I should mention that I’m in Ireland for the month of July, completing a residency at the Burren College of Art. I imagine posts will be rather slow here, but I do have internet if anyone needs to get in touch. If you would like to send me something this month, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll give you my temporary mailing address.

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The PDN Photo Annual winners gallery is now online along with photos from last week’s party in New York (good luck spotting me above).

Again, congrats to all of the other winners!

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There has already been a lot of discussion surrounding New York Photo Festival on the blogosphere: Andrew Hetherington’s and Michael David Murphy’s columns over on Foto8, Robert Wright’s critique of Tim Barber’s Various Photographs exhibition (which Joerg Colberg deemed “the worst photography show [he has] ever seen”) and, of course, many others. While I also have some thoughts about how particular events and exhibitions may have been improved (or how the tagline “The Future of Contemporary Photography” should have been dropped immediately), I was quite happy with the festival in general. As with any curatorial endeavor, not everything about it will appeal to everyone, but in each of the exhibitions I managed to find a number of inspiring images and ideas.

As a way to begin digesting everything that I looked at over the past week, I thought I’d begin by sharing a few of my picks from each of the four major exhibitions.

The Ubiquitous Image, Curated by Lesley A. Martin
Location: 76 Front Street Gallery

© Natalie Czech

© Penelope Umbrico

© Harrell Fletcher

© Curtis Mann

© Joachim Schmid

© Useful Photography

Chisel, Curated by Kathy Ryan
Location: St. Ann’s Warehouse

© Katherine Wolkoff

© Roger Ballen

© Lars Tunbjörk

© Andreas Gefeller

New Typologies, Curated by Martin Parr
Location: Smack Mellon & Dumbo Arts Center

© Sarah Pickering

© WassinkLundgren

© Michel Campeau

© Jeffrey Milstein

© Jan Kempenaers

Various Photographs, Curated by Tim Barber
Location: 70 Front Street Gallery

© Mark McKnight

© Dan Otranto

© Lina Scheynius

© Hannah Whitaker

© Santiago Mostyn

(As well as the work of Christian Patterson, Irina Rozovsky, Danielle Levitt, and Balarama Heller.)

Indeed, there was a lot to see. Aside from the major exhibitions and satellite shows, the festival put on artist talks, panel discussions and screenings. It has been said that Roger Ballen gave an unforgettable talk on the first day of the festival. Unfortunately I missed it (kicking myself for this) but I was able to catch a few others, of which I most enjoyed hearing Stephen Gill. When I spoke with Stephen the day before, I could already sense his genuine love for image making but the talk proved it.

As for the panel discussions, I heard good things about the conversation between Martin Parr and Erik Kessels – mostly that it was really entertaining – but was unable to attend myself. I had high hopes for the second day’s panel, “Curating 2.0” (featuring Tim Barber, Jen Bekman and Laurel Ptak), but was ultimately let down. I imagined much more critical discourse and much less individual presentation. However, “The Secret Life of Images” (featuring Lesley Martin, Joachim Schmid and Penelope Umbrico) lifted my spirits. Lesley did a really nice job moderating the discussion, posing questions to keep the dialogue interesting. I was also happy about the inclusion of the last panel, “Picturing Iraq” (featuring Vicki Goldberg, Nina Berman, Steve Mumford and Claire Beckett).

I commend the founders Frank Evers and Daniel Power for making the festival happen. All in all, it was great first run. I think everyone I’ve spoken to has taken something away from it and, if anything, it was such a treat to be in the company of so many people that share the same passion. It was good to see old friends and make a few: Greg Stimac, Christian Patterson, Michael Schmelling, Jason Lazarus, Will Steacy, Michael Bühler-Rose, Brian Sorg, Cara Phillips, Amy Elkins, Nicola Kast, Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, Joe Tripi, Amani Olu, Jon Feinstein, Coley Brown, Brad Troemel, Greg Wasserstrom, Grant Willing, Alana Celii, Grady O’Connor, Amy Stein, Alice Wells, Harlan Erskine, Patrick Romero, Jesse Chehak, Alys Kenny and Casey Kelbaugh (Slideluck Potshow), Noah Kalina, Alexandra Catiere, Richard Renaldi, Seth Boyd, Marc Yankus, Marcus Schaden and everyone at the booth, Ken Schles, Thijs groot Wassink and Ruben Lundgren (WassinkLundgren), Darius Himes, Andrew Hetherington, Joerg Coberg, Laurel Ptak, Raul Gutierrez, Michael David Murphy, Michel Mallard, Meagan Ziegler-Haynes, Christina Caputo and many other fine folks

Evers and Power have already begun planning NYPH09, which will last for 10 days instead of 4 and again be held in DUMBO. According to PDN, next year’s list of curators will include Jody Quon (photography director at New York magazine), Chris Boot (founder of book publishing company Chris Boot Ltd.), Neville Wakefield (critic and independent curator) and Bill Ewing (exhibit curator at the Musee de l’Elysee in Lausanne, Switzerland).

I’m looking forward to it. Though next year I will have to bring a pair of black-framed glasses along…

Christian Patterson, Shane Lavalette, Will Steacy, Michael Bühler-Rose, Joerg Colberg
© Unknown NYPH photographer

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I’m honored to have my work in this month’s issue of PDN, featured as one of the winners of the anticipated 2008 Photo Annual. You can pick up a copy at your local bookstore to see all of the selected photographers.

I’ll be heading down to New York on the 13th for the awards celebration and the blog might be quiet until afterward, when you can expect reporting on some of the NYPH08 events.

Until then!

