From This Moment

2011-04-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

'FROM THIS MOMENT' IS AN ARCHIVE AND WILL REMAIN ONLINE FOR NOW.

MY CURRENT BLOG IS:

JUSTINJAMESREED.TUMBLR.COM

FOLLOW ME...

2009-12-29T02:04:00.007-05:00

Well it seems that I have finally made up my mind to hang up the old blog. This is a decision that has occupied a lot of my thoughts, but honestly does not come from a place of angst. To that effect I feel I owe you, my readers, an explanation.

While I still love the medium of online journaling/blogging/etc., I have come to the conclusion that as far as this specific venue goes (for me), it has reached its end. Blogging has offered an outlet for many of the various thoughts and elements that inspire and occupy me on a daily basis. It has also been responsible for numerous connections within, and exposure to, the greater photographic community. Truly it has been an invaluable resource. So why would I walk away now?

In the greater scheme of things I am looking at this as an opportunity to regroup and return with intensified efforts at a future date. In fact there are already various ideas floating about, and ultimately I am using this as an impetus to push myself even further while exploring those other options in the coming months and years. A lot has changed in the online world over the more than 2 1/2 years since I started From This Moment, and this decision is partly a reflection of that as well.

So, where does that leave us? To all of you who have checked in here over the years I am not going to take the site down. One thing that personally irks me when people do stop publishing is the complete removal of their material. I will probably turn off commenting in a few weeks, just so I can stop moderating it. Other than that it will remain here for the sake of posterity and as a catalog of the various people and sites that I check in on regularly. My personal website has been updated recently, and I have other things planned for it, so check that out too.

Finally, THANK YOU. To those of you who have supported and inspired me to pursue this task, to all of the wonderful people I have met and talked to, THANK YOU. Please continue to write me, say hi, and stay in touch. I wish you all the best.

Once Again

2009-12-17T09:02:00.007-05:00

Class "A" Office Building (2), Malvern, Pennsylvania, 2009

I am hitting the road in just about an hour for a week long photo excursion that will bring me back to the Midwest. Very excited for snow, to feel the cold that only the middle of the country can provoke, some new landscape, and catching up with friends in between. Things are going to be quiet(er) around here until probably into the new year. Have a happy and safe holiday everyone!

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-12-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

"Kentucky Fried Chicken, 2009"

Black Is The Day, Black Is The Night

2009-12-10T00:30:00.005-05:00

"Diego Rivera (paper, scotch tape, dirt on painted wall)"

© Amy Elkins

For all of you out in CA, make sure you head over to the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard this Saturday to see a new work by the venerable Amy Elkins. Black Is The Day, Black Is The Night, is nothing short of moving. Put together through ongoing conversations with men serving life sentences or on death row, the series itself is great, but the installation she has worked up at the museum should not be missed.

Opening:

Saturday 12/12 . 4 - 7pm

It Just Wouldn't Be The (Photo) Holiday Season Without...

2009-12-10T00:25:00.003-05:00

First Day Off...

2009-12-08T18:31:00.004-05:00

with time to play on the computer in quite awhile!

I Still Like Hope

2009-12-02T02:37:00.002-05:00

Thank you for being honest and straight forward with us tonight.

Annette Kelm

2009-11-29T17:30:00.004-05:00

Really into these wallpaper photographs by Annette Kelm.

'
"Big Print #6 (Jungle Leaves - cotton twill 1947 design Dorothy Draper, courtesy Schumacher &Co), 2007"
© Annette Kelm

"Big Print #2 (Maui Fern cotton "mainsail cloth" fall 1949 design Dorothy Draper, courtesy Schumacher &Co), 2007"
© Annette Kelm

"Big Print #4 (Fazenda Lily - white Background - cotton fall 1947 design Dorothy Draper, courtesy Schumacher &Co), 2007"
© Annette Kelm

Our Cousins The Trees

2009-11-11T11:26:00.007-05:00

I have been adjusting to the new light, time change, inspirations, and thoughts on photography. Primarily staying engrossed in reading, shooting, listening to music, and working (of course), all of which account for the quiet atmosphere around here as of late. So in order to catch up on a few things that have been swirling about...

• Don't miss The Edge of Vision, by Lyle Rexer. Some recent gems:
"(Frederick) Sommer was also a touchstone. In the climate of American Transcendentalism with a European inflection, the sense of possibility Sommer's photographs opened up is captured in an article written by Henry Holmes Smith: "Some persons will insist on asking 'What is it?' mainly, I think, because this is a photograph, and they have come to expect a photograph to report to us faithfully, directly, and in rather commonplace terms. To answer, 'Spilled paint, plaster, or powder, smashed putty and sprinkled sand' would be to deal with this image as a public report on an ordinary object and would be the most rudimentary and least important aspect of this reality."

Quoting Robert Heineken: "We constantly tend to misuse or misunderstand the term reality in relation to photographs. The photograph itself is the only thing that is real."

"As the chain of signification grows, there is ever greater willingness among photographs (in truth, they have little choice) to examine the medium's arbitrariness, self - sufficiency, and historicity - it's place in the history of human consciousness. Dumb photography is no longer a viable option."

• Long overdue mention of Noel - Rodo - Vankeulen's new body of work, Aura. Really wonderful, and GOLD!

"Aura #30, 2009" From the series Aura
© Noel Rodo - Vankeulen

"Aura #3, 2009" From the series Aura
© Noel Rodo - Vankeulen

"Aura #35, 2009" From the series Aura
© Noel Rodo - Vankeulen

• Dreamy Dreamboats.

• Chris Jordan's new series is one of the more poignant projects I have seen in quite a long time. Jordan has quite a knack for creating moving commentaries on the environment. I find Midway: Message from the Gyre a bit more powerful than Running the Numbers, because even though RTN was great, the images themselves did not make the numbers seem any less unfathomable. Midway very quietly and effectively shows a deeply troubling subject.

From the series Midway: Message from the Gyre
© Chris Jordan

• Cosmos, Carl Sagan's seminal series from the early 80's is absolutely phenomenal. Besides a whole generation of scientists and dreamers, it seems to have inspired everyone from David Lynch to Boards of Canada.

• And speaking of David Lynch, Grant Willing came up with a very nice image for the new Graphic Intersections project.

© Grant Willing

Finally, some more sweet tunes:
The new CFCF album is incredible!

Make sure to check out Milky Disco 2 if you are into that sort of thing.
Also, new: The Twilight Sad, Kings of Convenience.

Found Quote From This Moment

2009-11-01T16:07:00.003-05:00

"Photography has often been criticized for exchanging resemblance for identicalness. In 1841, Rodolphe Topffer was already complaining that the daguerreotype offered "the image of the visible instead of a sign of the invisible." For the picture to be identical would mean that the object had no significance beyond itself. Identicalness, Topffer said, is the indirect and therefore verifiable product of the daguerreotype process, whereas resemblance is the freely expressive sign of something other than the image. Truthfulness, then, is to be found not in the identical picture but in the picture which gives a resemblance. This traditional distinction shows the dilemma of photography, which was not permitted to depict what it could depict, but was unable to depict what people demanded of it."

- Hubertus von Amelunxen, excerpt from A New History of Photography.

American Power

2009-10-28T22:37:00.004-04:00

Just got through looking at my freshly arrived copy of Mitch Epstein's most recent effort, American Power. Initial thoughts are that the scope of the project is huge, extremely ambitious, and every single photograph is beautifully executed.

"Lake Mead National Park, Nevada 2007" . From the series American Power
© Mitch Epstein

Very excited to hear him speak at PPAC next Thursday evening right here in Philly. I am specifically looking forward to hearing how he sees the seemingly disparate photographs in the project relate to one another, and of course his photo thoughts in general.

* For those of you who can't make it to the lecture check out this great interview with him here (video).

"Ocean Warwick, Dauphine Island, Alabama 2005 " . From the series American Power
© Mitch Epstein

"Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant, Herald, California, 2005" . From the series American Power
© Mitch Epstein

Found Quote From This Moment

2009-10-22T21:04:00.002-04:00

"We feel throughout the history of photography a chafing at its limits, an impatience with mere visuality, and a wish for some more intimate expression of the world's relation - but one somehow made available through the eyes. This makes the photographer into a strange kind of artist, at least in the modernist sense - part showman, part magician, part stage manager. The photographer does not "create" but harnesses and directs. The photograph itself is a piece of performance art, and the performer is light - passing through and encountering things in the world."

