seen so many “serious” paintings and photographs; it was nice to see work that was serious while not taking itself to seriously.

It was so different to see artwork in a context other then a gallery or traditional art museum. It gets a bit aggravating to see work I just don’t understand, and frankly just don’t care about. I think the sculptures in The National Liberty Museum really got to me because of the exhibits they’re placed in. For example, an exhibit on the 3rd floor about children killed by gun violence was accompanied by a large metal sculpture titled “Victim.” Placed in a contemporary gallery, surrounded by nothing but other sculpture, I might not have given it another look. But surrounded by sad statistics and sobering photographs, it took on a whole new meaning and I looked at it much closer.

Although the museum is geared towards children, I enjoyed it a lot. They claim to house one of the largest and most important collections of glass sculpture in world, but I feel like it’s very under the radar in Philadelphia. I had never heard of it until I stumbled across it during a walk, but I’m so glad I did. The artwork was beautiful, and it complimented the exhibits perfectly. The message of the work and the museum was really great, and I would suggest everyone go experience it for themselves.

See the website here.

Michelle- Assignment 2

I uploaded my portfolio files to my flickr account and created a set called "portfolio". Each image is titled and has a description and size, I used the following format: black and white photography, digital photography and textile work

Flickr portfolio

Megan- Art Show

The event that I went to was a gallery opening on April 12 at the Yo Darkroom Gallery on 113 N. 23rd street, between Arch and Cherry. Yo Gallery featured a photo series called the Pennsylvania Project by photographers Linda Johnson and Hinda Schuman.

Here’s a little background information on Linda Johnson and Hinda Schuman. Linda Johnson is from Pittsburgh and came to Philadelphia for an education in visual arts. Hinda Schuman is from Philadelphia. They both met in the darkroom in Northeast Bureau of Philadelphia Inquirer in 1988. Together in their free time they have been working on the Pennsylvania Project since 2000. Their goal for the project is to document the history of all 67 counties. I gathered this information from their website www.thepennsylvaniaproject.com.

Being from a small town in Fayette County, I was curious how photographers from cities in well-established counties would portray working middle people in their counties? Would they have created a typical redneck stereotype in their photographs? Fortunately, this wasn’t the case; however, they have only photographed people who were betrayed as being poor. I’m curious as to what is considered poor and unfortunate if one is not from that area? What I and others do in our county may represent a redneck stereotype to outsiders, but is the normality to us. And if the purpose of the project is to document historical background, then what history is important and what isn’t? I believe I asked a similar question to the photographer Linda Johnson about the content of her work. She just said whatever was interesting to them. I think that they either randomly pick counties based on the comments based on their website or they visit a group of people in the counties. And then they stay only a few days in the counties documenting. That isn't a enough time. One would only scratch the surface of past, and present historical content of a county. But, then again to photograph 67 counties is overwhelming. SO could it be that the project is too big for two individuals? I think so. The project is a good idea, and a good start. But it could be even more accurate, and even more amazing if they would be able to get more support to fund this project. I asked Linda Johnson if I could be an intern or an assistant to her, but she laughed and thought I was crazy since the project was established through free time.

At the gallery opening, an over-sized frame displayed on a white wall held two badly aliened photographs inside. Below the frames were the names of the counties. Basically, the two photos in the frame represented a whole county. I personally like one photograph to one frame. I think it allows the viewer to think about the content more, instead of the comparison of two photos forced into a single frame. I found it hard to almost appreciate the photos because I think I much rather see one county and many photographs. I wanted to arrive with a conclusion for myself rather than being forced into one summarizing single view of a county.

I didn’t get to talk to much people, because a drunken viewer kept following my friends and I around. I did get to talk to both of the photographers though. Actually, that same drunken lady introduced us. The woman was nice. She was just really drunk and said a lot of mumbling nonsense that was entertaining and on the verge of offensive.

It was sort of hard to talk to both of the photographers because of my shyness and the distractions in the room hints drunken lady and rude people. I had researched the work on the internet and started asking simple questions based on my research. I also sort of talked to them depending on their responses to my questions too. Linda Johnson kept forgetting my name, but she was really nice about it. She was excited that I was from a county that she hasn’t been to yet. I was telling her about all of the possible places she could go too. After that, she introduced to me to Hinda Schuman. She briefly chatted with me, and move on to other people.

So overall, I thought it was a decently nice show. It has its pros and cons, but overall I had a good time. I’m proud of myself for trying to talk to the artists in a crazy environment and trying to come up with interesting questions. I think that I'm a very socially awkward person, so trying to talk to people is a big step for me.

Megan- Bio

Megan Jensen is studying Photography and Digital Arts at Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though she hasn't received the proper training in photography until college, she has always had a passion for it as a child. Taking snapshots of her hometown, friends and family, she was able to record her life in a small coal industrious town.

