Domesticated is Book a Day on Photo-Eye

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Domesticated is the Book a Day selection on the photo-eye site (it's also the top seller!). Yesterday the Book a Day selection was America, so you know I roll in good company.

Miss America

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Amy and Zoe at the America opening

Zoe Strauss' America: We Love Having You Here opening at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery was a fabulous affair. Once again, the girl did it up right with beer and pretzels, comfy living room chairs, and photographs so good they make you want to quit taking photographs. Whether it's her gallery exhibitions, her public installations or her book, Zoe is completely in charge of her vision and it shows. And how wonderful to have a gallerist like Bruce who believes in that vision so completely.

Thursday Night In NYC

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Forest Glenn III © Christoph Gielen

Tonight is a slow night for openings in New York, but that doesn't mean I won't be making the rounds. Donning a parka and warmed by wine, I am going embrace the New York chill to see the Moving Walls 15 group exhibition at the Open Society Institute and Christoph Gielen's Arcadia show at Daniel Cooney Fine Arts.

The Moving Walls 15 show will feature work by James Pomerantz who I have been emailing with of late after he gave me a copy of his lovely book, Caspian Dream. The show is at the OSI so I'm hoping big daddy Soros ponies up for some quality wine.

Arcadia is Christoph Gielen's first New York solo show. Christoph's work includes spectacular aerial view of towns and cities that need to be seen in person to appreciate.

Really this is all just an excuse to hang out again with my sassy and hyper-talented lady friend, Juliana Beasley, who has been away in France far too long.

And, don't forget this Saturday is the big Zoe Strauss We Love Having You opening at Bruce Silverstein Gallery. If you miss this, you'd better be dead or in jail...and if your in jail, break out!

Pre-order America

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Sweet Jeebus Yes! Zoe Strauss' book is almost here! Pre-order you copy here and here.

Oh No He Didn't!

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Zoe Strauss makes a well reasoned argument on her blog regarding the 2008 presidential election. If her logic doesn't sway you, how about this?

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day.

Personally, I would have cut off his testicles and fed them to jackals.

Washington Project for the Arts Auction This Friday

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Benjamin, 2007 © Erika Larsen

This Friday the Washington Project for the Arts is holding it's 2008 Art Auction Gala. The WPA auction has a different format than most in that they invite people from the art world to curate the artists selected for auction. I was very honored to have Sarah Kennel, the Assistant Photography Curator at National Gallery of Art, ask me to donate a piece from my Domesticated series. Sarah clearly has great taste and a fabulous eye because she also selected Erika Larsen, An-My Lê, Lori Nix, Zoe Strauss and Shen Wei.

Even if you don't have tickets for the big event you can still support the WPA by registering and bidding online. In addition to the stellar curatorial work of Miss Kennel, be sure to check out pieces curated by Heather Darcy Bhandari of Mixed Greens and Marc and Sara Schiller of the Wooster Collective.

Zoe Strauss Kicks Ass

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© Zoe Strauss

How much ass can one lady kick? If that lady is Zoe Strauss then we are talking about a full time ass-kicking machine. Mrs. Strauss was just named a USA Gund Fellow for 2007. United States Artists awards $50,000 to each fellow "to nurture, support, and strengthen the work of America’s finest living artists." What a huge honor and certainly well deserved. Big congratulations to Zoe.

Battle Photo: Jump!

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© Bill Owens

vs.

© Zoe Strauss

Viernes Gigante!

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This Friday will henceforth be referred to as Viernes Gigante! Big Friday! A big opening in SoHo and a big closing in Chelsea and me without my roller skates to zip between the two.

First up, the opening for a great show with some top notch photographers curated by two fabulous people.

© Shen Wei

A New American Portrait
Curated by jen bekman + Jörg Colberg
Opening: Friday, June 22, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
jen bekman gallery
Featuring photographs by Christine Collins, Jen Davis, Benjamin Donaldson, Amy Elkins, Peter Haakon Thompson, Todd Hido, Alec Soth, Brian Ulrich, and Shen Wei

© Zoe Strauss

From there it's across town to Chelsea and Silverstein to celebrate the closing of If You Reading This with Philadelphia's third greatest export ever, Zoe Strauss. (Number one is the US Constitution and number two is Dr. J, naturally.)

