Battle Eruption: Eddie vs. the Volcano

© UPI

Just saw these breathtaking photos from the eruption of the Chaitén volcano in Chile. Truly awesome display of nature's power.

This got me thinking about another awesome display of nature's power. I speak of Eddie Van Halen melting terra firma with his guitar on Eruption.



Naturally this begs an epic question. If Chaitén and Eddie met in a back alley and staged an 'eruption-off' who's bringing the hot lava and who's going home crying Pele's tears?

Chaitén photos via Talking Points Memo

I Love Gifts in the Mail: Patrick Romero

© Patrick Romero

A couple of weeks back Patrick Romero sent me a copy of his self published book, 28 Famous Views of Los Angeles. I have been so busy of late that I haven't had an opportunity to write about it until now.

Patrick's book is a short but wonderful stroll through a Los Angeles that exists someplace between popular legend, personal myth and fading reality. The images perfectly capture the hazy beauty and vague temporality of the city and I would hope a smart L.A. gallerist out there would contact Patrick and show these little gems ASAP.

UPDATE: If you want your own copy of 28 Famous Views of Los Angeles send Patrick an email. The book is a steal at $20 and supplies are limited, so chop chop.

New American Fables Installation Shots

The good folks at Pool Gallery were kind enough to send me some installation shots from my New American Fables show that is up right now. In related news, yesterday I booked a ticket to Berlin so I can see the show in person and catch the Hijacked book launch and exhibition at Neunplus. Ich bin ein Berliner!

Get Your Arse to Brooklyn, Yo!

© Andrew Miksys

This Thursday the Nelson Hancock Gallery will be hosting the opening of two shows by two very talented artists, Jon Gitelson and Andrew Miksys.

Jon's work is smart, funny and personal. It is part Larry David and part Martin Parr, but really it is pure Gitelson. I am super excited he decided to come to town for the opening.

Andrew's photography is rich, classically stylized and flat out gorgeous. He was kind enough to share his work with my class at Parsons yesterday and we were all stunned by his beautiful photos.

Jon and Andrew's work couldn't be more different which should make for a great show.

Here are the details:

Jon Gitelson | Artist's Books and Andrew Miksys | BAXT
Nelson Hancock Gallery
May 1 - July 6
111 Front St. #204
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 1, 6 - 8pm

If two shows in one location is not enough to satisfy your art appetite, New Orleans' own William Greiner has a show opening that very same night on that very same block in the very same building. Be sure to stop by Klompching Gallery for the opening of Fallen Paradise.

See you in Brooklyn!

Don't Call It a Comeback

Love Kills, 1979 © Jill Freedman

The New York Times has a great profile on Jill Freedman. Jill made a name for herself in the 70s and 80s with her gritty black and white images of a city in serious decline. She is now enjoying a bit of a renaissance with a show at Higher Pictures.

It's great to see an artist get her due after so many years, but it's disheartening to know you can have the goods and still fall off the art world map. The sad truth is Jill's story is probably more common than the stories of artists who enjoy a consistent and sustained success throughout their career. Too often I focus on career lessons learned from those who have made it, but the wisdom of those that struggle is just as valuable. "You have to be good at hustling," Jill says.

And so I hustle...

An Opening, Two Closings and a Monkey on a Motorbike

Pieter Hugo Cover/Juxtapoz Magazine

Just a quick update from the California Zephyr as I speed across America. Tonight my first solo show in Germany opens at the Pool Gallery in Berlin. The people at Pool couldn't be nicer and Art Das Kunstmagzin has chosen the show for their Tip of the Week.

This weekend marks the closing of both my first solo show at Paul Kopeikin Gallery and the Car Culture group show at SMoCA. Very sad to these shows come down, but all things must pass.

Also, some of my work is featured in the latest issue of Juxtapoz Magazine. The issue highlights work by a number of great photographers like Pieter Hugo, Boogie and Corey Arnold. Get your copy now!

New American Fables Solo Show in Berlin this Friday

New American Fables opening Friday at Pool Gallery

Today I am leaving on a four day cross country train trip. Yes, I'm riding the rails like Boxcar Bertha, but instead of livin' and lovin' like an outlaw I will be shooting an editorial assignment. I suspect a train across America means serious connectivity lapses, so I may be off the grid for a few days.

I previously planned on going to Berlin this week for the opening of my first solo show in Germany, but over the past six weeks I have suffered through a series of flus, colds and an assortment of maladies that made it difficult to plan a trip oversees. It's too bad because it should be a pretty happening event.