- Lyle Rexer, excerpt from The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography

Malls R Us

2009-10-22T19:46:00.003-04:00

Definitely going to catch this film when it makes its way to Philly in a few weeks. I mean come on, a documentary about malls accompanied by a soundtrack by Air, what more could one really ask for?

Music From This Moment

2009-10-15T11:30:00.005-04:00

Being swamped with work lately I have been very lucky to have found some really great music to carry me through.

"Seek Magic" by Memory Tapes is close to the best album I have ever heard, yes ever. It made it's way into daily rotation immediately, and requires at least one or two plays per day. Absolutely brilliant and beautiful, it is crafted by the front man of one of my favorite bands from Philadelphia, Hail Social. And although it pains me to say it, this solo effort is leaps and bounds beyond his earlier work as part of that band. So take a listen already!

* Two other incarnations, Memory Cassette & Weird Tapes, are very good as well, and definitely worth a spin.

Some other current picks:
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moo n: End of the Day (anyone who can drop blogging and hand sanitizer within a sentence of each other is undeniably awesome)
Foals - Antidote
Air - Love 2
Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper
Passion Pit - Manners

Working

2009-10-13T10:28:00.002-04:00

"Akron, Pennsylvania" . 2009 . From the series Paradise
© Justin James Reed

Found Photograph(s) From This Moment

2009-10-12T07:18:00.006-04:00

"Tree Study, Forest of Fontainebleau, ca. 1856"
© Gustave Le Gray

"Fontainebleau, France, 2007"
© Alec Soth

Teaching Reform

2009-10-09T12:10:00.006-04:00

Behind health care reform, teaching rights are probably the next closest political issue to my heart, and to be honest they are intricately related in many ways. Having been an adjunct teacher at 4 different colleges (so far) I have been exposed to a number of different systems and environments. The discrepancy between pay rates, hours, etc. is quite startling at times, but overall I, like most adjuncts, feel very lucky to be teaching at all. That being said there are a number of deeper issues that still trouble me.

At the top of this list is the fact that most schools are no longer hiring full time faculty, instead they are relying on the large crop of eager adjuncts to fill in the gaps. This is not only detrimental to the students and institutions as a whole (except financially) but also to any future possibility of stability and a living wage for many teachers.

"In Vermont, 100 percent of the state's community college faculty are adjuncts, or part-time teachers. Nationwide, 44 percent of college and university faculty are now classified as part-time. Of these, fewer than 20 percent receive any health benefits or contributions to retirement. This is not just an issue at community colleges, however. At New York University, for instance, 80 percent of the faculty are classified as contingent, meaning they are working on short-term contracts as adjuncts or graduate employees.

About a third of adjunct faculty are "part-time employees" in name only. Across the country, professors known as "freeway flyers" or "roads scholars" are forced to teach full time by working part time at more than one institution just to gain an adequate income."

This is why I am so relieved to see legislation being put through the House of Representatives that could potentially address this issue. The President of the AFT recently asked that the statement below be included in the final version of a bill addressing another troubling problem of more financial aid being shifted toward private banks away from the colleges themselves.

" The AFT believes that academic staffing is a critical component of student success, yet it is too often overlooked in discussions about how to improve our institutions of higher education. The lack of attention paid to the loss of full-time tenured faculty positions, and the overwhelming growth of poorly paid part-time faculty, has been taking a toll on higher education for many years. Today, almost three out of four undergraduate instructors are contingent rather than permanent full-time faculty members-contingent faculty members teach a majority of the nation's undergraduate courses. Unless we take steps to reverse course, this trend will greatly impair the ability of our colleges and universities to reach the national goals Congress has set for them. In fact, a growing body of research shows the correlation between the declining investment in faculty and the increasing problems with student persistence, transfer and completion. [snip]

Specifically, we believe it is essential that programs designed to improve persistence and completion, especially those targeted at community colleges, should include provisions that encourage institutions to strengthen their instructional workforce by creating additional full-time faculty positions or providing more stability and equitable compensation for part-time faculty. Such investments in the frontline educators-those most responsible for helping students succeed-are fundamental to increasing persistence and completion rates, and improving the quality of education at our nation's two- and four-year colleges and universities."

If you are a teacher, student, or anyone at all who cares about this issue, please take the time to go to the following site and petition your Senators. The site calls for more aggressive language, which I am whole heartily behind, but no matter what it would be great to get this ball rolling.

As far as I am concerned education should be the core issue. It is the only sure thing that can fundamentally change the dynamic of a society for the better. I am always saddened when I see great teachers being discouraged and disheartened because of the current lack of support. Please take a moment to help change this.

1.5 Million

2009-10-06T08:46:00.003-04:00

Very pleased to be included in this upcoming exhibition featuring artists, curators, and writers associated with Philadelphia put together by my friend Corey Antis. The name, 1.5 Million, is in reference to the current population of Philadelphia and is inspired by a 1970 exhibition by Lucy Lippard. Focusing on the space between imagination and practice, the exhibition will feature proposals for works that could - but don’t necessarily - exist. As in the original show, each proposal will be represented by one index card.

1.5 Million is:

Stefan Abrams, Amy Adams, Anita Allyn, Joshua Aster, Leah Bailis, Tim Belknap, Jeremy Boyle, Adam Blumberg, Frank Bramblett, Kimberly Brandt, Gerard Brown, Ian Burns, Mark Campbell, Anthony Campuzano, Sheryl Conkelton, Roderick Coover, Andrew Criss, Daniel Cummings, Kevin Curran, Micah Danges, Rachel Dobkin, Philip Glahn, Adam Grossi, Michael Grothusen, Walsh Hansen, Austin Heitzman, Jane Irish, Ianthe Jackson, James Johnson, Rini Yun Keagy, Thad Kellstadt, Karen Kirchhoff, Nicholas Kripal, Naima Lowe, Jacque Liu, Margo Margolis, Ian Markiewicz, Ryan McCartney, Jesse McLean, Dustin Metz, Chad Muthard, Eileen Neff, Anna Neighbor, Alex Paik, Nick Paparone, Richard Purcell, Pete Rangel, Justin James Reed, Isaac Resnikoff, Maha Saab, Rebecca Saylor Sack, Martha Savery, Dan Schank, Anne Seidman, Matthew Sepielli, Jennie Shanker, Mark Shetabi, Brandon Som, Dustin Sparks, Chad States, Jeffrey Stockbridge, Mark Stricker, Jim Strong, Andrew Suggs, Josh Tonies, Christopher Ulivo, Thomas Vance, Eva Wylie, Nami Yamamoto, Mauro Zamora

Exhibition Dates: October 7 – October 17, 2009

OPENING RECEPTION: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 7:00-9:00 PM

Gallery Hours: Visitors welcome Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm

Stella Elkins Tyler Galleries
Tyler School of Art
12th and Norris Streets
Lower Level South, B02
Philadelphia, PA 19122

The POC

2009-09-30T22:58:00.004-04:00

As alluded to in my recent post about Charles Freger and Bill Sullivan's upcoming exhibition at Caption Gallery (opening tomorrow night), there is something new in the air.

POC (Piece of Cake) has come to our shores from Europe. The excellent group of photographers who currently make up their rosters are now joined by a budding network here, in North America. This appears to be an evolution of the networking that began in part through photo blogs, and in the forging of deeper connections both online and in real time. Most importantly though this represents the ongoing sharing of ideas and work in the photography community, and a concerted effort to bring us collectively closer. For me it is especially exciting to see the diverse nature of work being made in Europe, work that would be difficult to come across without this kind of communal sharing. These reasons, and for what the future potentially holds, make me extremely honored to be involved. Stay tuned!

Perhaps...

2009-09-24T22:52:00.004-04:00

I was in just the right mood for visiting Bree De Stephano's website tonight, because I must say she has possibly produced two of the most humorous photographs I have ever seen. This most likely caught my attention because one (of many) concepts that has been stuck in my head from Robert Adams' seminal book Why People Photograph regards the difficulty of conveying humor in a photograph. I must say that Bree has proven herself a lucid example of Mr. Adams' conclusion with this pair:

© Bree De Stephano

© Bree De Stephano

"Intentionally funny pictures that remain funny are unusual because they are hard to make, because the life that facilitates them is hard to live. Wit and good humor are both traceable to a sense of incongruity, but good humor requires more - acceptance. Richard Benson once joked that "funny pictures aren't quite serious," which is true except that they promote patience." - Robert Adams

A hearty tip of the hat; I am looking forward to your future exploits.

