May 2009 Archives

Namaste colelctors! 52 Drawings for India, an exhibition of new work by Jason Polan, curated by Melanie Flood, opens today in Kolkata, India. Anyone want to join me on a last minute weekend trip? Streetside samosas are calling, and with the promise of some excellent art I'm ready to go.

Jason has made a book to accompany the exhibition and it will be available at the opening and here on his site.

52 Drawings for India
Friday, May 1, 2009
7:00pm-10:00pm
The Fairlawn Hotel
12 A Sudder Street
Kolkata, India

Dinner. Village of Zorin, Exclusion Zone, Chernobyl by Donald Weber

The deadline for Hey, Hot Shot!'s first round of competition in 2009 has been extended through this weekend! Entries must now be completed by Tuesday, May 5th at 11:00 p.m. EST.

Don't miss this chance to get your work out there. The opportunities and exposure available for Hot Shots, honorable mentions and *all* contenders are better than ever. Apply now!

IMPORTANT: all photography submitted to Hey, Hot Shot! is considered for 20x200. Hey, Hot Shot! is the only way we review photography for 20x200 so rest assured that even if we can't post about your entry on the HHS! blog (as per usual, there are just too many amazing entries to get them all on the blog!) your work will still be reviewed for 20x200. In the meantime, we'll do our best and continue posting about contenders until the Hot Shots are announced on Thursday, May 28th.

This last week we featured photography editions from two Hot Shots on 20x200: see Forest. Exclusion Zone, Chernobyl and Dinner. Village of Zorin, Exclusion Zone, Chernobyl by Second Edition 2008 Hot Shot Donald Weber. Spring 2005 Hot Shot Matthew Tischler released his second double edition, offering Untitled #17 and Untitled #9 as follow-ups to his popular Untitled #4 and Untitled #15, all from Screen Series. Matthew's photographs have been snatched up by collectors since they were previewed in Domino magazine (RIP!).

And, as you might already know, Jen Bekman and Jeffrey Teuton, Associate Director of the JB Gallery, are representing a slew of Hot Shots at NEXT Art Fair in Chicago this weekend.

So what are you waiting for? Get your work out there: Apply Now!

The deadline for submissions is now Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 @ 11pm EST.

Hot Shots will be announced on Thursday, May 28th, 2009.

There is a $60 handling fee for your entry.

Submissions are open to everyone, from anywhere in the world!

I Bought All of These
by Kate Bingaman-Burt
Choose your print size here

Meighan O’Toole of My Love For You Is A Stampede of Horses makes her curatorial debut with a group show, You've Got Light in Your Eyes, at at Needles + Pens Gallery in San Francisco. Two 20x200 darlings, Kate Bingaman-Burt and Mike Perry are in the mix.

You've Got Light in Your Eyes | A group show curated by Meighan O'Toole
Needles + Pens
3253 16th Street
SF, CA

On display through June 28th, 2009

Other artists include: 1911, Jill Bliss, Will Bryant, Kime Buzzelli, John Casey, Lisa Congdon, Liam Devowski, Bill Dunlap, Kenn Goodall, Maxwell Loren Holyoke Hirsh, Know Hope, Olivia Jeffries, Aidan Koch, Ashley Lande Brown, Jeremiah Maddock, Leslie Martinez, Terri Olsen Von Schaub, Shannon Rankin, and Dan Szymanowski.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, collectors! Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 6, there will be a Book Launch and Artists Reception for Nymphoto's new tome, Conversations Volume 1, a compilation of interviews with women photographers. Many of the interviewees have appeared on 20x200 and/or have been anointed Hot Shots.

The reception will feature work from Michele Abeles, Juliana Beasley, Rona Chang, Nina Büsing Corvallo, Candace Gottschalk, Jessica M. Kaufman, Klea McKenna, Michal Chelbin, Talia Greene, Maria Passarotti, Susana Raab, Emily Shur, Tema Stauffer, Jane Tam, Garie Waltzer & Jennifer Williams.

Nymphoto: Conversations Volume 1
Group Show III
Sasha Wolf Gallery
10 Leonard Street
New York, NY
May 6 – 20, 2009

Organic Oval by Jeff Lewis

Contact High by Jeff Lewis

Tuesday Editions: Jeff Lewis

Good day collectors! It's Sara again. Today Jen's wrapping things up at NEXT in Chicago and is finally on her way back home. The next month or so looks relatively low-key and travel-free so you can look forward to your usual dose of JB art goodness in your inbox. But for today, you're stuck with me as I introduce two new works from Jeff Lewis: Contact High and Organic Oval.

Moments after we released Jeff's first edition, Inloveness Revisited, press inquiries started streaming in. Everyone wanted a little Inloveness. But after seeing how quickly the prints were disappearing, a couple of the requests fell through — editors realized they should feature works that would be around for their readers to acquire once their pages came to print. Lewis' print was featured in amNY and we figured the best thing to do was not let anyone else be disappointed. So, we got to work selecting new paintings for Jeff's next editions.

Jeff's website features mostly newer work but he's been fixated on ovals for at least the last decade, yielding the shape plenty of time to dictate his work. Given the scale of his canvases, it's easy to see how they might, in their monolithic presence, overtake the artist, allowing him to work intuitively and spontaneously, much like his predecessors from the New York School. Peek at Jeff's pic; he's a small but dedicated presence in front of his paintings.

As we were oohing and ahhing over all of Jeff's ovals and their gorgeous palettes, Jen and I were joined by Jane Mount who mentioned something along the lines of, "my brain certainly does not work the way his does!" which is really a great comment, not only in the context of Jeff vs. Jane's differing approaches to making art, but also in recognition of all the work we've featured on 20x200. Browse the archives and you'll see, we've been able to work with an incredible range of artists with diverse interests and approaches. Consider Beth Dow's work next to Donald Weber's, for example. And often, as in the case of Weber in particular, we have the opportunity to present work that might otherwise have a hard time finding its way into the hands of collectors, despite receiving some of the most prestigious awards for artists.

A lot of the artists we work with are featured in major collections; Ann Toebbe is a West Prize finalist, along with Hot Shot Georg Parthen (we have 20x200 editions with Georg in the works too!), putting 20x200 in good company. Since the West Collection brought the work of the finalists to NEXT, Ann and Georg were in attendance and paid visit to Jen and Jeffrey. Midwesterner Kevin Miyazaki also stopped by, along with Sarah McKenzie, of course, making team JBG feel right at home in the Windy City with 20x200 friends and family.

Jen is making one last stop in Chicago to meet and greet a few new friends at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. We're all fans of their print program which gives collectors the opportunity to acquire some incredible photography and support MoCP. I know Jen's already snagged Amy Stein's Hillside from her series Domesticated.

