Alexander James's Taxis

I have always liked Fashion Photographer Alexander James' Taxi Series' and just found an interview with him here on the Sketchbook Blog....

FotoFest: Cori Chandler-Pepelnjak

Another person whose work i saw in Houston was Cori Chandler-Pepelnjak, she showed me her work Jo Jo, Cori started the work whilst on one of photographer David Alan Harvey's workshops in the US... :
"The more I watched this girl, the more confused and intrigued I became. I wasn’t sure of her age—she could have been 15 or she could have been 20 something. I approached her and explained my intentions and asked if it were ok if I photographed her for awhile she hung out there with her skater friends. I left Union square that night without getting any information besides her name..."
"..For two nights following that initial meeting I returned to the same spot hoping to find her or her friends hanging out. I was in luck, and this guy who is now her boyfriend called her up and handed me the cell phone so I could talk to her. I explained that I would love to spend a few more days photographing her in her everyday life, she nonchalantly agreed and so I planned to meet her outside her school the next day and would walk home with her so I could meet her mother, which I insisted on...."
"...Just as we arrived at the stoop of her building, before she picked up her bike to carry it up the stairs into the Chinese-red hallway that led to the apartment stairwell, JoJo told me her mom was hosting a party. With a disgusted expression she said, “my mom is a cougar, you know what that is right?” Caught a bit of guard I followed JoJo through the red hallway, up the dingy blue stairwell, and into the apartment and straight to JoJo’s bedroom which was dominated by a hot pink hairy blanket on her bed and three frenzied miniature greyhound dogs..."
"...Wondering which of the women buzzing around was JoJo’s mom, she said, “oh, that was my mom”, about the striking woman that just popped her head in. No one asked who I was or what I was doing, my being there was nothing out of the ordinary. I did tell JoJo I wanted to introduce myself, so I did and was immediately absorbed by all the hubub and various characters that were coming and going. That was a year and a half ago. JoJo is now 16 and I am still photographing her life...." Cori Chandler-Pepelnjak

FotoFest: Greta Pratt

Some of my favorite work was that by Greta Pratt, it seems that for some years now Greta has been looking at American identity through both its history and its icons, and their affect both visually and metaphorically now on the American people here is some work form the Lincoln series..:
"These men all belong to The Association of Lincoln Presenters. They are passionate about Abraham Lincoln and spend time studying, reading, and performing for school groups, community celebrations, and senior citizen centers...
"..I asked the men to write about why they dress and act as Lincoln. Although they began this obsession for various reasons their motives for continuing it are similar. Repeatedly, they refer to Lincoln’s moral character and the work ethic that enabled him to rise from humble beginnings to the presidency. They revere Lincoln because he embodies one of America’s most cherished tenets, that the common man, through sheer hard work and determination, can elevate his status in society. .."
"These photographs are a continuation of my quest to understand how I, and we, remember history. My intention is to comment on the way a society, composed of individuals, is held together through the creation of its history and heroic figures..." Greta Pratt

FotoFest: Laura Noel

Laura Noel has been working on a body of work called Deliver Me, portraits of smokers, I thought many of these portraits have a loneliness to them that is incredibly touching..
Laura says of the work:
"Smokers have become social refugees banished to windy corners, cars, and private rooms. I am interested in the idea that society has become so disenchanted with this habit that we have tried to legislate smokers out of existence. "

To me though the smoking just acts as continuity to a subtle yet beautiful body that acts in part as a small survey of the US State of Georgia, where all the pictures were taken....

FotoFest: Monika Merva

Since 2002 Monika Merva has been documenting the lives of children who are living in a government-run housing facility for severally disabled and at-risk teens in Fot, Hungary.
The official name is the Karloyi Istvan Gyermekkozpont. They call this place “The City of Children.”
In her own words:
"My focus on Gyermekkozpont comes from understanding that one's sense of self comes with a sense of belonging within a community.
I believe the home is where our strength lies. It's the source of everything, where all our, fears, questions, love and our need to belong originate."

FotoFest: David Rochkind

Mexican based photographer David Rochkind's Heavy Hand, Sunken Spirit looks at how the illegal drugs trade has permeated so many aspects of Mexican life. David was quick to point out that his work is not just about the violence (although this is out of control) but about how this conflict is affecting the very heart of the country.... See more here...

Houston FotoFest

I recently arrived back from 5 days reviewing work at the Houston FotoFest 2010, founded in 1983 this was the 13th Fotofest.
The following entries are of some of the work I viewed (on average one see's over 20 photographers a day) so of course this is only a selection!.
Along with the review sessions (which last a month in total) there are many shows instigated by the festival.
The show Whatever was Splended: New American Photographs, curated by Aaron Schuman, in my opinion was not just the highlight of these exhibitions but also hands down wins best title for any of the shows. Whatvever was splended featured work by Will Steacy, Michael Schmelling, Greg Stimac, Tema Stauffer, Jason Lazarus, Jane Tam, Richard Mosse, Craig Mammano, Todd Hido, Hank Willis Thomas, and RJ Shaughnessy.
(All images are of the Whatever was Splendid Exhibition)
One of the other larger shows was curated by Natasha Egan Associate Director and Curator, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, an interesting photographic survey of where America stands now, entitled Road to Nowhere? Egan says:
“The artists in this exhibition address a repertoire of diverse but related themes including politics, surveillance, race, war, and economic insecurity. While the work is oftentimes critical, a quintessentially American optimism is evident.”
Anyway more about that later..