Bridging The Gap

2009-09-24T12:51:00.005-04:00

Very much looking forward to the upcoming show at Caption Gallery in Brooklyn featuring the work of Bill Sullivan and Charles Freger.

"Turn 13014, June 2004" . From the series More Turns
© Bill Sullivan

"Hereros 4, 2007" . From the series Hereros
© Charles Freger

Not only am I excited to see these two prolific photographers work in person, but I am also very intrigued about what this show represents. Unfortunately I must leave this last part a bit cryptic for now... but much more to come soon!

Well Done!

2009-09-23T18:37:00.006-04:00

"Montlake Opening" . From the series Cruising
© Chad States

Overdue post regarding my good friend Chad States getting an honorable mention in this years Photography Book Now Competition. His series Cruising is only getting better (can't wait to see the latest batch by the way...). You can see a preview of his book here, congrats buddy!

From the series Life is a Series of Small Moments
© Elizabeth Fleming

Also, the lovely Elizabeth Fleming picked up a honorable mention as well for her beautiful book Life is a Series of Small Moments. Hope you are both having fun tonight!

The Last Day Of Summer

2009-09-21T22:08:00.005-04:00

© Justin James Reed

Was lucky enough to get out into the unbelievable light tonight. No sweet pics for this post, as all sheets lay latent in their holders, so the shot above is from last year. Looking forward to the best of all seasons...fall!

Daniel Traub

2009-09-17T09:13:00.005-04:00

I was fortunate to run into super nice guy, and great photographer Daniel Traub last night. I had initially met Daniel briefly this past Spring, and was very excited, then, when I got home to peruse his website. His series Inner City was the first project I looked at, and was pleased to see someone else taking on the urban landscape of Philadelphia in a conscientious manner.

"Mural, North Philadelphia, 2008" . From the series Inner City
© Daniel Traub

"Two Boys, North Philadelphia, 2008" . From the series Inner City
© Daniel Traub

"Fence, North Philadelphia, 2008" . From the series Inner City
© Daniel Traub

"Door Steps, North Philadelphia, 2008" . From the series Inner City
© Daniel Traub

I found out last night while speaking with Daniel, that he had lived in China for 9 years, and had only recently moved back to the United States and Philadelphia. Starting this evening, at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, he is going to be showing some of his equally strong work from China, and I highly recommend you go check it out!

"Bejing, 2004" . From the series Simplified Characters
© Daniel Traub

"Temple in a Box, Bejing, 2002" . From the series Simplified Characters
© Daniel Traub

"2 Guns, Guangzhou, 2003" . From the series Simplified Characters
© Daniel Traub

Ahorn Magazine

2009-09-16T09:25:00.010-04:00

Untitled . From the series Some Fox Trails in Virginia
© Susan Worsham

I have been very impressed with Ahorn Magazine since it's inaugural issue. Daniel and Anya have been able to bring together a wonderful group of photographers to not only present their work, but also to contribute written reviews of photography books and insightful interviews.

"Black Swan, Xi'an Shanxi Provence" . From the series Chinese Sentiment
© Shen Wei

That is why I was very excited to participate myself in the most recent issue with a review of one of my favorite photography books of all time, Mark Ruwedel's, "Westward The Course of Empire." Also included in the 4th issue is the beautiful work of Shen Wei, Susan Worsham, interviews with Andrew Phelps, Simon Roberts, Ron Jude, and Karin Apollonia Muller, wow!

From the series Not Niigata
© Andrew Phelps

"White House" From the series On Edge © Karin Apollonia Muller

"Keynes Country Park Beach, Shornecote, Gloucestershire, 11th May 2008" . From the series We English
© Simon Roberts

"Ithica, NY, 2002" . From the series Other Nature
© Ron Jude

Oh, Sunday

2009-09-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

What could we find on the Internet if every day was Sunday?

Best President Ever.

2009-09-09T22:14:00.004-04:00

"We are the only democracy...that allows such hardship for it's people."
- President Barack Obama

This past presidential election I became more personally involved in politics than ever before. One of the biggest reasons was of course Barack Obama. His incredibly inspiring message, energy, and positive approach to issues that can be so fraught with negativity encouraged me to be more vocal about my personal beliefs than at any time in the past.

The day to day of politics is part of the reason that I, in the past, was not as involved, as it is awash with bickering and infighting. So much so that it can be sickening and completely repelling. However, what is more sickening is the current state of health care in the United States.

I am almost 30 years old, have a masters degree and hold no less than three adjunct professor positions at major art schools and universities. YET, I STILL DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. Why? Because none of the schools I teach at offer health insurance to any of it's adjunct professors, and buying health insurance on my own would account for more than 1/3 of what I make every month. That is why the speech that President Obama gave tonight was of such great importance to not only me, but millions of other Americans. I write this now not so much to convince my readership that this is a critical issue, because I am sure that many of you reading this right now are not only understanding of my situation, but are possibly in a similar one. I say this because now is the time to start getting ready for change. The change that only WE can bring about. By making this issue at the forefront of our discussions with colleagues, parents, friends, etc.

So, I hope that when Obama says, "I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last," that he is just that. I truly believe that everything he proposed tonight in his address can come true, but I think it will only happen if we as a collective will it to. I encourage you now to blog about it, post it on Facebook, whatever. Because I know that the more it is brought into the light, and pulled out of the trenches of negativity and misinformation, the more likely it is to happen. Most importantly this needs to happen now, because as President Obama so eloquently pointed out, "No one should be treated that way in the Untied States of America," or the world for that matter.

8 Years On

2009-09-09T15:15:00.006-04:00

AP Photo/Richard Drew/FILE

Esquire just (re)published the story of one photograph taken on 9 - 11 - 2001 . A photograph that still has weight and power beyond many others taken that day, in part because it is one that we have seen but once or twice, if ever. The article is moving, and indeed revelatory in it's critique of how images were treated and controlled in the aftermath. A difficult but very worthwhile read.

Also, here is a link to Here Is New York, a companion site to the show that traveled around the world, which tried to address the flood of imagery that appeared from that day, and it's aftermath, in a democratic fashion. When I lived in NYC in 2002 I had the opportunity to see the show in SOHO, and found looking through the website today conjured up many complex feelings. It is interesting, and extremely challenging, to think about what these images represent in 2009. I'm not sure I can offer more than that right now.

Hot Shots & Love Hotel

2009-09-09T10:25:00.004-04:00

The Onslaught begins tonight!

At Jen Bekman Gallery, Hey, Hot Shots! 2009 First Edition is up featuring Michelle Arcila, Daniel Cheek, Mike Sinclair, Parsley Steinweiss and Kurt Tong:

"Anne's Wedding" . 2000
© Mike Sinclair

And if you are over in Brooklyn make sure to stop by Melanie Flood Projects to check out work by photographer Grace Kim.

"Anonymous, Seoul" 2008 . From the series Love Hotel
© Grace Kim

Brian Paul Clamp on Amy Stein

2009-09-08T09:58:00.004-04:00

In conjunction with Amy Stein's opening on Thursday at ClampArt, Brian Paul Clamp offers welcome insight into how a gallery owner approaches and ultimately includes an artist in their gallery roster over at The F Stop Blog. As usual it looks like hard work, dedication, perseverance, and of course great work are the key.

Tim Barber

2009-09-08T09:44:00.005-04:00

Tim's new site is looking pretty sweet. Lots of really nice work in his Personal section:

All photographs © Tim Barber

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-09-07T12:39:00.001-04:00

"Trash Fire, Vrindavan, India, 2009" From the series Walking Vrindavan
© Shane Lavalette

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-09-06T18:46:00.002-04:00

"Nathan Malone, Bulls Gap, TN . 2008" From the series Hurry Up & Wait
© Tribble & Mancenido

Make sure to check out more of James & Tracey's recently unveiled work from their series Hurry Up & Wait, documenting America's trucking culture. Welcome back!