For today, we'll leave you with MoCP's photography as our own Hey, Hot Shot! is, unfortunately, offline and unavailable due to some very mysterious and poorly-timed hosting snafus. If you've tried to visit the site and/or apply for the Hey, Hot Shot! competition in the last 24 hours and have been denied access with the unfriendly "forbidden" notice, do not fear, we'll extend the competition deadline once the site is back up. Nobody who's tried to submit images will miss their chance. And we'll be featuring the best of the best contenders on the blog again in no time. More on that later! Tomorrow Youngna Park will tide you over with a sweet photography edition from a brand-new-to-20x200 artist. Until then!

Howon-dong by Hot Shot, Hosang Park

Due to mysterious and unforeseen (and frustrating!) circumstances, the Hey, Hot Shot! site has been down for the last 24+ hours! We are very aware of this problem, and working and our webhosts to get this fixed as soon as possible!

For those of you who have been trying--or are still planning to apply to HHS! and didn't get the chance to yet--we are extending the entry deadline once more, and will fill you in with more details once the site is live again. We apologize for the snafu!

Please stay posted here and over at the Jen Bekman Gallery blog and on our Hey, Hot Shot! twitter account for the latest details.

inside the photographers_studio from andrew hetherington on Vimeo.

Photographer Andrew Hetherington has been making clever little videos of the visits he makes to fellow photographers studios. In the video above he drops by Alec Soth's space. Once you watch one, you'll want to watch them all, and you can do so by visiting Hetherington's blog What the jackanory? for more voyeristic goodness.

Gumball Machine by Katie Baum

Peeps by Katie Baum

Wednesday Editions: Katie Baum

Wednesday greetings, collectors! It's Youngna Park here again, happy to report that the never-ending rain has at last subsided, Hey, Hot Shot! is finally online again with a newly extended deadline, Jen is back in New York, and we have two sunny new editions for you today from Berkeley-based photographer, Katie Baum. Jen first spotted her work when we were reviewing the last round of 2008 Hey, Hot Shot! submissions and pegged her images as being excellent candidates for 20x200 editions.

Peeps* and Gumball Machine make us feel like kids in a candy store—a world where colorful cake, spilled juice, and a bathtub full of watermelon are abundant—and representative of the sticky-sweet memories of Baum's youth on the East Coast. As she moves further away—in space and time—from the textures and colors of her childhood, the need to record the past manifests through these candied recreations. Wavering between the conscientiousness of an adult and a child's eye view, simple items like a rainbow of barrettes, Parcheesi board, or set of jacks become a portal to the past as Baum arranges and captures carefully selected items with a desire for evoking nostalgia. Baum's chosen title for this series, Chasing Memory, also speaks to her illusive hunt to embrace memories and the tangible ways her youth appears in the present.

As we mentioned yesterday, and you may have noticed on your own, Hey, Hot Shot! was offline due to a massive outage at our hosting provider Media Temple, which took down some 15,000 sites. We are deeply sorry if you tried to submit your images to the competition during the hours the site was down, especially since the outage hit just as the entry period was ending. We have re-extended the deadline to Friday, May 8th at 11 PM EST so anyone who was not able to upload images can still enter. Entries completed prior to the outage were unaffected.

Sara Distin, Kara Canal, and I have been posting about those entries on the competition blog and we'll continue to write about and open the floor for discussion on the contenders on Flickr and Twitter until this edition's Hot Shots are announced on Thursday, May 28th. There are lots of opportunities for your work to get a bit of air time as a contender, even before the Hot Shots are selected, so we hope you'll take a peek at a sliver of the work that's caught our eye thus far and contribute to the discussion.

I'll start with accolades for Mary Ellen Bartley, whose series paperbacks brings a whole new meaning to not judging a book by its cover. By arranging and stacking the variable white-sides of books, exposing only their pages, she tugs at the notion of book-as-object, offering us a refreshing palette of whites. Jon Sheridan, Ryan Monaghan and Ryan Carter look at man's relationship to nature, through their respective works on restoring a family campground, exploring hunting culture, and a study of a caribou-hunting community in the Yukon. German photographer Anne Schwalbe also looks towards nature, capturing patterns and abstractions in her environment that avoid specificity of place. Katrina d'Autremont captures the complexity of establishing identity when bridging cultures as she spends time with her extended family abroad.

Sara writes, "I was excited to re-visit the work of Sam Falls and see Liz Kuball's newly edited website. Liz has also provided some great notes on reviewing and editing your own work before entering the competition on her blog. New-to-me artists who are exploring the link between geography and identity include Frederic M. Lezmi and Ayano Hisa. Offering a critical perspective on being out and about in the world as a backpacker is photographer Joerg Brueggemann. Last-to-note for now, is Anita Cruz Eberhard, one of a handful of photographers we've seen in this round working without a camera."

Kara Canal keeps herself busy over on the 20x200 blog but also takes a peek at the contenders from time to time. Her eye gravitated towards earlier contenders Christopher Paquette and Ina Senftleben.

As I write, entries are still coming in, and Jen will be back next Tuesday with a full round up of contender posts and a brand new double-edition from a seasoned 20x200 edition-maker. Until then!

*Peeps will ship a few days after orders for Gumball Machine, but rest assured that it will be on its way as soon as possible!

Hey, Hot Shot! Fall 2006 Winner Hans Gindlesberger

Our hosting provider Media Temple had a massive outage over the weekend that took some 15,000 sites offline, ours included. Things are mostly back to normal now (this blog is missing a few images which we’ll be restoring today, but otherwise everything is where it should be.).

The outage hit just as our competition was ending, so we’ve extended the deadline to Friday, May 8th, 11 PM EST. Entries which are stored on a separate server were unaffected.

Untitled (We are going to make it through this year if it kills us by Mike Monteiro

Sarah Shetter and Alison Palevsky included 20x200 in their list of original and affordable (under $50!) ideas for Mother's Day gifts on The Huffington Post yesterday and we couldn't agree more! The gift of art is one of the greatest! As Sarah and Alison point out, she'll always think of you when gazing upon her gorgeous print. Double the goodness knowing that you're also supporting a living artist! Browse the archives for the perfect print.

[Psst! A little behind the ball and worried that your gift won't arrive by Sunday? Make a little drawing of the print you've picked out for her, she might love it as much as she loves the real deal once it arrives. It'll be just like the gifts you made before you had an allowance or a job but better!]

If you're in NYC and a reality-TV addict, don't miss tonight's panel on the next wave of 15 minutes of fame and whether or not it'd be a good thing for art and artists.

