Obama (detail), 2008
© Mike Mandel

Mike Mandel recently completed a new photographic mosaic at his house. He unveiled it just in time to remind us all to register to vote, as the deadline for many states is right around the corner. This election is very, very important and I encourage all readers to take a moment to do so (enter your address to begin).

Aperture just launched Aperture Live, a new initiative to offer live webcasts of their artist talks, panel discussions and other events online. In addition, these webcasts will be archived so that all of us can watch what we missed. Excellent!

Aperture Live will debut with a conversation between Susan Meiselas and Alfredo Jaar, broadcasted from Aperture Gallery on Wednesday, October 8 at 6:30pm EST.

Cheerleaders, New Orleans, LA, 2006 [from "The Human Stain"]
© Will Steacy

If you’re looking to support a good cause this week, but the Art for Obama prices are out of your range, my buddy Will Steacy’s got you covered. Check out the limited edition prints that he just posted on his blog, each priced at $150. There are some great images for your wall/collection and the money goes to helping Will out with apartment troubles.

So, take a look and see if something strikes your fancy.

Sara, Icelandair, 2006 [from "Flight Attendants"]
© Brian Finke

Over the summer I had the chance to call up New York-based photographer Brian Finke and chat with him about his latest monograph, Flight Attendants (powerHouse Books, 2008). I want to thank Brian for taking the time to work with me on this interview and Photo-eye Magazine, where this was originally published, for putting us in touch in the first place. The following conversation (text only) can also be viewed as a printer-friendly PDF.

Read the rest of this entry »

editing Motherland
© Simon Roberts

Simon Roberts shot over 5,000 frames while traveling across Russia working on his Motherland project. Over on his blog, We English, he writes about his process of editing down to the final book edit of 153 photographs. Great post! Read it here.

[thanks, Joerg]

Untitled #892-03, 2003 [from "On the Beach"]
© Richard Misrach

Richard Misrach recently gave a talk at at the Art Institute of Chicago about his career and newest project, On the Beach. The talk was recorded and can now be streamed online. It’s missing something without the visuals, but try listening while looking through his work online.

[thanks, Dan]

Tongeren, 2006 [from "Arcadia Redesigned"]
© Herman van den Boom

Check out Herman van den Boom’s series, Arcadia Redesigned – an exploration of the surreal landscapes that we create around our homes.

still from Destruckto
© Bill Burke

It may come as a shock those of us who know him, but Bill Burke does have a website. He recently had the old, broken site replaced with a new one (thanks, Marina!) and lots of work from his various projects. There’s lots to see, including some more recent work that’s pretty hilarious.

Take a moment look around.

From 1992 to 2004, a period of 12 years, Nigel Shafran photographed his lover Ruth and their surroundings. The result is Ruthbook, a self-published collection of these images that make me think back to Harry Callahan’s photographs of Eleanor.

cover of Ruthbook, 1995
© Nigel Shafran

Untitled [from "Ruthbook"]
© Nigel Shafran

Untitled [from "Ruthbook"]
© Nigel Shafran

Untitled [from "Ruthbook"]
© Nigel Shafran

Untitled [from "Ruthbook"]
© Nigel Shafran

Untitled [from "Ruthbook"]
© Nigel Shafran

Ruthbook was made in an edition of 600 and is now hard to find but you can see more images from the book here. Afterward, take a look at Nigel’s current body of work, Flowers for ________, which introduces their son into the picture.

Ivanka and Mariana, Bourgas, 2003 [from "Mechkar"]
© Albin Biblom

Mark McKnight pointed me to the fantastic work of Albin Biblom. I particularly like his project entitled Mechkar, which is an intimate documentary of Bulgaria’s last dancing bears and their owners. As Biblom’s statement describes the situation,

The Roma tradition and profession which has passed on from father to son for more than a thousand years is now coming to an end in Bulgaria. The animal rights organizations Brigitte Bardot Foundation (Fra) and Vier Pfoten (Aus) has built a bear reserve outside the town Belitsa, south of Sofia, where the dancing bears will spend the remnants of their lives. The bear owners are compensated with approximately 2000 Euro for letting their bears go to this reserve.

Visit Biblom’s website to see this and other work by him.