The Onslaught

2009-09-06T17:40:00.013-04:00

This coming Thursday is shaping up to be a doozy in terms of shows opening in Chelsea:

Amy Stein @ Clampart

"Prize" . From the series Domesticated
© Amy Stein

Marlo Pascual @ Casey Kaplan

Untitled . 2007
© Marlo Pascual

Nature as Artifice: New Dutch Landscape in Photography and Video Art @ Aperture Gallery

© Bas Princen

Todd Hido @ Bruce Silvertein Gallery

"6405" . 2007
© Todd Hido

Simen Johan @ Yossi Milo Gallery

Untitled #152 . 2008 . From the series Until the Kingdom Comes
© Simen Johan

Tim Roda @ Daniel Cooney Fine Art

Untitled #101 . 2006
© Tim Roda

And over in Brooklyn...
As Dalton pointed out: Simon Roberts @Klompching Gallery

"Young Bird National Pigeon Race, Maidstone" . 2008 . From the series We English
© Simon Roberts

David DiMichele and Chris Anthony @ Randell Scott Gallery

"Broken Glass" . 2006 . From the series Pseudodocumentation
© David DiMichele

Oh, and who could forget Philly!
Jamie Alvarez, Xiomara Benavides, Danielle Bogenhagen, Martin Buday, Matt Cianfrani, Elyse Derosia, Kyle Ferino, Christopher Gianunzio, Tom Goodman, Phil Jackson, Kelsey Johnson, Joshua Lanzara, Sarah Moore, Bob Myaing, Felicia Perretti, Hannah Price, Samantha Sheehan, Gene Smirnov, Chad States, Daniel Traub, D M Witman @ Philadelphia Photographic Arts Center

"Montlake Man" . From the series Cruising
© Chad States

Also, for an even more extensive list head over to Horses Think for "The Hit List."

See you there/somewhere.

Abe's Penny

2009-08-31T18:15:00.002-04:00

Really been enjoying getting these little gems from Abe's Penny in the mail as of late. The last volume has been my favorite so far:

Front: Volume 1.6

Back: Volume 1.6

This self described "micro - magazine" is a really slick use of the post card medium, and does a wonderful job of presenting the still image coupled with text. If you are interested in getting some of these babies in your mailbox you can do so here.

Shawns

2009-08-26T14:05:00.004-04:00

© Shawn Gust

Awesome photographers and fathers (not necessarily in that order), Shawn Gust and Shawn Records, are both featured in the most recent group show over at Fraction Magazine. Way to go dudes!

© Shawn Records

Heads Up Updated

2009-08-20T19:00:00.005-04:00

"Idaho Springs, Colorado" . 2004 . From the series Westward
© Justin James Reed

There are only (2) 8.5 x 11" of Idaho Springs, Colorado left on 20x200! (There are also (8) 17 x 22" and (2) 30 x 40" available, which would make for a wonderful addition to any wall. And of course make sure to check out my Norristown, Pennsylvania print as well if that is more to your liking!)

As always can't tell you how much the support for my work means to me. Thank you.

*Update*
The 8.5 x 11" are officially SOLD OUT!

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-08-13T10:35:00.003-04:00

From the series Untitled Notes
© Alana Celii

Not quite sure what is in the water at Alana's house, but it must be something good, because her new work is looking great. Besides the cornucopia of shows she is in (1, 2) you can also pick up one of her beautiful prints in the latest round of Daniel Cooney's Emerging Artist Auction. Really love her project Untitled Notes, and be sure to check out her new series Family Archive.

Waning Days Of Summer

2009-08-05T20:17:00.004-04:00

I am off to the West for the rest of the month so things will be quiet on this front. Make sure to take advantage of the remaining beautiful days, and extended hours of sunlight. Tonight the sky was a beautiful concoction of light pinks and dark blues, made me almost wish I wasn't packing my bags... I have so many things, backed up as usual, that I want to post about. A ton of great photographers have sent me work, and there has been a lot on my mind. That, however, is all going to wait, as I want to get away from the computer and relax.

So, with that I leave you with a song from my favorite album as of late. It is by Fever Ray, a solo project from the female member of The Knife, if you are a fan of that band then this album will be right up your alley. Not an "official" video but awesome none the less, enjoy!

Longing To Escape

2009-08-02T11:16:00.004-04:00

From the series Black Line of Woods
© Alec Soth

Nice article in the NYTimes today on Alec Soth's new project and exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. As with most interviews/articles with Alec, this one is dotted with plenty of anecdotes, insights into his working method, and tips for shooting in the field. When speaking about the title of the new work, Black Line of Woods, inspired by Flannery O'Connor, he also offers up the main inspiration for the project:

“She’s talking about where culture ends,” he said. “I wanted this work to be about the longing to escape.”

From the series Black Line of Woods
© Alec Soth

Should be great.

I Am Actually Speechless

2009-07-31T22:58:00.002-04:00

See Him!

Website Update + A Challenge (Updated)

2009-07-26T17:17:00.006-04:00

"Norristown, Pennsylvania" . 2008 . From the series Paradise
© Justin James Reed

Very pleased to announce that I recently updated my website. I have attempted to make navigation easier, added a new News section, and of course included some new work. In fact I have added images to not only my current project Paradise, but also some new images to South Philadelphia and Westward!

So, in recognition of this, and all of you, my fine readers, I have decided that the first person to name all of the new images in either South Philadelphia -or- Westward respectively will receive an 8"x10" of their choice (from any project)! *make sure you name ALL the correct new additions.

Send me an email (Justin@JustinJamesReed.com), if you think you have it. Of course please make sure to let me know what you think of the site, and any other comments. Thanks!

*Update*
Alright, well somebody has already guessed correctly concerning the new additions to Westward. So, South Philadelphia is the only one left. Good luck!

Wonderful

2009-07-22T14:58:00.004-04:00

There are officially more televisions in America than people:

"There are now more TV sets than people in the US. How scary is that? In 2009, there were nearly 115 million TV homes in the US, each averaging 2.86 TV sets, according to a new Nielsen study. That computes to nearly 329 million TV sets -- more than the entire US population, estimated at 307 million by the US Census Bureau. And the average number of TV sets-per-home has been growing steadily. It was up 18 percent over 2000 (2.43 sets-per-house) -- and up a whopping 43 percent over 1990 (when it was two TV sets-per-home)."

Via The New York Post

The Most Beautiful Thing I Have Ever Seen

2009-07-16T18:16:00.008-04:00

Kittens T- Shirt

Listening to Here & Now today I was compelled to look up The Mountain t-shirt company, and I am glad that I did. They have some of the most amazing t-shirt graphics I have ever seen, so many in fact it was hard to decide which to post:

Cobra T-Shirt

Rainbow Unicorn T-Shirt

Kitty Overalls T-Shirt

I am always a sucker for anything incorporating an America flag, and after almost passing out from reading the top review on Amazon (see below) of this particular shirt, I have decided on a favorite:

Wolf Flag T-shirt

God Bless America, May 5, 2009

By	Michael Goodfriend (Wallingford, CT, USA)

When I first saw this T-Shirt, I think I cried for at least an hour. It is possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and I've seen the sunrise at the Grand Canyon, so I know a thing or two about beautiful things. I bought myself three of this shirt, and one for all of my family members' and friends' upcoming birthdays. All I can say is, I plan on wearing this shirt everyday, alternating between the three and doing my laundry every week or so, so that I never have to wear another shirt ever again. I was referred to this shirt by an acquaintance, who told me how many women he picked up at Peep's, the local biker bar, with it. I can't wait to get mine!

Michael Wesely

2009-07-14T21:07:00.005-04:00

"Palast der Republik, Berlin (28.6.2006 – 19.12.2008)" . From the series Longtime Exposures/Single Projects
© Michael Wesely

Michael Wesely is absolutely incredible. I have been looking at his work for awhile now, and while I really enjoy his Longtime Exposures (or Single Projects), it is his Tulpen series that really gets me going somehow. I think it is his ability to present a still life of flowers in a fresh and exciting way. Talk about a challange.

More great work on his website.