The show is called New American Fables and features a selection of work from my Domesticated and Halloween in Harlem series. I will definitely make it over before the show closes and hopefully time it to catch the openings of Alec Soth's TWO SHOWS in Berlin. Talk about a big-time art superstar.

If you are in Berlin this Friday please stop by Pool Gallery for the opening.

Here are the details on the show:

Amy Stein | New American Fables
Pool Gallery
Apr 26 – May 24
Tucholskystraße 38
Berlin, Germany
Opening Reception: Friday, Apr 23, 7-11 pm

Corey Arnold on NPR

© Corey Arnold

Corey Arnold is a great photographer who manages to marry the best parts of documentary and conceptual work to produce images that are uniquely his own. He is also on my shortlist of truly wonderful people in the world. Check out this nugget of audio and visual gold he just did with NPR.

Trapped!

The New Yorker has posted a fascinating time-lapsed video of Nicholas White, who was trapped in an elevator for forty-one hours. Mr. White stays remarkably calm during his ordeal. I would have chewed off my arm and clubbed myself to death with it.

Jessica Dimmock and The Ninth Floor

© Jessica Dimmock

This Thursday Jessica Dimmock's The Ninth Floor opens at Foley Gallery this Thursday. If you haven't seen Jessica's work yet check out the show or pick up her book. You will be hard pressed not to be effected by the work.

Anna Sirota is a student of mine from Parsons. She was moved by the images from The Ninth Floor and approached me about writing a review of the book on my blog. I am a big fan of writing about your own work and the work of others, so I was happy to oblige.

Here's Anna's review:

The drug epidemic in America has escalated to an all time high. People all over the country are falling into the abyss of addiction and the war on drugs is an endless and seemingly hopeless endeavor. Many feel disconcerted and disgusted with the idea of injecting a lethal chemical into their veins, but the importance of recognizing and discussing the emotional pain and suffering that addicts experience on a daily basis is the way to initiate change.

Jessica Dimmock’s “The Ninth Floor” is a hauntingly uneasy documentation of young heroin addicts living in squalor. Jessica successfully captured the stale, dismal atmosphere of the space, once a representation of beauty and class. The vacancy disintegration of each of her subjects is palpable. Through a muted color scheme and a straightforward snap-shot perspective, Jessica Dimmock evokes feelings of sadness and sympathy. The images are genuinely disturbing and impossible to be ignored. If this book is not a cause for reflection, then nothing can be.

Here are the details on the show:

Jessica Dimmock | The Ninth Floor
Foley Gallery
547 W 27th Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10001
Apr 17 - May 31, 2008
Opening reception: Apr 17, 6 - 8 PM

Send in the Clowns

© John Gordon

Today on Conscientious Jörg compared the work of Idris Khan and Jason Salavon. Both artists create composite images of preexisting photos that share a similar subject.

My husband John was inspired and gave the concept his own waggish spin. The above image represents every clown in the International Clown Hall of Fame (ICHOF). The results are quite frightening and yet strangely hypnotic.

Saturday Night Party Then Sunday Afternoon Kong

Edinburgh, UK 2003 © Brian Ulrich

Last night I went to a party at the fabulous home of photography collector Joe Baio. Each year Joe throws a big shindig during AIPAD to show off his amazing collection of photographs. The walls were covered in photographs by Sally Mann, Brian Ulrich, Arthur Tress, Vik Muniz, Loretta Lux, Angelika Rinnhofer, Muzi Quawson...the list goes on and on.

The joint was packed with a who's who of gallerists and photographers featured in Joe's collection. I found myself in many amazing conversations with people I have admired for a very long time but never had the opportunity to meet. I had about three glasses of wine too many, but I think everyone else did too. It really was a special evening and I am now counting the days until next years party.

This afternoon I am paying the price for my partying ways. I am nursing a decent hangover and consuming copious amounts of coffee so I can get on with the business of the day. During my downtime I watched the documentary King of Kong. If you haven't seen it yet you must stop everything you are doing and watch it now.

Now I am off to AIPAD one last time.

Photography Now 2008 Opening Tonight in Woodstock

© Matthew Baum

If you are in or around Woodstock, NY, tonight be sure to catch the opening of Photography Now 2008 at the Center for Photography at Woodstock. The exhibition was juried by Darren Ching of Klompching Gallery fame and features a number of very talented photographers including my very dear friend, Matthew Baum.

While you are there, be sure to kick a hippie in the shins.

Shai Kremer at Julie Saul Gallery

Abandoned Syrian Base, Golan Heights, 2007 © Shai Kremer

Fighting back a sickness that has ruined me for the past several weeks I ventured to Chelsea last night for Shai Kremer's Broken Promised Land opening at Julie Saul Gallery. The opening was hopping and Shai's prints looked amazing. For over seven years Shai has been documenting the effects of military action on the landscape of Israel. The work is both sobering and beautiful and raises a lot of questions about the generations of people born into an environment where this kind of destruction is the norm.

