August 2008 Archives

HHDL sits on a stage decorated by children. The design for the stage was made in collaboration with Doug and Mike Starn

Last month I wrote about the Starn twins' collaboration with several young children in Colorado to help prepare a stage for His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Their combined efforts truly made him beam with gratitude and joy as he sat down on stage, a hand decorated prayer shawl around his neck, he expressed his love for the children's artwork before he began his talk.

You can watch him laugh here.

Starn Studio site

Tuesday greetings, collectors. The dog days of August are officially here, and I'm back in NYC with no travel plans in the foreseeable future. Ironic, in consideration of my normal schedule and just a bit cruel too. I'm hoping for an invitation to somewhere beachy-keen, although cool and shady would do just as nicely. (Yes, that's a hint.) I did come back to an airy and organized office, thanks to hard work of the JBP crew, so while life is not currently a beach, it is productivity-friendly and art-filled. Speaking of which, let me fill you in on today's excellent art offering.

Torn comes to us from NYC-based artist Jonathan Allen. It's the first of a series of intricate collages from the evocatively titled Night Stand Apocalypse, which he started in 2005.

As with many of our editions, the bit-based realm does this image no justice. You can get a sense of its richness from the detail, but the actual print is a true stunner. Mixing media and subject manner with such assuredness is a bit of a high-wire act, but Jonathan's had plenty of practice. He's got an impressive array of exhibitions and honors under his belt already, and thanks to the LMCC (an amazing organization, if you're not already familiar with it) he has a studio to work from. (Something that's unfortunately rare for many NY-based artists.)

Jonathan's distinctive style has all kinds of intersections with past and future 20x200 artists. Faux bois has popped up in lots of our editions, and his saturated geometric planes are reminiscent of Paradigm Shift, an early edition from painter Jessica Snow. Those hues and lines are also somewhat unexpectedly akin to new work from 20x200 favorite Carrie Marill, recently completed for her solo show that's opening at the gallery next month. (The suspense might be killing you, but you'll just have to wait!) And don't you see a connection with Curtis Mann's Treetops in Jonathan's choice of subject and media? I sure do. Most randomly, his crowd of shutterbugs reminds me of Michael David Murphy's own photo-journalism and the insightful criticism that you'll find on his blog 2point8. And there are personal connections as well. Jonathan was encouraged to submit to 20x200 by fellow LMCC resident Amy Park and is (perhaps unbeknownst to him) connected to Dorthe Alstrup via their participation in the Bronx Museum's prestigious Artist in the Marketplace program.

Who's Dorthe you say? As Google will tell you in its top results, she's a former Hot Shot. She's also got a great print coming up with us here in a few weeks. Another surprise to look forward to!

And now I'm moving forward myself. This year's first round of Hey, Hot Shot! winners make their debut at the JB on Friday and there are preparations to attend to. See you tomorrow with this week's photography edition.

Upside-down Wednesday greetings, my fine collector friends. Things have been a little, um, interesting at the JBP HQ this week. We're up for the challenge(s) however, so I expect that we'll all be calm, cool and collected when attending the opening for Hey, Hot Shot! (Vol VII, Edition I) this Friday evening. We've got five talented photographers making their JB debut so if you're summering in the city, do drop in!

In honor of our upcoming Hot Shots exhibition, it seems fitting that we introduce something from a member of the HHS! family. This stunner, Laugaras, Iceland, is from Bob O'Connor, a Boston-based Hot Shot who first exhibited with us in the Winter Edition of 2006.

This is the very image that our panel fell in love with. It's peaceful and epic at the same time. The color palette of the sky, the grass and the windblown horse is subtle and soft, and their beauty is enhanced by the richness of the muddy earth in the foreground.

It's one of those pictures that makes me want to tell a million stories, like one where I get to be a bold heroine with a trusty steed who waits patiently as I do some good deed. Saving penguins? Rescuing polar bear cubs? I don't even know if there are penguins or polar bears in Iceland, but suspend disbelief, won't you? Me riding a horse bareback in the middle of nowhere is a wild yarn in and of itself, trust me.

Where were we? Oh yes, a heroine and her trusty steed! Good deed done, we ride off into the misty horizon, both our manes flowing behind us. The End.

My current horizon is cluttered with installations and appointments, so I'm going to trot along now myself, for reals. I'll be back soon with more art; as I type the capable Ms. Sarah Wendell is queuing up editions with our fresh set of Hot Shots and there's lots of other great stuff cooking too. As always! And 'til soon.

Cover image of Mike Perry's book

Hello friends! I've some good news to share: 20x200 artist Mike Perry has a new book available. It is a collection of hand-drawn patterns that will surely dazzle your eyes and please your senses. You can get yourself a copy here.

Mike's site
Mike's 20x200 edition print: Optical-01

Sleeping Lion by Hey, Hot Shot! winner Colleen Plumb

It's opening time again at Jen Bekman Gallery! The Hey, Hot Shot! winners are ready to have their time in the spotlight! The opening is this very night, August 8th and the show will continue through Saturday, August 23rd.

Winning artists in the exhibition:

Juliane Eirich
Derek Henderson
Roc Herms Pont
Kate Orne
Colleen Plumb

If you're in our neck of the woods I hope you get a chance to swing by to see the work up close and share in all of the excitement. Jen Bekman openings are always lovely nights filled with smiling faces and (of course!) superior art.