Zoe Strauss: If You Reading This Closing Party
Silverstein Photography
Friday, June 22, 8:30 p.m.

Should be a great evening with great friends.

Tastykakes and Gumbo

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© Zoe Strauss

Saturday we hit up Chelsea to see Kelli Connell's show at Yossi Milo and Elijah Gowin at Robert Mann. Great stuff, but we were really just biding our time waiting for the main event: Zoe Strauss' big solo show, If You Reading This, at Silverstein Gallery.

Zoe's prints looked great and the images were all very strong. And, there was a decidedly un-Chelsea feel to the festivities. It was fun to see stuffy matrons of the New York art scene leafing through the $5 print bin like a DJ diggin' for vinyl at a thriftstore. There were even Tastykakes for everyone.

The highlight was finally getting to meet Zoe in person. What a superstar. She has an energy and spirit about her that is so completely infectious and an authenticity that is a rare commodity these days. Congrats on the show, Zoe!

Do You Know What It Means launch party

Saturday was a tough go because we were still feeling slightly crapulent after the Friday launch party for Do You Know What It Means and the subsequent after-party that got us back to Jackson Heights at 4 AM. The event was a big success and I want to thank everyone who made it over to the SVA to share in the launch and the delicious gumbo.

Installation Shots from Versionfest

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Alas, the 43rd Annual Versionfest Photographic Invitational has come and gone. In case you didn't get a chance to see this epic photo event, Brian Ulrich just sent some installation shots. The images below represent the work of yours truly, Bill Sullivan, Jack Edinger and Todd Deutsch, Julian Montague, and Zoe Strauss.

Come On Feel the Illinoise!

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I have finally cracked the inner sanctum of the Loyal Order of Chicagraphers. Grand Poobahs, Brian Ulrich and Jon Gitelson, have curated the 43rd Annual Versionfest Photographic Invitational and graciously invited this New Yorker to commune with the Chi-town faithful. I have spent the better part of a month practicing for the initiation ceremony, but I'm still not sure if I need to provide my own goat for the ritual sacrifice...

The line-up for the Versionfest exhibition is a Murderers' Row of photographers. In addition to my Domesticated work, the show will feature works by Bill Sullivan, Jason Lazarus, Zoe Strauss, Shawnee Barton, Todd Deutsch, Michael Northrup, Julian Montague, Mary Farmilant, and Jack Edinger. Definitely not to be missed.

43rd Annual Versionfest Photographic Invitational
Zhou B Center, 2nd Floor
1029 W. 35th Street
April 26 - May 6
Artist Reception: Saturday, April 28, 7 - 9:30 PM

If you'd like to see the Domesticated prints in a more commercial setting, stop by the Paul Kopeiken Gallery booth during Art Chicago.

Art Chicago
The Merchandise Mart
April 27-30

I will be in Chicago this weekend for both events. If you're in town and would like to meet up, drop me a note.

I *Heart* Zoe Strauss

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© Zoe Strauss

I admit it. I have a complete photo crush on Zoe Strauss. I have never met her, so it's hard to nail down why I have become so enamored of late. The source of my shine may be the immense talent that put her in the Whitney Biennial. It may be because she is single-handedly stripping away the crusty mantle of art world pretension that has built up between artists, their subjects, and the public. It may because she has pulled back the curtain and demystified the creative process making her photography completely accessible and her progression refreshingly democratic.

I think these are crush-worthy qualities, but what really has me smitten is that she seems to do it all with an infectious combination of bad ass spunk and a pure, unflinching glee. Zoe's energy is an addictive force, not unlike chocolate covered crack. You can get a sense of it in the trailer for the new documentary about her and her work, If You Break The Skin.

I consider myself pretty fortunate to be in a group show with Zoe this month in Chicago. The show is part of Version Fest and is being curated by the dynamic duo of Chicagraphy, Brian Ulrich and Jon Gitelson. I will post more about the show later.

Zoe, if you go to the opening I promise to keep the fawning to a minimum.