After making the rounds at Shai's opening we walked a few blocks to the Blind Spot auction at David Zwirner. We went to the auction with a strong desire to make serious bids on a couple of pieces, but the place was so incredibly crowded it proved impossible to see the work let alone write your bid down. I quickly tucked the credit card back in the pocket and made a beeline out the door and into the beautiful New York night.

Busy Like Our Friend the...

This is one of those weeks where the social calendar and the career calendar collide in spectacular fashion. By Sunday I will probably be reduced to a tired pile of my former self.

Last night was an SVA event at the Whitney Biennial, tonight is Spoon at Terminal 5, Thursday is the Blind Spot Auction and then it's all AIPAD through the weekend. (By the way, big thanks to Robert Ayers of ArtInfo for including me in the Editor's Picks for AIPAD).

All that nighttime fun caps full days spent scurrying about the streets of New York trying to get stuff done. I am teaching two classes this week, putting the finishing touches on my portfolio so my rep can start shopping it around and preparing a ton of prints for a solo show in Berlin that opens in two weeks! (More on the Berlin solo show later.)

I'm exhausted!

Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. This is all good stuff and exactly what I set out to do. It's just becoming painfully obvious to me that I do not have the capacity to juggle the expanding details and obligations of my career and still be able to produce new work. I have a wonderful intern, Chanjai, who helps me a ton, but I think I am at a critical juncture where I need to expand operations and hire an assistant. Once I get back from Berlin I will explore this idea a little more and maybe post a want ad on my blog.

Bunny Hops to F-Stops

Brian Ulrich and Todd Hido getting rad!

Last Tuesday at Aperture I saw a great lecture by the talented Todd Hido. As he talked about the long hours he spends driving around looking for his next subject and finding influence in the work of Robert Adams I realized that we share a very similar vision and approach to working. It really was an inspiration.

Much of what Todd said will soon become career canon for me, but one thing he mentioned really piqued my interest. His early years were spent in Ohio on a BMX bike.

This got me thinking about another photographer I know who rode BMX back in the day, Brian Ulrich. I started to wonder if there was a correlation here. Maybe the future stars of MoMA can be found getting agro on the dirt tracks and in the parking lots of America. Perhaps photography grad schools should cut the curriculum and just show this to incoming students:

Hmmm...

If you are a modern photographer genius who spent their youth doing tail whips, table tops and endos, let me know and please send me a photo. I think I can get a grant for this.

Big Openings This Thursday and Friday

© Alison Malone

Yesterday I began carb loading in anticipation of a big Thursday gallery crawl. It's not often I make it to the Midtown galleries, but with Fred Herzog and Matthew Pillsbury in the mix I am willing to tear myself away from the usual Thursday night in Chelsea.

I have been crowing for a while now about Fred Herzog's brilliantly alive Kodachrome photos of Vancouver from the 50s and 60s. Shockingly this is his first solo show in the states.

Matthew Pillsbury's work is instantly iconic and you just know we are biding time until his MoMA retrospective. I love Matthew and his work, but secretly I'm really more interested in seeing Nathan.

Also worth checking out this Thursday is fellow SVA alum and all around radical chick, Alison Malone. Work from her series Job's Daughter will be featured in the Dream-Self group show at Broadway Gallery.

Here are the details:

Fred Herzog | Vancouver Color
April 3 - May 31
Laurence Miller Gallery
20 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019

Matthew Pillsbury | Elapsed
April 3 - May 31
Bonni Benrubi Gallery
41 E 57th St #1300
New York, NY 10022

Dream-Self
April 3-15
Broadway Gallery
473 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10013

Gregory Crewdson | Beneath the Roses
April 3 - May 3
Luhring Augustine Gallery
531 West 24th St
New York, NY 10011

See you there!

Todd Hido at Aperture Tonight

Untitled, #4078 2005 © Todd Hido

The very talented Todd Hido will be giving a lecture tonight at Aperture. Todd consistently produces images that are uncanny and haunting, but never foreboding. Much like Hopper his work propagates the kind of mystery that invites you into the scene instead of warning you to keep a safe distance. I am a big fan.

I am feeling sick today, but if I can drag myself out of bed and onto to the F train I will be there.

If you can't make it, check out the video of Todd below.

My Fair City

Over the next few days our quiet little hamlet called New York City will be overrun with art collectors, gallerists, gawkers, stalkers and artists. It's art fair week in NYC!