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
New York, New York 10012

Gallery Hours:
Wednesday – Saturday | Noon – 6pm

Left: Artist Ann Tarantino
Right: Brazil (stripes), 2008
Ink and gouache on paper, 18 x 24 in.

Hello and Happy Friday collectors. Today is a very fine day to get back into the Friday interview pattern with 20x200 artist Ann Tarantino. Ann has been spending her summer teaching art in Italy, but she graciously managed to find a little time to help us get to know her a little bit better. Grazie Ann!

Breath Portrait (favorite pinks), 2007
Ink and gouache on paper, 10 x 7 in.

Firstly, how did you come to work in Italy this summer?
I teach at Penn State, and came to Italy this summer to teach a drawing class for one of their study abroad programs. We're in Todi, a lovely little Umbrian hill town that I'll be sad to leave.

When did you first feel a calling to be an artist?
I think I first felt that calling as a child, although it wasn't until much later in life that I articulated it as such. From a very young age I remember constantly making and inventing, always needing to do something with my hands--baking with my Betty Crocker oven, or crocheting, or making collages and drawings. Later there was knitting, journal writing, making gifts for people. I felt a tremendous outpouring of creative energy but I didn't really understand it, or know what to do with it. It wasn't until the end of my second year of college that I took my first painting class and something finally clicked; I knew instantly that I wanted to be a painter. It just hadn't occurred to me until then that this was something that I could do, something that people did with their lives.

Do you collect art?
I DO collect art, and I love it. I started by trading pieces with friends while in graduate school, and later on starting buying a few small things when I could afford it, or bartering with other artists. Now I have a small collection and am in the process of building it. I have bought two prints from 20x200: one by Linzie Hunter (for myself) and another by Aili Schmeltz (to give as a gift).

Brazil (candy), 2008
Ink and gouache on paper, 24 x 18 in.

Which other 20x200 artists do you enjoy?
l particularly loved the strangeness and mystery of Rachel Sumpter's two pieces and the great empty space in Carlo van de Roer's photograph.

Do you have a favorite artist? Or artists that inspire you?
That's such a hard question! These days many of the contemporary artists I love aren't necessarily traditional painters, but do lots of different kinds of work, or combine painting and drawing, or 2D and 3D. I love Nina Bovasso, Leslie Wayne, Monika Gryzmala, Tara Donovan, Sarah Sze, Judy Pfaff, Jessica Stockholder...

You've named several female artists that also work with installation, is this an area that you see your work moving towards?

I am quite interested in installation--partly because I don't feel I have much aptitude for it and wish I did! The artists I mentioned all make what feel, to me, like living paintings. I love the idea of stepping into a painting and that's what I feel like when I look at their work.

More favorites, please! Your favorite photographer? musician? author?
Elger Esser. Mike Tarantino. Peter Carey.

Breath Portrait (coral reef), 2007
Ink and goauche on paper, 30 x 22 in.

What are you working on these days?
I'm working on a million things or at least it feels like it: a series of paintings about Italy, where I'm spending the summer; a new body of works on paper; and, more generally, a synthesis of my works on paper and works on canvas, which often feel really different from one another. I like making both, and I am trying to find an intersection between the two. It's been harder than it sounds, but fun, and I think I'm finally getting somewhere.

What would an ideal day include for you?
This perfect day would involve waking up early after a good night's sleep and having a scone and espresso with my husband while the world is still quiet. Then, a long hike in the woods, where it's sunny, bright, and cool. My brothers, whom I adore but rarely get to see, would then magically appear, and join us for lunch and a glass of wine. I'd come home tired and spend the rest of the day working in the studio.

Lastly, what are you looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to seeing my husband when I get back from Italy! I've been here for two months and I miss him like crazy. I'm also looking forward to fall, my favorite season; to raspberries, which should be growing in my backyard in a few weeks; and to starting some new works on canvas, based loosely on some of the art and architecture I've seen here this summer.

Sounds like a charmed life to me! Brava Ann!
Ann's 20x200 edition print: Breath Portrait (favorite colors)
Ann's website

Be the Ipod, mixed media on canvas, 55 x 72", 2006 by Jonathan Allen

Why is Jonathan all smiles you might wonder? Well, I'll tell you: he was just awarded a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant! Three cheers!!! Jonthan's painting, Torn, was featured as last Tuesday's edition print, and you can get yourself one here while they last.

Jonathan's site
Jonathan's edition print: Torn

Laia Garcia poses in front of her burgeoning 20x200 art collection.
I believe she is holding a hammer to show her distaste for unapproachably priced art.

Laia Garcia is a young New Yorker with a passion for art. As you can see from the photo above, she is filling up her wall with 20x200 art. I recently cornered her and asked her to say a few words about her love of affordable art:

So, I hear you've got a little 20x200 collection brewing, eh?

Yes! I am so psyched about it! All I had on my walls before were band posters... but everyone said how "young" and "dorm" it was, so I figured I needed to trade up.
As soon as Jen told me about the project I was so excited about it and I knew that I found a way to cover my walls!

Who have you collected so far?
My first one was Amy Ross' Manshroom, then I bought one of Luke Strosnider's chairs
from his Every Chair At the Visual Studies Workship series. (I love my crazy office chair hanging on my wall.)

For a while it was just the office chair next to Manshroom, and it looked really nuts. Then I got the second Kent Rogowski print, Untitled #5 because when the first one came out I was totally broke (which is why I dont have any of the Jennifer Sanchez prints).

