Edition Announcement #371 - Emily Shur

Hello collectors! It's Sara writing. We're interrupting our previously-scheduled editions to bring you two back-to-back opportunities to support the relief efforts in Japan. Emily Shur emailed over the weekend asking if we could pull together a benefit edition, to which we replied, of course.

All net proceeds from the sales of Imperial Palace Gardens with Wall, Tokyo will go to support the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund.

LA-based Emily's been traveling and photographing through Japan since 2004, building a personal body of work that is, as she describes it, a "celebration of introspection." Like much of her work, many of the images look as if they could have been taken anywhere in the world. Without the title, Imperial Palace Gardens with Wall, Tokyo, might be mistaken for the groomed gardens found around Southern California, near Emily's own home.

The nature of this work highlights why disasters like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are so unsettling, engrossing and disturbing. What happened there could have happened anywhere. All things that are steady, constant and beholden, yours, mine and ours, can be swept away. While it's nearly impossible to understand that kind of loss until you are faced with it—to the extent that, in writing this, I'm aware that it sounds borderline, if not entirely, trite—we all know, it's true. Because words like this are terribly insufficient, it's all the more reason to do something. Plus, we're doubling up the feel-good factor: you'll be benevolent and get some great art.

After Emily emailed, I dropped a note to Joe Holmes—who just returned from Tokyo—asking if he'd donate an image too. Good-natured and generous as he is, he immediately agreed. Tomorrow we'll share one of his new works from Japan with you. All net proceeds from Joe's new edition will also support the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund. Emily and Joe's kindness has been bolstered by our printer, Eric Recktenwald, who has donated his time for the production of these prints which makes your money go even farther to support the relief effort.

While all of us are working just as fast as we can to put these editions together, these prints will not ship within five days of your order as we normally promise. Please be patient and know that good things come to those who wait. Till tomorrow!

All of the proceeds from the sale of this print benefit Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund.

Previous Newsletter : Edition Announcement #370 - Jenny ODell