July 2009 Archives

Wednesday Edition: Mike Sinclair

One-foot-out-the-door Wednesday greetings, my collector friends! I feel like a kid on the last day of school, yes I do. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm heading north for the holiday weekend. What I didn't mention is that I'm going with a very loose interpretation of "weekend" and starting mine today. In theory, at least — there's an awful lot standing between me and the open road at the moment.

Trying to write about Fourth of July #2, Independence, Missouri isn't helping matters any — every time I look at this captivating image from one of our most recently anointed Hot Shots — the very talented midwesterner Mike Sinclair — I find myself slipping off into a daydream and losing track of the very important task at hand.

I had the same problem with Colin Blakely's similarly seasonal edition last year, although with an out-of-town weekend in the offing, I find myself flashing forwards while gazing at Mike's image, rather than back. In the hopes of staying focused on my most immediate future, I'm going to refer you to some of the fine writing that's been done elsewhere about Mike's work.

I'll start close to home with Youngna Park's recent Q&A with Mike, published shortly after we announced 2009's first five Hot Shots. Upon reading it, I was pleased to discover that Mike and I share similar blog-reading habits and found myself nodding in agreement with the sage words of advice offered by his wife: "You don't know what you don't know."

Sara Distin's thoughts on Mike's photography are out in the blogosphere too. She declared Mike the Jen Bekman Photographer of the Month over on Flavorwire. She does a great job of pinpointing what's so insightful about his work, writing that his photographs "contain the sort of deeply-centered observations that seep into the core of what it is to be an American, and eventually find their way out, tickling the skin with warm familiarity."

Traveling further afield to Mike's stomping grounds, I can point you towards a thoughtful review of his recent Kansas City exhibition, a series of images captured at public parks in urban areas. In At the Dolphin, Mike Sinclair sees a City Beautiful, Dana Self opens with some background on the origin of the show's title: "The City Beautiful movement — out of which modern urban planning emerged — engaged architects and municipal leaders in the beautification of industrial America at the turn of the 20th century."

As for my own contribution, I suggest you mosey on over to Personism for the latest installment of my Paired series, which matches Mike's photograph with The Motorcyclists, a poem by James Tate.

I've got my own engine to rev, so bye for now! (But not for long.)

American Flags by Alison Grippo

Happy 4th of July! Freedom and art for all is celebrated around here this weekend! Hopefully you'll be enjoying the holiday with friends someplace cozy--I'm off for a kayaking adventure on the Hudson in a minute--but wanted to share the perfectly timed image that I found from Alison Grippo on her blog, Inkcapture.

Alison was anointed a Hot Shot and named a Ne Plus Ultra, gaining her representation by Jen Bekman Gallery in 2006. Her two edition prints Untitled (Mott Street), and A Man and His Horse, are available, unlike freedom and art for all, in limited supply.

Get Excited And Make Things by Matt Jones

The New York Times' Consumed columnist Rob Walker writes:

A blunt slogan and a simple image: these basic elements of persuasion, protest, propaganda or making a point have been used in tandem and to great effect for as long as anyone reading this has been alive.

He's right and that's just why we love Matt Jones' Get Excited and Make Things 20x200 edition so darn much!

The print was featured in Walker's Re-mixed Messages in last Sunday's New York Times Magazine. Walker traces the evolution of "Keep Calm and Carry On" all the way to "Keep Calm and Eat a Cupcake."

Jones' rendition, Get Excited and Make Things, is still available on 20x200:
11" x 14" for $50
or
24" x 30" for $1000

Proceeds from this edition benefit the non-profit Creative Commons.

Velké Karlovice #1, 21/6/2009 13:48 from Bert Teunissen's series Domestic Landscapes

Nazdar collectors! Dutch photographer Bert Teunissen has recently returned from the Czech Republic to add new photographs to his archive of touching portraits of Europeans in their homes. Bert has been working on this series for over a decade, and describes the project thusly:

It is a project about light, and the era in which natural daylight dictated the architecture of a place, how it was used, and where you'd find the furniture. And, of course, I need the owners in the picture, because they are the people who keep it the way it is.

View the series here.

Bert's 20x200 edition prints Saugnac et Muret #1, 27/12/2005 11:27 and LA ALBERCA #6 1/3/2005 12:56 are available in our large edition size.

Mixed Greens, the New York based gallery dedicated to emerging artists is turning 10 this weekend! To celebrate the past decade of existence they are pulling together a stellar show of artists, including some great 20x200 and Jen Bekman Gallery artists. Ann Tarantino, Chris Ballantyne, and Coke O'Neal of 20x200 fame will be included as well as Holly Lynton from JBG. To find out more, see the official announcement on Mixed Greens.

In addition to putting on this extensive show, Mixed Greens is going ahead full force in their celebrations and having an all day opening! It will start at noon on Thursday, July 9th and go on until closing at 6PM. Make sure you get in on the festivities! An added bonus for the first 100 people who arrive at 4 PM is free ice cream from the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. Art and ice cream? My two favorite things!

Remember, starting this month Mixed Greens will be sending out announcements exclusively via email, so make sure you are on the list.

Untitled (My bad) by Mike Monteiro

Sunny, summery (at last!) Tuesday greetings, my collector pals. Hope you all had relaxing weekends full of grilling, lolling and other leisurely -ings. We are back in black today with our latest offering from my favorite Bay Area curmudgeon, the acerbically talented Mike Monteiro.

My bad is so good! Does he mean it? Probably not. A friend just said to me over IM: "i hate that phrase. which i guess is the point." I believe he is correct.

I have said a lot of nice things about Mike before. You should read them. You should also read Remixed Messages, Rob Walker's most recent Consumed column in the New York Times Magazine. Featured in that article is our very own Matt Jones, talking about the Get Excited and Make Things edition that he did with 20x200. It's awfully... exciting. Don't you think? Here's the most important bit:

Possibly the best-known response graphic was created by Matt Jones... He was "in a grumpy mood" when he happened to read an article in The Guardian about the "Keep Calm" trend. "It was full of this sort of British fatalism," he recalls. Being of the mind-set that "we have to invent our way out of trouble," he started sketching. His design — the slogan "Get Excited and Make Things" under a crown that includes wrenches — became a Web hit, leading to a T-shirt from Howies, a Welsh clothing brand, and a set of prints sold on 20x200.com; Mule Design in San Francisco is bringing out a version of the shirt [ed. note: it's here!] in the U.S.

If Mule Design sounds familiar, that's because it IS. It's the design firm founded by none other than Mike Monteiro and his brilliant partner, the delightful and always-entertaining-over-IM Erika Hall.

Now that we've come full circle and are talking about Mike and IM again, it's a perfect opportunity for me to wrap things up and skedaddle. But there's one more thing before I go:

The original My bad painting is included in our upcoming show at Jen Bekman Gallery. Summer Reading opens next Wednesday, July 15th. The exhibition will include work from many of my favorite artists, many of whom will be offering editions here on 20x200. So save the date & stay tuned.

See you all tomorrow!

Untitled, Jetty (Snow), 2008 by Chris Ballantyne

Just this past Monday Kika let you know that 20x200 artist Chris Ballantyne will be showing at the Mixed Greens 10th Anniversary Exhibition (along with other 20x200 stars Coke O'Neal and Ann Tarantino), and this very Wednesday I'm here to let you know that Chris was featured in the July issue of Guernica Magazine, a biweekly magazine of art and politics.