"23.4. 2005 - 23.4.2006 Der Großleuthener See" . From the series Longtime Exposures/Single Projects
© Michael Wesely

"18.10.2002 - 18.10.2003, Central Park, New York" . From the series Longtime Exposures/Single Projects
© Michael Wesely

"10.2. - 18.2.2007 (B2952)" . From the series Tulpen
© Michael Wesely

"20.1. - 30.1.2007 (B2851)" . From the series Tulpen
© Michael Wesely

"B3593" . From the series Tulpen
© Michael Wesely

All Time Favorites

2009-07-14T20:50:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile since I last featured one of these, but while putting together a slideshow for tomorrow I ran across one of my favorites by Jeff Wall.

"The Pine on the Corner, 1990"
© Jeff Wall

Encounters At The End Of The World

2009-07-14T14:52:00.003-04:00

Werner Herzog is in my opinion one of the greatest directors ever. His films and directing style are an entity unto themselves, and as there are too many to mention here I will refrain from listing my favorites. However, I did recently watch one of his more recent "documentaries" Encounters at the End of the World and was blown away. It pulls together many of his strongest attributes as a film maker, intense interviews, incredible imagery paired with moving music, and of course his distinctive narration. Watch this film!

Sarah Stolfa Book Signing Tonight

2009-07-14T14:28:00.004-04:00

"Kataryna Choniel, 2006" . From the series The Regulars
© Sarah Stolfa

Sarah Stolfa is signing copies of her first monograph, The Regulars, right here in Philly at Gallery 339.

The Regulars Revisited
July 5th - September 5th . 2009
Gallery 339
339 S 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Book Signing: July 14th, 6:00-8:00

The Big 500

2009-07-14T13:55:00.004-04:00

500 posts! (Just thought I'd get it out of the way...)

Mike Sinclair On The 4th

2009-07-04T15:13:00.003-04:00

"Fourth of July #2, Independence, Missouri"
© Mike Sinclair

One of my favorite photographers is offering up one of my favorite photographs for sale on 20x200 this week. Mike Sinclair is is not only a great photographer, but he is a wonderful person. Make sure to grab one of his beautiful prints before they are all gone!

Hitting The Road Updated

2009-06-21T11:40:00.005-04:00

We have had an overwhelming amount of rain and cloudy days here as of late. So it is the perfect time to hit the road for a few weeks to work on a new project. I have a pretty good itinerary planned out and should hit all of the states on the East Coast (south of Pennsylvania), plus a couple further inland. Think positive thoughts for blue skies, fluffy clouds, and perfect exposures!

*Update*
Thank you everyone for the well wishes and positive thoughts. The road was amazing! The weather, light, and head space were all better than I could ever have hoped for. I will be slowly unveiling the new project here and on my website in the coming months, and will look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.

...and to anyone out there who is contemplating a trip make sure you get out there and do it!!

Out To Pasture

2009-06-19T16:04:00.001-04:00

Thank you for your service, you will be missed.

Holy Paul Grahm

2009-06-19T08:51:00.007-04:00

"New England, 2006" From A Shimmer of Possibility
© Paul Graham

There are some photographers that either make you want to give up photography all together because you are not quite sure you could ever do something that good, or push you even harder because they have raised the bar so much. After seeing Paul Graham's recent exhibition at Moma, and having been lucky enough to snag a reissue of his monumental book, A Shimmer of Possibility, I can say without a doubt that he is one of these photographers.

Graham's work is simply on another level, and having flipped through the book multiple times now it is apparent to me that this is not only one of the best books I have ever seen, but that he is without a doubt one of the best contemporary photographers period. If you have a chance to grab a copy either through Steidl or Amazon, I cannot strongly recommend it enough. He also has a self - titled monograph coming out in July covering the last 25 years of his exceptional work, I would definitely pre-order this baby asap. Now if only the images on his website were a little bigger!

"California, 2006" From A Shimmer of Possibility
© Paul Graham

Found Quote Website From This Moment

2009-06-15T13:58:00.002-04:00

I have been meaning to share this website for far too long, as it has been staring at me from the corner of my bookmarks toolbar for almost a year now. PhotoQuotes.com is a great resource for teachers, students, and photographers of all backgrounds and aspirations. I find that periodically going through the lists of quotes from my favorite photographers from time to time is not only inspiring, but often offers me solace in the fact that my struggles are truly not mine alone.

One of my all time favorites:
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." - Ansel Adams

Real Marketing

2009-06-13T11:49:00.003-04:00

Abbey went with 'repulsive,' but I think I have to opt for unbelievable. This could be one of the most absurd marketing campaigns since those Sunoco stickers.

A few fans:

Getting Close...

2009-06-12T01:26:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia Photo Arts Center

2009-06-08T13:20:00.003-04:00

"Waterford, CT" . 2007
© Sarah Stolfa

Philly looks like it is getting a great resource for photographers in the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. They are offering up drum scanning, retouching, and printing services. On top of this they are having a call for entries for their first juried competition, Next: Emerging Philadelphia Photographers. Looking forward to what looks like a wonderful opportunity for the Philly photo community to get a little closer!

All The Days And Nights

2009-06-07T18:18:00.003-04:00

"Luke, Christmas Eve, Far Hills, NJ" . 1985
© Doug Dubois

After spending the last hour with Doug Dubois' book All the Days and Nights, I can declare that it has officially landed into my all time top 10 photo book list. I have seen the work online for quite awhile now, but this book really displays the breadth and clarity of Dubois' photographs in the best way possible. Absolutely wonderful.

(Life with) Maggie

2009-06-04T23:09:00.003-04:00

"Rozell Point, The Great Salt Lake, Utah" . From the series (Life with) Maggie
© Ofer Wolberger

If you are in London make sure to check out good friend Ofer Wolberger's exhibition over at Michael Hoppen Contemporary. Ofer is offering up one of my absolute favorite photography projects with this work. It is intelligent, well crafted, and above all visually stunning. Looking forward to that monograph...

"Restaurant Schiller, Freiburg, Germany" . From the series (Life with) Maggie
© Ofer Wolberger

"Gardening Shed, Tours, France" . From the series (Life with) Maggie
© Ofer Wolberger

Slight Rant To Follow

2009-06-04T11:52:00.006-04:00

If you don't want to be told about what you eat, or how you should approach the consumption of food please proceed with caution...

Everyone is/should be Vegan by 2109.

Time - Lapse

2009-06-03T10:49:00.002-04:00

Pretty interesting set of videos over at Wired Science documenting 10 years of transition from Southern Utah to Dubai as seen from space. The article begins with the sobering reality that, 'Over the past decade, the number of people on Earth shot up by more than 13 percent, to nearly 6.8 billion people. To make room for all the hungry, breeding, CO2-emitting bodies on our small planet, we’ve ravaged Earth’s surface with staggering feats of deforestation, irrigation and urbanization — and NASA satellites have captured it all.' These videos offer a very intense visual manifestation of our impact on the earth.

Urbanization of Dubai:

Draining the Aral Sea:

Drought in Utah:

Found Quote From This Moment

2009-05-26T16:08:00.002-04:00

"Should we really look at art, however banal, because looking at art is somehow good for us, while ignoring any specific good that the individual work or artist might propose to us?"

- Dave Hickey, excerpt from The Invisible Dragon: Essays on Beauty

The Ulrich * Updated*

2009-05-25T12:54:00.007-04:00

"Days Hotel, 2009" . From the series Dark Stores, Ghostboxes and Dead Malls
© Brian Ulrich

Epic opening this Thursday from 5:30 - 7:00 at Julie Saul Gallery, when Brian Ulrich unveils his Dark Stores, Ghostboxes and Dead Malls series. Definitely not one to be missed!

"Dominicks 1, 2008" . From the series Dark Stores, Ghostboxes and Dead Malls
© Brian Ulrich

*Update*
Make sure to also check out this great interview with Brian by Ruben over at Artmostfierce.

Daniel Cooney Emerging Artists Auction

2009-05-21T09:02:00.005-04:00

Very pleased to be in the current Emerging Artists Auction of Works on Paper and Photographs offered by Daniel Cooney Fine Art. There are many wonderful images included in the auction, and a few friends even. I am personally excited about offering up one of my absolute favorites from my series, South Philadelphia:

"Alexandria, Carlito and Shayne, Jackson Street, 2006"
© Justin James Reed

Make sure to check out all the other great work, and help support some emerging artists!

