A sketch.

A test for the upcoming White Columns zine. Not sure what I think about it yet.

On Lens flares, black metal, and a greater importance.

The bottom three images are from Grant Willing's Svart Metal project, the top two are Alexander Binder (found via Fjord).

I have become totally sick of photography that deals with "mysticism and the occult" in really silly, surface ways. Photographing lens flares in the woods or prisms or black and white images of cult black metal figures doesn't make me think about, well... anything. I mean, I like Black Sabbath and all, but making work that looks like it's sole intent is to mimic the covers of black metal records or horror movies seems really hollow. For me, there needs to be something beyond surface tensions in an image or cool references to pull me into a project. With both of these projects I guess I just don't see the greater significance. Grant Willing is thinking about the mythology behind black metal and nordic landscapes. So what? What does that mean to me? There doesn't seem to be anything that is critiquing that mythology or the desire to create these myths, just a desire to join in their creation. It seems that these projects bank on the coolness of they're subjects, far more than they're creators ability to reveal anything to their audience about the subject. I mean, if the role of the artist is "revealing mystic truths" (thanks Bruce Nauman), than what is it that I am supposed to discover here?

Clearly, there are exceptions here. Adam Ekberg makes some amazing work that involves creating photographic effects like lens flares, etc, as does Melanie Schiff (whom I've mentioned before here). But both of those photographers are involved in the way we experience photographs, and the performative elements of the photographic process. They make obvious conceptual work, but they are grounded in the world of everyday in a way that elevates simple technique and the banalities of making pictures. They both make work which attempts to create a connection with the viewer to an overtly conceptual practice in a way tht neither Willing or Binder seem to be doing. They are not simply interested in making work that functions in an obscure manner, tailor made for the pages of Vice magazine and guaranteed to receive praise from the magazines and institutions already interested in the same.

Where the Wild Things Are

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE trailer in HD

This looks so good. I'm so glad they didn't go the CGI route... I seriously can't wait to see this.

Chris Bentley

Chris Bentley's Desert States Project found via the exposure project. Definitley reminds me of Stephen Shore more than a little bit, but I'm ok with that.

How To Exit A Photograph

I really really really love this. And I thought I didn't like David Horvitz's photography work!

Lost Hiroshima Photographs Found In Garbage, Massachusetts

The lack of visual evidence of the atom bomb’s effect has helped us to forget its devastating impact. To see is to remember. Up until now, there have been few publicly available images of what happened on the ground when the first atomic bomb exploded. As a result, Hiroshima has become, as the novelist Mary McCarthy wrote in 1946, “a kind of hole in human history.” More here.

Question

So some of my prints are going to be in a group show opening in the beginning of September, and since it's new work that I've never framed before I'm weighing my frame options. Would the images from "The Things I Once Owned" look better in black lacquer frames or white lacquer frames? I'll leave the print without glass, with a matte laminate, as usual on the glass front. Any thoughts?

I'm usually one to stick to optical white, but the dark tone of the prints maybe lends itself to black frames... Hmmmm. Is a black frame too conservative?

Jon Rafman at AFC

Amazing IMG MGMT post on AFC on Google StreetView. Seriously worth checking out.

The Hose

Video of last night's slideshow at The Hose.

One Day Show & Other Things

So I have a one day show opening and closing on Thursday, August 13. If you're in NYC, you should definitely come by, as it's the first time I'll be mounting a solo show since junior year of undergrad in the basement of the Purchase College Art & Design building, and that doesn't really count.

ALSO, My friend Jeffrey asked me to participate in a party tomorrow night at The Hose in on Avenue B, so I'll be showing a slide show of recent work alongside some other amazing artists, including Paul Mpagi Sepuya. Here's more info on that:

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Host:
__________________________
Type:
Music/Arts - Preview
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 8:30pm
End Time:
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 1:30am
Location:
The Hose
Street:
225 Avenue B
City/Town:
New York, NY
View Map
Description

Video, Sound, Performance, Photography = POW WOW

Participating Artist:

Gregg Evans
Enid Ellen
Greg Potter
Jason Timm
Jools Palmer
Liliana Velez
Michael Paul Britto
Paul Mpagi Sepuya

// Additional Artist Welcome //

Come out and say hi if we don't already know each other.

Greg Stimac

From Greg Stimac's "Recoil" series.

Richard Renaldi

Image's from Richard Renaldi's "Touching Strangers" project.