From Guernica:

With shrewd restraint, Ballantyne accentuates the antisocial effects of our built environment with a hint of humor and plenty of ambiguity. A curious emptiness permeates the work. Graphically rendered buildings, pools, parking lots, and fences take on new meanings and amplified significance, isolated on flat fields of color.

Read the full feature here, and if you're in NYC, don't miss Chris tomorrow at Mixed Greens!

10th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION
Opening reception: July 9th, 12-6pm
Mixed Greens
531 West 26th Street, btw 10th & 11th Streets
First Floor | NYC

Chris has two edition prints available to you:
Untitled, Neighborhood (Overgrown) and Untitled, Tidal Bore (Surfer).

Jeff Hamada Guest Curated 20x200 Set by Various Artists

After long admiring his taste in art from afar, we asked Jeff Hamada from Booooooom to dive into the 20x200 archives and see what he could find. After he plucked the above gems from the mine, Ms. Jen Bee pinged Jeff on instant messenger to see what he's all about. The following conversation is what transpired between the two curatorial geniuses. Enjoy!

Jeff:
hey Jen!
Jen:
Hiiiiii, we meet at last!
Thanks for making time for me on IM.
Jeff:
No problem!
Jen:
So, first I had a couple questions about you + Booooooom: What is your background? I confess that I don't know much about you. And also: when did you start the blog + why? How'd you come up with the name?
Jeff:
I am 26, I live in Vancouver, I am third-generation Japanese, meaning my parents were also born in Canada. I guess I am a designer. I used to work for Electronic Arts as a concept artist, then I went back and graduated from film school—kinda all over the place.
I think a lot of people sort of hone in on one thing or a few things they like as time goes on, sort of like focusing a lens, but for me, I just get more interested in more and more things. By the time I finished film school, I wanted to make t-shirts instead. And now I don't anymore!
I started Booooooom a year ago, just as a personal blog for me and my friends to read. [The name] was kinda arbitrary, the amount of "o"s I mean—it just fit nicely into that box shape. I wanted to make a name that stood out in a list of blogs to make people wonder if it really was for real.
I had no intention of becoming a "blogger."
Jen:
And it's totally taken off!
I think they all inform each other... like the fact that you went to film school means that the type of t-shirts you wanted to make were a certain way and the experience with those two things makes your blog what it is, etc...
I am an all-over-the-place person myself.
I think it's the best way to be.
I love doing 20x200 because it combines my internet nerdery with my art experience with my writing stuff—I get to do all my favorite things all the time!
Though the newsletter-ing is HARDCORE.
Jeff:
Internet nerdery! yes
Jen:
Anyhow, I guess we should talk about the artz!
Everyone at JBP HQ was excited about your selections. Having someone who curates curate a set of stuff from what we've released is something we're really excited about—it gives us a fresh perspective.
How'd you winnow it down to the choices that you made?
Jeff:
I'm not sure exactly, they had to catch my eye, which really isn't revealing anything about my process but that's what it comes down to. I have been told that there is usually a certain style to the things I post on my site and I have been trying to figure out a way to describe the things I like in a general sense. I really do like work that is hand-made or has that imperfect quality to it. I don't post a lot of slick, perfect, computer generated stuff, it's just cold, I think.
Jen:
Hah well, I can totally identify with that.
Jeff:
So, maybe there is a warmth to the majority of the work I pick.
I do like dark work as well though.
Jen:
The gallery's motto is, "Live with art - it's good for you." But my personal motto is a quote from a Frank O'Hara poem, "You just go on your nerve."
Jeff:
Yeah, totally.
Jen:
I'm all about gut instinct... I find it hard to explain why I pick what I do.
There is a certain in-commonness about the line quality of the images you picked from our archives though. And it's not something I'd have picked up on myself, like putting the two Jacobs [Escobedo + Magraw] together, when you see them, they make total sense.
Jeff:
Yeah. I guess these pieces have really skinny line-detail stuff, even the Amy Ross work. But, the Ky Anderson work is kinda the other side of it, really free and expressive.
Jen:
I love her stuff. I feel like she is an unsung hero of 20x200!
Plus she is a lovely human being.
Jeff:
Yeah, her work is amazing.
Jen:
Also Whitmarsh and Ky side-by-side! Brilliant. Really nice combination.
Jeff:
Yeah, two mountains that couldn't be more different.
Jen:
And again, not something I would've thought of. Megan's work is really incredible too.
And in my head, you and Jacob Escobedo could be total buds.
Jeff:
Haha, what makes you say that?
Jen:
I'm not sure. He's a designer too and it makes sense to me that you'd dig his work based on what you curate for Booooooom.
Jeff:
I wish I could draw like he can... He obviously thinks in a way that I never could. I come more from the Mike Perry school of drawing, not that Mike Perry can't draw, I just couldn't make a drawing like Mr. Escobedo. It's like the math style of the drawing world.
Jen:
HAH! Yes. Jacob's stuff is super-precise.
And what about Amy Ross? What drew you to her work?
Jeff:
Amy Ross' work is just so ridiculous. I love it. I think the first work I saw of hers was some mushroom people dancing or something.
Jen:
Her Manshroom edition was the very first print we sold on 20x200. And yes, there is a ridiculousness to Amy's stuff that is just delightful.
Jeff:
I had a really hard time in art school during critiques when people would use a lot of "artspeak" to describe a work and when I would ask a question, I would feel like they were saying, "Haha, you don't get it? You are stupid if you don't get this work, and we won't tell you what it means."
So, I really identify with work that has humor in it because right away, it's like a doorway into the art. I can feel like I "get it."
I tried to make my site with people who didn't go to art school in mind.
Jen:
That "I don't get it" feeling, it's the worst. It's what keeps so many people from connecting with art. That's why I write the newsletters, because I really want people to understand that to think about art at all is to get it. And that thinking about art is really awesome — to use the technical term.
Haha.
We have the best jobs!
Jeff:
Totally agree! If I can make this my full-time job, (soon, hopefully) I will be living the dream. Sharing art for a living!
Jen:
It's a good goal.
So what are you excited about in your world right now; what's next for you + Booooooom?
Jeff:
I'm going to put more time into the Projects section of the site. I want to focus on the community part—really get people doing stuff, making art and snapping photos. I like seeing people commenting and interacting with each other. It doesn't happen on a lot of blogs!
Jen:
Yeah, I've noticed that you have a lively community, which is something I want to get happening more on 20x200.
Jeff:
It's exciting.
Jen:
What other things do you think lead to the site becoming so successful? And by successful, I mean: you've made a name for yourself! I am sure you don't feel like the mackdaddy of the internet or something but hopefully you're proud to have built such an enthusiastic art community so quickly.
Jeff:
I think it's been a bunch of things, I really like street art but Fecal[face] and Wooster [Collective] already have that locked down; so I do post a little bit but there isn't any point in starting another street art site, ya know. So, I have been trying to differentiate the content on my site from other art blogs. I would often just go around on Flickr and hop from person to person, bookmarking along the way. I decided to try to focus my site on those people a bit more. I also focus on "crafts" when I think some other sites brush them off. I think there is a stigma that "crafts" aren't art.
Jen:
That's a whole other LONGASS conversation, an interesting one, but whoa.
Jeff:
I think that has played a huge role in it. If you are knitting cool little wool animals, you have just as much chance (maybe more) to be posted, as someone making large oil paintings and showing in galleries. Actually, if you have an agent, your chances of being posted might be worse than the knitter.
Jen:
Do you just get scads of people sending you work now?
Do you have people sweating you now to post artists they rep?
If you can think of one, tell me a success story via your site that you're particularly proud of.
Jeff:
I probably get 200 or so emails/week from artists and yeah, lots [from reps].
I've received several emails from artists thanking me because an ad agency had seen their work on the site and they had since been commissioned to do something, which is really awesome!
One of my favorite experiences so far though was regarding this one artist, Karen Caldicott. Seven years ago or so, I had bought this issue of a Canadian magazine called Shift, that featured these amazing clay busts of the whole Simpsons family and I immediately ripped out the pages and put them on my wall (they are still on my wall). I eventually lost the magazine and all I had were these magazine pages.
I decided I wanted to track down the artist and I was going to take them down off my wall and scan them and before I did, I got a random email out of the blue from Karen asking me to take a look at her work and the first images I saw were her clay Simpsons pieces! So I took a photo of my wall and sent it back to her and we both kinda freaked out.
The site has been awesome for that kinda stuff, even just emailing back and forth with all these artists that I had no connection to before, like on a personal level now. It's rad.
It's great to connect with all these people excited about the same things.
Jen:
Hah! That is a great story. I love that about 20x200 too.
So my last question is this: Who are a few of the artists you've featured on the blog that you'd love to see making 20x200 editions?
Jeff:
Ohhh good one, let me think.
Agustin Sirai!, Leopold Rabus, oh Zhou Fan!
Jen:
Those are good. I really like the range of those picks. Also, I posted about Scott, the astronaut dude, on my blog, with a hat-tip to Booooooom, of course.
Thanks for making time—to talk with me and to select work to begin with!