"Daydreaming #15 "
© Rachel Barrett

"Broad Channel, Queens, NY, 2008"
© Bryan Lear

Life is a Series of Small Moments
© Elizabeth Fleming

"Seuss Tree, Fairbanks, Alaska, 2008"
© Ben Huff

"Mike: 'I want to show that despite stereotypes, gay men can be masculine too' 2008
© Chad States

Love & Music

2009-05-12T16:51:00.002-04:00

I have really been getting into the radio show Radiolab as of late. At first I was not that into the frantic editing style that they use to put the show together, but the content is usually so overwhelmingly good, sometimes even outshining This American Life, that I have become a loyal listener.

The episode that completely won me over is entitled "Memory and Forgetting." It investigates the nature of memory and how it actually functions. To sum it up bluntly it appears that memory is less about recalling, and more about re-imaging moments over and over again. The concept that the only thing that is real is the given moment is made concrete in this realization because even though we might like to think that our memories are solid, and for the most part a realistic representation of the past, in fact we are only confusing and getting further away from actual events every time we remember something. The ultimate implication of this appears to be that the less we think about past events, the more safe the memory is in terms of the actual faithful representation of the past. This is just a small portion of what this one episode discusses, and I definitely encourge you all to take a listen to the whole show either via WNYC's website, or below. My title to this post elludes to the conclusions brought out by the final segment, which definitely choked me up!

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-05-11T14:15:00.005-04:00

From the series All in the Family
© Clayton Cotterell

Clayton recently took over the curatorial duties for Wanderlustagraphy and is doing a wonderful job. He also has a ton of superb work, so make sure to check him out!

50 States + New Project

2009-05-11T06:16:00.005-04:00

The next assignment (Habitat) for The 50 States Project was released about a little over a week ago, and there are some fantastic images:

Alaska
© Ben Huff

Connecticut
© Lisa Kereszi

Nebraska
© Bradley Peters

Oregon
© Shawn Records

"Aurora, WI "
Wisconsin
© Mark Brautigam

It is really great watching this project unfold, and I am very much looking forward to seeing it's further progression.

My image for this assignment is actually playing a dual role, as it not only fulfilled the image requirements, but is also the first glimpse at a new project I am working on:

"7 Acres For Sale, Zoned Residential, Lionville, Pennsylvania"
Pennsylvania
© Justin James Reed

While I am not going to say too much about the project now, I am very excited about it, and will be updating my website with some of the new work in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-05-07T10:42:00.004-04:00

"Parc de Sceaux" . 1925
© Eugene Atget

Sometimes You're Driving To Work...

2009-04-29T14:38:00.003-04:00

2009-04-28T14:43:00.002-04:00

Need I say more?

Shopping Carts & Bulls

2009-04-26T10:40:00.005-04:00

I have always been fascinated with these news stories that crop up from time to time about some wild animal entering into a store, i.e. a supermarket, Target, or even liquor store (see below). For some reason the CCTV footage is really incredible to watch. Usually it is a bit sad, and the news stories make it all out to be something funny, which is why I recommend watching the videos below muted (although what the employees in these videos have to say can be quite interesting). However, what stands out the most for me when I see these videos is what happens when an animal enters into an entirely unnatural environment, of which big box stores might be the pinnacle. How it interacts with it's surroundings might just be the perfect manifestation for how one should respond to these places; fear, confusion, and ultimately flight.

Bull in supermarket (just footage, no sound):

Deer in Target:

(3) Deer in liquor store:

Chad Muthard Is Joining The Ranks Updated

2009-04-21T14:41:00.006-04:00

"Jess" . From the series Lost In Thought
© Chad Muthard

Get your browsers ready because at 2pm tomorrow The Muthard is dropping his 20x200 edition. I am not sure which one of his fine works it will be (the photo above is just a teaser), but I am sure it will not disappoint. Definitely not one to miss!

*Update*
Here is the image and link to Chad's 20x200, he also has a pretty nice portrait on his bio page... Go get 'em!

"The Drive With Christine" . From the series Missing Teeth
© Chad Muthard

Sebastian Lemm (And A Note From Management)

2009-04-20T12:33:00.010-04:00

Sebastian emailed me far too long about his wonderful work and new series Strata.

"Strata #4" . 2008 . From the series Strata
© Sebastian Lemm

"Strata #6" . 2008 . From the series Strata
© Sebastian Lemm

I had seen Lemm's work at Michael Mazzeo Gallery a while back for an exhibition of his Subtraction series. I was immediately struck by the wonderful dialogue between digital manipulation, it's affect on contemporary photography and of course his work in particular. This wasn't the old conversation of digital enables the artist to this or that, rather it seemed that the work was entirely contingent on the use of the computer. For me this is always the most interesting use of digital technology and any conversation about it's influence on the medium.

"Subtraction #2" . 2006 . From the series Subtraction
© Sebastian Lemm

"Subtraction #12" . 2008 . From the series Subtraction
© Sebastian Lemm

"Subtraction #6" . 2006 . From the series Subtraction
© Sebastian Lemm

His work is truly great, and after sifting through his archives I found my two absolute favorite series of his, Schattenseite and Lapse.

"Schattenseite #12" . 2007 . From the series Schattenseite
© Sebastian Lemm

"Schattenseite #13" . 2007 . From the series Schattenseite
© Sebastian Lemm

"Schattenseite #14" . 2007 . From the series Schattenseite
© Sebastian Lemm

"Lapse #3" . 2007 . From the series Lapse
© Sebastian Lemm

"Lapse #1" . 2004 . From the series Lapse
© Sebastian Lemm

These two series eloquently utilize some of the simplest digital maneuvers executed in an extremely delicate and complicated manner, and for that, they are absolutely brilliant. The lack of overt concealment of the digital process in all of his work is one of it's strongest assets to me. By laying the facts bare he is able to create a refreshing and unique dialogue with his technique. Thanks for sharing Sebastian!

* Now to address the second part of the title of this blog post... Sebastian emailed me way back in January about his work and at the time I expressed my interest, and desire, to post something about his work. Unfortunately the life of a blogger/teacher/photographer/etc. does not always allow for the necessary time and dedication one may want to allow for a certain post. As the months have quickly slipped by I have thought over and over again about this post. I bring this up not only as an acknowledgement to Sebastian for my delay, but also to those of you out there who I have promised posts to, yet have not made it to the blog yet. It is not that I am no longer interested in your work or project, it is just that I am sometimes a bad blogger. It is kind of like email, the ones that are fresh usually get answered right away, but if for some reason I do not respond immediately (as is usually the case for the ones that are the most interesting) they slip off into the ether. This is not an act of malicious intent, to the contrary it is because I want to have a certain amount of time to dedicate to your inquiry. Your understanding is appreciated in regards to this matter.*

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-04-20T11:48:00.002-04:00

From the series A Shimmer of Possibility
© Paul Graham

An image from the best photography exhibition I have seen in a very long time. Also, make sure to check out the show next door while you are there, as it contains a plethora of work by some of the greatest American photographers of all time.

Svart Metall

2009-04-20T11:07:00.004-04:00

From the series Svart Metall
© Grant Willing

Was perusing Grant Willing's website this morning, and took a look at his new in- progress series Svart Metall. Besides hitting all the right buttons for me starting with the fact that it is black & white (my new obsession), it also is one of the most compelling series that I have seen in quite awhile.

All images From the series Svart Metall
© Grant Willing

The unique name, Svart, prompted a GS which brought me to the Swedish Wikipedia page for 'black.' An excerpt:

"Black is a color that can be defined as the absence of all other colors, or the presence of pigments of all other colors. The reason that any of the eye appears black, no visible color reflected. Black can express strength, authority, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mysteries."

Sweet.

All images From the series Svart Metall
© Grant Willing

*Update: Grant is now selling a self published version of this work for $10.00, excellent! Look under the Svart Metall Book section of his website.

Brian Sorg New Work

2009-04-16T13:09:00.009-04:00

Brian emailed me a little while back about a website update, specifically regarding the next round of his Davey series.

From the series Davey III
© Brian Sorg

I must say that this work is getting more and more intense, and Davey looks like he is getting himself into some trouble. Last year felt lighter, more free, Davey had a girlfriend and appeared to be happy. But the series starts off a bit darker this year, evidenced by the opening image above. The photographs are getting moodier in turn, and I am very curious to see where this goes. Wonderful work Brian.

