Jason Lazarus: Robert Heinecken Studies


L: Study #1 (154y, 164m at F8 for 4 sec.) R: Study #25 (0y, 100m, at F8 for 15 sec.)
[from "Robert Heinecken Studies"]
© Jason Lazarus

Just received word from Jason Lazarus that he updated his website with a unique new photographic project. Made with a portion of the cremated remains of the artist Robert Heinecken (with the permission of the Heinecken Estate), Robert Heineken Studies is comprised of a set of 25 photograms that were produced sequentially, in one sitting, in a color darkroom at Columbia College.

Pictured above are the first and last from the series. See all of the images here.

Photo-eye’s “The Best Books of 2009″ Features Lay Flat 01: Remain in Light

Photo-eye Magazine just published The Best Books of 2009, which brings together the selections of 25 prominent photographers, bookmakers, editors, publishers and critics. I’m happy to say that Lay Flat 01: Remain in Light was one of the featured titles, selected by Daniel Espeset (Contributing Editor at Photo-eye).

Have a look at all of the selections here.

Emerging Artists Auction


Altered State, 2009
© Noel Rodo-Vankeulen

Daniel Cooney‘s latest Emerging Artists Auction is now online and works are open for bidding. Some of the highlights from the photography section include Alexander Binder, Alison Malone, Grant Willing, Aaron McElroy, Bob O’Connor, Jake Stangel, Lyndsy Welgos, Noel Rodo-Vankeulen and one of my own prints can be found here.

The auction ends on February 4th.

BOOKSHELF: Jan. 14, 2010

From Mr. Jason Lazarus, a new motivational poster to go in the office. I absolutely love this. Thank you Jason!

A gorgeous set of silver gelatin prints from Timothy Briner. Can’t wait to frame these! Speaking of which, those of you in New York should go see Tim’s “Boonville” show, on display until February 27th at Daniel Cooney Fine Art.

Chris Killip‘s Isle of Man, a rare booklet of photographs that can be torn into six 2×3 in. postcards, published by Side Gallery in 1980 to accompany his “Isle of Man” exhibition. I had a nice lunch with Chris today and he was happy to sign it for me.

Two titles from Farewell Books: Kalle Sanner’s Gravity and Mårten Lange’s Crows. These are beautiful, thanks Mårten!
Both in an edition of 500, available for $10 each.

Henry Roy‘s Spirit, published by Gottlund Verlag. Thanks Nicholas!
Edition of 1,000, available for $55.

Erik van der Weijde‘s FOTO.ZINE NR.3, a set of four books: “Accidents,” “Hand Guns,” “Palm Trees” and the “Pink Issue.” Thanks Erik!
Edition of 300, available for €15 ($22).

Grant Willing‘s Fils de la Liberté, put out by JSBJ.
Edition of 50, SOLD OUT.

Alexander Martinez‘s Old Glory, a zine put out by Kaugummi Books. Thanks Alex!
Edition of 100, SOLD OUT.

From Café Royale, four of their recently published zines: Zeroten’s Welcome To Prison, Lin Yi-Hsuan’s The Shaved Guy, Justin Waldron’s Seven Days and Paul Paper’s Sofa-trip Around Europe. Thanks Craig!
All in an edition of 100, available for £3 ($5) each.

Photographers Adam Golfer, Daniel Shea, Joe Leavenworth and TJ Proechel put together this limited-edition envelope of 4×5 in. prints, which they offered for free through their Dream Boats Collective website. Thanks guys!
Edition of 50, available for FREE GONE.

Jacob Koestler‘s New York State, a collection of 10 postcards in manila envelope, signed and numbered. Thanks Jacob!
Edition of 100, available for $20.

Also from Jacob Koestler, Roll Series publishes complete rolls of 35mm film. Pictured along with a nice handmade slipcase are three from Roll Series 001: Ed Panar’s “Newfoundland, September 2009,” Emmy Volkar’s “Stable Road/Christmas 2008″ and Ian Rummell’s “10/29.”
Available for $32

Joachim Schmid‘s Joachim Schmid is Martin Parr · Martin Parr is Joachim Schmid, a print on demand book with an interesting concept. Thanks Joachim!
Available in softcover for $20 or in hardcover for $30.

Photographic Works, a box of over 200 5×7 in. black and white postcards available for purchase to benefit the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Check out the list of participating artists… this thing is packed full of great stuff.
Available for $45.

J&L‘s Paper Placemats (ATL), a very kind gift from Michael David Murphy who I had the pleasure of meeting up and chatting with during a recent visit to Atlanta. Thanks again Michael!
Edition of 2,000, NFS.

