Image taken from the NY Times.
Kind of pressed for time, but here's a really interesting article in last Sunday's Times about the explosion of modern architecture in Beijing for the upcoming Olympics. I find the analysis of Herzog & de Mueron's National Stadium particularly interesting.

Half Awake and Half Asleep

I tried to go see the Asako Narahashi show that opened on Thursday at when I was out around Chelsea, but the gallery was closed weekends during their summer hours. I've been a fan of Asako's work since I first ran into the book "Half Awake and Half Asleep in the Water" at Dashwood Books a few months back. Theres something so unnerving about the work, as if something is rising from the depths. Sort of reminiscent of Godzilla movies, how something menacing is rising out of the water, from the unknown. I wonder if it's possible to remove the sense of terrorist fears, the feeling of being a sitting duck, and the calm before the storm from this work. Is it possible to make photographs that are purely formal, or is every image ultimately a product of context?

"Home Delivery" @ MOMA

Great review of the Home Delivery show at Moma that just opened. I'm going on Sunday, though I may wait till later in the week so I can go the Liars/Fuck Buttons show at McCarren Park Pool.

Group Crit @ 175 Troutman

Group Critique @ My studio/apt tomorrow night, 7pm. All are welcome, so don't be a stranger.

175 Troutman St. #3R
Brooklyn, L - Morgan.

Chris Burden Erector Set Building

This is the Chris Burden Erector Set building that's up at Rockerfeller Center right now. I have yet to see the actual piece, but isn't this picture beautiful? I mean, that light...

New Work

So these are some new images that I've just recently begun shooting. I'm not entirely sure where they are going, but I am kind of in love with them right now. I really enjoy the fact that I'm not in control of things, that even as I am taking the photograph, someone could move or the light could change and the image could turn out entirely different than I had planned. There is something incredibly creepy about them, as if I'm some old man peering out the window, watching people go about their day. Right now I feel as if there is something really jarring about them, yet extremely pretty and jewel like, as if the moment these people are having is final and will never happen again. I couldn't help but think of these while watching the last shots of Fail-Safe last night... not to say that they are the same, but I hope they have some of that sense of unknowing finality to them.

Maybe it's just nice to do something new and not question it.

Richard Ross

Also, here is a great interview with Richard Ross that the ACLU did about his Architecture of Authority show at Aperture.

I'll be posting some new work I've been shooting recently later tonight, but since I saw Fail-Safe at Bryant Park last night, I thought I'd post this. It's related in a weird way, sort of.


*note* this is the final scene, so if you haven't seen Fail-Safe and don't want to ruin it, you might not want to view this.

Expansible Catalog

Sputnik, 2008.


Balloon, 2000.

2 favorites from the Expansible Catalog Show at White Columns.

The State of Upstate

Some scans of my recent zine, The State of Upstate, which is set to be selling at Dashwood Books in the coming weeks.




I'm pleased with the outcome, for a first attempt since high school, but I think there are a few things I'd like to do differently next time. My friend Sam made his so that the book is actually made of foldout posters, which i totally love. I feel like that may be cheaper, and a little more polished than my attempt, but retain a bit of a home made feel, which was my idea for my project. Some ideas for next time...

I went to some galleries yesterday, but didn't see much I liked. I hate summer shows most of the time, so I guess this comes as no big surprise. I was really excited to see the show up at Plane Space Gallery, since it had some Steven B. Smith work included, but was pretty not thrilled by rest of the work. I normally feel the opposite, but I'm a much bigger fan of Steven Smith's work in black & white than I am in color... The color images felt sort of sentimental, which seems strange for him. I did like the Maureen Keaveny images up however, and as usual, thoroughly enjoyed the work up at White Columns. The Oliver Wasow Expansible Catalog Project up in the back gallery is really quite amazing.

An Opening

Last night Colin and I went to some openings and I enjoyed the 'IF LOVE COULD HAVE SAVED YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE LIVED FOREVER' show at Bellweather. It dealt with death and the memorial in a really direct manner, without coming across as mellow dramatic. On first glance I thought some of the pieces were a little sloppy for my tastes, particularly the Joss Paper Effigies (though I suppose they do provide a funny commentary on the Westernization of Chinese Tradition), and the Paa Joe slave castle coffin replica, but I'm having second thoughts after reading the press release. I thought the first was slightly overwhelming in such a small space (it took up an entire wall, and almost completely swallowed up any of the power the Tammy Rae Carland photograph had, which was a favorite), and I felt the Paa Joe needed too much additional information to add to the context of the show. To me, they both felt slightly out of place.

The Tammy Rae Carland piece, however, was definitely a favorite, like I said.

I've always been more than a bit influenced by her work, and this was a nice departure from her "Lesbian Beds" series, though it had similar themes of evidence of what was once there. Definitely a high point.


I also particularly enjoyed the Lisa Ross photographs of Sufi Shrines in the back, which added a somber feeling to the show. Her tone and composition is great in both the images, and I love the sense of ephemeralness the shrines have. They're such beautiful, fleeting burst of color and line that seem like they could blow away at any moment. Really lovely.

http://bellweather.com

It's been so long...

So I haven't updated this in more than a year. Such is life. I think I'll be a little more attentive from now on, and maybe post some things other than my own images.

So to update anyone who may happen to come across this: In the past year I have published my first book of photographs, called "I Could Walk Away Now And You Wouldn't Care.". It sells at Dashwood Books and Opening Ceremony, as well as various stores in Brooklyn and LA. I also recently finished a zine, which includes some of the images on this blog, called "The State of Upstate", that will be selling at Dashwood in the coming weeks. I have work in a group show entitled "The Line That Connects You To Me" at the Brooklyn Arts Council in Dumbo, up until August 28th. Check it out if you're in the neighborhood.