All images from the series Davey III
© Brian Sorg

* Make sure to also check out Brian's new series, Balloons. Could not be more appropriate. Awesome!

All images from the series Balloons
© Brian Sorg

The Soth in Philly

2009-04-15T15:26:00.003-04:00

"JC Penny" . From the series Fashion Magazine
© Alec Soth

Alec Soth is dropping by Philly tomorrow night, as part of his whirlwind speaking tour. Definitely not to be missed.

Alec Soth | Lecture
University of Pennsylvania
3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Thursday, April 16
5:30pm, B1 Meyerson

One Offs

2009-04-15T15:19:00.004-04:00

Was wandering through the archives today in preparation for a presentation I am giving tonight, and ran across a few oldies but goodies:

2004
© Justin James Reed

2004
© Justin James Reed

2005
© Justin James Reed

2005
© Justin James Reed

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-04-13T10:02:00.002-04:00

Shows

2009-04-13T09:42:00.004-04:00

"Directions 7" . From the series Cruising
© Chad States

Chad States let me know about two shows he is in this month, one with mutual friend Anna Neighbor in Philly. Make sure to check them out!

Pleasure Seekers
April 7 to April 25
Chashama's Times Square Gallery Space
112 West 44 Street
NY, NY
Wednesday - Saturday, 12 - 6

Taking Measures
April 11 to May 10
Flux Space
3000 N. Hope St.
Philadelphia, PA
Saturdays, 12 - 4 or by appointment

From the series Secrets and Games
© Anna Neighbor

Mind Numbing Goodness For The Weekend

2009-04-10T20:02:00.005-04:00

Ran across a link to the awesome Internet repository Tofutti Break (you know what I am talking about vegans), via Houses In Motion today. Tofutti Break is chock full of random Internet goodness. Almost too good to be true, go ahead, neglect your other duties...

All images/video via Tofutti Break.

Sweet Vids

2009-04-08T19:54:00.009-04:00

© Will Steacy

The always stellar Will Steacy cued me into a great interview with him as part of the Viewfinders: Portrait Photography series on Zoom-In. I am not quite sure what the site is all about, but after briefly looking around I found interviews with Martin Parr, Erika Larsen, and Brian Clamp. I also found an interview with one of my other favorite portrait photographers Shen Wei (below).

Will's interview in particular is true to form, and intense. He shares an incredible story of survival which offers insight into the dynamic nature of both his photographs and persona:

Shen Wei:

Music From This Moment

2009-04-05T11:39:00.006-04:00

Very rarely does an band/album get introduced to me and it immediately becomes one of my favorites. However, yesterday, Heather introduced me to CFCF, and holy sh*t...

After listening to You Hear Colours, I immediately downloaded their album Panesian Nights, and listened to it no less than three times yesterday. This is one of those albums you get excited about waking up in the morning just to listen to again. It is so full of synthesizer goodness and mellow electronic beats that I could explode. What are you waiting for?

2009-04-02T19:30:00.003-04:00

First "Bad" Paintings of Barack Obama, and now this! Leave it to Obama to participate in one of the greatest group portraits ever.

Cory Arcangel

2009-04-01T12:46:00.004-04:00

The awesome Jenny Jaskey put Cory Arcangel into my head a few weeks ago, and I cannot stop thinking about his work. I have just spent way too much time perusing his website, blog, and favorite YouTube videos, and have trouble believing how much goodness he offers up. Jenny introduced me to this piece in particular, and it is too brilliant:

"Photoshop CS: 110 by 72 inches, 300 DPI, RGB, square pixels, default gradient "Spectrum", mousedown y=1098 x=1749.9, mouse up y=0 x=4160" . 2008
© Cory Arcangel

I love that Cory not only utilizes icons from my childhood in much of his work, but that he also has all of his video work on YouTube, and offers up detailed instructions on how to recreate almost any of his other pieces. And although he has many excellent video pieces/Nintendo hacks, this just might be my favorite:

"f2" . 2005
© Cory Arcangel

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-04-01T12:31:00.002-04:00

NYPH 09

2009-03-30T12:24:00.005-04:00

© Carlos Ranc
Included in Jody Quon's exhibition.

Don't forget the hugely successful New York Photo Festival is having it's second incarnation this May (13-17). Curated by William A. Ewing, Chris Boot, Jody Quon, and Jon Levy, it looks like it is only getting better! Currently accepting submissions in a variety of categories, this is a great opportunity to share/show your work.

Also, if you make it to the festival itself make sure you don't miss out on Blogging and The Photography Community on May 15th, the panel will include some of "the 'spheres" biggest names Jorg Colberg, Cara Philips, Laurel Ptak, Andrew Hetherington and Brian Ulrich.

"This panel promises an open-ended discussion on the current state of the blogging and the photography community, or what I lamely call the “photosphere”. If you think that you have a clue as to what is actually going on in photography today, then you will be hogging a seat from the early morn."

I don't have a clue, but I will probably show up anyway!

Found Photograph From This Moment

2009-03-29T18:58:00.002-04:00

Abbey Lee Sarver

2009-03-28T13:25:00.006-04:00

© Abbey Lee Sarver

It is a privilage to instruct many outstanding and motivated students, they make the class environment an interesting and exciting place to be. It is even better when one of these students keeps in touch, and continues producing wonderful work.

All images © Abbey Lee Sarver

Abbey was a student of mine a little over a year ago. After a brief hiatus upon graduating Abbey has put up a website and has begun producing some great new work (she also has a newly renamed blog, although the old one was pretty good too!).

I certainly know how difficult it can be to start the ball rolling again after completing any program be it undergraduate or graduate. With all the pressures of life, jobs, student loans, etc... it can be hard to find the time, and adapt your working methods to new situations. I am glad to see that Abbey is off to a great start, and can't wait to see what else she comes up with!

All images © Abbey Lee Sarver

Graduation Time

2009-03-25T09:39:00.007-04:00

Both the lovely Alana Celii, and the equally wonderful Whitney Hubbs are offering up awesome print sales to help with their respective upcoming graduation costs. I must say that these are two of my favorite photographers, and the work is more than reasonably priced. So if you want to help out two incredible photographers, and get some fine work in the process, make sure to share the love...

© Alana Celii

As some of you may know, I am graduating this May from Parsons School of Design. To help offset the cost of framing my senior thesis exhibition, I am offering a limited edition of five images from my thesis body of work.

1. Corey After He Shot Himself in the Eye, 2007
2. Hawks, 2008
3. 1 P.M., 2006
4. Virgin Mary Night Light, 2005
5. Motel, 2007

Each image is in an edition of 15. They are hand printed at 5 x 5" on 8 x 10" Fuji Super Type C Glossy paper. Each image is 20 dollars plus S/H, or all five for 85 dollars.

Contact Alana here.

© Whitney Hubbs

I'm getting ready for my MFA thesis exhibition at UCLA. To help cover the cost of mounting and framing 30 prints I am making a limited edition print of 50, available for purchase for $50.

The image size is approximately 8 3/4" X 11" on 11"X14"
fiber paper and is an archival silver gelatin print.

Contact Whitney here.

My Students Are Awesome

2009-03-17T20:18:00.004-04:00

Bad Paintings of Barack Obama

Thank you Alison.

Earth Hour

2009-03-16T13:53:00.001-04:00

Dark Stores, Ghost Boxes, and Dead Malls

2009-03-16T10:54:00.007-04:00

Toys R Us, Cleveland, Ohio, 2009
From the series Dark Stores, Ghost Boxes, and Dead Malls
© Brian Ulrich

Besides coming up with possibly one of the coolest/greatest project names ever, Brian Ulrich has been making some incredible work as of late. After his call to arms last month, Brian has proved that he is no hypocrite producing a timely and relevant series of photographs. Although he has not unveiled the new work on his website yet, images have been trickling out and I definitely wanted to share some here.

Target, Riverside, Illinois, July 2008

Dixie Square Mall, 2008

Richland Mall, 2009

Levitz, 2008

Kids' R Us, 2008

Chicago Place Mall, 2009
All images from the series Dark Stores, Ghost Boxes, and Dead Malls
© Brian Ulrich

Beyond concept, this work is endowed with all kinds of photographic goodness that brings visual complexity and depth; snow, abandonment, contemporary consumer landscape(s), long exposures, 8"x10", shopping carts... It is as if he made a list of all of the things we wanted to incorporate into a photograph, and then slowly hit each point while producing work of significance. The work is dark and eerie, and in my opinion perfectly articulates the current mood of our times. For more check out SantaFe, and this Time Magazine photo essay.