David Gray's Drift

Another fine publication of photographic fiction has just been published by photographer Davis Gray as part of his ongoing series that I have mentioned before....
It is now available in the gallery or online here....
Drift is a rootless wanderer in search of purpose, a change in fortunes, cursed with the the unquenchable hope of a big win. From San Francisco and the coast roads to LA and on via the car park of the Bellagio casino, through death valley and onto to the salt flats of mono lake, there are glimpsed fragments of the human condition strewn by the highways.

Drift is the fourth in the dream that days break portfolio series, featuring the photography of David Gray. Each series sees the release of a limited edition photographic prints and accompanying book. Vampire, Surge and Thunderbolts Way have preceded this latest release.
A 10" x 8" print is accompanied by a 10" x 8" 28 page singer sewn soft cover book containing all the images from the series as well as a written response by Paul Summers. Both are individually signed, numbered and in an edition of 100.

Seba Kurtis New Website and New work....

Seba now has a new website up, which you can see here. It has lots of new work and well worth a look.... The images here are all from Shoe box:

"In the late 80’s Aregntina suffered another crisis, where my father lost his business and our house and our belongings got repossessed...

A shoe box with all the family memories was the one thing that remainded.

They had all been damaged in a flood...." Seba Kurtis

Maurice Broomfield Show at Pallant House, Chichester..

Maurice will be showing at Pallant House, in Chichester until the 9th May 2010, If you have not been to Pallant House before I strongly recommend it, and if Pop Art is your thing they have an incredible collection, including this great Richard Hamilton....
Also please click here to see a slideshow and audio interview with Maurice.....

Joanna Pallaris at Exit Gallery

This evening (10 March) is the private veiw of an exhibition of polaroids by Joanna Pallaris entitled Nursted House
Consisting of images shot on a single day during the autumn of 2007, the work also focuses on life within the home, including family members, with particular attention being paid to a young woman. These shifts from meditative spaces to studied portraits create an atmosphere of intimacy, but also hints at an underlying narrative.The Exhibition runs until the 30th April
EXIT GALLERY is at Claire de Rouen Books

First Level
121- 125 Charing Cross Road
London WC2 0EW

Arnhel de Serra's Appleby

This is some of Arnhel de Serra's work in progress on Appleby, and here is some text from him about it:
'When the little chavvies gets up,they take the grails down the pani...then we all have bread and kel and a piece of stinger..’ Zilla Roberts describing Appleby Horse Fair, quoted by John Ezard in 1976.
Appleby Fair has existed since 1685 under the protection of a charter granted by James 11.Held in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, it is world famous and probably the most well known of the horse fairs attended by Romany families who travel early June each year to conduct business and catch up with friends.
The fair is an extraordinary spectacle which is shared by both gypsy,tourist and local people a like. Whether this is expressed through the traditions of trotting and racing down Flashing Lane, or through the horses being ridden and washed in the River Eden en mass, the horse is at the heart of this week long event.
The culture of Apple Fair is a healthy two fingers up to an ever increasingly over regulated,globalised society that is forcing minorities to the margins of society.

Sneak Peek: The Gallery Changes.....

Its Friday and we are taking the weekend as an opportunity to make some changes in the space, will all be ready for Ed Kashi's show being hung Monday ready for his talk Monday night, and then reception opening Tuesday evening, so do come and join us for a glass of something....
H

Kurt Tong: Memories, Dreams; Interrupted

Good news, HOST Gallery now has selected works from Kurt Tongs seres Memories, Dreams; Interrupted available in the gallery, prices starting at £350.00, do get in touch if you wish to see the work....
Here is some background from Kurt about the project:
This series explores the concept of memories. Scientists have suggested that memories are stored like jpegs, broken down into small pieces and stored. When we recall an event, the pieces are then put back together, any parts missing are filled in automatically by our brain, thus altering our memories of the event. The images are taken at places where I spend a lot of time with my daughters, where memories are made. These spaces are familiar to them and yet are shared, beyond the security of our home and constantly changing beyond our control. They are interpretations of our memories.
The spaces are shot using films, working with different lighting conditions and several other technique to 'degrade' the film, the images are then reconstructed through digital means.

Ed Kashi and Colin Jacobson on the sofa

An evening in the gallery, Monday the 8th to mark the opening of Ed Kashi's show, Curse of the Black Gold, more info here...