…sitting in my favorite easy chair

I am sitting in my favorite easy chair; taking a break from working on my “wall book.” The chair faces the bookcase with my photobooks. I have pulled down “Studio St. Petersburg” by Deborah Turbeville. The book, with its grainy images, with dust spots, scratches, and unretouched, has influenced much of my photographic vision.

I bought it before the digital revolution. It now looks decidedly ‘film photography.’ One of the books on the shelf in front of me is “Digital Photo Art.” Outside the fog is so thick that the vegetation is as out of focus and grainy as Turbeville’s photos. By today’s standards reproduction of images in Turbeville’s book is pretty lousy. I can do better than that with my $70.00 Epson printer.

Mostly I realize that now is now, and then was then. Film may survive for a while, perhaps even for a long time, however the way we will look at film images is going to be completely different now and in the future, then it has been. For one thing, the prints of digital images, or scanned film images will be much ‘better’ and manipulated differently than anything we were used to seeing . Our reality is changing, and that is the biggest challenge of understanding digital. On the one hand it does not really matter whether an image is printed in the darkroom or in the ‘lightroom,’ on the other hand these two concepts are different worlds. Just as we don’t heat our houses with coal stoves anymore, or ride in a horse and buggy, so we no longer live in a film photography world.

The technical discussion of film vs digital is dead, if it ever was ‘alive’ or had meaning to begin with. We are not dealing with technical concepts here, but with philosophical ones, with the meaning of how we perceive life. Digital has brought us one step closer to living in la la land. Just as the world changed when photographs took the place of drawings and paintings, so the world is changing as digital replaces film. The issues that are going to be interesting and challenging are not those that concern itself with which one is better, but how they impact on our understanding of our world.. Will our visual literacy be able to function when we are inundated with an ever more deceptive and confusing array of images, purporting to show us our world.

TerzoOcchio Exhibition

Earlier this year I participated in the TerzoOcchio group exhibition in Japan; curated by  Roberto Mutti.  Until I received this video link today, I had no idea how big and impressive the exhibit was. My thanks to all of those who put it together and supported it.

Photographers participating were:

Massimo Bersani (IT) – Luciano Prazzoli (IT) – Marja Lampinen (FI) – Paola Rizza (IT) – Rainer Lampinen (FI) – Giorgio Grazioli IT) – Sergei Sherbakov (RU) – Sergei Chitov (RU) Asya Nemchenok (RU) – Lilya Corneli (DE) – Joanna Kinowska (PL) – Lucia Giacani IT) – Nour Eddine El Ghoumari (MA) – Pietro Alloisio (IT) – Angela Maria Carioni (AR) – Christian Harkness (USA) Virgil Mlesnita (RO) – Bogdan Zwir (RU) – Peter Lovigin (RU) – Stefano Masciovecchio (IT) – Stefano Bernardoni IT) – Raul Iacometti (IT) – Balazs Borocz (HU) – Giancarlo Mannetta (IT) – Dmitri Tikvine (RU)

 

visitors map

It is always interesting to see where my web site hits come from. Here is a recent map showing where each hit originated.  Interesting pattern, now, if I could just figure out what it means.

druckstelle, berlin

Rummaging through my notebook, I found ticket stubs, gallery cards, the kind of stuff you save when you visit a new place. These were from Berlin where last year I spent ten days attending a polymer printmaking workshop at the ‘druckstelle.’ It’s a printmaking studio in Berlin Kreuzberg run by Eva Pietzker and Miriam Zegrer; a true artist studio, producing excellent art in somewhat primitive surroundings. I found an inexpensive apartment, with kitchen, two bedrooms, and a balcony, just around the corner from the studio, and came away tremendously impressed with not only the vitality of the studio, but the vitality and energy of Berlin. Lately I have read that New Yorkers are finding the place a cheap and extremely enriching environment, and are moving there. I sure can see why. I am super impressed with the city and the people.

Portrait of a WaterWoman

Editioning of photographic prints

My friend G. and I have had endless discussion concerning the editioning of photographic prints, a subject made even more complicated with the invention of the inkjet print. As a photographer with a large foot in the printmaking camp, I have never been comfortable with editioned photographic prints. I just have never been able or willing to follow the often convoluted reasons offered for doing it.

So, it was with great delight that I saw this in my Sunday New York Times [I believe a subscription is required to see this article - yes, I know I am week late.]

“WHY PAY SIX FIGURES FOR A PHOTO?

Howard Greenberg, whose eponymous Manhattan photagraphy gallery is celebrating its 25th year, takes questions from the audience,

Q. How does the editions system work?

A. It’s a construct for the market to encourage people to buy early and to ensure that the artist is rewarded. It’s also partially a response to the hesitation of collectors to buy photography because they think another print could always be made and have a negative effect on value. That’s not quite true. Even though photos can look very similar, each one is different.”

The air sure is full of ABMB. Since we live in comfortable driving distance Alexandria and I might be sorry we did not go this year. At the end of last year’s we decided to skip a year. It seem like this year it is the cultural even of the year.  It will be interesting to see if/when bubble  bursts.

 

Opening

Alexandria and I had one of our monthly openings at our studio/gallery last Sunday. We have one on the first Sunday of every month, featuring a different artist represented with one piece. [One artist, one piece, one day - hence Studio 1] Anyhow, last Sunday was my turn. I showed one of my ‘Tarnished Mirror” pieces which I had printed on aluminum.

The weather was great, we had a good turnout, the black beans and rice were delicious what more can one want. Here are a couple of snapshots Alexandria took. I always forget to take pictures at these events, even if I have my camera laying on the table in plain sight.

 

 

 

Studio 1 – again

This is from last month’s opening reception.;Angela discussing Blake’s painting with a friend. A reminder that Alexandria and I are having our next opening this coming Sunday at 1 pm at our studio gallery. I will be showing one of my photos mounted on aluminum. Please come if you can!!!

I will be out of ‘blog’ touch for a while, till we can get our high speed internet connection at the studio re-established.