I love them so much and they always come out when I am poor, and sell out in a second, so sometimes I miss out.

Any other 20x200ers who you'd love to have, but missed the boat on?

Jennifer Sanchez is my number one regret by far, and also Eric Graham's Unleaded, Unleaded, Premium Unleaded...but that was my fault for waiting too long.

Who will be the next addition to your collection?
I am now anxiously awaiting Jacob Magraw's AA, 2007 which was shipped last week! I like his wife's work too (Rachell Sumpter).

Had you collected any art before 20x200?

No, I never collected art before.

Is your background in art?

I have a degree in graphic design, but I'm a design/art junkie. My mom is really into art so she passed it on to me. We always had tons of fashion magazines and architecture magazines lying around the house...and my dad is an artist. I guess I was doomed from the beginning!

If your collecting budget were bottomless, who would you have hanging above your bed?

Ooh...Well, I've always loved Frida Kahlo since I was little, so god knows if I could have her Self-Portrait With Monkeys I would be all up on that.

Do you think collecting art is something you'll continue with? I suspect 20x200 is responsible for hooking you!

Oh definitely! I mean, I have a wall on my house that is the official 20x200 wall, and I hope that someday I'll make enough money to buy bigger edition prints.

And my advice for young collectors is: buy awesome stuff! You can always eat Chef Boyardee for a little while!
There is nothing better than looking at awesome stuff that inspires you every day.

How's that for enthusiasm?!
Love it.
Want more Laia? Check out her super chic blog:
Geometric Sleep

Picture perfect Tuesday greetings collectors. I am looking out the windows of JBP HQ at a blue sky populated with puffy clouds of the non-threatening variety, which is quite a change of pace from yesterday's stormy light show. I've lived most of my adult life in a ground floor apartment so the span of bright windows we have here is a real treat. It could be that not having to step outside to know which way the wind blows is what compels me to kick off most newsletters with a weather report. (In case you were wondering why I don't just cut to the chase.)

I am going to dispense with the most obvious of puns immediately (you know I can't resist a good pun) and say that today's edition, Secret Language 1, really speaks to me. (Groan. I know, I know.) Southwestern native Valerie Roybal's oeuvre touches upon many subjects and styles I find irresistible, so I was really pleased when she submitted work to 20x200.

Valerie's choice of materials for the Secret Language series speaks to my bookish tendencies, my penchant for wandering through thrift stores and flea markets, and my predilection for proper penmanship. (Alliteration alert!) Aside from the obvious visual allure of her layered constructions, their texture and presence ignites other senses and memories that I fondly associate with all these activities. The snippets of fine calligraphy remind me of lazy comfort of curling up with a well-worn copy of Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice. Her color palette wanders across the entire range of shades I find so appealing in the vintage items that always catch my eye, whether they're water-stained snapshots or fire-red Pyrex bowls, happily transporting me to the cluttered chaos of an upstate Salvation Army, with creaky floorboards, dusty air and undiscovered treasures.

Such nice memories to spend time with! Not to sound like a cheeseball, but that's one of the things I most enjoy about living with art. Everything that I have on my walls is the seed for some sort of story or memory, giving me ample opportunity to indulge in some escapism. My here and now is pretty great, but it's nice to be able to go elsewhere once in a while.

Speaking of elsewhere, I'm about to dash off to lunch with another bookish artist who has a 20x200 edition in the pipeline. Make of that bit of foreshadowing what you will, and check back in tomorrow for this week's photo edition.

Wednesday greetings, collectors. We're at the mid-point of what's been a great week so far @ JBP HQ. We're queuing up lots of great editions and adding a lot of amazingly talented people into the mix of our already stellar but over-burdened staff. I'm pleased as punch. (What will I talk about if I can't talk about how busy I am all the time? Be on the lookout for my favorite mai-tai recipes and tips for how to tan evenly.)

This week's photography edition, MOO COW, is a fitting match for the sunny disposition I am sporting today. It's a funny photo, made by a funny guy by the name of Andrew Hetherington, someone I've know for, like, ever.

Andrew bopped into my gallery in its earliest days, flush with enthusiasm and energy. He'd recently been selected for the prestigious PDN 30. Not only was he selected, but this here cow was the cover image of the issue announcing the winners. That's bound to put a spring in any photographer's step.

Andrew and I didn't end up working together then, but we did stay in touch and later reconnected more regularly via our respective blogs, What's the Jackanory? and Personism. (He's done a better job than I of sticking with it, lately at least. These newsletters are demanding, people!)

About a year ago, a dog-friendly cafe in the neighborhood became a regular morning destination for Ollie and me, and it turns out that it's a local haunt for Mr. Hetherington as well. This primarily means that he sees me looking like a hot mess most days, in aged spectacles and dog-covered loungewear. A hidden benefit of this is that he always comments extensively about how great I look whenever we run into each other out and about at photo-related openings and events. The more significant benefit of our haphazard coffee klatsching is a steady stream of photo gossip for both of us, and even a bit of valuable advice once in a while.

As Andrew will tell you his own self, he was quite skeptical of this whole 20x200 thing when I was getting it rolling. He dodged my entreaties to do an edition with us for a while (ever so politely, of course) but you shouldn't be surprised to hear that I'm not one to take no for an answer. I'm quite pleased that we've won him over, but I doubt it was solely on the basis of my powers of persuasion.

