My Fair City

Over the next few days our quiet little hamlet called New York City will be overrun with art collectors, gallerists, gawkers, stalkers and artists. It's art fair week in NYC!

With no less than nine fairs running simultaneously it can lead to a serious case of art overload...and a few hangovers. The upside is I get to see a lot of kick ass work and hang with a lot of old and new friends who are in town for the big shows.

If you want to see (and buy!) my work you can go to the Saatchi booth at Pulse or the Paul Kopeikin Gallery booth at LA Art in New York.

Here are the details:

Pulse Art Fair -- Saatchi Online | London
Pier 40
353 West Street
New York, NY 10014

LA Art in New York -- Paul Kopeikin Gallery
Altman Building
135 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

Drop me a line if you are in town or meet me at the fairs.

Colin Blakely and 20x200

The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between © Colin Blakely

I have mentioned this image by Colin Blakely several times in the past. I gushed about it so much Colin was nice enough to send me a signed print last year.

Now you can own it via 20x200. And you must own it! It really is a gorgeous image and you can't beat the price.

MakingRoom Interview

Anna and Lily, Route 17, NY 2008 © Amy Stein

MarkingRoom is an online magazine that looks at the process of making images. The magazine is run by the wonderful Davin Risk who also writes the MakingRoom blog. Davin just posted an interview with me about my ongoing Stranded series.

Worst Reality Show Ever

Psycho Hitchhiker (Coming or Going), 2007 © Douglas Gordon

A gallery friend of mine received this notice casting artists for a new reality TV show.

Gallery HD and Illuminations Media are looking for two Fearless, Charismatic, Passionate & Informed ARTISTS to take the definitive chutzpah road trip.

Two Artist/Art Racers must cross the US in 40 days, surviving only on Art. Armed with art materials, cameras and a $1 dollar budget, the Artist/Art Racers must “trade” Art for food, shelter and other artworks.

Starting on opposite coasts (one in NYC and one in LA), the Art Racers’ odyssey culminates in a home-city exhibition of all the works they have created and collected along the way. The winner is the Artist/Art Racer who sells/trades the most artwork. Or at least the one who survives.

Looking for great communicators who interact well with all sorts of people and can make smart commentary as life happens. Intelligent, sassy and witty are good too. All participants must live in the New York or Los Angeles areas, be at least 21 years old and a US citizen or legal resident alien.

If this is you, please submit the following:

• recent photo (no older than 6 months)
• bio or resume
• sample of your art (photo reproduction okay)
• short essay explaining why you are an Art Racer
• be sure to include your full name, home city and phone number

Please send all ASAP to: subs@barbarabarnacasting.com

ART RACE shoots May 26 – July 11 for appx 40 days on the road + up to 5 add’l shoot days & voice over. Each Art Racer will receive $20,000 US for participating.

This has to be the lamest premise ever, but these shows tend to use premise merely as a vehicle to toss dynamite in the laps of the emotionally unstable. For this show I imagine they will cast a fierce gay waif and pit him against a butterfly-tatooed free spirit chick, strip them of their meds and then film them on a 40 day train wreck as they create, cry, stab, starve, fuck, suck and sell their way across the heartland of USA. You know, all the worst stereotypes about artists in one glorious made-for-TV odyssey. Set your TiVo now.

Domesticated Showing at Saatchi Booth During Pulse

© Alix Smith

Saatchi Online just announced the artists they will be showing at the Pulse Contemporary Art Fair beginning March 27. Making the cut was yours truly as well as two fine and fabulous friends, Juliana Beasley and Alix Smith. Obviously, I am beyond thrilled to be associated with Saatchi again.

Check out the the Saatchi site to see the other artists they will be showing and then be sure to stop by the booth during the fair.

Chicks Gabbing About Photography

Pappa Sleeping © Sarah Small

This Saturday I will be moderating a panel discussion on what it means to be an emerging female art photographer in New York City. The panel, organized by Humble Arts Foundation and 3rd Ward, will feature the very talented Rachael Dunville, Tema Stauffer, Cara Phillips, Mary Mattingly and Sarah Small.

As moderator I personally guarantee this discussion will not resemble a Lifetime movie or a mystical moon poem to Gaia, but I will want to press the issue on some obvious and unique challenges faced by women in the art world today.

Here are the details:

Women in Art Photography
Saturday, March 22, 6 – 8 pm
3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Apparently space is limited, so RSVP now to events@hafny.org. More info here.

I Love Critters!

Fire Eyes © Nicole Jean Hill

Last week reclusive blogger Greg Wasserstrom mentioned a group show called Nature Morte currently on display at Shotgun Space in Los Angeles. I checked out the goods and immediately fell head over heals for Nicole Jean Hill's Critters series. I was especially taken by the image above called Fire Eyes. This little critter has found a new home as my current desktop image.

Installation Shots and Chorizo Pig

Finally some installation shots from my shows currently up at Paul Kopeikin Gallery and SMoCA.

