Summertime in Syracuse

Unitled (Tree Mural) 2004 © Nathan Lyons

I have been working long hours of late putting the finishing touches on my Domesticated book. Lots of last minute tweaks and edits, minor revisions and tons of back and forth with the designer. It's pretty stressful stuff, but I am feeling really good about the final product and the extra time I spent sweating the details.

Naturally, after you finish with one laborious and mentally taxing process you immediately begin to think of doing it again, right? Maybe I'm just a masochist, but I can't wait to start on a book for my Stranded series. Fortunately for me I will have a great opportunity to do just that once Summer finally shines it's way on to the scene.

A couple of months ago I received a letter of invitation from Light Work to be their Artist-in-Residence for June. If you are not familiar with the program you should get acquainted and apply because it is the probably the best artist-in-residency photography program in the US. Past Artists-in-Residence have included Joel Sternfeld, Cindy Sherman, Andrea Modica, Nathan Lyons, Carrie Mae Weems, Angelika Rinnhofer, Alessandra Sanguinetti and Hank Willis Thomas, so you know this is a top notch affair. It's a wonderful honor and I'm very grateful to the generous Doug Dubois for pushing me to apply.

The month-long Light Work residency includes a $4,000 stipend, an apartment to stay in, a private darkroom, an assistant and 24-hour access to their world class facilities at the Robert B. Menschel Media Center at Syracuse University. For a full month you have the luxury of time and access to completely focus on your work.

I can't wait to get up there and start making a ton of new prints.

You're Not Going to Wear That, Are You?

© Jon Gitelson

The terminally clever Jon Gitelson just sent me a note about his latest work of genius, Items of Clothing Secretly Hidden By My Girlfriend (So That I Wouldn't Wear Them Anymore). As someone who has hidden and even secretly discarded some of my husband's wretchedly tattered pieces of clothing and fashion missteps (army green Nehru jacket with epaulets?) I had to laugh and sympathize with Jon's wife, Robin. It's time for those Wigwams to go.

My Big List of Lists

Cats of the Year, Fatty and Gilbert

Last year is so, well, last year at this point I don't even know why I'm bothering with my year end list. I could say that I needed some distance from 2007 to truly appreciate and evaluate what the year had to offer me, but the sad truth is I started this in December and forgot about it. So, without further ado, I give you old news.

1. Top 3 Photography Shows
1. André Kertész's Polaroids at Silverstein Photography
2. Kohei Yoshiyuki's The Park at Yossi Milo
3. Zoe Strauss' If You Read This at Silverstein Photography

2. Top 2 Photography Galleries
1. Silverstein Photography
2. Yossi Milo

3. Top 2 Movies
1. No Country for Old Men
2. Superbad

Ok, so I didn't see a lot of movies last year.

4. Top 4 Albums
1. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
2. The New Pornographers, Challengers
3. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4. Feist, The Reminder

5. Top 4 Places I Ate
1. Yakitori Totto, New York, NY
2. Paley's Place, Portland, OR
3. Dumont, Brooklyn, NY
4. La Super Rica Taqueria, Santa Barbara, CA

6. Top 2 Book I Read
1. The Road by Cormack McCarthy
2. You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett

7. Top 4 Place I Visited
1. Laguradia, Spain
2. Biarritz, France
3. Mendacino, CA
4. New Orleans, LA

8. Top 3 Photography Books
1. Tod Papageorge, Passing Through Eden
2. Kohei Yoshiyuki, The Park
3. Alec Soth, Dog Days, Bogotá

9. Top 2 Cats
1. Fatty
2. Gilbert

10. Top 3 Career Goals of 2008
1. Finally get a solo show!
2. Finish my Domesticated book
3. Find a flippin' New York gallery (call me)

Martin Parr Meets Reality TV

© Martin Parr

Martin Parr has signed up to be a judge on a new reality TV show, Picture This, on Channel 4 in Britain. From the Independent:

Musicals and opera have already been given the reality television treatment; now it is the turn of photography. A new Channel 4 series, Picture This, takes six wannabe snappers and sets them assignments over the course of three weeks, eliminating the unsuccessful contestants until just two remain to battle it out for the prize.

Martin Parr, the acclaimed photographer best known for his colourful pictures of British seaside life, is one of the three judges on the show.

The documentary photographer became involved with Picture This because he believes that photography is not given the prominence it deserves in the UK, whereas in other European countries and in the United States it is celebrated as an important art form.

Before agreeing to take part, Parr met the programme-makers several times to discuss the concept. "My thinking was that if we've got this very good slot to give oxygen to photography, it's probably good to be involved to make sure it's not bad. TV-makers usually don't know much about photography," he says.

Judging by the judges alone Picture This promises to be a cut above the weak sauce that is VH1's The Shot, but has Martin jumped the shark here? Do you buy his giving "oxygen to photography" line or is this the natural next step for an artist who has made a career of celebrating and subverting the excesses of our culture?

Alejandra Laviada In New York Times Magazine

© Alejandra Laviada for The New York Times

The photographs of Alejandra Laviada are featured prominently in the latest issue of the New York Times Magazine. Alejandra is recent grad of the SVA MFA photo program and a friend. She has an amazing ability to consign personality and soul to inanimate and mundane objects like voting machines and the furniture and debris in her wonderful Juarez #56 series.

Hey Ladies!

© Alice Wells

From the good folks at Humble Arts Foundation comes two new exciting opportunities for emerging photographers:

31 Under 31: Young Women in Art Photography
On March 1, 2008, in honor of Women's History Month, Humble Arts Foundation, in collaboration with Ladies Lotto, will present "31 Under 31: Young Women in Art Photography," a month-long exhibition celebrating 31 of the most innovative young women in emerging art photography under the age of 31. The Exhibition is co-curated by Lumi Tan, Director of Zach Feuer Gallery in NYC, and Jon Feinstein, Curatorial Director of Humble Arts Foundation.

Submission deadline: Friday, January 25th, 2008

Send submissions to: 31@hafny.org

Spring 2008 Grant for Emerging Photographers
Humble Arts Foundation established the Grant for Emerging Photographers (GEP) in 2007 to support fine art photography projects in the U.S. and abroad. Given twice annually, the GEP is a $1,000 grant award that recognizes the strongest new proposal in fine art photography as submitted to Humble Arts Foundation.

Deadline: 11:59 pm, Monday, March 3, 2008

For questions, please send an e-mail to: grant@hafny.org or visit the Humble site.

Of course, by narrowing the definition of emerging artists to age you are reinforcing the idea that the young have a patent on artistic efflorescence and economic need. This can be especially thorny when you are talking about women as we take the age thing a little more personally. We cougars in the photography biz can be just as innovative, just as emerging and just as in need of an institutional boost as the kittens. Think about all the talented women who wouldn't qualify for this opportunity.

Moloko+ Magazine

The latest issue of Moloko+ magazine features a number of my photos, plus the work of Justin James Read and some crazy cool toy designers. Definitely worth a look. Download your copy now (63MB).