Photo Awesome

Normally I wouldn’t try to cram a ton of stuff into one post, but I really just don’t have the patience for covering all these things separately, and with the attention they deserve, so I’ll try to cover them in order of importance (roughly). Here goes:

1. Denise Lira’s show was recently profiled on a local blog. The review praised the show saying, “Through her installation, the space became activated in two ways: honored for its native raw utility and transformed into something utterly otherwordly. … [Her show] has so far been the best art event of the year.” Congrats, Denise!
2. Our own Rich Meade was also recently featured, this time in the form of an interview (and cover photo) on a new online art magazine called Liz Corday. Check out the interview in their first issue!
3. For those of you interested in the Sam Taylor-Wood video pieces we saw when she spoke at the High Museum this past fall, check out a decent selection of her full-length video pieces on Ubuweb.
4. Photos from the Spring 2008 Grad Pot Luck are now online. They are abundantly mediocre, thanks to myself.
5. Pause | to begin is a “photographically driven publication” which you should submit work to. They will conduct a studio visit if you are among the chosen, and you might be published. Charles Altshul, John Paul Caponigro and Joyce Tenneson are advisers for the project. Deadline for submissions is 4/1/08 and the fee is $35.
6. I’m going to submit work to the following two places, among others: Museum of Contemporary Photography (in Chicago) and Blue Sky Gallery (in Portland). Nothing coming up, just thought I’d mention them, since, you know, you’re totally wanting to get your work out there now. Yeah.
7. Oh, make some other suggestions for places to submit in the comments.

-Walker OUT

Jonathan Bouknight is an artist in Atlanta who writes about area shows on his blog Local Ephemera. He dropped by the “SCAD on the Edge” show and gave an interesting—albeit, less than glowing—review of the work and the show overall. I’d say it’s a good read worth your perusal: “On the Street”

“If this show doesn’t get you excited about Atlanta’s next wave, nothing will.”

A photo by one Carla Aaron-Lopez used to illustrate…

Most people know about Jill Greenberg and her series of crying children called, “End Times”.  This article, from slate magazine, that I came across is a very interesting discussion about her work and how photography is inherently exploitive.

Felicia Feaster on artist Travis Dodd …

I got a new blog that includes art reviews. Travis is up first, Susan is soon to come…

The Arrival of Machete at Aliens Love Spaceships

- Carla

From the New York Times:

Bright letters announce “New Photography 2007” on a wall outside the Museum of Modern Art’s photography galleries. Just inside is a room of vintage-looking black-and-white photographs. Contemporary photographers are showing a strong interest in early photography, so your first thought is that the curator has unearthed someone recycling the ideas and methods of Eadweard Muybridge, Alfred Stieglitz or Clarence White.

But no. These are pictures by Muybridge, Stieglitz and White. Keep walking; the annual showcase of emerging photographers is in the next room. After that accidental spark of excitement, though, the show itself is something of a letdown.

Check it out…

Review by Rebecca Stern

Allan deSouza has incorporated a variety of differing tools in his photography/mixed media. His lecture Rituals in Transfigured Time, presented at Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta on October 3, showcased many different series of his works. DeSouza described both the techniques he used as well as more in-depth interpretations that focused on the unwritten histories hidden in the images.

His series Threshold includes 24 images of airports, train and bus stations. The series focused on waiting areas and transitions between places in time where one has left behind the familiar, but has not yet arrived at the new venue. DeSouza mentioned that he wanted the viewers to imagine a first encounter with a new place and how they might emotionally engage with the physical space presented. The goal of the work is to demonstrate the promise of the West and this goal is achievable if we use Orientalism as the primary interpretation tool.

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Review by Rebecca Stern

On a Thursday night with so many events to choose from in the Atlanta area, I chose to attend the Cannonball Press Lecture entitled, Woodcutology at the Savannah College of Art and Design Printmaking Workshop. I was greeted by a crowd of people eager to listen to a PowerPoint presentation by two men who had been extremely productive for the past week in the workshop. As Richard Gere, department chair of Printmaking, so eloquently stated, “these guys are here to create a stir of creativity.” Hopefully their creativity will provide the impetus for the students to be creative and productive.

These two fun-loving guys are in love with what they do and want to spread the word and inspire others. Martin Mazorra and Mike Houston are the two creators and owners of Cannonball Press, a small, well known press in Brooklyn, New York. In their small space, Martin and Mike, along with many other artists whom they represent, create magnificent woodcut prints. The prints are sold at reasonable prices that the average person can afford, without breaking the bank. The artists at Cannonball Press create work that is political, humorous, entertaining, religious and educational. Their “recipe” for success, appropriate for all artists is, “a down home dish that is tasty hot or cold.”
The lecture, overflowing with people, provided an insight into the philosophical practices of Mike and Martin. Their passion, beliefs, and values provided a solid ground for paving the road for a successful career. Their work and the work of the artists they represent is exciting and their craftsmanship is worth checking out. Also their prices are still a bargain and remarkable when compared to a market in which artwork can be sold for thousands to millions of dollars. They are trying to create a market where artwork is affordable for the commoner. Their works sell for as little as $25.00 and are worth much more than that.

You can find their website and more information at www.cannoballpress.com