Moderated by Artlog and comprised of Sara Friedlander, Specialist in the Post-War and Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s, Dawn Chan, Writer/Critic Art Forum, Victor Samra, Technology & Marketing MoMA, and our very own Ms. Jen Bekman, the panel will address:

How is technology and the American media impacting artists and their ability to gain recognition? What role do the museums have in using technology and programming to promote up and coming artists to the mass audience? How is the economy impacting opportunities for emerging artists? Is the general American public interested in star artists? How do collectors find these Next Top Artists before they hit it big? Are institutions actively trying to establish so called star artists?

The panel is part of the Affordable Art Fair and will take place TONIGHT, Friday, May 8th, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. @ 7 West 34th Street, New York, New York, 10001.

We've been nice and extended the deadline twice but this time it's final:

Hey, Hot Shot! competition closes *this* evening, Friday, May 8th @ 11:00 p.m. EST

We look forward to seeing your work!

If you didn't enter this time around but would like to know about future competitions, sign up for our low-volume mailing list.

You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Hot Shots, Rachel Hulin and Willamain Somma, are members of LUCI, a new curatorial collective. LUCI will have their curatorial debut with a satellite show, (super)natural, this week as part of the New York Photo Festival in Brooklyn. A reception for the artists will be held this Thursday, May 14, from 5:30 - 7 pm, at the Tobacco Warehouse.

From the press release:

(super)natural is a group show featuring artists whose work engages with and reimagines the idea of nature and natural phenomena. From large format landscape photography to site-specific installation, the work on view gives visible form to the trace of something just beyond - pointing to an excess of visual language and yet an ultimate failure to convey a precise meaning. The awesome and terrifying aspect of the sublime explains the darkness that pervades the show, evident in the depths of Victoria Sambunaris' cave; the threat of storm beneath Christopher Lamarca's rainbow; Theresa Ganz's delicately encroaching vines suddenly strangling. Chasing after the elusive spirit of the landscape, these images explore the expanse of history and possibility beneath a deceptively mundane surface.

(super)natural : May 14th-16th, 10 am to 7 pm
Curated by LUCI
Satellite Show @ The Tobacco Warehouse
Directions: The Tobacco Warehouse is on the corner of Water + Dock streets in Dumbo, F train to Jay st

More info? Click here.

JBG booth at NEXT featured paintings by Sarah McKenzie

Earlier this month Jen Bekman Gallery participated in Chicago's NEXT invitational exhibition of emerging art. JBG's efforts were praised in a recent Art in America review (whose title echoes our egalitarian tagline): Art for All at Chicago's Fairs.
The article also gave props to Sarah McKenzie for her "crisp paintings" which were on view at our booth.
Read the full article here, then have a look at work from other JBG artists (many of which also have edition prints available here on 20x200) who were featured at NEXT: Ian Baguskas, Mara Bodis Wollner, Christine Callahan, Christian Chaize, Beth Dow, Joseph Holmes, Gregory Krum, Holly Lynton, Carrie Marill, Mike Monteiro, Brad Moore, Hosang Park, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, and Carlo Van de Roer.

Tuesday Editions: Jacob Escobedo

Tuesday greetings from your wayward curator, my collector friends! I am back, and determined to stay put in NYC for the balance of the very merry month of May. I'm obligated to, in fact; I've got a calendar full of excellent events to keep me busy! This week's already off to a roaring start after a very full Monday. I had an amazing lunch with my new BFF Tim Walker, who I met in Hyères, and then spent the evening amongst some of my favorite people, all convened at Jane Mount's studio for the Hey, Hot Shot! panel review.

The coming days promise an equally brisk pace. I'm holding out hope that I'll be able to snag a ticket for tonight's ICP Infinity Awards — where Tim and my #1 photo crush, Rinko Kawauchi, are being honored. On Wednesday, I'll be venturing into the borough of Brooklyn for the opening of the New York Photo Festival. Their impressive array of events and exhibitions guarantees that I'll be practically living under the Manhattan bridge through the weekend. Other items on my ridiculously ambitious cultural agenda: the Post-War and Contemporary Art auction previews — I'm especially keen to check out the lot of Ruscha books at Christie's — and taking Tim on a jaunt uptown to the Cooper Hewitt for a lunch date with Gregory Krum.

It's a big week on 20x200 too; we've got double editions on tap for today and tomorrow, and on Thursday, we'll release a pair of editions from the brilliant Penelope Umbrico. I've been making a public spectacle of myself talking about her work for months now, so it's an honor to be collaborating with her on 20x200 editions. Proceeds from one of Penelope's editions will benefit Aperture, an organization that I am similarly honored to be associated with, and one most worthy! I'll have more to say on that later in the week, but for now, it's high time that we turn our attention to today's editions from 20x200 favorite Jacob Escobedo.

Brandon and Jake are the newest members of Jacob's growing 20x200 clique, joining the previously released Kerry and Sophie. Each of these delightfully intricate and a-little-bit-creepy-in-the-best-possible-way drawings represent the favorite animal of the friend that they are drawn for.* The idea that you can deepen your connections with people via a dialogue about their affection for animals is something that resonates with me. I've had a number of intense conversations with friends lately about the topic; the complexities of our feelings for creatures are a fascinating prism through which to examine human relationships. It's rich fodder for conversation, poetry and art.

While in Chicago for NEXT, I met up with animal-loving Hot Shot Colleen Plumb. Our review of the latest edit of her Animals are Outside Today project sparked one of those conversations, which in turn inspired a recent pairing on Personism. I coupled her work with an excerpt from Whitman's Leaves of Grass that I'd discovered in the preface of Bertrand Russell's Conquest of Happiness. The snippet happens to pair well with Jacob's work too:

They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the earth.

And with that, my friends, I'm off to pick out a party dress and confirm plans for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow with a couple of photography editions that you're sure to enjoy. See you then!

*I'm angling for a long distance friendship with the Altanta-based Jacob, hoping to add an otter to our midst!

Wednesday Editions: Juliane Eirich

Wednesday greetings on this finest of spring days, my collector friends! Last night's Infinity Awards and post-ceremony cocktails kept me out way past my bedtime, then an early morning meeting had me up at the crack of dawn, but I'm downright perky in spite of it all. Once I'm done schooling you on today's editions, I'm off to play hooky for the afternoon — I'm heading uptown to the Cooper-Hewitt and then over the river (but through no woods) to preview the exhibitions at the aforementioned New York Photo Festival.

I'm especially curious to check out the exhibition curated by Chris Boot, which includes photographs by 20x200's very own Stefan Ruiz. Based on the amazing stories that Stefan's told me about making the work, I've got a hunch that the show will get high marks for quality and controversy. NYPH has been giving high marks to members of the JBP family too; we were pleased to see lots of familiar names on their list of nominees for the '09 Photo Awards, including today's featured photographer, Hot Shot Juliane Eirich.