He was a bit hesitant to do this particular image, not wanting to reinforce his reputation as the cow guy, but I did employ my powers in earnest to get a yes out of him to do it. In part it's for sentimental reasons, since it's an image I've loved for so long. And also because it's funny and charming and it makes me smile, just like Andrew does. I didn't want pass up an opportunity for it to make 222 other people smile for many years to come.

Most importantly, the fact is that I don't think of Andrew as the cow guy. I think of him as, you know, the funny and charming guy. This particular photo is a good example of the humor, irreverence and engaging nature of all his work. And his charm is evident over morning coffee, or out at openings, or via his blog. He's someone who contributes a lot to making the NYC photo community feel more like a community, so it's pretty great to welcome him into the 20x200 community as well.

And with that bit of sappy sentimentalism, I'll take my leave for now. I'm back next week, when there are likely to be some special additions to our regularly scheduled programming.

Image by Andrew Hetherington

Rachel Hulin, the blog stewardess of the effervescent Shoot! The Blog has some perfect timing. Yesterday Jen introduced us to Andrew Hetherington, and seemingly simultaneously Rachel posted this interview with him.

Huzzah!

Andrew's edition print: Moo Cow
Andrew's site

Artist Carrie Marill alongside a detail of Violet Green Swallow 2007, gouache on paper with collage, 5" X 7"

Friday is here again, and so that must mean another glimpse into the life of a 20x200 artist. Today we will get to know Carrie Marill a little bit better. Carrie will be having a solo show at Jen Bekman Gallery in September, so now you'll have no problem striking up a conversation with her at her opening.

Enjoy!

It's clear from you participation in 20x200 that you're interested in making art available in affordable ways--what is your philosophy on this?

Obtaining and living with art shouldn't be a privilege.

How has participating in 20x200 helped your art career?

A lot of interest has come from the site and steered people to my website which has been sweet! Wish I had an assistant to respond to all the emails.

Do you collect art?

Yes! I love my Leigh Merrill photographs, Jeremy Bridell ceramics, Collin Chillag paintings and Melinda Bergman painting and sculptures.

Belted Kingfisher 2007, gouache on paper with collage, 5" X 7"

Which 20x200 artists do you most enjoy, and why?

The first one, which pops into my head, is Joseph O. Holmes, his photographs have beautiful light (his photos make New York seem so clean) and I like his compositions. I find that I want to follow him around and watch what he notices about city life.

When did you first feel a calling to be an artist?

This is gonna sound incredibly cheezy and cliche but I've always known I would somehow work in the arts. I tried working in the theater, museums and teaching but none have felt right. I would have done something science related--I loved the concepts, but I sucked at the math. I've found that working at my own pace, and creating pieces that I thoroughly enjoy, is the most satisfying job for me at this point in my life.

Newfoundland 4, 2007, gouache on paper, 10" X 7"

The Secular Life of Icebergs, 2006, gouache on paper, 9" X 12"

If I were to walk into your art studio right this minute, what would be the first thing I'd notice?

A sweet 3 legged dog named Sopha City.

What are you working on now?

Working on some gouache and egg tempra drawings for my debut nyc solo show at Jen Bekman Gallery in September. I have an affinity for extremely flat paint and these two types top the list, plus I have a paper fetish and these mediums seem to float when worked onto paper.

Grackles, acrylic on linen, 2008, 20" X 20"

Do you have a favorite painter?
Botanical Illustrations, Natural History Illustration, Japanese and Chinese Landscape painting, Native art, Van Gogh, Agnes Martin, Cy Twombly, Monique Prieto, Elizabeth Peyton, Miro, Arp, Vermeer, Seurat, Sargent and Romaine Brooks I could go on and on.

Favorite photographers?

Uta Barth, Walker Evans, Brooke White and pretty much anything from National Geographic.

Favorite musicians?

Brian Eno, Radiohead, Wilco, Beethoven, Belle & Sebastian, M. Ward, Dub and lots of ambient music.

And authors?

Haruki Murakami, Barbara Kingsolver, Tom Robbins and Edith Wharton.

How do the above influence/inspire your art?

I have noticed that all of these things inadvertently affect me, but the two most deliberate things I do to inform my work are to spend time outdoors and visit the library (often come across something I wasn’t looking for). I find that being curious about my surroundings and doing research on things that I am interested in are some of the best ways I attain new information to inform bodies of work.

Where else do you draw inspiration from?

Plants, animals, perspective drawings and biomorphic abstraction.

A dream can reconstruct the world, 2006, gouache on paper, 30" X 40"

What are you looking forward to?

Barack Obama and coffee in the morning.

Lastly, what would an ideal day include for you?

For the summer I am staying with some friends in beautiful tree-lined Seattle (escaping the heat of Arizona). They have graciously let us (husband, dog and cat) crash in their basement.

Most ideal days go like this but not necessarily in this order: breakfast, walk the dog (cat follows), check email, work on drawings, bike to coffee, read, garden, eat, distract myself with household tasks, draw, walk, hang out with friends, eat and sleep.

Sounds like a lush life to me!
Carrie's 20x200 edition prints:
The Faceted Couroucou
A Dream World Glimmers In The Background Of The Soul
Carrie's site

Screenshot of Jason Polan's illustration on Jack Spade's website

Jason Polan is the bee's knees, but perhaps you already know this. In case you don't, here's another post to get you hooked. Jason has had 2 editions with 20x200, he's illustrated all of the art in MoMA in The Every Piece Of Art in The Museum Of Modern Art Book, and he is endeavoring to draw every person in New York!