In High School Megan would use photographs for a reference to paint from. She studied fine arts and after school she painted scenes for the drama department. Working hard in the art department paid off. She was accepted to Governor’s School for the Arts in the summer of 2004. She has also received many honors and awards during this time such as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Scholastic Award for Writing and Art.

In 2006, after several college tours she noticed photography in the art departments. Though photography wasn’t offered in her high school, she was excited to be apart of the photography art world. She chose to attend Moore College of Art and Design due to the new photography major arriving. She also wanted to experience a new city, so Philadelphia seemed promising in the art community. At Moore College of Art and Design, she has learned both traditional and digital photography. Here she takes photos of industrious landscapes, and staged scenes.

Megan- Statement

There is always this feeling of isolation that is frightening and intriguing to me. This feeling lures me to photograph places that people chose to ignore. These places are in a transition period between the natural world and the mechanical world. In this transition period there is a subtle struggle of identity. Identity is expressed through pure space rather than race or gender. The act of taking space gives life to things that are mechanical and yet organisms that are breathing. It is when people interfere with this space that the two worlds collide and become a single complete identity. In the absence of people, the space becomes separated between the worlds. I make art according to that effect and to my personal wanting to have one identity. These places are usually from around my hometown. My hometown is in this transition period between beautiful landscapes and the mining industry. It is interesting how machines interact with this pure land.

sarah-statement

My work is about the spaces and objects often overlooked by the very people who create them. I want to reintroduce people to their surroundings, and remind them that there are beautiful things that go unnoticed in an urban environment. The ironic part is that everyone has a hand in creating these spaces; this series couldn’t exist without people’s influence on their environment. However, it isn’t until the people are removed, and the space is examined without them, that one can slow down and begin to see what’s really there.

sarah-biography

Sarah Quick is a photography student living and working in Philadelphia. She was introduced to photography at the age of 12, during a lonely week at overnight camp. Due to a serendipitous scheduling error, she was placed in photography instead of archery. Sarah spent the week shooting and developing, and upon her return home, was hooked.

While attending Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Sarah had the opportunity to take several more photography classes. Working in school and on independent projects, Sarah realized she wanted photography to play a larger role in her life.

In 2005, Sarah moved to Wilmington to attend Delaware College of Art and Design. It was during this brief year in Delaware that Sarah began to really develop as an artist and gain a new appreciation for the work and dedication that goes into making a good photograph. Continuing her work in the darkroom, she focused on improving her technical skills, producing conceptual, dreamy black and white prints.

Homesickness brought Sarah back to her native Philadelphia in 2006. In the Fall of that year, she enrolled at Moore College of Art and Design. After years of working exclusively in the darkroom, she was introduced to digital photography. After a rocky transition, Sarah found a comfortable place in the digital world. She now works primarily with digital equipment, dividing her time between photography and Photoshop.

Sarah is currently working towards her B.F.A. in Photography and Digital Arts at Moore. In her free time she enjoys movies, walks, and spending time with her animals.

Assignment 6 - Apply for 3-5 Juried Exhibitions

Apply for 3-5 juried exhibitions.

Bring to class a copy of the letter or email that confirms the receipt of your application and slides/documentation.

Deadline: Monday, May 5th

Assignment 5 - Student Artist Lecture

Give a 15 - 20 minute lecture about your work.

Deadline: Monday, May 5th

Examples:

http://www.ted.com/talks/view?id=32

Assignment 4 - Art Show or Artist Lecture Reflection Paper

Go see an art show or artist's lecture off campus. Write a 750 word reflection paper about the event you visited.

Deadline: Wednesday, April 16th

Here are some places to start your research:
http://www.funnelpages.com/index.html
http://www.inliquid.com/index.frame.html

Assignment 3 - Biography/Artist Statement

1. Write a personal biography about your art career to date. This document should be approximately 150-300 words.

2. Write an artist statement about your work in general or a particular project you have completed/are working on. This document could be anywhere from 1 to 1000 words (if it's 1 it better be a damn good one).

Deadline: Post your statements and bios as new posts to the blog before class begins on Wednesday, April 9th (NOTE: please do not post your documents as comments to this post). You'll present your Biography and Artist Statement to the class and we'll discuss them. Please title your posts in the following format: Your Name - Assignment Title (e.g., James Johnson - Biography).

Here are some examples to get you started:

biographies:
http://www.michaeljonesmckean.com/biography.html
http://www.blogger.com/profile/10492060164800750582
http://joshuamosley.com/AboutMe/biography.html

statements:
http://www.michaeljonesmckean.com/statement.html
http://www.christineshank.com/interiors/interiors_statement.html
http://www.nadiahironaka.com/statement.html
http://joshuamosley.com/ (click on "animations" for brief statements/descriptions)

Assignment 2 - Slides/Slide List

Assemble 20 slides or equivalent video, media or other documentation of your work.
Write a corresponding slide list with a description for each entry.

Deadline:

Assignment 1 - Cover Letter/Resume

place text here