Greetings, collectors! I'm excited to unveil our very first guest-curated selection of 20x200 art, thoughtfully assembled by boy-genius Jeff Hamada, of Booooooom fame. With this fresh perspective comes opportunity; we've got a limited number of discounted prints available of Jeff's selections and we're offering them exclusively to our mailing list subscribers.

[Oops! Sorry, if you didn't get full details about the discounted editions in your inbox, make sure you're signed up for the 20x200 newsletter so you'll get the scoop on list-only specials and new guest curator selections next time. Don't miss out again!]

It was really cool to see what Jeff came up with when let loose in our archives. He put things together in ways that I'd have never done myself, plus, he took me down memory lane, giving me a chance to revisit some of my favorite past editions. I hit him up over IM to discuss what he chose and why, and I also got to hear more about Booooooom's short but brilliant-so-far history. You can read the full transcript on the 20x200 blog, but here's a bit of what Jeff had to say about some of the artists he chose:

Jen:
How'd you winnow it down to the choices that you made?
Jeff:
I'm not sure exactly, they had to catch my eye, which really isn't revealing anything about my process but that's what it comes down to. I have been told that there is usually a certain style to the things I post on my site and I have been trying to figure out a way to describe the things I like in a general sense. I really do like work that is hand-made or has that imperfect quality to it. I don't post a lot of slick, perfect, computer generated stuff, it's just cold, I think.
Jen:
Hah well, I can totally identify with that.
Jeff:
So, maybe there is a warmth to the majority of the work I pick.
I do like dark work as well though.
Jen:
The gallery's motto is, "Live with art - it's good for you." But my personal motto is a quote from a Frank O'Hara poem, "You just go on your nerve."
Jeff:
Yeah, totally.
Jen:
I'm all about gut instinct... I find it hard to explain why I pick what I do.
There is a certain in-commonness about the line quality of the images you picked from our archives though. And it's not something I'd have picked up on myself, like putting the two Jacobs [Escobedo + Magraw] together, when you see them, they make total sense.
Jeff:
Yeah. I guess these pieces have really skinny line-detail stuff, even the Amy Ross work. But, the Ky Anderson work is kinda the other side of it, really free and expressive.
Jen:
I love her stuff. I feel like she is an unsung hero of 20x200!
Plus she is a lovely human being.
Jeff:
Yeah, her work is amazing.
Jen:
Also Whitmarsh and Ky side-by-side! Brilliant. Really nice combination.
Jeff:
Yeah, two mountains that couldn't be more different.
Jen:
And again, not something I would've thought of. Megan's work is really incredible too.

To hear more about Jeff's background, the future of Booooooom and his curatorial process, read the whole conversation. I want to send a big THANK YOU his way, for his time and attention and for everything he does to get people excited about looking at and making art. His energy is inspiring, and I couldn't think of a better person to kick off this series for us.

I'm back next week with some fresh editions, so look for me then.

Away we go, 2009 by Jonathan Allen

Ciao collectors! 20x200 artist Jonathan Allen has a solo show of new collages, Terminal Daydream, opening this Saturday at GONORTH Gallery in Beacon, New York.

From the press release:

Jonathan Allen’s collages and paintings combine pop imagery, abstraction and propaganda to reflect the contradictions of our current cultural and political climate. His various media—oil/acrylic, pen and ink, pencil, and newspaper and magazine cuttings—sometimes coalesce in formal harmony, though more often they serve to diagram the breakdowns triggered by irreconcilable clashes in perspective.

Read the full release, and see more of Jonathan's cheery collages here.

Jonathan Allen
Terminal Daydream
July 11 - July 26
GONORTH Gallery | 469 Main Street | Beacon, NY

Jonathan's site
Jonathan's edition print: Torn

Untitled by Brian Ulrich

The summer is looking excellent for 20x200 photographer and recent Guggenheim Fellowship winner, Brian Ulrich. Brian recently showed at the The Cleveland Museum of Art and Julie Saul Gallery, and as I type Brian has simultaneous shows of images from his Copia series on view. A solo show, Retail and Dark Stores, at CEPA Gallery in Buffalo, and a group exhibition, Glitz & Grime: Photographs of Times Square, at Yancey Richardson.

Brian will also be in the JBG Summer Show, Summer Reading, opening next Wednesday.

Summer Reading
Group Exhibition
July 15th - August 22nd, 2009
Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street | New York

Retail and Dark Stores : Brian Ulrich
June 27 - August 22, 2009
CEPA Gallery
617 Main Street | Buffalo | New York

Glitz & Grime: Photographs of Times Square
July 9 - August 28, 2009
YANCEY RICHARDSON GALLERY
535 West 22nd Street | 3rd floor | New York

Brian's website.
Brian's blog blog.

TGIF, collectors! Today I'm happy to let you know that 20x200 was selected to be on All Day Buffet's The New York 100. This list aligns 20x200 with other "innovative, rule- breaking, model-changing" idea makers in the Big Apple. 20x200 tops the Art & Design list, and just a glance at the index proves us to be in well-heeled company.

In a city of millions, it feels good to breathe in the rarefied air of a Top 100er. Thank you, collectors, for making 20x200 what we are. Come join us and the rest of the crème de la crème in celebrating with a "P-Diddy style throw down" in September.

The NEWYork 100 Party
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Secret Location
RSVP here.

It Rained Outside, So We Camped Inside, 2002 by Tim Walker

This year our summer group show, Summer Reading, is united around the wonderful world of words. Jen Bekman Gallery will be showing paintings, drawings and photographs from a talented lot, some of whom you already know from their 20x200 editions.