For his latest project, Jason was inspired by an "altercation" that occurred in a shop in SoHo. In early Spring there was a crime committed at Jack Spade. Luckily, security cameras captured the misdeed frame by frame. Jason Polan has created a comic book of the crime which is available now at the selfsame shop where it all went down.

Crime, art, and commerce! Who could resist?

Jason Polan's comic Breaking & Entering

Jason Polan's 20x200 editions:
Hand Project
Every Person in New York

Jason Polan's sites:
Jason Polan
The Drawing Project
The 53rd Street Biological Society

Jen Bekman is vying for a panel spot at SXSW '09. You can help her secure this place by casting a vote for her proposal:

Curating the Crowd-Sourced World

Type: Panel
Presenter: Jen Bekman, 20×200 | Jen Bekman Projects, Inc.
Description: With all the stuff we weed through online, good filters are crucial. Who’s best-suited to determine what’s best – curators or the crowd? People have their religion about one or the other, however this panel will focus on the overlap, the grey areas and how curating and crowd-sourcing enrich each other.

Voting closes on August 29, so please, kind reader, give us a vote!

The Dandy Gorilla comes to us from Alex Beeching, a British artist who deftly wrangles a variety of media in service to his craft.

The animal kingdom has been making a strong showing on 20x200 during these summer months. The avian extravaganza related to the gallery's Ornithology exhibition, coupled with my abiding fascination with the animals, has resulted in a population explosion of creatures great and small in our archives. I have an eye towards mixing things up a bit in the near future, but upon seeing Alex's submission, I couldn't resist the proposition of having such a dandy gorilla in our midst.

With my pun quota fulfilled, I'm going to make my way back to the surreal world that awaits me. I'll return tomorrow with tales to tell and this week's refreshing photography edition to share.

Meanwhile, I encourage you to check out the 20x200 blog where Ms. Kara Canal has been posting all kinds of great stuff. You'll find interviews with artists and collectors, as well as updates on our artists' many different projects and exhibitions. It's good stuff!

Image from Carlo Van de Roer's Orbs Project

I think I'm going to date myself pretty rapidly by making a reference to Ripley's Believe It or Not, but so be it. I have been thinking of the show ever since I discovered that there is a burgenoning population of people on our planet that believe that lens flare is more than just lens flare. It is fair to say that there are many among us that believe that lens flare is/are ghosts. Yes. I'll let you be with this revelation for a moment.

Image from Carlo Van de Roer's Orbs Project

I've spent the majority of my morning clicking through pages of websites that claim that "orbs" are either ghosts/spirits, UFO's, or forms of "compassionate intelligence". Now, I am not usually quick to dismiss claims of the paranormal, but this orb obsession strikes me as being past absurd. That said, who knows. Maybe the next time a photo appears with some orbs, I'll think twice.

20x200 photographer Carlo Van de Roer surely has. He has been sufficiently fascinated with the orb so much that he is producing a body of work inspired by this subculture. Van de Roer's Orb photographs are screen printed with a single opaque circle. The artificial orbs in his photographs seem to mysteriously belong in the image, and make me think that the orb is somehow purposeful or ominous.

Image from Carlo Van de Roer's Orbs Project

Carlo's site
Carlo's 20x200 edition prints:
Untitled (Bondi Baths, Sydney, Australia) 2007
Untitled (Astoria Park, Queens, New York)

Glorious Wednesday greetings to all you fine collector people. August in New York has been unseasonably fantastic. It was verging on brisk yesterday evening, which made the after dinner ice cream that 20x200 superstar Kent Rogowski and I were enjoying seem almost impractical. (But really, is ice cream ever impractical? No.)

The daylight hours of this week have been warm but dry, perfectly clement conditions for poolside lounging. It's enough to make a girl wish that she had a lovely Chateau to repair to! Alas and alack, I think I used up all my poolside lounging hours back in July. (And in high style, I might add.) Today's edition from the talented and absolutely delightful-to-hang-around-with Gregory Krum takes me back to all that.

We've had Chateau in the queue for quite a while, and the capable Ms. Wendell's computer has been beaming its aquamarine goodness throughout the office since we selected it. As you can imagine, we churn through a lot of imagery during any given day, so the fact that its still there is a testament to its excellence. An image of a pool is sure to have surface appeal, but what has held our interest in this particular blue lagoon is Gregory's amazing, and often subtle, knack for composition in a square frame.

I still consider myself pretty new to photography, and so the question of defining the often ineffable qualities of what make a picture good are always at the forefront of my mind. (Perhaps it always will be? I hope it always is and that photography always feels new!) Never is this question more present than when we're reviewing entries for Hey, Hot Shot! which is how I came to make the acquaintance of Mr. Krum's work.

When we converge as a panel to review work, we look at the images on screen. An entrant has three images with which to distinguish themselves, and making a room full of image-saturated experts pause is quite a challenge. One might think that subtlety has no place in such an environment, but it was exactly the thing that made all us panelists pause when Gregory's work came on the screen. "What is it?", we asked, while looking at an undistinguished umbrella perched atop a cyclone fence from his series SHEK O. It's something, for sure, but I still can't tell you what exactly. Somehow though, there's a knack that he has for composing an image that brings me in immediately and subsequently taking to me all four corners of the frame. And it never gets old.