Waialua Intermediate School 3 and Liliuokalani Elementary School 2 are both fine examples of why Ms. Eirich deserves a gold star. Viewed through her lens, darkly, these Hawaiian schools have a noir-ish air of mystery and danger. Their fine mid-century bones and kid-friendly colors stand out in the darkness, forming tableaux that are ripe for teen drama and mischief. As Juliane describes in her statement, the spotlight's on these schools as a hedge against such mayhem — it turns out that vandalism of schools is a major issue when the sun goes down in paradise.

Speaking of sundowns, I'm going to take this opportunity to educate y'all on some good things that are about to come to an end. First off: have you seen Beth Dow's Ruins show at Jen Bekman yet? It's closing on Saturday, and it's not to be missed. I'm biased of course, but not alone... the Village Voice and Wall Street Journal agree! If you're taking pictures and want them to be seen, don't miss your big Photo Op. The deadline for the 14th annual Photographic Center Northwest competition is this Friday, May 15th and is being juried by yours truly. So give me some good stuff to work with and meet me in Seattle for the reception in July, won't you please?

Finally, I'm thrilled to announce that Jen Bekman Projects is going to be well-represented at this weekend's powerHouse Portfolio Reviews. Sara Distin and Jeffrey Teuton are going to be there scouting new talent on behalf of JBP. I'm hoping they'll discover some rising stars while rubbing elbows with members of the JBP family arriving from near and far for the photo festivities. Check out Sara's recent post on the Hey, Hot Shot! blog for a comprehensive rundown of the who, what, where and when.

That's all for now, folks, but not for long — I'm back tomorrow with the aforementioned Umbrico editions, which include a benefit print for Aperture. Watch this space!

Ciao collectors!
Once again two of the greatest pleasure on our planet--art and food--will collide to entice and fill your senses when MadArts throws open their studio doors for one and all this weekend in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Added incentive: recent 20x200 edition artist Jaclyn Mednicov will be participating in the tour.

On May 16th and 17th Madarts ends six months of darkness and goes public with their Spring Open Studio Tour - an invitation into the South Slope warehouse-turned-art-shop that happens only twice a year. The tour includes over 40 artists' paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, film and video. The hours are noon to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Madarts Building, 255 18th Street at 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. The crew puts on a solid, no frills art show in a gloriously makeshift and perfectly makeshift DIY warehouse space. The tour offers a peek into the private art studios where artists host individual receptions for their newest bodies of work.

Besides several new food and drink offerings in striking distance, it's an easy destination: R train to Prospect Ave. or F train at 4th Ave. and 9th St. get you there in as little as two blocks. Madarts is located just above Fifth Ave. on 18th St. between Fifth and Sixth Ave. The nearest subway stop is Prospect Ave. on the R line. Exit the station using the stairs on the left. Walk straight from the stairs on Fourth Ave. to 18th St. Make a left at 18th St. Cross Fifth Ave. Look for a large white industrial building. Enter at the girded glass window front filled with greenery.

Hope to see you there!

SPRING OPEN STUDIO TOUR
Brooklyn artists show latest works in private workspaces
MAY 16th - 17th, Noon - 6pm
Madarts BUILDING
255 18th St. (btn 5th Ave. and 6th Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY

The New York Photo Festival '09 kicks off this evening and gets into full swing tomorrow. Exhibitions, satellite shows, panels + talks, and award ceremonies continue through Sunday, May 17th for four seriously jam-packed days in DUMBO. It's a lot of ground to cover, so here's a rundown on the comings and goings of some JBP-related peeps:

Exhibitions:
HHS! panelist + 20x200 artist, photographer Stefan Ruiz is included in Chris Boot's main exhibition, Gay Men Play. He'll be showing portraits of gay men taken during party weekends in Berlin and San Francisco.

Portfolio Reviews:
Jeffrey Teuton, Associate Director of Jen Bekman Gallery and myself, Sara Distin, Associate Director of Jen Bekman Projects, Inc. | 20x200 + Hey, Hot Shot! will be reviewing portfolios in the review pavilion.
I'll be there Saturday + Sunday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Jeffrey will be there Friday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Sign-ups for morning sessions begin at 8:00 a.m. and at 1:00 p.m. for afternoon sessions. You can opt for a slew of reviews or for just one.

Panels:
On Friday, May 15th, two talks that are definitely going to be worth listening to include: at 10:00 a.m. "Blogging in the Photography Community," a panel lead by Joerg Colberg with Cara Phillips, Laurel Ptak, Andrew Hetherington, and Brian Ulrich and at 5:00 p.m. "The Edge of Vision, Abstraction in Contemporary Photography" presented by Aperture with Lyle Rexer, Jack Sal, Silvio Wolf and Penelope Umbrico. *

Books + Magazines:
NYPH'09's Book Soup is Thursday, May 14th from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. The event includes a talk, "The Death of the Photo Book," lead by powerHouse Books CEO Daniel Power and followed by book signings. 20x200 artist Rachel Papo and HHS! panelist + 20x200 artist Kent Rogowski have both published books with powerHouse.
HHS! panelist Stephen Frailey serves as Editor in Chief of DEAR DAVE, magazine. Visit the Media Lounge of St. Ann's Warehouse to be the lucky recipient of a limited number of Issue #4 that will be handed out for free!

Photo Awards:
Many congratulations are due to Bob O'Connor, Kevin Miyazaki, Daniel Traub, Juliane Eirich,** Brad Moore, Yijun Liao and Shen Wei.*** Among hundreds of nominees, these seven are up for New York Photo Awards this year. Come out to cheer them on when the Winners and Honorable Mentions are announced (and their work presented) at the Gala Ceremony for the New York Photo Awards 2009 on Friday, May 15th at 8pm in the St. Ann's Warehouse Auditorium.

Hope to see you down under the bridge this weekend!

Bummed you won't be in Brooklyn? We have some 20x200 photo greatness to lift your spirits:
* TOMORROW! 20x200 presents a special edition by Penelope Umbrico to benefit Aperture. Be sure to get your hands on a print by signing up for the mailing list.
** See new work from Juliane Eirich at 2:00 p.m. today on 20x200.
*** Sign up for Jen's newsletter to be among the first to see Shen Wei's 20x200 editions this summer.

The Box (Texas) by Coke Wisdom O'Neal

20x200 photographer, Coke Wisdom O'Neal recently visited Texas to make new work for his ongoing project (which involves a gigantic wooden specimen box). Coke traveled to San Isidro, Texas, at the request of gallery owner, Paige West, and has returned with many new images that are currently on view at Mixed Greens.