Rolling Acres Mall 1, 2008

Linens 'n Things, Skokie, Illinois, 2008
All images from the series Dark Stores, Ghost Boxes, and Dead Malls
© Brian Ulrich

2009-03-13T11:29:00.001-04:00

Spring Break List

2009-03-12T10:38:00.004-04:00

1. Drink less coffee.
2. Don't join Facebook.
3. Check Horses Think regularly.
4. Start shooting B&W.

Picacho and Colorado River #3 . 2000
© Mark Ruwedel
5. Road trip to Photo Antiquities | Museum of Photographic History.

Make The Art Stronger Than Life

2009-03-04T14:47:00.003-05:00

© Tehching Hsieh

An overwhelming piece in The NYTimes about Tehching Hsieh's life and art, definitely worth a read. I can only think that his work was so incredible because of the extremes he was driven to by poverty, alienation, and lack of recognition. Amazing.

"With the downtown art scene vibrating around him, he eked out a living at Chinese restaurants and construction jobs, feeling alien, alienated and creatively barren until it came to him: He could turn his isolation into art. Inside an unfinished loft, he could build himself a beautiful cage, shave his head, stencil his name onto a uniform and lock himself away for a year."

Continue reading the article here.

Hey Ladies

2009-03-04T14:11:00.003-05:00

Well the fabulous Amy Elkins and Cara Phillips are taking Women In Photography to the next level with a little help from Humble Arts Foundation:

WIPNYC - Lightside Individual Project Grant

Women in Photography, co-founded by Amy Elkins and Cara Phillips in June 2008 to showcase the works of female fine art photographers, is pleased to announce their first project grant, funded by Lightside Photographic Services/ and co-sponsored by LTI. The $3,000 grant award will provide funding to one female photographer to support project costs.

GRANT: $3000.00. One grant will be awarded

APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS: Wednesday April 1, 2009 12am

Link to online application will be made available on wipnyc.org.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2009, 12AM

GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT: JUNE 10, 2009
Grant announcement will be made at evening event at the National Arts Club, Grand Gallery. There will be a reception for the grant winner and a slideshow presentation of their work. The Grant winner's work will be featured in a wipnyc.org online solo showcase opening on 6/16/09.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Applications will be only be accepted from photographers who are at least 18 years old, and who are NOT currently enrolled in any full-time or part-time degree program.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY
Projects submitted for consideration can be new or ongoing. Applicants should submit no more than one proposal in support for one project.

REVIEW PROCESS
WIP’s curatorial staff, Amy Elkins & Cara Phillips will review projects for visual & conceptual strength, rigor of purpose, and clarity of stated
project goals.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
WIPNY will only accept online submissions.
Submission Fee: $20.00
Applicants must submit exactly five images. Each image must be:

JPEG format
72dpi
sRGB
650 pixels wide

Contact Info
BIO (Under 200 words)
CV

**Please direct all grant submission questions to the email address which will be made available as APRIL 1, 2009**

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Describe the project in 300 words or less* ( IN PLACE OF ARTISTS STATEMENT)
Please include: Project start date, or in progress staus. Estimated finish date?*
Please provide a detailed list of expenses. Itemize each expense and provide a dollar amount.*
Please list any estimated income or other funding sources.*

Panel Discussion Tonight

2009-03-04T10:31:00.005-05:00

Stefan Abrams and yours truly will be talking about the excellent photography exhibition mounted by Anita Allyn, Sarah Cunningham, and The College of New Jersey Art Department tonight at 6pm. Only an hour outside of either city (NYC or Philly), you should definitely come out. Hope to see you there!

Anxious Ground: Contemporary Landscape Photography
Curated by Anita Allyn and Sarah Cunningham
February 18-March 25, 2009
Opening Reception:
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 5p.m.-7p.m., Gallery

Featured Artists:
Edward Burtynsky
Stephen Chalmers
Danny Goodwin
Sze Tsung Leong
David Maisel
Mary Mattingly
Christine Nadir and Cary Peppermint
Holli Schorno

Related Programs:
Landscape Photography:
Artist Panel Discussion featuring Stefan Abrams and Justin James Reed
Wednesday, March 4, 6.pm., Forcina Hall 134

The College of New Jersey • 2000 Pennington Road · Ewing, NJ 08628-0718

Recession Print "Sale"

2009-03-01T13:33:00.010-05:00

Occasionally I take a photograph that has no appropriate place in any particular series I am working on. These images usually stay in the back of my head for years, and inform work that I make in the future, but still do not find a home in a specific body of work. Often these images are some of my favorites, in many cases because they are so unique. Instead of letting them linger in my negative boxes I have been sharing them in past posts entitled "One Offs" (ex.1, 2, 3, 4)

Up until now I have been fine letting them exist as a digital archive, but in light of the current economic climate and discussion, I have come to the conclusion that the only way to respond is with a Recession Print "Sale." I figure with all the bills weighing down at the beginning of each month, it might be fun to offer up a photograph, free of charge, for all to download and print at home. This is in no way intended to undercut any of you out there who are having print sales (some which are featured as a link list on the side of this blog), or any of my own potential future sales. Instead, I want to challenge myself and this mediums potential, spread a little cheer, and offer up an image for anyone to print themselves at little expense. The other big difference is that I have no control over what program/printer/paper one might use to print this image, which is kind of exciting. Economically sized at (5"x7") for easy printing, framing, pinning, etc. So enjoy and let me know how you make out! Download here , or click the image below.

I could think of no more an appropriate image or subject to share than this one:

"Hummer H2" . 2006
© Justin James Reed

*Update*
If you make a print feel free to send me an image of where it is hanging/sitting/laying/etc...

• Thanks Mel!

From This Moment

Once Again

Found Photograph From This Moment

Black Is The Day, Black Is The Night

It Just Wouldn't Be The (Photo) Holiday Season Without...

First Day Off...

I Still Like Hope

Annette Kelm

Our Cousins The Trees

Found Quote From This Moment

American Power

Found Quote From This Moment

Malls R Us

Music From This Moment

Working

Found Photograph(s) From This Moment

Teaching Reform

1.5 Million

The POC

Perhaps...

Bridging The Gap

Well Done!

The Last Day Of Summer

Daniel Traub

Ahorn Magazine

Oh, Sunday

Best President Ever.

8 Years On

Hot Shots & Love Hotel

Brian Paul Clamp on Amy Stein

Tim Barber

Found Photograph From This Moment

Found Photograph From This Moment

The Onslaught

Abe's Penny

Shawns

Heads Up *Updated*

Found Photograph From This Moment

Waning Days Of Summer

Longing To Escape

I Am Actually Speechless

Website *Update* + A Challenge (**Updated**)

Wonderful

The Most Beautiful Thing I Have Ever Seen

Michael Wesely

All Time Favorites

Encounters At The End Of The World

Sarah Stolfa Book Signing *Tonight*

The Big 500

Mike Sinclair On The 4th

Hitting The Road *Updated*

Out To Pasture

Holy Paul Grahm

Found Quote *Website* From This Moment

Real Marketing

Getting Close...

Philadelphia Photo Arts Center

All The Days And Nights

(Life with) Maggie

Slight Rant To Follow

Time - Lapse

Found Quote From This Moment

The Ulrich * Updated*

Daniel Cooney Emerging Artists Auction

Love & Music

Found Photograph From This Moment

50 States + New Project

Found Photograph From This Moment

Sometimes You're Driving To Work...

Shopping Carts & Bulls

Chad Muthard Is Joining The Ranks *Updated*

Sebastian Lemm (And A Note From Management)

Found Photograph From This Moment

Svart Metall

Brian Sorg *New Work*

The Soth in Philly

One Offs

Found Photograph From This Moment

Shows

Mind Numbing Goodness For The Weekend

Heads Up Updated

Website Update + A Challenge (Updated)

Sarah Stolfa Book Signing Tonight

Hitting The Road Updated

Found Quote Website From This Moment

Chad Muthard Is Joining The Ranks Updated

Brian Sorg New Work

Panel Discussion Tonight