So, go ahead and dive in, why don't you? (If you haven't yet already, get to it. Everyone's sure to be into the pool by now.)

For those of you still reading, I'll be back earlier than usual next week. We've got a special bonus edition to announce on Monday, from one of our newest Hot Shots. Which reminds me: you've only got until this Saturday, August 23rd to have a look at their exhibition at the gallery. After that we're closed up for a little bit of Summer vacationing and won't return until September 12th, when Carrie Marill makes her NYC solo debut.

20x200 illustrator Linzie Hunter got some press in this month's Creative Review. You can see what all of the fuss is about by checking out her flickr stream.

Way back in April Raul posted about Linzie's sketchbooks, and this past July I told ya'll about Linzie's new book of Hand-Painted Spam Postcards.

I'm more than a little taken with Linzie, and am surprised that we still have a small quantity of her 20x200 edition prints still available:

Left: Say Goodbye
Right: Boundless

Linzie's site
Linzie's flickr

Woods, 2003 by Tema Stauffer

Friends, collectors, blog readers, as you know I do my very best to bring you an interview each Friday with one of our artists. This Friday I am coming through on this promise, but am cheating ever so slightly (okay, entirely) by pointing you to the NYMPHOTO's blog for an interview with Tema Stauffer. While I'm sending you off to another site, here is one more interview with Tema on MyArtSpace blog.

Road, 2003 by Tema Stauffer

Tema's site
Tema's blog
Tema's 20x200 edition prints:
Palm Aire
White Ice

View images from Tema's 2004 show, American Stills, at Jen Bekman Gallery over here

Kelly Shimoda for The New York Times, Published: August 30, 2007

Two delightful 20x200 photographers are shooting for The New York Times. Both Kelly Shimoda and James Rajotte have been shooting steadily for the Times since 2007. Kelly and James also were Hey, Hot Shot! winners (Kelly in Spring 2007, James in Summer 2006), so it really is no wonder why they are rising stars!

Here is a sampling of Kelly's work:

Kelly Shimoda for The New York Times, Published: April 22, 2007

Kelly Shimoda for The New York Times, Published: August 20, 2008

Kelly Shimoda for The New York Times, Published: August 9, 2008

And here are some of James':

James Rajotte for The New York Times, Published: October 21, 2007

James Rajotte for The New York Times, Published: August 22, 2008

James Rajotte for The New York Times, Published: August 23, 2007

James Rajotte for The New York Times, Published: April 4, 2008

Kelly's 20x200 edition print: Untitled (Hanoi no.2)
Kelly's site
Kelly's blog

James' 20x200 edition print: Auditorium
James' site

Stephanie Cinelli next to an image from her Temporary Spaces series

Buongiorno collectors! I have been feeling a little guilty about Friday's interview outsourcing, so I am bringing you a bonus interview today with photographer Stephanie Cinelli. Like most of our artists, I think Stephanie is a sweetie, and I feel like I'd have a nice time going for a coffee with her*.

Inspired by the Summer Olympics, I've asked Stephanie to answer the same Quick Hits questions that appear with the athelete's biographies on NBC's Olympics website.

Here you go:

Favorite dish to cook: Chicken cutlets
Pet peeve: Slow walkers
Aisle or window seat? Aisle
If you weren't doing art, what would you be doing? Meteorology
Favorite reality TV show: Scare Tactics
Favorite TV show: 30 Rock
Favorite TV show as a kid: Full House
Number of text messages sent per week: 100
Internet time per week: I’m scared to estimate
Homepage on your computer: nytimes.com
How many people do you know who own an iPhone? 9
Best attribute around the house: My view of the Statue of Liberty from the living room
Jimmies or sprinkles? Sprinkles
East or West coast? East
Favorite place to travel outside the U.S? Mexico
Favorite place to travel in the U.S? Clearwater, Florida
Biggest fear: Shark attacks (thanks, Shark Week!)

And now, my favorite questions:

Where would you like to live?
Somewhere with an ocean view and average temps of 80 degrees.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Living in a world where people have more empathy, are more educated and care enough to try and make a change. A place where people are treated equally and respectfully.

Your favorite photographer?
Robert Adams, Ezra Stoller, Katy Grannan

Your favorite musician?
Radiohead

Your favorite author?
Jhumpa Lahiri (at the moment)

Do you collect art?
Definitely. I like to do trades with friends when possible. Nothing better than getting a new piece of art, getting it framed and then seeing it live in your space.

Which 20x200 artists do you most adore?
Ian Baguskas, Carlo Van de Roer, Joseph O Holmes

What are you working on?
I am working on a brand new project for the first time in 4 years. I’m documenting the homes of the elderly. Aside from the obvious generational differences in lifestyle, I’m into the richer sense of history that accumulates through belongings over time. Also, older people are nicer. Haha! So far, so good. Aside from that, I’m trying to put together an updated website with my travel photography. Long overdue.

Can you tell us more about your 20x200 edition print, You Are Important,?
This photo was taken during an emotional transitional period that was happening in my ex-boyfriend's house during ’02 & ‘03. This particular photo was taken in his Dad’s bathroom. I’m not sure where he got the sign from but I think it served as significant daily reminder during that time.

Oh life...

See more of Stephanie's photographs on her site
Stephanie's 20x200 edition print: You Are Important

* The only think I can think to challenge Stephanie on is her choosing sprinkles over jimmies...but I think I can look past that...