Artists in the exhibition:

Thomas Allen, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Kotama Bouabane, Lizzie Buckmaster Dove, Christine Callahan, Jorge Colombo, William Crump, Lauren DiCioccio, Nina Katchadourian, Gregory Krum, Steve Lambert, Michael Mandiberg, Carrie Marill, Mike Monteiro, Jane Mount, Kirby Pilcher, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, Ed Ruscha, Kelly Shimoda, Victor Schrager, Mickey Smith, Alec Soth, Zoe Strauss, Shaun Sundholm, Brian Ulrich, and Tim Walker.

The show opens this Wednesday July 15th from 6-8pm. See you there!

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

Gallery Hours:
Wednesday – Saturday | Noon – 6pm
Opening Reception: July 15th, 6pm - 8pm
On View: July 15th - August 22nd, 2009

Tuesday Edition: Kotama Bouabane

Tuesday greetings, collector friends! After a relatively low-key July, Jen Bekman Projects is about to take it up a notch or ten for the rest of the summer. We've got lots of great editions lined up, we'll be accepting entries for 2009's second edition of Hey, Hot Shot! anyminutenow and we're also getting an exhibition of the last edition's Hot Shots prepped for September.

As for me, I'm just about to jet off to the West Coast for a couple of weeks. (How lucky am I to have such capable hands to leave all these projects in? Incredibly!) First stop: Seattle, for a big to-do at the PCNW and a lecture at the Seattle Art Museum. Then I'll continue down to SF for some business and pleasure. (Hello, La Taqueria!)

All that good stuff is happening soon, but the very next Next Big Thing is at Jen Bekman Gallery. Everyone on Team JBP is super-focused on preparations for tomorrow night's opening reception for Summer Reading.

Summer Reading is a big, beauteous and bookish show, featuring over 60 pieces (zomg!) from 27 artists working in a broad range of media. You'll find many familiar names on the checklist, and as with last year's Ornithology, we'll be featuring editions from participating artists here on 20x200 throughout the exhibition. This means that you can expect our upcoming editions to be as wordy as last summer's were birdy! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

We'll kick things off with our third offering from Canadian photographer Kotama Bouabane. His picturesque I Told You So can soften the blow of any truth-telling you're feeling compelled to share. I mean sure — you hate to say it — but sometimes you have to, y'know? Why not do it artfully? (With the added bonus that the recipient can be reminded of your rightness every time they look at this delightful photo. Brilliant!)

I Told You So is included in the exhibition, which means that Kotama's icy honesty will be keeping company with the likes of Alec Soth and Nina Katchadourian, not to mention all the other artists whose previous editions are included in this newsletter. Here's a rundown on all the 20x200 creators whose work will soon be hanging on the walls of the gallery:

Kate Bingaman-Burt
Kotama Bouabane
Jorge Colombo
William Crump
Lauren DiCioccio
Gregory Krum
Carrie Marill
Mike Monteiro
Jane Mount
Kirby Pilcher
Jason Polan
Kent Rogowski
Kelly Shimoda
Mickey Smith
Shaun Sundholm
Brian Ulrich

Speaking of which, with the show's opening just a bit more than 24 hours away, I need to get down to the gallery and get to it. Jeffrey Teuton's been working 'round the clock to get everything in order, but with dozens of pieces to arrange and hang, even a superstar like him needs a hand.

For those of you not on the JBG mailing list, I'm including all the details of the show announcement below. I do hope you'll join us for the festivities!

Summer Reading
Opening Reception | Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 6pm-8pm

Jen Bekman Gallery
e: info@jenbekman.com | w: www.jenbekman.com | p: +1.212.219.0166
6 Spring Street(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
New York City 10012

Please join us this Wednesday, July 15, from 6pm to 8pm, at the opening reception for Summer Reading. The exhibition features over sixty works from twenty-seven emerging and established artists who are using interdisciplinary ideas about text, in all of its forms, in the mediums of photography, drawing, painting, sculpture and installation.

The exhibition will be on view from Thursday, July 16th through Saturday, August 22nd, 2009.

Summer Reading features work from: Thomas Allen, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Kotama Bouabane, Lizzie Buckmaster Dove, Christine Callahan, Jorge Colombo, William Crump, Lauren DiCioccio, Nina Katchadourian, Gregory Krum, Steve Lambert, Michael Mandiberg, Carrie Marill, Mike Monteiro, Jane Mount, Kirby Pilcher, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, Ed Ruscha, Kelly Shimoda, Victor Schrager, Mickey Smith, Alec Soth, Zoe Strauss, Shaun Sundholm, Brian Ulrich and Tim Walker.

The gallery is open Wednesday — Saturday from noon-6 p.m., or by private appointment.

Owl No. 1 by Lisa Congdon

Birch Forest No. 7 by Lisa Congdon

Wednesday Editions: Lisa Congdon + 30% off at Chronicle Books

Bright and sunny summery greetings collectors! It's Sara, pinch-hitting for Jen as she prepares for tonight's opening of Summer Reading at the gallery and her West Coast sojourn. Eventually, she'll find her way to San Francisco, the home of today's edition-maker, Lisa Congdon.

Owl No. 1 and Birch Forest No. 7 are both from Lisa's recently opened show, Little Pink Houses. Lisa co-conspired with friend and fellow artist Mati McDonough to create a series of original paintings and birdhouses inspired by their mutual love of the color pink and the John Mellencamp ode. Among Lisa's new works are the two paintings featured here. The originals were snatched up on opening night, leaving these fine print editions—lovely evidence of a lively imagination and appreciation for all things great and small—the only remaining options to bring a little bit of Lisa's vibrant and cheery world into your own home.

Finding and sharing sweet things great and small is among Lisa's many talents. We were all awed by Rare Device on our visit last spring. Founded by Rena Tom, Lisa joined as a partner in crime; the two manage to seek out seriously gorgeous stuff, tempting the thrifty among us to splurge on porcelain tumblers and this funky East/West tote (it's still on sale!).

If you're a deal-seeker, you've found the right place; we've paired up with our friends at Chronicle Books again to bring 20x200 collectors an insiders' sale. Enter coupon code 20x200 at checkout at Chronicle's online store and get 30% off your entire order + FREE ground shipping! Or, if you're lucky enough to live in the Bay Area, swing by the store and mention Lisa's editions on 20x200 and you'll also receive 30% off your purchase. Opt to pick-up one of Lisa's Birch Forest Flexi Journals and Kevin at Chronicle will also throw in a card from Lisa's Le Foret Eco-Keepsake set. Pair up a Birch Forest No.7 print with a Birch Forest journal for yourself or send off an Owl No.1 with a charming card as a gift.

Also worth checking out is this weekend's Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. Lisa will be there and in good company for certain. Among the highlights for fine friends will be a raffle for Faythe Levine's book, Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design and admission is free! So why not check it out? Levine's book is chock-full of illustrations from our very own Kate Bingaman-Burt (who is also included in Summer Reading) and we just might have a few other 20x200 + Handmade Nation surprises up our sleeves. Stay tuned for details.

Far from the left coast? Get your Congdon dose on the interwebs. Little Pink Houses at SF's Curiosity Shoppe is making the rounds and great installation shots abound. I'd make a first stop at My Love for You, then go to Poppytalk, to see what I'm talking about. Lisa's also recently launched a new blog, The Adventures of Lisa and Wilfredo with her four-legged furry friend.

New Yorkers and visitors alike, we hope to see you tonight at the opening for Summer Reading. Find us at 6 Spring Street (between Elizabeth and the Bowery) this evening from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. toasting all things text-related!