In this week's Village Voice, art critic Robert Shuster gives kudos to O'Neal's new work, calling his images "strikingly crisp". Read the review here. Also enjoy the above video hat Coke has posted about the time he spent making the images in Texas.

The exhibition will continue through May 23.

Coke Wisdom O'Neal's The Box (Texas)
Mixed Greens
531 West 26th Street
NYC

Coke's has two 20x200 edition prints available:
Needle-Needle-Nee
Close Call
See more of Coke's work here.

Thursday Editions: Penelope Umbrico to Benefit Aperture

These prints are produced using archival inks on 100% cotton rag matte paper. All of our editions are supervised by the artist and come with a signed certificate of authenticity. Profits from 79 Moons From Flickr - 51 Visible will be donated to Aperture foundation.
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Benefit Thursday greetings, my collector friends! The editions I've been blabbing about all week long (and then some) are finally here and I'm super excited to introduce them. I'm also nervous... I've been thinking about Penelope Umbrico's work a lot, for a long time and I am a huge fan of the Aperture Foundation. I'm counting on all of you collectors to help us support them in a big way!

Without futher ado, I present to you: 87 Suns From Flickr - 29 Visible and 79 Moons From Flickr - 51 Visible. All profits from the sale of the Moons print will be donated to Aperture. Penelope created these prints exclusively for the Aperture/20x200 collaboration, using her brilliant Suns from Flickr as the foundation for the final images. She picked a great place to start: the Suns project has many ties to Aperture itself, and it's also the genesis of my ongoing and public fascination with her images.

My first encounter with Suns was its stunning installation at The Ubiquitous Image exhibition, curated by Aperture Books Publisher — and HHS! panelist — Lesley Martin. The show was part of last year's inaugural New York Photo Festival, where Penelope also did an artist's talk that blew me away. Her process, her humor and her fresh perspective captivated me; she sees the internet as a vast repository of source material and does ingenious things with its plenty. Her perspective transcends the confines of art and internet culture, moving beyond each discipline's tendency to be hopelessly self-referential. Being someone who dwells in both worlds and works hard to unite them, the discovery of Penelope's point of view was downright thrilling.*

I feel incredibly fortunate to be writing this newsletter today. To be presenting the work of someone who inspired me from a stage, in support of a foundation which advances the medium about which I am most passionate is truly an honor. I am so grateful to artists like Penelope and organizations like Aperture for the important work that they do — the role of artists and what they create is grossly undervalued in contemporary culture.

Aperture plays a vital role in advancing the medium of photography, which I consider to be the most crucial medium of our time. They produce gorgeous books, mount ambitious exhibitions and publish a terrific magazine. They support emerging artists and collectors via their competitions and limited-edition print programs, and their offices are populated by some of the hardest working, most thoughtful and passionate people I've met.

Most recently, they've been focused on putting together The Edge of Vision: Abstraction in Contemporary Photography, curated by Lyle Rexer. The exhibition features work from a fascinating array of photographers, including Ms. Umbrico herself. Aperture's hosting an opening reception this Saturday, May 16th, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. and the show is on view through July 9th.

I've already mentioned that Penelope's got a lot of good things to say; tomorrow's your chance to hear them firsthand. In conjunction with the show, Lyle Rexer will be moderating a panel at NYPH'09 with Penelope and two other participating artists, Jack Sal and Silvio Wolfe, at 5:00 p.m. on Friday in DUMBO at St. Ann's Warehouse.

Not in New York this summer? Snatch up your prints and bring a little abstraction to your neck of the woods. Be sure to add Aperture's book that accompanies the exhibition to your wish list as well — it'll be available later this month! We got a sneak peek and it is indeed a beautiful book.

There's a lot of other gorgeousness to be found on Aperture's site, but don't take our word for it. As an added incentive to get you to go see for yourselves, Aperture's offering an additional 10% off already discounted books when 20x200 collectors shop at www.aperture.org. Use Coupon Code UMBR59 during checkout to receive this exclusive discount on some of the best photography books available today.**

*I was tempted to insert what feels like an obligatory aside here about my utter sincerity in spite of what might seem to be an excessive use of superlatives, but I'm putting it down here instead. Trust me, I am this excited, engaged, impressed.

**Offer expires May 31, 2009. Discount does not apply to Curated Collection, signed, and limited-edition books.

Untitled (I'm an island of such great complexity)
by Mike Monteiro

Artist Mike Monteiro is currently in a group show curated by Timothy Buckwalter at Pharmaka in LA. The show, My Certain Fate, features photography, painting, sculpture and text-based works all inspired by the fine art of making a mix tape.

From the press release:

Featuring more than 65 works from 28 U.S. and international artists, My Certain Fate explores and connects the feelings emoting from each piece to create an overarching narrative. Bubbling to the surface of a photo is a mysterious tale of yearning and denial. A drawing begins to crack under the weight of its own smugness. A crisp Miminalist painting offers a space to breathe, a break in the mix. Lurking beneath a sculpture is a less than obvious tale of redemption. The title for the exhibition is excerpted from one of Buckwalter’s favorite songs, “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate” on Mission of Burma’s 1982 album “Vs. “ - a track that exudes a boatload of melancholia mixed with the possibility for love through self-sacrifice.

My Certain Fate runs through June 6th.

Pharmaka | 101 West 5th Street | LA, CA

Here is a sneak peak:

Praia Piquinia 14/08/06 16h04

Bonjour New York collectors!
Photographer Christian Chaize will open a solo show, Praia Piquinia, at Jen Bekman Gallery this Wednesday, May 20th. There will be an opening reception from 6 - 8pm, so be sure to drop by and see the luxuriously lush and large series of Portuguese sunbathers shot unaware.

From Christian's statement:

Five years ago, Portugal did present itself as a new landscape in my life - both literally and metaphorically. Since then, I have photographed exclusively along a very small stretch of its southern coastline. Returning to this specific place, I've sought out its nuances. In doing so, I have peeled back layers of how I see, and how I experience this magical environment.

Read the press release here.

The show will be on view through July 11th.

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street | NYC

View more of Christian's photos on his gallery page, or on his site.

Tuesday Editions: Chris Ballantyne

Tuesday greetings, collectors. I cannot tell a lie: I'm having a really lousy day! I say that knowing it'll get better, and isn't nearly as bad as it could be, but as it stands now, I am the proverbial little black cloud in a dress. (Technically, I'm in jeans and cowboy boots, but you know what I'm sayin'.) In light of my mood, it's unsurprising that my newsletter muse is making herself scarce at the moment. That said, the scowl on my face is softening as I contemplating today's lovely editions by painter Chris Ballantyne.