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Untitled, 2007
© Kamden Vencill

After carefully going through nearly 500 portfolios, it’s with great pleasure that Karly and I pass on the official announcement of the final selection of photographers for Vol. 1 of Remain in Light:

Andreas Weinand
Anne Lass
Coley Brown
Debora Mittelstaedt
Ed Panar
Estelle Hanania
Gustav Almestål
Hiroyo Kaneko
Kamden Vencill
Mark McKnight
Michel Campeau
Nicolai Howalt & Trine Søndergaard
Nicola Kast
Nicholas Haggard
Shawn Records
Raimond Wouda
Richard Barnes
Thobias Fäldt
Whitney Hubbs
Yann Orhan

Congratulations to those who were selected!

Accompanying the 20 photographs will be “One Credo After Another” by Tim Davis, “A Telephone Conversation with Mike Mandel” by Shane Lavalette and more TBA.

To everyone who submitted and to those of you who have supported this project from the beginning: this would be impossible without you all. Thank you.

If you’d like to stay up to date, head to the website and join the mailing list to receive important updates.

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A ventriloquist at a birthday party in October, 1947, 1990
© Jeff Wall

Tomorrow is my 21st birthday. You know what that means… Now I can get a drink with all of you that I’ve already had drinks with (but this time it’ll be legal in the United States)!

In the event that you want to send me something, know that the only material items I want are books. And, well, I wouldn’t mind a nice fitted suit.

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I’m thrilled to have work in tomorrow night’s Slideluck Potshow, held at the Chelsea Art Museum in conjunction with The Armory Show. Haven’t heard of Slideluck?

Slideluck Potshow is a non-profit slideshow and potluck for members of arts, photography, and media communities. Participants bring food, drink, and up to five minutes worth of slides. The evening begins with a couple hours of dining on the home-cooked delights of participants, while drinking and mingling. It is not uncommon to arrive with, for example, a full-bodied bottle of wine, some vegetable samosas, Thai green curry, pumpkin ravioli, or some rosemary lamb chops. All guests are asked to contribute as the event is entirely dependent on participation. Following the potluck, the lights are dimmed, the crowd is hushed, and a spectacular slideshow commences.

The event looks a little something like this (amazing):

Slideluck Potshow X at Sandbox Studio in Soho, New York, November 2007

Slideluck Potshow X at Sandbox Studio in Soho, New York, November 2007

Slideluck Potshow is a forum for exposing artists, curators and editors to new work, while infusing the arts community with a non-commercial vitality and refreshing exchange. Photojournalists, painters, designers, sculptors, fashion and fine art photographers all show their work alongside one another in a relaxed and spirited atmosphere. Presenters range from the very accomplished to those who have never shown work publicly before, but regardless of status, none is allotted more than five minutes for their slideshow. Past participants include; Elliott Erwitt, Chris Buck, Alec Soth, Martin Schoeller, Doug Menuez, Alex Majoli, Alistair Thain, Bruce Gilden, and Eugene Mirman.

Participating artists in Slideluck Potshow XI include Abby Robinson, Adi Lavy, Alessandra Sanguinetti / Yossi Milo, Brian Finke, Cara Phillips, Chris Maluszynski, CIA DE FOTO, David Burnett / Contact Press, Dawn Roscoe, Doug Keyes, Ed Burtynsky, Ernesto Gonzalez, Fiona Aboud, Gui Mohallem, Jacob Silberberg / Panos, Jamie Ziobro, Jasper White, JB Reed, Jennifer Davis, Jill Greenberg, Julio Galeote, Kara Brodgesell, Katherine Newbegin, Magnum Group, Maya Barkai, Michael Muller / Stockland Martel, Michael Williams, Nadia Sablin, Nikola Tamindzic, Omar Gamez, Philip Jones Griffiths / Magnum, Reuters, Sarah Small, Saverio Truglia, Serge Leblon/MS Logan, Shane Lavalette, Todd Hido, Ursula Gullow, Will Anderson, and Yoshi.

Alessandra Sanguinetti, Brian Finke, Cara Phillips, Ed Burtynsky, Todd Hido and me? Phew! Alys and Casey: thank you for putting this on!

Food and photography? Those of you in New York have no excuse…

Slideluck Potshow XI
March 29, 2008, 8pm to Midnight
Chelsea Art Museum
556 West 22nd Street
New York, NY

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The Spring installment of Slash Magazine, the wonderful art/fashion/design quarterly “for the extra observant,” includes some editorial work of mine, shot to accompany an article by T. Cole Rachel entitled How Do Your Price Your Art? – a look at the importance or irrelevance of a degree in art for artists. The conclusion: stay in school, y’all!

See the tearsheets in the editorial section of my website.

Following my spread is an interesting piece by Harvard economics professor Benjamin Friedman titled The Economic Playground, accompanied by the photographs of Mr. Brian Ulrich. Nice to be in such good company!

Pick up a copy of the issue at any Barnes and Noble in the U.S. or at these specialty bookshops around the world. It will be available on the stands until June 6th. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the magazine’s online edition (and view the first four issue for free) right here.

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Photographer and programmer Justin Ouellette (one of the forces behind the excellent video sharing site Vimeo) just announced his latest programming project: Muxtape, a simple and elegant way to share mixtapes online. Justin reports that over 1,000 members have joined in just 4.5 hours!

It looks like the photoblogosphere has taken a liking to it; find Noah Kalina’s here, Raul Gutierrez’s here or Joerg Colberg’s here.

And see my very own Muxtape here (though, I’m sure it’ll be different by the time you look at it).

Well done, Justin. Well done.

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Whatever you do, do not take being able to swallow for granted.

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