Built up, 2008 by Jaclyn Mednicov

Hello LA collectors! This one is for you! Jaclyn Mednicov currently has work up in a two person exhibition at JK Gallery. The work will remain on view through August 29th, with a closing reception on August 21st. If you're in LA, do stop by! And, if you're in NYC tonight, don't miss the Summer Reading opening at Jen Bekman Gallery!

JACLYN MEDNICOV AND ELIZABETH GAHAN
JK Gallery
2632 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
July 11 - August 29, 2009

Jaclyn has two 20x200 edition prints still available Stacked Upon, and Flood.

Be sure to swing by Jen Bekman Gallery to see our summer group show, Summer Reading. You'll see paintings, drawings and photographs from a brilliant bunch, some of whom you might already know from their Hey, Hot Shot! or 20x200 fame.

Artists in the exhibition:

Thomas Allen, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Kotama Bouabane, Lizzie Buckmaster Dove, Christine Callahan, Jorge Colombo, William Crump, Lauren DiCioccio, Nina Katchadourian, Gregory Krum, Steve Lambert, Michael Mandiberg, Carrie Marill, Mike Monteiro, Jane Mount, Kirby Pilcher, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, Ed Ruscha, Kelly Shimoda, Victor Schrager, Mickey Smith, Alec Soth, Zoe Strauss, Shaun Sundholm, Brian Ulrich, and Tim Walker.

The show opens tonight, Wednesday July 15th from 6-8pm.

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

Gallery Hours:
Wednesday - Saturday | Noon - 6pm
Opening Reception: July 15th, 6pm - 8pm
On View: July 15th - August 22nd, 2009

Sneak peak of one of Fernanda Cohen's Gap (PRODUCT) RED t-shirt designs

20x200 illustrator Fernanda Cohen recently completed designs for 4 t-shirts for Gap (PRODUCT) RED. The shirts will be out this fall, and I'll keep you posted on exactly when. In the meanwhile, visit her site for more brilliant, bold and playful illustrations.

Fernanda's 20x200 edition: Hot Dog and I is available to you here in all three sizes.

Image of Big Bambú from November 17th, 2008

Happy Friday, collectors!
Last March Mike + Doug Starn showed images and a video of Big Bambú, "a massive, moving construction made out of countless bamboo poles that is in constant transformation," at the Armory Show. Since the structure doesn't lend itself to easy transport, VernissageTV recently interviewed the duo inside the colossus. Watch the video here, or beneath.

If the video isn't enough, and you're able to make it to Beacon, New York, consider dropping by the Starns' studio for a closer inspection. Viewing hours are from 11am to 4pm on July 25, and August 8 + 22. Admission is free and open to all.

20x200 made it into the refreshing ideas issue of Better Homes and Gardens!

We not only made it on the list of 30 big-impact (low-budget) ideas for sprucing up your home, we made it to the top of the list--coming in at number five!

We've got more than a couple of magnificent prints coming your way in the next two days, so keep an eye out! In the meantime, you can also enjoy a virtual stroll through our archives and see what you can add to your collection. There is so much goodness to be found!

Image from Curtis Mann's Modifications series

20x200 photographer Curtis Mann has work up in a small group exhibition in Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Photography. The show, MP3II, is the second series of exhibitions from the Midwest Photographers Project, a "a rotating collection of portfolios by both prominent and emerging photographers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin".

Mann is exhibiting work from his Modifications series. When asked how he'd like the work to be perceived, he comments:

“I want them to move through the pieces slowly, maybe on different levels. Minimalism from a distance, some odd color on closer inspection, different textures—‘what’s going on here, painting or photography?’ Then they see the more subtle handmade marks, wrinkles, relief of the varnish resist, then details of the original appropriated photograph, then start over with, ‘What is going on here?’ in a larger sense.”

MP3 II: CURTIS MANN, JOHN OPERA, STACIA YEAPANIS
July 17 - September 13, 2009
Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago

Also of note--Mann recently digitized and converted his new work, After the dust when you come over the hill, on his site allowing you to zoom in and inspect the work. It's definitely worth taking a look.

Mann's edition print, Tree Tops, from the series Somewhere in Israel, has only two prints remaining!

Orb 5 (Long Island, New York) by Carlo Van de Roer

Orb 3 (Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik, Iceland) by Carlo Van de Roer

West Coast Wednesday greetings, my collector friends! I'm happily ensconced in SF for the balance of the week after a whirlwind weekend in sunny Seattle. That's right: sunny... not a typo, nor an indulgence of my alliterative aspirations! A bright blue sky provided the perfect backdrop for all of the Emerald City's lush greenery throughout my visit.

The red carpet treatment given to me by the wonderful folks at Photographic Center Northwest and SAM added more local color. Also rainbow bright and fabulous: the Photo Op exhibition at PCNW, curated by yours truly and expertly installed by their talented gallery director — and primary red carpet roller outer — Ann Pallesen.

I'm excited to be getting back to business with today's editions, Orb 5 (Long Island, New York) and Orb 3 (Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik, Iceland) by Carlo Van de Roer. As you collectors have come to expect from Carlo, the images are gorgeous, and we've added a bit of a twist to the editions — something you've probably come to expect from us!

We're releasing Orb 5 as a new kind of benefit edition, one offered specifically in support of the artists themselves. In this case, all profits from the sales of this print are going toward funding Carlo's critically acclaimed, ambitious Portrait Machine Project. The project also happens to be an expensive one, as the equipment he uses to make the portraits is costly.

Doing an edition like this puts the spotlight on 20x200's ability to directly support artists in their practice — it's one of the things that really drives me to want to make the site a sustainable, successful endeavor. As you all know, I work with lots of artists; what causes many of them to give up on making art is something I'm all-too-familiar with. Unsurprisingly, money is probably the biggest obstacle. It's all too easy for the making of art to become a luxury, especially these days. By participating in 20x200 as a collector, you're a patron. You're helping them not give up.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of your patronage, especially since I think it's something easy to overlook. You're not spending much after all, and in this post-industrial, mass-produced era, affordable things usually don't provide much benefit to the person who actually makes them. That's where the ultimate coolness of the internet comes in — its ability to allow lots of us to act collectively is amazing. It's vastness makes the world smaller, and being able to reach all of you in your inboxes with my newsletters means that I can connect you with art and artists in a way that's never been possible before.

All of this to say that you should feel good about the art you're collecting here, and that yes, you are indeed a patron of the arts — even if you buy just one $20 print. It's not often that getting something offers an opportunity to give something just as good, but that's how we roll here at 20x200. Which brings me to another thing — we started out with a straight-up formula of $20-$200-$2000 prints and right around Christmas last year we started introducing new configurations, like the $50 prints in editions of 500 that we're offering of Carlo's two images. There's been some grousing from art traditionalists about the edition size, but that's where the giving part of getting comes in.

You're getting a gorgeous, archival print for fifty bucks. It's worth it, I promise. Put that baby up on your wall and you'll get $50 worth of pleasure in no time flat. Plus, out of everyone in the universe, only 499 other people will have the opportunity to hang the same print at the same size on their wall. That's pretty cool. The best part is that with 500 people kicking in their $50, we can write some fat checks to artists. The type of check that keeps them from giving up. So buck up collectors, and give as good as you get.