Untitled, Neighborhood (Overgrown) and Untitled, Tidal Bore (Surfer) evoke all kinds of warm, fuzzy feelings. As I said last night on Twitter, I started writing today's newsletter while standing on the beach on Sunday morning. I was out in Montauk, bundled up against the cold and strolling along the shoreline, with someone I adore. We were sipping coffee and looking forward to continuing our aimless meander through the less-explored byways of Long Island's East End, once we'd had our fill of the bracing ocean air. In other words, I was sublimely happy.

While watching a surfer elegantly traverse the gently cresting waves to make his way out past the break, I was reminded of Chris's paintings. Untitled, Tidal Bore (Surfer), came to mind first and most obviously, but I also found a kinship between the modest homes you'll find not far from Ditch Plains and those depicted in Untitled, Neighborhood (Overgrown). As I stood there making those correlations, I said aloud, "I love my job!" And I really, really do — it's awfully fun and fulfilling.

I discovered Chris's work at the Walker, where his paintings were included in that oft-mentioned-in-this-here-newsletter exhibition, Worlds Away. My happiness was similarly sublime when I was in Minneapolis for that show's opening, and so many wonderful relationships — not to mention 20x200 editions — trace their origins back to there. It's hard to stay grouchy when I think about all the great people I associate with that trip: Sarah McKenzie, Brian Ulrich, Paho Mann, Karolina Karlic, Tema Stauffer, Carrie Marill and Peter Haakon-Thompson, founder of The Art Shanty Project. (I'm grinning as I type, in fact! When's the last time you saw a black cloud do that?)

Phew, it's nice to be feeling better. Behold the restorative powers of The Art! I forecast a good mood for the rest of the week too. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's opening reception for Christian Chaize's US debut exhibition, Praia Piquina. As collectors of his two gorgeous 20x200 editions already know, a sunny disposition comes naturally when contemplating his stunning seascapes.

Come see for yourself! Join us tomorrow night, from 6-8 p.m. at Jen Bekman Gallery. We're at 6 Spring Street, between Elizabeth + Bowery. And if you see a little ray of sunshine? That'll be me.

A selection of artworks from the Brooklyn Museum's permanent collection

Jen Bekman of Jen Bekman Projects, Inc., will be crossing the river to join artist and collector Danny Simmons, Joe Amrhein from Williamsburg's Pierogi Gallery and Steve Weintraub of Arts in Bushwick for an evening discussion on Brooklyn artists and collecting in the borough.

The panel, "Collecting in Brooklyn" is part of the Brooklyn Museum's larger series, Collecting Currently, and will bring you up to speed on emerging Brooklyn artists and the best ways to get your hands on some of their work before they hit the big time (read: while you can still afford it).

The discussion will take place next Wednesday, May 27th from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Museum — Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 5th Floor.

Wine is included in the $20 ticket price ($15 for members). Visit www.museumtix.com to register. Be there or be, um, artless!

Houndstooth Pattern in Parking Lot, at Disney World, FL by Alex MacLean

Houndstooth Pattern in Parking Lot, at Disney World, FL
11"x14" ($50) | 16"x20" ($200) | 24"x30" ($1000)
by
Alex MacLean

This image is also available as a 50" x 60" print, from an edition of 5, priced at $5000. Please drop a note to collector@20x200.com if you're interesting in learning more about this edition.
--

Wednesday greetings, my collector friends! As I forecast yesterday, both today's sky and my own disposition are quite a bit sunnier. Could be that I'm looking forward to heading over to the gallery for Christian Chaize's opening, which starts in a few short hours. Could be all the "Cheer up — It's gonna be ok!" emails, Twitter DMs, and Facebook comments I got after confessing my little black cloud in a dress-ness in yesterday's newsletter. (Turns out people actually read these things! And love Billy Bragg like I do! And I wasn't the only one having a bad day!) It's probably all those things, really, and today's colorful, super-fun edition by photographer Alex MacLean is definitely part of the equation as well.

Houndstooth Pattern in Parking Lot, at Disney World, FL has had me singing along to The Go-Gos all morning. No, I don't want to go to Disneyland. (Sorry, mom. Not with you, or anyone else for that matter!) I do however really wanna go on vacation. Alex's aerial imagery makes me long for a plum window seat from which I might survey the American landscape while en route to some relaxing destination.

If you browse Alex's site you'll see that he's got plenty of frequent flyer miles of his own, as pilot rather than passenger. I'm assuming that there's a co-pilot manning the controls while he's actually shooting.... right?) Anyone who's spent any time in an airplane is familiar with how captivating the landscape is from above. If you're like me, you've tried to capture its essence with your point-and-shoot or phone cam, and failed miserably in the process. It's hard to take a good picture from a plane! That doesn't mean that a lot of people don't do it, and many do it well; I've seen lots of interesting aerial photography in my time, but I've never encountered anyone who goes about it as Alex does.

As it says in his bio: "Trained as an architect, he has portrayed the history and evolution of the land from vast agricultural patterns to city grids, recording changes brought about by human intervention and natural processes." These are documents, but they're dazzling ones. And the dazzle is important. Bright and shiny things capture interest, and once you have someone's interest you've got an opportunity to teach them something new.

Alex's newest book, Over: The American Landscape at the Tipping Point, attempts to do just that. The epic vistas are engrossing, but once engrossed you begin to learn more about the toll of human life on earth. As it's described on Alex's site, "the book allows readers to visualize climate change and our culture's excessive use of resources and energy... demonstrat[ing] the extent to which the human ecosystem, and our economic and social well being, are dependent upon our wise use of land and its resources."

With some food for thought, and Alex's first (hopefully first of many!) 20x200 edition announced, I'll take my leave for the day. I'm off to figure out something super stylish to wear for tonight's reception. You know how chic those Frenchies are! I'm back next week on a Tuesday that'll feel like a Monday, but BETTER because it'll include the introduction of some fresh art, introduced by a refreshed Jen. I plan on getting some R&R over the long weekend and hope you will too.

Hello collectors! Just back from a virtual walk through our archives, and found a few favorites to share. First, an ornithological pairing:

Untitled (from Sub Rosa)
by Birthe Piontek
Choose your print size here

Untitled (Geese, London)
by Dana Miller
Choose your print size here

Next, a literary trio:


Secret Language 3
by Valerie Roybal
Choose your print size here

Bookshelf 20
by Jane Mount
Choose your print size here

Darkness moves
by Wendy Heldmann
Choose your print size here

And lastly, but not leastly, elephants!

The Constellation of the Elephant
by Alexander Beeching
Choose your print size here

Untitled (elephant)
by Don Hamerman
Choose your print size here

still from Black optimism: Photographer Donald Weber's Russia

When we first released Donald Weber's prints on 20x200, we surprised at least one collector — see the comments after the blog post — his work and words are pretty forthright.

