125 Stadiums by Jenny Odell

Fall kickoff Tuesday greetings, collectors! It's a gray day in NYC, seemingly appropriate for the back-at-it we're all up to today. I chose to leave my hair sandy and sea-washed for just one more day (my homage to a lovely, celebratory weekend spent at the shore among people that I adore), but the fact is that fall is my most favorite season of all. My calendar is chock full of exciting autumn events and openings (including Sarah McKenzie's second solo exhibition, which opens at Jen Bekman Gallery on Friday), and who doesn't love sweater weather?

Speaking of kickoffs, 125 Stadiums, our fifth edition from Bay Area artist Jenny Odell, is likely to inspire a roar from the crowd. Jenny's works, the result of hours spent scouring Google Satellite View, have proven to be utterly addictive for my data-geek pals: My algorithms-obsessed friend Kevin Slavin is possibly her #1 fan. And Ms. Odell and the fine fellas of Stamen (including Mr. prettymaps himself, Aaron Straup Cope), had plenty to discuss over cocktails one evening in SF, making for a beautiful, data-driven experience.

Jenny's fanbase is certainly not limited to the data-nerds among us—it's been increasing exponentially (not to mention internationally)! Her collections appeal to both those who experience the world on the ground via the web, or soaring above it in an airplane. I wrote about that sensation when introducing her very first 20x200 edition:

I've clocked a lot of hours up in the air... Still, one thrill that never fails me is looking down from above and watching a sprawling city become small; its buildings, roads and cars shrinking down into little bits that I'd need to pick up gingerly between two fingers so as to not break them.

Luckily for us, Ms. Odell's output isn't shrinking—we've got more work queued up from her (and I've got quite a few on my wish list that I'm hoping she'll release with us, as well). Jenny will also be in a group show next month at Intersection for the Arts (we'll give you all the deets soon as the date nears so you can plan accordingly), alongside SF-resident Wendy MacNaughton. And you can view the artist's work published in German magazines NEON and Zeitmagazin, as well as see her editorial eye at work, as the West Coast editor, in photo publication Conveyor.

— Jen