All this proselytizing has taken up the space that I usually devote to talking about the artz, but lucky for all of us, plenty of other people have written about Carlo and his projects. I'm including a mess of links below, so go ahead! Collect yourself some limited edition Carlo Van de Roer prints, then go forth and read up on the latest additions to your collection!

Coverage of the Orbs project:

Dossier Journal
Beautiful Decay
SeeSaw Designs
but does it float
The Exposure Project
design work life
ISO50 Blog
Abecedarian

More about The Portrait Machine Project:

The Portrait Machine Project site
The Moment Blog (NYTimes.com)
Interview Magazine

Jen Bekman Projects is happy to announce the opening of the 2009 Second Edition Hey, Hot Shot! competition.

Entries will be accepted now through Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

The premier international photography competition, Hey, Hot Shot! offers photographers at all stages of their careers unrivaled opportunities for exposure and advancement.

All entrants have their work reviewed by top-shelf panelists and enjoy the potential to be promoted online (more than sixty were featured on the Hey, Hot Shot! blog last season alone!), selected for 20x200 (HHS! is the only way we review photography for 20x200) and exhibited in our New York gallery. Now in its fifth year, the competition has been acclaimed by curators, critics, educators and journalists alike.

A panel of seasoned photography professionals—including founder Jen Bekman, photography book evangelist and publisher Darius Himes, Aperture Foundation publisher Lesley A. Martin, former Creative Director of Colors magazine and photographer Stefan Ruiz and Chronicle Books chairman and CEO Nion McEvoy—review all the photographs that are entered.

The guidelines are simple: contenders submit three photographs from a single body of work, using an online upload tool, with an entry fee of $60. The 2009 Second Edition will add new features and more benefits for all entrants—among the many reasons why Hey, Hot Shot! remains one of the most desirable photography competitions around. Stay tuned for details!

So what are you waiting for? Get your work out there: Apply Now!
We only accept submissions online.

The deadline for entries is Friday, October 23, 2009 @ 8pm EDT.

Hot Shots will be announced on Monday, November 30, 2009.

There is a $60 handling fee for your entry.
Submissions are open to everyone, from anywhere in the world!
The competition is now open.

Questions?

Check out our informative and frequently updated FAQ, follow us on Twitter or find us on Facebook.

It's the thought that counts, or if you're Andy Spade or Anthony Sperduti of Partners & Spade, it's a little extra thought that counts. The two put artwork by Jason Polan at the top of their list of the best things to give a host or hostess in The New York Times.

If you're heading to friends' or family's homes for a party, BBQ or weekend get-away, grab some art before you go!

There are a few original drawings by Jason and Jane Mount still available:
Thrilla in Manila to Benefit 826NYC

and

Editions by Jason Polan available on 20x200:
Insects and Myriapods at The American Museum of Natural History
132 Birds at The American Museum of Natural History
Sea Creatures at The American Museum of Natural History
Dinosaurs at The American Museum of Natural History
Rocks at The American Museum of Natural History

Make that sticky notes, folders and pencil holders all emblazoned with delightful Linzie Hunter illustrations! Check them all out here, and then take yourself on a little trip to her website, and see more of what she's been up to.

Walking through our inventory, I am surprised to see that we still have a small quantity of two of her edition prints available:

Left: Say Goodbye
Right: Boundless
Her latest edition print, Coney, sold out in a hot second.

Linzie also keeps a blog and a bubbly flickr stream.

Untitled (Suzie Hedge), 2006 by Brandon Herman
Choose your print size here

Hello collectors! Dendrology? Yes, dendrology. I'm here to tell you that mere minutes ago I also had no idea what it meant, but now, I bet you already have an inkling of what the word might mean as your eyes scan for the similarities in the 20x200 edition prints above and below.

Panda, by Charlie Crane
Choose your print size here

Resting on a Bush by Yijun (Pixy) Liao
Choose your print size here

Newfoundland 1, by Carrie Marill
Choose your print size here

Untitled, Swamp #2, by Dorthe Alstrup
Choose your print size here

Birch Forest No. 7, by Lisa Congdon
Choose your print size here

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

Hermaphrodite, by Amy Talluto
Choose your print size here

If you're thinking dendrology might have something to do with the study of trees, go to the head of the class, and on your way select an edition print or two to add to your collection.

We're excited to announce that we've been featured in the August issue of Real Simple ! We are included in the insiders guide to the best online resources for decorating your home. For affordable art, it's true, it doesn't get better than 20x200! The issue hit the stands this week and features a quote from DIY Network host Amy Devers who says, "It's a smart way to collect art."

Yes it is, Amy, we couldn't agree more! So start your search and don't forget to check our Going, going, gone! selection to snap up work that will surely not last much longer.

Color Work Station by Megan Whitmarsh
Choose your print size here

Ciao San Francisco collectors! This one is for you!
Megan Whitmarsh has said that she likes art that is "generous in spirit and amateurish, art that inspires rather than intimidates". This definition could easily be applied to her own unique approach to art making. Miss Whitmarsh will be exhibiting her "generous in spirit" work at Michael Rosenthal Gallery's Annual Biennial next month alongside artists that share Whitmarsh's whimsicality. Bruce Nauman, Cindy Sherman, and James Rosenquist are just a few of the celebrated artists that Whitmarsh will be sharing the stage with.

The show will have an opening reception Saturday, August 1st from 4-9pm.

Annual Biennial
Michael Rosenthal Gallery
365 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA

Megan also has a new book, Yeti Logic available at Spoonbill & Sugartown, or online here.

Megan's two 20x200 edition prints, Trash Mountain and Color Work Station, (featured above) are available to you in all three edition sizes.

Stairway by Tamara Thomsen

Winter Kitchen by Tamara Thomsen

Tuesday Edition: Tamara Thomsen

Tuesday greetings, collectors! I've returned from a week of typical San Francisco summer weather (freezing, foggy) to find that typical New York City weather (hot, humid and also: stinky) has made its late entrance. I'm only two days in and I've had just about enough, thankyewverymuch. Foul weather aside, it is good to be back — I've missed the JBP crew and, after nearly two full weeks of an Otter-free existence, I was antsy to reunite with my adorable pooch.

Today's pair of editions comes from a fellow animal lover, Tamara Thomsen. I've met Tamara twice, but with no opportunity for proper conversation on either occasion. Digging into all the supporting documents accompanying Winter Kitchen and Stairway has me intent on carving out time to chat with Tamara when our paths cross again. Her bio reveals our shared affinity for canine co-inhabitants, along with an intriguing history of accomplished design nerdery. Her editions, taken from her ongoing Chambers series, are the product of her sustained interest in architecture and interiors, also revealing an irrepressible urge to inject these tableaux with her own "jubilant fantasies."

Tamara's words and images make it clear that we've got plenty to talk about, but encountering them today as I have has also had the unintended effect of snapping me back into reality a bit. Most everyone I know is busy and over-extended and running, running, running all the time. Reading through Tamara's bio, I was struck with a pang of regret over our encounters to date. It's not every day I cross paths with another dog-loving, entrepreneurial design nerd and today I realized that an inability (albeit an understandable one) to tune out the static led me to cross her path twice without breaking my stride.

Meaningful interactions with people who share my passions is the best balm I know for the loneliness that's part and parcel of the going, going, going lifestyle so many of us lead. (Do you like that deflecting transition from "me" to "us"? I rue the day someone pyschoanalyzes these newsletters I write!) And yet how to stop oneself from all the going? Well, I'd say that it helps to have a practice of doing so, which brings me back to Tamara's paintings.