Roe Ethridge‘s Farewell Horse. Look out for a review of this soon.
Edition of 1,000, available for $89.

Last but not least, a stack of great books from my mother (aka Santa Claus):

Michael Lesy’s Wisconsin Death Trip
Emmet Gowin’s Photographs
Lar Tunbjörk’s Vinter
Paul Graham’s A Shimmer of Possiblity
Taryn Simon’s An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar

Alec Soth: Glass Jars

Glass Jars, Alec Soth‘s foray into multimedia.

Review: “Flamboya” by Viviane Sassen

Viviane Sassen‘s Flamboya brings together photographs from her recent visits to Africa. Though predominantly raised in the Netherlands, from the ages of two to five Sassen lived in a Kenyan village with her father, a doctor who worked at a neighboring polio clinic. The memories from the photographer’s early childhood are, as Edo Dijksterhuis describes in the book’s essay, “tinged with black.” In 2001 at the age of 29, Sassen returned to Africa with a camera and began taking the gestural pictures that reflect her complex and loving relationship to the place. For some, her photographs may call to mind the work of Araki, Nan Goldin or even Wolfgang Tillmans, and yet Sassen has a way of seeing that remains her own.


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


Flamboya
includes primarily portraits that Sassen made collaboratively with her subjects, some spontaneous and others performative. Red clay, fabrics, concrete and the ocean provide the surreal backdrops to her collection of images. The portraits are unusual in that they emphasize the contours of the body, its movement, physicality and skin, rather than the facial features of the subjects, which are often obscured by harsh shadow or paint. The shadow and the paint, which appear throughout the book, seem to reference Sassen’s symbolic experience or memory of the ethnic ‘Other’ – more certainly, it continually provokes questions in the viewer.

The format of the book is atypical in its playful utilization of smaller pages, which aid to construct the intricate relationships between the sequenced images. These pages also make certain photographs feel secretive or hidden until they are unveiled by the reader, perhaps a considered parallel to the notion of the shadow in her photographs.


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto


spread from Flamboya, 2009
© Viviane Sassen / Contrasto

Though a recent discovery, I’ve returned to Flamboya many times already for its recurring beauty and mystery – likely a book that I will not forget to open again.

Originally published in Photo-eye Magazine, December 18, 2009.
Flamboya can be purchased here.

Larry Sultan, 1946-2009


© Kelly Sultan

Larry Sultan has remained an inspiration to me ever since I discovered photography, so it is with much sadness that I pass on today’s news of his death…

Larry Sultan, a highly influential California photographer whose 1977 collaboration, “Evidence” — a book made up solely of pictures culled from vast industrial and government archives — became a watershed in the history of art photography, died on Sunday at his home in Greenbrae, Calif. He was 63.

Read the full NYTimes obit here.

Heidi Norton: Deconstructed (Rebirth)


Deconstructed (Rebirth), 2009
© Heidi Norton

Intriguing still life work by Heidi Norton. I’d be curious to see more…

“Estate” Limited Edition

Jake Dow-Smith of Triangle Triangle (and the collective blog MANY) just released a limited edition of 10 copies of Estate, a new book of photographs – a set of two, actually – that he curated, printed and hand bound himself. The sales of these books are to support the funding of a larger and more affordable edition, aimed to be published early in 2010.

Estate features work by an eclectic mix of photographers, including myself:

Daniel Augschoell, Alexander Paul Brandes, Alexi Hobbs, Marlon Kowalski, Jake Dow-Smith, Sean Stewart, Will Govus, Carlo Van De Roer, Pete Halupka, Justin James Reed, Matthew Genitempo, Hin Chua, Pedro Alfacinha, Frankie Pike, Andrew Nemiroski, Bryan Schutmaat, Julia Grassi, Katharina Schumacher, Maximilian Haidacher, Hannah Whitaker, Grant Willing, Keith Davis Young, Austin Irving, Jessica Williams, Ernest Protasiewicz, Felicia Honkasalo, Shane Lavalette and Sam Williams

A preview:

See more spreads or purchase a copy here.

I assure you these won’t last long.

UPDATE: Sold out in less than two hours! Hear about the release of the larger edition by signing up for the mailing list.

Blind Spot Benefit Auction 2009

Easily one of my favorite magazines, Blind Spot has been doing great things for photography for over 15 years now. A nice way to say “thanks” to them and get something back in return is to bid on some fantastic photographs (including one of my own!) in their 2009 Benefit Auction. The auction ends on Tuesday, December 15th with a live event in NYC.

You can preview the works online and tickets for the event can be purchased here.