Project Basho—Onward 2011 Reception

It was great to meet so many old and new friends at the opening on Saturday. I am super excited that the show is going to Tokyo in May, and congratulations to the two photographers selected to be flown to Japan to attending the opening.

There were close to 300 people who attended the opening, and there wasn't a chance to spend much time or room to really take in all the great work on display.

Here are a few of the snapshots I made that day. And a link to the Onward Blog for a list of all the winners.

Project Basho, Onward 2011 Awards Announcements

Project Basho, Onward 2011 Opening Reception

Project Basho— Onward 2011

 

Mojave Desert Artifact #5, 2010

I am thrilled to announce that one of my new platinum prints from my Desert Artifact series was selected by Larry Fink for Onward, Project Basho's juried exhibition for emerging photographers. The opening reception is February 12, and the show runs through March 27.

Here is a video or people in Philadelphia announcing the selected photographers.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ8na4Dz4ME&fs=1&hl=en_US]

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Photo Review Benefit Auction

So the Photo Review Benefit Auction is tomorrow night (Sat. Nov., 10) at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and I have my "if-I-had-the-money with list." There isn't much I would really like to buy—mostly vintage—but just don't have the means. My ideal job would be consulting with collectors on their personal acquisitions. A few months ago, I actually told Kate Ware what to get from the Mike and Doug Starn show at the Print Center. Here is the short list from tomorrow's auction:

Hongkew, Shanghai Vincent David Feldman: Hongkew, Shanghai, 2005/2006, carbon inkjet print, A/P, signed verso, framed, 16"x20" $350—$700

Eugène Atget: Senlis. Ruines se Saint-Frambourg Eugène Atget: Senlis. Ruines se Saint-Frambourg, 1903, gold-toned albumen print, unmounted, 8.5"x6.875" $4,000—$8,000

Petrified Forest, Arizona, Blue Mesa Jay Dusard: Petrified Forest, Arizona, Blue Mesa, 1977, silver print, titled recto, framed, 8"x10" (courtesy of D. W. Mellor) $250—$500

Texas Map Turtle, Graptemys Henry Horenstein: Texas Map Turtle, Graptemys, c. 2000/2007, digital chromogenic print, signed verso, 20"x16" $800—$1,600

Near Craters of the Moon, 8/18/80 Mark Klett: Storm Clouds over Eastern Idaho: Near Craters of the Moon, 8/18/80, 1980, silver print, signed verso, 16"x20" (courtesy of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg) $900—$1,800

Presence, Bali Stuart Rome: Presence, Bali, 1993/2007, archival pigment print, A/P, signed verso, 12"x15.5" $500—$750

Trees in Flower Josef Sudek: Trees in Flower, 1950s/1976, silver print, unmounted, 11.25"x8.25" $750—$1,500 Tea House Nogeyma at Yokohama, Japan Unknown: Tea House Nogeyma at Yokohama, Japan, c. 1880s, hand-colored albumen print, 7.750"x9.875" $200—$400 Frank Yamrus: Tree in Nickerson State Park, Eastham, MA, from the series "Bared and Bended", 2004, archival pigment print, signed verso, 6.5"x6.5" $700—$1,400

Friends of Project Basho

 

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This is from a recent email from Tsuyoshi Ito, owner of Philadelphia's Project Basho. I am proud to have two photographs in this inaugural show in their new gallery space.

Project Basho is hosting an opening reception for its inaugural show titled "Friends of Project Basho" on Thursday November 8, 6-9 pm at Project Basho Gallery. The opening reception is open to the public as a part of 2nd Thursday Openings in the area, and will be complemented by the musical styling of DJ Einstein. The show will run from November 8th through November 30th.

"Friends of Project Basho" will feature the works of students, instructors, monitors, darkroom users, and others who have been actively engaged in photographic activities at Project Basho. The walls will represent the community and the diversity of talent at Project Basho, as well as display a vibrant segment of the current photographic scene in Philadelphia.

If you have not visited the newly-renovated gallery space yet, this is a great opportunity to see the space. With a 14ft ceiling and unique architectural details, the gallery is spacious and intimate at the same time. Project Basho will be working with other art venues in the area to bring exciting shows with visually stimulating photographs to Philadelphia.

For more information about the show and reception, please feel free to contact Project Basho.

Project Basho 215-238-0928 1305 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19122 (Click for Google Map) info@projectbasho.org “Re-introducing Photography to Philadelphia”

Mike and Doug Starn at the Print Center

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The Print Center's opening of Mike and Doug Starn's Black Pulse series of prints on of dried leaves was such a success that it was almost difficult to properly appreciate the work. As one person said, “There were so many people you couldn't stir them with a stick.” It was good to see some friend there that I missed at the garden party, and some I hadn't seen since March.

I found myself responding to the inkjet prints on gampi with albumen and encaustic much more than I did to the extremely-large digital c-prints. That was mostly due to media being more suitable for the nature of the subject—the fragility of the dried leaves, of life. In part though, and maybe most importantly, it was the sheer beauty of the pieces on gampi that made them stand out against the larger, cleaner, almost-cold c-prints.

The video instillation, a computer generated piece on the decomposition of leaves, was incredibly beautiful, and evoked some of the same feelings and internal imagery as Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Back from the West

Just back from ten days on the West Coast, and already hitting the ground running. First, saying goodbye to Summer, and a big hello to a busy Autumn is the Photo Review Garden Party—being held this year in Downingtown, PA. Next weekend is the Mike and Doug Starn opening at the Print Center in Philadelphia, Amy Stevens opening at CfEVA, and later are all the Fall submission deadlines, PhotoPlus Expo, POST, Paris Photo, another trip out West to continue photographing the Lower Owens River Project, and AIPAD Miami in December.

Project Basho

I have been printing in the darkroom at Philadelphia's Project Basho for the last few weeks. Maybe the best advantages of using a communal darkroom are the people you meet, and the variety of things you are exposed to. There is an informal critique this Sunday (August 5th), and in addition to holding small classes and workshops, there will soon be a space for exhibitions, film screenings, and rental studio space. Earlier this week, Tsuyoshi was showing two short videos of James Nachtwey and Edward Burtynsky giving their TED Prize acceptance speeches, which until then, I had not seen. Seeing Burtynsky's talk reminded me that I still need to see the film, Manufactured Landscapes, by Jennifer Baichwal . Maybe I can make time for it next week . . .