If you go through her archives, you'll notice that she has built her artistic practice around the close examination of her surroundings; she finds her inspiration in subjects that range from the organic to the everyday, and draws lessons for the present from our historical past. Looking at what she looks at reminds me that whatever my present is, there's something interesting in it and worthy of my attention. There are few days where a moment spent savoring my present would imperil my future. And really, if I'm not going to actually take the time to enjoy where I'm going once I get there, what's the point of all this forward motion?

Inspired as I am to enjoy some here-and-now time, I'm going to take my leave and go eat some daisies or smell some roses or what have you. Look for me in the morrow, when I'll be back with a fresh photography edition from a very! enthused! Hot Shot!

Image from Michael Lundgren's Ruins series

Kudos are once again in order for photographer Michael Lundgren! Michael was named as one of Foam Magazine's 2009 Talent-call portfolio winners! Michael joins an ambitious list of photographers who show "unique quality in extraordinary photography work". The Talent issue will be in stores worldwide this September.

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.

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

View more of Michael’s work on his website.

Today's 20x200 edition-maker, Rachel Hulin and her beloved globe

Jen: Hello my dear! How are you?
Rachel: Hallo! Oh, very excited! Today is the day, you know.
Jen: Seriously, how exciting is this? First off: old skool HHS! I was walking home thinking about the '05 stuff that you showed and how it reminds me of Andrew Wyeth...
Rachel: Yes, Mom as Matador! That was back when I was working at ICP and Ben Donaldson, who was faculty there, was a judge.
Jen: And about Andrew Hetherington and what an awesome blogger you are... Then how you went on to some fancy photo editor jobs. The view from here presents a very glamorous Ms. Hulin!
Rachel: O man, is this all true?!
Jen: And actually, fancy aside, I really love how you've got every angle of photography covered. Taking them first and foremost, but writing about them and editing them too. There aren't a lot of people who can do all those things well. Yes, all true.
Rachel: I don't feel all that glamorous!
Jen: And what's nice about it is that what drives you is genuine enthusiasm and interest. So I'm either embarrassing you right now or you're like "Yea, she's right! I AM all that."
I actually hope it's a combination of the two.
Rachel: Well, it's true I just adore photography. And most photographers are kind-hearted folks who just love what they do. I'm pleased to make my own work, but writing about other work is so satisfying and informs the stuff I make. And yeah, I am blushing.
Jen: Right, well the other thing that you do well is take a broad view of things. There can be a pretty wide chasm between fine art and editorial work.
Rachel: I feel lucky to have an obsession with photography. It's just awesome. Not to say if I were obsessed with like, dirt bikes, that it wouldn't be as fun.
Jen: But I think that regardless of what category a photographer places themselves in, they're doing themselves a disservice if they don't look at the other.
Rachel: Yeah—it takes all kinds. I like to look at stuff in every sector. I can stay on Ads of the World all day and only look at commercial stuff. It's all visual; it's all reflective of modern culture.
Jen: How does all the looking and writing and thinking you do impact the work you make? Related: how on earth do you find the time to do it?!

Rachel: Hmm, I actually think it can make things more difficult. It's funny, because when I first started grad school in 2001, I didn't even know who Gursky was, and I was making these shots that were clearly informed by that aesthetic, and I got chewed out in class. So, I made it a point to really educate myself... which can be tricky because then one week you shoot like Crewdson, the next like Jeff Wall. And that can be fun—it's impossible not to copy, at least to some extent. But I think I've always had my own style, a sort of running narrative.
I make work quite slowly, a few pictures a month. It's really a diary.
Jen: Right, it can go both ways on the being informed thing: if you look too much, which is easy enough to do on the interwebs, an attempt to do anything original seems like an impossible endeavor.
Rachel: True—also, looking at amazing work can be disheartening—"wow, I could never make something so amazing," etc... But the last few years, I've just been plodding along. I bring my Mamiya everywhere and just don't think too hard about it.
Jen: Well, you've given me the perfect entree into a conversation that I had with another 20x200 photographer who I am mad about, the recently-recognized-by-Foam (that uber-rad Dutch photo mag that commissioned Stefan's portrait of me): MICHAEL LUNDGREN. When he was in town for his show at ClampArt, he talked about how imitating the work of people that you admire is often an integral part of getting to the point where you can make something that's uniquely you.
Rachel: That's funny—he has a snake photo like Hannah Whitaker, I see. His work is lovely, so spare.
Jen: Yea it's amazing. And he's been working on the body of work that he showed for years, and really waited until he had something that he was SURE he wanted to show, that felt like his own.
His perspective is interesting too because he teaches, so he sees people running through the various stages of imitating their idols, etc.
Rachel: Ah, that makes sense. There are always four Stephen Shores in every photo class and then people get their own thing going as they move forward.
Jen: Right! Gursky, Shore, Crewdson, Cindy Sherman
Sternfeld. The Soth, of course.
Rachel: Funny—my post promoting 20x200 will copy one of my early favorites, Duane Michals. I loved him. My first class at RISD, he and Dorothea Lange were IT to me. HA!
Jen: The other thing I like about you: you've got a sense of humor and are not uptight. There aren't a lot of people brave enough to insert a big pink question mark onto a Stefan Ruiz photo, or um, pay homage by inserting themselves into a tableau created by one of their idols. And you TOTALLY GET AWAY WITH IT. Because it's all done with love.
Rachel: Oh man, I just try not to take things too seriously. We're not curing cancer after all, we're making pictures. It's fun!
Jen: It is fun. OK, let's talk about your work!
Rachel: People like to have fun with it—I've almost never gotten a negative email. I try to never make a negative post.
Jen: That's amazing! I was very pleased to see the enthusiastic response to your post yesterday. Your friends and fans on the Twitter, they went bananas. (Amazing that you never get negative email, I mean. It's unusual even for the most virtuous of bloggers.)
Rachel: People are awesome! One thing I have trouble with is self-promotion. I get embarrassed.
Jen: Stick with me, kid, I'll give you lessons.
Rachel: Great!!
Jen: Actually, I think it's really important for a photographer to be able to promote themselves, but everyone needs to figure out what works best for them personally. For what it's worth, I feel like your approach thus far has been pitch perfect. And I like that YOUR work is out there in the mix, because like I said, a lot of your bloggery focuses on what other people are doing. For good reason! But still, I think it's easy for your own work to be overlooked when you're being so engaging about what other people are up to.
Rachel: Aw, thanks. I do try to find a balance. I don't want the blog to be all about me.

Jen: It might seem random, but your 20x200 edition reminds me of Tema's White Ice and it's not because there are round things in both of them. I bet you're all... Whaaaa? But check it out!
Rachel: Ha, that's interesting. I love Tema's white horse picture. I wish I took that image (which is my biggest compliment).
Jen: Here's what it is: to me some of the most successful photographs are ones that capture something that I would've totally overlooked if I'd been there myself...