Donald's further explicated his photographs and his process in this short video. Watch, listen and learn and then I think you'll want to add his work to your collection.

His series, Drunken Bride, Russia Unveiled is currently on view at CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival.

iSketch image by Jorge Colombo

Happy Memorial Day Monday, collectors!

20x200 artist, Jorge Colombo, will see one of his iPhone sketches appear on the next cover of the New Yorker! ABC News interviewed him this weekend, and the New Yorker also has a video of Jorge working and discussing his process. Jorge gives 20x200 a shout out about his four edition prints that are available right here. I suspect they will not be around much longer, so make haste!

From the New Yorker:

Colombo’s phone drawing is very much in the tradition of a certain kind of New Yorker cover, and he doesn’t see the fact that it’s a virtual finger painting as such a big deal. “Imagine twenty years ago, writing about these people who are sending these letters on their computer.” But watching the video playback has made him aware that how he draws a picture can tell a story, and he’s hoping to build suspense as he builds up layers of color and shape.

More good Jorge news--he will have a new drawing each week on newyorker.com.

Jorge's 20x200 edition prints:
iSketch140
iSketch084
iSketch104
iSketch098

Jorge's site

Tuesday (not Monday, even though it feels like that) greetings, my collector friends! Hope you all enjoyed this weekend's bonus track and are reacclimating nicely to your working week. I had a fabulous stay-cation in NYC, which was filled with leisurely meals with out-of-towners and a whole lot of excitement about the cover of my favorite magazine ever. This week's issue of The New Yorker, (yes! The New Yorker!) features a cityscape created by 20x200 artist Jorge Colombo, whose iPhone sketch editions were introduced in this very newsletter back in April.

It all started a few days ago, when I received a short note from Jorge that went like so: "Jen: guess who did the cover of the next New Yorker with his iPhone? I never tell ahead because things always change last minute, but it's official." Officially awesome! As I said on Facebook, it's not that I'm competitive, but... I'm awfully proud that 20x200 was first.

I'm bursting with pride over the whole thing, in fact — ask any of my Twitter cronies or IM buddies or Personism readers or dining companions or brunch dates or margarita compadres or oyster eating, champagne sipping, al fresco eating partners in crime. It's pretty much all I've been able to talk about for days.

First of all, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Jorge is wonderful, something I knew already based on past experience — but his wonderfulness was confirmed again and again this weekend as we exchanged dozens of emails about the cover, the coverage and our various collaborations. (Aside from his already released editions, you can look forward to more from Jorge in Summer Reading, the group show that's opening at Jen Bekman Gallery in mid-July, and we just might be cooking up some other stuff as well.) In fact, I don't know how he found the time to type anything to me at all! The phone was surely ringing off the hook, and he's been all over the media and yet: witty, considered and insightful emails kept showing up in my inbox all weekend long.

In light of my single-minded obsession with Jorge's superstardom, writing about anything else today seemed just about impossible. I also wanted to give 20x200 collectors a refresher course in Jorge's editions — plenty of my friends said to me "I knew I'd seen them somewhere!" but weren't quite sure where exactly till I ever-so-helpfully reminded them. So, here I am! Helpfully reminding you too.

I've also got a little something new to share as well. If you look to your right, you'll see a most cheery Youngna Park holding a very handsome 20x200 totebag aloft — with Sara Distin more reservedly revealing its flipside in the background. We've got some of those totebags, which made their debut at the San Francisco Collectors Confab, to give away today. They'll go to the first 20 collectors who place orders of $200 or more.*

As alluded to earlier, I'm hardly the only one overjoyed and ridiculously excited about all this good news: Jorge received early accolades and attention from The Guardian, The Huffington Post picked up on The New Yorker story. Which is to say: buzz is ricocheting all over the blogosphere!

It's not just words and pixels either — cut to tape! Jorge unveils the methods to his magical renderings of NYC's madness in two short videos — he gives a charming interview — not to mention 20x200's first ever (!!!) on-air shoutout — in the middle of his Times Square stomping grounds for none other than ABC news. The New Yorker also has a fantabulous video which documents the layering process he describes, from start to finish, on their website.

Aside from their excellent taste in cover art and unparalleled content, The New Yorker also gives the rundown on not-to-be-missed events, like this Saturday's music/comedy/literary extravaganza "You're Not Alone" at the Highline Ballroom, a music/comedy/literary extravaganza put on by the brilliant and funny fellas at The Rumpus, McSweeney's and Smithmag.

That's but one thing on my calendar this week, which is packed full of lots of events that combine more of my favorite things: art, the internet and, of course, collecting! Among the highlights, tomorrow, I'll be at the Brooklyn Museum for the debut of their Collecting Currently lecture series. Please join me and my co-panelists — artist and collector Danny Simmons, Joe Amrhein from Williamsburg's Pierogi Gallery and Steve Weintraub of Arts in Bushwick — we'll discuss the borough's bevy of artists and how and why to collect their work, right now! On Thursday, I'll have the honor of introducing my dear friend and HHS! panelist, co-founder of Flickr, Caterina Fake, as she is recognized for shaping today's online communities at Rhizome's 2009 Benefit at the New Museum.

Trade 71, an automatic William Lamson drawing for a Fabio CD

It is a wonderful world we live in when you can exchange a Fabio CD for an original work of art. Artist William Lamson is making transactions like this possible daily by means of drawing apparatuses (see video below) constructed from ordinary objects. The drawings are then being offered to visitors on a barter basis at his solo exhibition which will open this Friday, May 29th 7-9pm at Pierogi.

From the press release:

From May 22-May 29, Lamson will work in the gallery making drawings with a device that consists of a ceiling fan, string and a marker. Visitors are invited to look through a flat file archive of this work and offer him something in exchange for a drawing of their choice. The traded item will become part of a collection of unique objects on display in the gallery, and anything that is not already in the collection may be offered as a trade.

Check out this video of one of Lamson's drawing apparatuses, and a tour of some collected items:

The show will continue through June 22nd, and looks like something not to be missed. I think I've finally figured out what to do with my Alyssa Milano Teen Steam poster...I'll see you there.

Work and Trade
Solo Show by William Lamson
Pierogi
177 North 9th Street
Brooklyn, NY

Lamson's two 20x200 edition prints are available in rapidly dwindling supply:
No. 13. 3/11/2006 (plane lifted by men)
No. 6. 8/6/2005 (plane)

Wednesday Edition: Shaun Sundholm

Meme-o-licious Wednesday greetings, my collector friends! Today's edition by Shaun Sundholm is a nice follow-up to yesterday's paean to Jorge Colombo, currently the most meme-o-licious artist of all on the interwebs. Shaun's no slouch himself when it comes to internet fame — Untitled (Let's Get Lost) has been bookmarked, blogged, crushed-out on, tumblr'd, ffffound, favorited and otherwise adored approximately a gajillion and one times.

