Wednesday greetings, collectors. School's out for the summer in lots of places, and about to be in others. I'm pretty sure that the NYC public schools are powering through next week, which seems just about right according to my memory. I remember fidgeting and sweating in classrooms well into late June year after year after year.

Today's Auditorium by Hot Shot James Rajotte is a perfect symbol of the eerie emptiness of schools in summertime, or even say, just after classes have let out. (If you look closely you'll notice that the clock's at just about 3pm.)

This photo, which James first exhibited at the gallery as part of the Summer 2006 edition of Hey, Hot Shot! is from a series called High School. Schools provide the perfect foil for his interest "in spaces that have an inherent tension between objects."

As a viewer, I admit that they create a bit of tension and turmoil for me (I was not a star student, alas.) The tension is balanced out by the irresistible pull of nostalgia, and the undeniable beauty of the images that he constructs. And what is art for, if not to stir up emotion and memory? This brings me to the other thing I love about this photo, and others in the series, which is the storytelling they inspire.

When the photo was hanging in the gallery, people would come in and launch into their own high school tales unprompted. That kind of interaction is one of my most valued standards for a successful show. I want all kinds of people to be able to connect with and respond to work, and I try to create an environment where they feel comfortable enough to say it all out loud. James makes the kind of photographs that do exactly that.

And now, if you will, imagine a school bell ringing. 20x200 art school is out for the week. If you want to keep up on your studies between now and next Tuesday, browse our archives or catch up with the blog.

As I mentioned, Ornithology is opening at the gallery on Wednesday June 24th. It's shaped up to be an amazing line-up; there are many names on the roster who will be familiar to gallery goers and 20x200 collectors alike, and we've got some great new artists in the mix as well. And naturally, since synergy is my middle name (or something) you can expect plenty of ornithological goodness to make its way into 20x200's curatorial program in the coming month.

To stay up to date on matters related to Ornithology specifically, and the gallery in general, I suggest signing up for the gallery's very low volume mailing list.