Good day to you, fine collector people! You'll get this announcement at its regularly scheduled time*, but I'm tapping away uncharacteristically early due to some anticipation-related insomnia. I'm trying to wrap things in the morning hours in the hopes of visiting The Met this afternoon, and the novelty of my field trip is the culprit for last night's fitful slumber. It reminds me of grade school days, when anxieties about who my buddy would be kept my young self tossing and turning on the eve of such outings. Fortunately for me, I have my buddy system presorted this time!

Speaking of school, and as my friend just said to me on IM, "I can't wait for September already!" These last days of August are not just Summer's swan song, they're also the last week of our first year in business, which I can hardly believe. In honor of the approaching anniversary, all three of our releases this week are double headers.** I am pretty smitten with today's pairing of The Mountain of Western Expansion and The Mountain of Tomorrow's Sunrise by painter William Crump.

I've adored William's work since he submitted slides to me shortly after the gallery opened in 2003. (Slides! That seems so... retro.) He is one of several painters who got away from me in those early days when my curatorial bravado was mostly limited to photography. As I was saying during a two hour phone conversation (!!) last night, I felt more confident in the realm of photography because, in spite of not knowing its history thoroughly, I had a certain fluency by way of merely existing in our image-saturated culture.

Painting seemed a vast, unknowable mystery to me and I was scared of making mistakes. I had not yet fully absorbed Frank O'Hara's "You just go on your nerve!" credo, which meant I didn't trust my instant captivation by work from artists like William, Tucker Nichols and Amy Bennett. God, it makes me sad just typing it!

I've since learned to fully embrace the mistake making and have the psychic bumps, bruises and endurance to prove it. Added bonus: I've learned stuff along the way (mistakes do that to you, if you're lucky.) Now I know why I respond to the work I like; occasionally I'm even capable of being articulate about it, although I cannot guarantee that today will be one of those occasions.

William's work keys in on many abiding fascinations of my own that regular newsletter readers will already be familiar with: the American frontier, heroism and childhood games of make-believe. All that thinky stuff aside, I'm really impressed by his combination of figurative and abstract elements, and his way with color. It's smart, funny and contemporary without being overly ironic or condescending. I feel taken in rather than left out, and also more connected with those thinky things I mentioned a few sentences ago.

I am back tomorrow with more photographic goodness from another recent Hot Shot. In the meanwhile, I wanted to share a few good links with you:

A Fall art show preview from New York magazine. I'm personally looking forward to Aitken at 303, Cindy Sherman @ Feature, Inc., Eggleston at the Whitney, a street photo show at the Bronx Museum, and three great shows at the Met: Calder, Giorgio Morandi and Rudy Burckhardt. I'm also immeasurably excited about the Chris Johanson show that's opening at Deitch next Thursday, where I'm planning on cornering Chris and asking him to please, pretty please with sugar on top, do an edition with us.

A book recommendation from a 20x200 collector, who wrote in yesterday and said:
What powerful images you have brought us today! I just wanted to recommend as a companion book, of sorts, The Dancing Girls of Lahore: Selling Love and Saving Dreams in Pakistan's Pleasure District by Louise Brown. I recently finished it, and it compliments Kate's vivid photo stories.

New from Steidl: Berenice Abbott, which consists of "two clothbound hardcover books each with a tipped-in photo housed together in a slipcase" and William Christenberry's Working from Memory.

Video: Curator Mark Beasley of Creative Time invites musicians to play the Battery Maritime Building, in conjunction with David Byrne's awesome Playing the Building which I caught on its very last day.

Hopefully this art fix will keep you sated till tomorrow's dispatch. Me? I'm insatiable when it comes to art, so off to the museum I go.

*Insofar as I succeed at the regular scheduling, where I admit to a spotty record.
**It is still August though, which means that the capable Noona, our wonderful shipping person, is on vacation. She'll be back at it on Sept 2nd, and will get you all caught up on your art then.

Kate Bingaman-Burt's Dirty Money t-shirt

20x200 artist, Hey, Hot Shot! and Ultra, Kate Bingaman-Burt is never not making art. Kate recently relocated to Oregon from Mississippi, but in between unpacking and preparing for her new position as Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Portland State University, Kate found time to make t-shirts for a group show, DIRTY LAUNDRY: THE ART OF THE STAIN IN MODERN T-SHIRT DESIGN, opening next week in Hawaii.

Here's a bit of her clever artist statement:

I wanted to make my shirt for Dirty Laundry about money (surprise!) in some way. The stain that I chose was cherry juice. The cherry juice represents the mythical cherry tree that George Washington chopped down in his youth. I CAN NOT TELL A LIE. The cherry juice may also represent blood. The cherry juice is also very very sticky (fingers). Excited to draw all of the presidents (and the non president Franklin) represented on United States paper money, I cranked out our friends George, followed by Abe, Grant, Jackson, Hamilton (apologies go to Thomas Jefferson whose mug graces the two dollar bill...you are going to sit this one out buddy. I promise to draw you on my own time for personal pleasure).

Please enjoy the shirt. Wear it with pride. Love your Dirty Dirty Money.

Read her full statement and see some photos of her step-by-step t-shirt making here.

Nu'uanu Gallery
1161 Nuuanu Ave
Honolulu, HI
September 4–20, 2008

The Millard Fillmore $13 Bill by Jason Polan

Another tireless 20x200 artist, Jason Polan has also got money on the brain. He and Fritz Swanson in collaboration with the Manchester Press have produced The Millard Fillmore $13 Bill. Perhaps your history is a bit rusty, so let me refresh your memory of Millard Fillmore. Let's put this in multiple choice (no cheating!).