Domesticated at Paul Kopeikin







Stranded at SMoCA





(If you could turn around you would see a wall of Robert Franks.)

Chorizo Pig!


I spotted Chorizo Pig in a supermarket in Phoenix. I had a wonderful time in Arizona. Big thanks to Claire Carter, Michael Lundgren, Pat Evans and all the folks at SMoCA.

Domesticated in Latest Issue of OjodePez

OjodePez is a quarterly photography magazine published in Spain. The most recent issue is titled "Un Día Cualquiera" and was curated by Arianna Rinaldo, photo editor at D La Repubblica delle Donne. The issue features thirteen photos from my Domesticated series.

Also featured is the very talented and perennially scruffy Nathan Baker.

Hannah Whitaker: This Photo is Blowing My Mind

© Hannah Whitaker

A little over a year ago I came across this rabbit image by Hannah Whitaker and instantly fell in love. It was my desktop image for most of 2007 and now it is featured in the latest issue of Blind Spot edited by James Welling. Last year I tried to reach out to Hannah about purchasing the image, but to no avail. Hannah please, contact me!

Domesticated Show Reviewed On ArtInfo

There is a lovely write up of my solo show by Roberts Ayers in the "Weekend Picks" section of ArtInfo. Check it out.

SVA in the Mother F'n House

Untitled, 2004 (#3) © Thomas Holton

At least once a week I get an email from a photographer asking me if they should apply to the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography program. My answer is always yes and I give a host of reasons why they should consider the school including the facilities, the faculty and the location. The best reason I can give, however, is the amazing work and success of the people who have been through program.

Today I opened the latest edition Photograph Magazine and it seemed like an SVA yearbook. Besides my own show currently at Paul Kopeikin, thank you very much, there were full and two-page ads for upcoming solo shows by fabulous SVA grads Thomas Holton, JeongMee Yoon and Matthew Pillsbury. Throw in Shen Wei, Katie Kingma, Daniel Traub and Domingo Milella being named to PDN's 30 list and you are talking about a red letter week for the School of Visual Arts MFA program.

Here are the details on these upcoming must-see shows:

Thomas Holton, The Lams of Ludlow Street
Sasha Wolf Gallery
New York, NY
March 6 - April 26

JeongMee Yoon, The Pink & Blue Project
Jenkins Johnson Gallery
New York, NY
March 6 - April 26

Matthew Pillsbury, Elapsed
Bonni Benrubi Gallery
New York, NY
April 3 - May 31

I will be at Sasha Wolf tonight for Thomas' opening and at Jenkins Johnson on Saturday for JeongMee's opening. See you there.

UPDATE: The always fabulous Rachel Dunville reminded me of another upcoming show by an SVA MFA grad. Shai Kremer's solo show at Julie Saul Gallery opens April 10.

Washington Project for the Arts Auction This Friday

Benjamin, 2007 © Erika Larsen

This Friday the Washington Project for the Arts is holding it's 2008 Art Auction Gala. The WPA auction has a different format than most in that they invite people from the art world to curate the artists selected for auction. I was very honored to have Sarah Kennel, the Assistant Photography Curator at National Gallery of Art, ask me to donate a piece from my Domesticated series. Sarah clearly has great taste and a fabulous eye because she also selected Erika Larsen, An-My Lê, Lori Nix, Zoe Strauss and Shen Wei.

Even if you don't have tickets for the big event you can still support the WPA by registering and bidding online. In addition to the stellar curatorial work of Miss Kennel, be sure to check out pieces curated by Heather Darcy Bhandari of Mixed Greens and Marc and Sara Schiller of the Wooster Collective.

Hey Ladies, Part Deux

© Ahndraya Parlato

I have been running around like the proverbial headless chicken of late and haven't had time to post much of anything. It seems like all I do these days is make prints and teach. Nice work if you can get it, but it doesn't leave much time for enjoying the pleasures of this life. Saturday I managed to find a free moment and make it over to 3rd Ward for the opening of Humble Art Foundation's 31 Under 31 exhibition.

I was fortunate to arrive a little early and avoid most of the later, hipper crowd that was willing to queue around the block just to get. This proved to be a good move on my part because the lines to the liquor were short and I had time to wander around and enjoy the work. All in all it was a very cohesive and consistent exhibition. The big standout for me was, Molly Landreth's piece, Claire. I have been slowly developing a photo crush with Molly's work for a while and seeing her print in person really sealed the deal.

Congratulations are in order to Amani and Jon and the entire crew at Humble Arts Foundation for a great show. If you didn't make the opening, have no fear. 31 Under 31 is on display at 3rd Ward until March 28.

Speaking of Humble, stay tuned for a special project Amani, Jon and I have been cooking up. It should be pretty cool.

UPDATE: Andy Adams at Flak Photo let me know they are featuring all the work in the 31 Under 31 show. It's just like being there only you don't need to wear pants. Come to think of it, you could probably get away with not wearing pants at 3rd Ward too.