With no less than nine fairs running simultaneously it can lead to a serious case of art overload...and a few hangovers. The upside is I get to see a lot of kick ass work and hang with a lot of old and new friends who are in town for the big shows.

If you want to see (and buy!) my work you can go to the Saatchi booth at Pulse or the Paul Kopeikin Gallery booth at LA Art in New York.

Here are the details:

Pulse Art Fair -- Saatchi Online | London
Pier 40
353 West Street
New York, NY 10014

LA Art in New York -- Paul Kopeikin Gallery
Altman Building
135 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

Drop me a line if you are in town or meet me at the fairs.

Colin Blakely and 20x200

The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between © Colin Blakely

I have mentioned this image by Colin Blakely several times in the past. I gushed about it so much Colin was nice enough to send me a signed print last year.

Now you can own it via 20x200. And you must own it! It really is a gorgeous image and you can't beat the price.

MakingRoom Interview

Anna and Lily, Route 17, NY 2008 © Amy Stein

MarkingRoom is an online magazine that looks at the process of making images. The magazine is run by the wonderful Davin Risk who also writes the MakingRoom blog. Davin just posted an interview with me about my ongoing Stranded series.

Worst Reality Show Ever

Psycho Hitchhiker (Coming or Going), 2007 © Douglas Gordon

A gallery friend of mine received this notice casting artists for a new reality TV show.

Gallery HD and Illuminations Media are looking for two Fearless, Charismatic, Passionate & Informed ARTISTS to take the definitive chutzpah road trip.

Two Artist/Art Racers must cross the US in 40 days, surviving only on Art. Armed with art materials, cameras and a $1 dollar budget, the Artist/Art Racers must “trade” Art for food, shelter and other artworks.

Starting on opposite coasts (one in NYC and one in LA), the Art Racers’ odyssey culminates in a home-city exhibition of all the works they have created and collected along the way. The winner is the Artist/Art Racer who sells/trades the most artwork. Or at least the one who survives.

Looking for great communicators who interact well with all sorts of people and can make smart commentary as life happens. Intelligent, sassy and witty are good too. All participants must live in the New York or Los Angeles areas, be at least 21 years old and a US citizen or legal resident alien.

If this is you, please submit the following:

• recent photo (no older than 6 months)
• bio or resume
• sample of your art (photo reproduction okay)
• short essay explaining why you are an Art Racer
• be sure to include your full name, home city and phone number

Please send all ASAP to: subs@barbarabarnacasting.com

ART RACE shoots May 26 – July 11 for appx 40 days on the road + up to 5 add’l shoot days & voice over. Each Art Racer will receive $20,000 US for participating.

This has to be the lamest premise ever, but these shows tend to use premise merely as a vehicle to toss dynamite in the laps of the emotionally unstable. For this show I imagine they will cast a fierce gay waif and pit him against a butterfly-tatooed free spirit chick, strip them of their meds and then film them on a 40 day train wreck as they create, cry, stab, starve, fuck, suck and sell their way across the heartland of USA. You know, all the worst stereotypes about artists in one glorious made-for-TV odyssey. Set your TiVo now.

Domesticated Showing at Saatchi Booth During Pulse

© Alix Smith

Saatchi Online just announced the artists they will be showing at the Pulse Contemporary Art Fair beginning March 27. Making the cut was yours truly as well as two fine and fabulous friends, Juliana Beasley and Alix Smith. Obviously, I am beyond thrilled to be associated with Saatchi again.

Check out the the Saatchi site to see the other artists they will be showing and then be sure to stop by the booth during the fair.

Chicks Gabbing About Photography

Pappa Sleeping © Sarah Small

This Saturday I will be moderating a panel discussion on what it means to be an emerging female art photographer in New York City. The panel, organized by Humble Arts Foundation and 3rd Ward, will feature the very talented Rachael Dunville, Tema Stauffer, Cara Phillips, Mary Mattingly and Sarah Small.

As moderator I personally guarantee this discussion will not resemble a Lifetime movie or a mystical moon poem to Gaia, but I will want to press the issue on some obvious and unique challenges faced by women in the art world today.

Here are the details:

Women in Art Photography
Saturday, March 22, 6 – 8 pm
3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Apparently space is limited, so RSVP now to events@hafny.org. More info here.

I Love Critters!

Fire Eyes © Nicole Jean Hill

Last week reclusive blogger Greg Wasserstrom mentioned a group show called Nature Morte currently on display at Shotgun Space in Los Angeles. I checked out the goods and immediately fell head over heals for Nicole Jean Hill's Critters series. I was especially taken by the image above called Fire Eyes. This little critter has found a new home as my current desktop image.