Millard Fillmore is/was:
a. Jason's 13th landlord
b. The 13th President of the United States
c. The 13th Gold Medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Hopefully you picked b., and now you understand with perfect clarity why Jason was inspired to create some art in his honor. You can purchase your own $13 bill for $13 on Jason's site. The edition is limited to 400, so hurry up intrepid collectors!

Greetings, collectors! It sort of feels like Thursday around these parts, or maybe even Friday? Except for the weather, it's mostly like that weird time between Christmas and the New Year when street parking is abundant and the only people in town are moving slowly down the street, maps aloft and rucksacks on their shoulders. What I'm saying is: things are mighty quiet going into this last long weekend of summertime. As for me? In the words of a long-time heroine of mine: I'm still here, damn it!, with excellent art to share, no less!

Today's double header comes to us from another of our recent Hot Shots, Chicago native Colleen Plumb. These two images, Field Museum Sue and Tiger Rug, Cabrini Green, are from Animals Are Outside Today.

I've seen many a series exploring our relations with the animal kingdom, but few have resonated for me in the way that Colleen's project does. It could be that we both grew up in big cities, limiting our experiences with nature to pets, zoos, museums and painstakingly planned outings for some fresh country air. (Encounters with wildlife in the form of vermin do not count! In my world view at least.) These two images are particularly evocative of my city kid experience.

I've never set eyes on the majestic Sue* herself, but visits to the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History play a starring role in my childhood memories. (See a previous newsletter about Joe Holmes' amnh #30 as a point of reference.)

Tiger Rub, Cabrini Green captures another familiar childhood vista, seemingly at the precise angle of my vantage point which was the back seat of my parents' Pinto. Growing up in Queens as I did was a city experience once removed. Subways have been a part of my existence for as long as I can remember, but so were cars. Frequent visits to my grandmother's house in Laurelton from our apartment in Queens meant drives along our county's less than scenic expressways, where road side attractions included vast apartment developments and the decaying structures from the 1964 World's Fair. One thing I learned on those drives: people will sell nearly anything by the side of the road, including (but by no means limited to) rugs of questionable taste and dubious quality.

That's it for this week, my friends and while an endless summer might seem appealing at the moment, perhaps the promise of more great art will provide you some comfort as you look forward to the start of September. We've got a really spectacular line up for next week, which makes me excited for Tuesday. That said, I plan on savoring every moment of the long weekend - you should too!

*Who is Sue, you ask? Well she's the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil yet discovered, that's who!

SG 29, 2007. Conté crayon, ink and gouache on paper, 10 x 7 in. by Ann Tarantino and Kate McGraw

20x200 artist Ann Tarantino recently collaborated with Kate McGraw for their upcoming show, Potential Energy. The duo has made works on paper that will be on view from September 13 - October 25, 2008 at the Curator's Office in Washington, DC.

From the press release:

Using techniques both planned and impromptu, and taking turns approaching the surface, each artist makes both marks that are familiar from her individual practice, and new ones that reference the other's. Containing all manner of marks and materials (varied hues of ink, washes of gouache, repeated gestures made with sharp pencil points, more delicate ones made with conté crayon), the works retain individual identities while also functioning as part of a larger whole. When viewed together, the "Potential Energy" series unfolds much like a book or a conversation-a narrative of exchange and negotiation, full of discussions, arguments, moments of pushing and pulling, and, finally, resting.

Images from the show can be viewed here on Kate's site.

If you missed the bubbly interview I posted with Ann the other week, read it here.

Curator's Office
1515 14th St NW Suite 201
Washington, DC 20005

Ann's 20x200 edition print: Breath Portrait (favorite colors)
Ann's website

20x200 art star Amy Ross is in a group show curated by Rita de Alencar Pinto.
All Cut Up opens next week at Roebling Hall in Manhattan.

From the press release:

ALL CUT UP signals an inventive curatorial approach, whereby the artists have been chosen not by a core theme or unified ideal, but in a process that mirrors collage itself. It is a mental collage of color, texture, scale, and wildly differing themes, which creates a raw and "unsupervised" look. The curator has cast a wide net, traveling all over the United States and Europe to draw upon a group of incredibly talented and varied artists. Each builds on the next, coming together by using the space in the gallery as a conduit.

Roebling Hall
606 West 26th Street
NY, NY
September 4 - October 4, 2008

Amy's 20x200 editions:
Manshroom
Duck Magnolia
Amy's works on paper: Jen Bekman Gallery
Amy's website

Rachell Sumpter Volcanites, 2008
10 x 12.5 Inches, gouache and pastel on paper

20x200 artist Rachell Sumpter is part of a group show opening Saturday September 6th at Hosfelt Gallery in San Francisco: Vocabularies of Metaphor.

VOCABULARIES OF METAPHOR: MORE STORIES is an exhibition of works on paper by fifteen international artists exploring narrative through symbolic vernacular. The visual language of each artist is highly personal and lyrical. The stories, which are also original to the artists, are coded and may be interpreted in many ways.

Hosfelt Gallery
430 Clementina Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
6 September-18 October, 2008
Reception: Saturday 6 September, 4-6 pm

Rachell's 20x200 edition prints:
Cave Dwellers
Grande Finale
Rachell's site