No stranger to some (ok, most... I mean all, um.. WHATever!) of these haunts myself, I've been familiar with — and fond of — Shaun's witty way with words and imagery for a while. It was no surprise to me when Ariel Aberg-Riger suggested his work in response to our little crowd-sourced curation query, sent out via Twitter a while back. And yes, it's true I love to browse images on the internet more than almost anyone I know, but... Come on, people! LET'S GET REAL, shall we?

You know how I say "live with art — it's good for you"? I really mean it, and not in the condescending, let's-help-the-great-unwashed-improve-themselves way that David Byrne referenced in a recent journal entry. I mean that it can make life more interesting, and happier. We can sort, collect and otherwise accumulate images on the internet, or our hard drives, till the end of time, but it's just not the same as having something that you love hanging on the wall in your home. (Or apartment or cube or office or yurt or igloo.)

As I said in GOOD magazine, back when this whole 20x200 thing was just a twinkle in my eye, "Buying the work of emerging artists is cool — it's nice to know that you're supporting someone who is probably struggling and dreaming of quitting his or her day job — and there's more: the wonderful feeling of living with art. Each thing you own frames your personal history and becomes anchored to the chapter of your life in which you acquired it."

Don't get me wrong, all this internet browsing is good too. I credit the wealth of imagery and information available on the internet with making me the curator that I am today. I've never been one to lock myself up in the library, sit still in a classroom or get lost in the stacks, but I can't tell you how many times a single image I've viewed on the internet has sent me down the rabbit hole, opening up whole new dimensions of the art world that I'd never seen before. And knowing that that'll happen again and again is awesome and exciting, for sure, but it's all so intentional. Serendipity isn't entirely impossible on the internet, but I still need to turn on the computer, fire up the browser, and go looking.

An image that I've ffffound will never be a presence in my peripheral vision, it won't greet me when I open my eyes in the morning and it won't ever have the chance to make its way into my psyche by its mere presence on the walls of my apartment. The art you live with works its magic on you all the time, whether you're aware of it or not. Let's Get Lost is exactly the type of voodoo that I want to get off your screens and onto your walls.

Important reminder! Rhizome's Annual Benefit will be at the New Museum, 235 Bowery, tomorrow evening, from 7 p.m. to midnight. It's certainly bound to be a swanky affair full of live music, art and performances. This year's guests of honor include pioneering video artist Dara Birnbaum, and HHS! panelist Caterina Fake of Flickr fame. Ms. Jen Bekman will be there with bells on to formally introduce Ms. Fake to her fans.

Not in NYC? Show your support from near or far, online! Rhizome's 50,000 Dollar Webpage allows you to buy pixels of webspace at 5 cents a piece (cheap!). You can see what supporters have done so far above. Purchase some pixels before tomorrow evening's event — after that the page will be frozen and preserved online forever!

Image by Michael Lundgren from his series Transfigurations

Three cheers for landscape photographer Michael Lundgren! Michael received a Flash Forward - Emerging Photographers 2009 award from the Magenta Foundation, and will have work in two group shows in the UK this Summer! The first show will be in London's Victoria & Albert Museum: A History of Photography; and the second show, Photography is Dead, will be part of Rhubarb-Rhubarb's 10 year anniversary.

Sales from one of Michael's two 20x200 edition prints, Ironwood at Dusk, directly benefit the wonderful Radius Books, who published Michael's first monograph, Transfigurations, last Fall.

The above image is from a series Michael worked on for the city of Phoenix Public Art Project, entitled Mid-Century Marvels. The work has been published as a postcard booklet, which you can grab for free, so long as you can get yourself to the City of Phoenix's Office of Arts & Culture.

Michael's 20x200 edition prints Yuha Basin and Ironwood at Dusk won't remain in our inventory for long, so make haste, collectors!

View more of Michael’s work at his website

Noah Kalina's photos almost always make my heart jump, and I was happy to see that the above photo was given just attention as the Pic of the Night on Gawker today tonight. Hooray for Noah!

While I have your attention, allow me to remind you that Noah is a beloved 20x200 artist and Summer '05 Hot Shot, who recently launched an eponymously titled magazine, Kalina Magazine. Each issue will feature new work from Kalina's photography projects.

His first two issues are available here.

See more of Noah's work here and here.

Noah's 20x200 edition print has limited quantities available: Untitled (LA20070805)

UPDATE! I just spied this excellent remix ( I love the idea of a photography remix, don't you?) on yay!everyday by Toko Design:

Madison, WI 2005 bu Brian Ulrich

Chicago-based photographer (and recent Guggenheim Fellowship recipient!) Brian Ulrich has a solo show of images from his Copia series, Thrift and Dark Stores, on view now through July 3 at Julie Saul Gallery.

From the press release:

Ulrich began his Copia series after 9/11 when President Bush encouraged Americans to shop as a patriotic gesture to boost the economy. He pictured the abundant merchandise in stores and shoppers' fascination with the goods. As the decade progressed Ulrich has enlarged his theme to embrace thrift stores and finally the new landscape of closed and derelict malls and big box stores. Ulrich's image Madison, Wisconsin 2005 of a retail space filled with empty hangers signals the end of a cycle, and is pictured on the cover of the May 2009 issue of Photograph with an essay by Lyle Rexer who writes, "Ulrich reveals the chaotic ass-end of capitalism”. Thrift looks at the "last -stop repositories" where goods are sent to die at even more discounted prices. These chaotic dumping grounds of discarded computers and gym shoes raise the question, "where do we go from here?" At the same time the Dark Stores have an almost apocalyptic quality signally and end a new beginning.

Brian Ulrich
Thrift and Dark Stores
May 28- July 3, 2009
Julie Saul Gallery
535 West 22 Street | 6th Floor | New York

If you haven't had a chance, have a look at his photo essay, Stores That Are No More, on TIME magazine's website. The essay features images from Brian's ongoing Copia series which "explore the haunted shells of America's devastated retail landscape".

Brian's website.

Pillar Garden, The Courts, 2004 by Beth Dow

Beloved 20x200 photographer Beth Dow is the star of this week's Full Frame feature on the GlobalPost. Watch Beth eloquently narrate a slide show of images from her English and Italian garden series here.

Beth's 20x200 edition prints:
Bags
Clearing, Wakehurst Place
AAA Editions

Beth is represented by Jen Bekman Gallery. Images from her past solo shows, Fieldwork, and Ruins, can be seen here.