Globe by Rachel Hulin

Rachel: I look at everything around me as a potential picture. I have been looking at the glowing globe for ten years, and one day I just finally hauled up the tripod and made it.
Jen: With Globe, it's that there's something so universally comforting and familiar about the room that I'm seeing that I can imagine myself in it.
I feel like you took it from the perspective of your bed.
Which may or may not be true, but that's the intimacy it has for me.
Rachel: Yeah, that's true actually.
Jen: And it serves to remind me to look around and notice what's familiar, like I was talking about in yesterday's newsletter. Anyway, I feel like I'm in your room, which makes MY room seem more appealing and cozy.
And it also makes me want to get a cool vintage light-up globe—that's a whole other thing.
But you know the glowy-ness gives it a cinematic/narrative quality which makes me think of that feeling I get when I walk around the streets of NYC on cold winter nights and peek in people's windows. And everything inside is impossibly warm and cozy and rich.
Rachel: I love anything glowy...I have to say. I love warm tones, I always print things too yellow, I'm so drawn to that feeling.
Jen: I could see how it's baroque-ness is perfect for you: glowy AND glittery.
So how does this particular image relate to your practice overall, at this point in time?
Rachel: It's pretty indicative of where I am right now... I'm making a lot of still-lifes. Some are a bit spooky feeling, like this one, at my grandmother's house. And, this one. I need to update my personal site!
Jen: There's an amazing narrative pull to your work. It's subtle, but strong like ox! It makes me think of the kinds of short stories I grew up reading in The New Yorker. And it also has a very kind-of mid-century feeling to it, but that might be personal.
Rachel: Yeah—I like to think of it as an extension of my writing. I'd love to write a novel with images interspersed. I was always obsessed with The New Yorker fiction imagery.
Jen: There's nothing disaffected about you, or your images, but for some reason it puts J.D. Salinger in mind.
Rachel: I just re-read Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam. That's funny.
Jen: But you know, a novel with photographs would be amazing—makes me think of the brilliant Leanne Shapton. Aside from being a totally freaking brilliant artist herself, she's the L in J&L Books AND she's the art editor of the NYT editorial page. I LOVE the idea of a Shapton-esque Rachel Hulin novel avec photographs, but one that's utterly you, of course.
Rachel: Oh yes—any publishers out there, call me!
Jen: Yeah and we can use Globe on the cover!
Rachel: Seriously—I have been thinking about finding a deserted cabin and going at it for a few months. Definitely a goal. It could be good, I think.
Jen: I think you're on to something with that, I like it.
Well, my dear we could keep talking forever, but I'd prefer to save some of our chitchat for an in-person encounter, over adult beverages.
Rachel: Oh, that is an excellent idea. Let's do that soon.
Jen: Perhaps we'll need to meet soon and clink champagne glasses over the sell-out success of your edition?
I have a feeling we will—and soon!

Globe by Rachel Hulin

Happy Wednesday collectors! It's Sara. Jen's been chatting with today's super edition-maker, the one and only Rachel Hulin. We've been looking forward to today for quite some time and it's been a pleasure to work with Rachel every step of the way (one of the very best things about my job is the people I get to work with!). It seems as though the two had a lovely talk. You'll find the whole conversation on the blog [below] later today but for now, here's a little bit of what the ladies had to say about the gorgeous Globe.

Jen: Hello my dear! How are you?
Rachel: Hallo! Oh, very excited! Today is the day, you know.
Jen: Seriously, how exciting is this? First off: old skool HHS! I was walking home thinking about the '05 stuff that you showed and how it reminds me of Andrew Wyeth...
[Ed. note: insert lots of good photo talk between Jen and Rachel here.]
It might seem random, but your 20x200 edition reminds me of Tema's White Ice and it's not because there are round things in both of them. I bet you're all... Whaaaa? But check it out!
Rachel: Ha, that's interesting. I love Tema's white horse picture. I wish I took that image (which is my biggest compliment).
Jen: Here's what it is: to me some of the most successful photographs are ones that capture something that I would've totally overlooked if I'd been there myself...
Rachel: ...I look at everything around me as a potential picture. I have been looking at the glowing globe for ten years, and one day I just finally hauled up the tripod and made it.
Jen: With Globe, it's that there's something so universally comforting and familiar about the room that I'm seeing that I can imagine myself in it.
I feel like you took it from the perspective of your bed. Which may or may not be true, but that's the intimacy it has for me.
Rachel: Yeah, that's true actually.
Jen: And it serves to remind me to look around and notice what's familiar, like I was talking about in yesterday's newsletter. And it makes me want to get a cool vintage light-up globe—that's a whole other thing.
But you know, the glowy-ness gives it a cinematic/narrative quality which makes me think of that feeling I get when I walk around the streets of NYC on cold winter nights and peek in people's windows. And everything inside is impossibly warm and cozy and rich.
Rachel: I love anything glowy... I have to say, I love warm tones, I always print things too yellow, I'm so drawn to that feeling.
Jen: I could see how it's baroque-ness is perfect for you: glowy AND glittery.
So how does this particular image relate to your practice overall, at this point in time?
Rachel: It's pretty indicative of where I am right now... I'm making a lot of still-lifes. Some are a bit spooky feeling, like this one, at my grandmother's house. And, this one. I need to update my personal site!
Jen: There's an amazing narrative pull to your work. It's subtle, but strong like ox! It makes me think of the kinds of short stories I grew up reading in The New Yorker. And it also has a very kind-of mid-century feeling to it, but that might be personal.
Rachel: Yeah—I like to think of it as an extension of my writing. I'd love to write a novel with images interspersed. I was always obsessed with The New Yorker fiction imagery.
Jen: There's nothing disaffected about you, or your images, but for some reason it puts J.D. Salinger in mind.
Rachel: I just re-read Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam. That's funny.
Jen: But you know, a novel with photographs would be amazing—makes me think of the brilliant Leanne Shapton. Aside from being a totally freaking brilliant artist herself, she's the L in J&L Books AND she's the art editor of the NYT editorial page. I LOVE the idea of a Shapton-esque Rachel Hulin novel avec photographs, but one that's utterly you, of course.
Rachel: Oh yes—any publishers out there, call me!
Jen: Yeah and we can use Globe on the cover!
Rachel: Seriously—I have been thinking about finding a deserted cabin and going at it for a few months. Definitely a goal.
It could be good, I think.
Jen: I think you're on to something with that, I like it.
Well, my dear we could keep talking forever, but I'd prefer to save some of our chitchat for an in-person encounter, over adult beverages.
Rachel: Oh, that is an excellent idea. Let's do that soon.
Jen: Perhaps we'll need to meet soon and clink champagne glasses over the sell-out success of your edition?
I have a feeling we will—and soon!

Issue 4 of The Exposure Project book just came out and features the work of two awesome 20x200 edition makers: Carlo Van de Roer and Brian Ulrich (whose essay is included).

Though the name gives it away, here's the official word on the mission of the Exposure Project:

The Exposure Project is a collection of emerging photographers taking an active approach in exposing and promoting new talent through exhibition, publication and online exposure. Formed in the fall of 2005, the goal of the project is to provide support, inspiration and community-based collaboration to emerging talent. Since its inception, The Exposure Project has hosted numerous exhibitions, has had online showcases, and has self-published 3 photo books.

This is a very exciting time for both Carlo and Brian. In addition to being part of the newest Exposure Project release, Carlo's fifth and sixth 20x200 editions were released last week, Brian's one and only 20x200 edition is entirely sold out but his piece Powerhouse Gym is currently on view in the Summer Reading exhibition at the JBG.

Issue Four of the Exposure Project book is available to order online but they also provide an abridged PDF for your viewing-before-you-buy pleasure. Congratulations to the Exposure Project, Carlo, Brian and all the artists involved on a fabulous new issue!