September 12, 2012 in events, photography, ROC
This Sunday is Yards Experimental, an evening of experimental art and music at The Yards. Fellow VSWer John Lake organized the event – he along with several of his friends and some of us VSW students will be displaying our photographs (workprints), which will be available to take home (FREE!) at the end of the evening. Fun!
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read more about the event over on The Yards blog
check out the Facebook event page
August 6, 2012 in design, exhibitions, ROC
A couple of weeks ago I checked out the Posters exhibition at RIT’s University Gallery after visiting the Vignelli Center. The exhibition included posters from Europe and America between 1945-2012. I photographed some of my favorites which you see above. I’ve been on quite the design kick lately. I like it!
Also, how awesome are those sculptures? They are white steel replications of Albert Paley’s Odyssey.
If you follow me on Instagram (@megancharland) you’ll already know that I visited The Vignelli Center for Design Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology a couple of weeks ago. I had a great time – truly inspiring!
The Vignelli Center didn’t exist yet when I was a student at RIT (I graduated with a BFA in 2008) and I am so happy (and a little jealous) that students now have access to such a fantastic resource. The center is open to the public and I highly recommend making a trip to check it out if you’re local, or want to visit Rochester, NY. I fully intend on heading back sometime this fall to research in the Vignelli Archive.
I loved wandering around the first floor where all the cases were. Being able to see the process behind the design of the NYC Subway Map was really exciting for me – it’s one of the first iconic designs I remember learning about when I was in high school. I used the map daily when I lived in NYC. A couple of weeks ago I watched a video of Massimo Vignelli using the map on an iPad. Is it weird I can be emotionally attached to a design?
The first floor also consisted of lighting fixtures, glassware, silverware, dinnerware, corporate identities, packaging, magazines, book design, clothing, jewelry, watches, posters, calendars, and so much more!
The second floor was full of furniture. AMAZING furniture. Desks, tables, chairs – all beautifully designed. There were certainly several pieces I would have loved to bring home with me.
Have you been to visit the Vignelli Center? What do you think? Have you been in the Vignelli Archives yet? I can’t wait to check it out next month!
July 4, 2012 in photography, ROC
Happy 4th! I love this new print The Fourth by Paul Octavious. Fireworks are my favorite part of this holiday. That, and the yummy BBQs and time with friends!
For those of you in ROC are you participating in the July 4th Celebration and Fireworks? Enjoy and stay safe friends!
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image from 20×200
June 28, 2012 in collaboration, community, events, photobooks, photography, ROC, social/new media
Hi friends! I’m excited to announce that I will be live tweeting from the 2012 VSW Photo-Bookworks Symposium for Visual Studies Workshop!
So, be sure to follow @VSWnews and #VSW2012PBW to stay up to date on the latest and greatest going on with the symposium!
I will rarely (for me!) be using my own account though I’m sure the occasional Instagram (@megancharland) photo will appear! I can’t help it!
I will transition from my account to @VSWnews tonight at Scott McCarney’s artist talk and go all weekend long! JOIN ME!
June 27, 2012 in artist books, events, exhibitions, ROC
Scott McCarney will be in conversation with curator Cyril Reade at 7pm TOMORROW NIGHT as part of the 2012 Photo-Bookworks Symposium at Visual Studies Workshop! The event is taking place in the auditorium. Will I see you there?
Above are photos (I took) from McCarney’s current exhibition at VSW: “Reversing the Catastrophe of Fixed Meaning: The Bookworks of Scott McCarney”. The exhibition is up through July 9th in VSW’s Bookstore and Gallery. Be sure to check it out!
May 13, 2012 in community, events, ROC
YAY! Second Storie is making it’s way back to ROC! The event itself is still a long ways away (November 24, 2012) but the applications for vendors will be due next month: June 1st. Mark your calendars!
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image from Second Storie blog
May 2, 2012 in art, artist interviews, artists' studios, painting, ROC Artists
This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the home/studio of Erich Lehman. He describes himself as an artist/designer/tech geek. I would also add that he’s a very passionate member of the ROC art community. Really, I don’t think in my several years of living here in the city I have met anyone that loves ROC like he does. It’s great.
Erich has FOUR designated workspaces in his home. The first one I explored was the table he has set up in his living room. I couldn’t help but laugh because one of the reasons it’s there is so he can work and be in the same room with his girlfriend, artist Carter Burwell. I thought that was sweet. As artists we sometimes tend to lock ourselves away. Anyways, he has a workspace downstairs in his basement (I love the stonework down there!) and two workspaces upstairs. Like with my previous studio visit, there was just so much to look at. I loved it!
Erich’s house also works as a space to showcase his super impressive art collection. I am hoping to be invited back to get an in-depth tour – just walking around his house from workspace-to-workspace I was in awe of the art I was walking past. Certainly jealousy-inducing!
When Erich isn’t painting monsters and skulls he is running his gallery 1975 (shop/twitter/facebook, hanging out with his friends and collaborators at The Sweet Meat Co., or working at my alma mater RIT (where I originally met him years ago). Busy guy!
OK folks, I’m hooked. I love these studio visits! Who’s next?
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This post is part of my ROC Artists feature!
May 2, 2012 in exhibitions, photography, ROC
The highlight of Magnum’s House of Pictures for me was Larry Towell’s corner. I immediately was attracted to the tactile quality of the empty film canisters, tri-x film (hand rolled), gravestone/memorial rubbings, and newspapers. After his live performance a couple of months ago and having sat in the audience as he declared his excitement and contentment in being in the home of Kodak, I could’t help but look at this tribute to George Eastman and smile.
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read more of my posts about Magnum’s House of Pictures project here, here, here, here, here, and here!
May 1, 2012 in events, exhibitions, photography, ROC
For two weeks, from April 15th-29th, MAGNUM photographers Jim Goldberg, Susan Meiselas, Paolo Pellegrin, Alec Soth, Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Larry Towell, Alex Webb, Donovan Wylie, and Chien-Chi Chang were here in Rochester, NY to photograph and exhibit new work in the hometown of Kodak for their project House of Pictures.
Above are photos from House of Pictures which was installed in the auditorium at Visual Studies Workshop which also served as the home base for the project. It’s been really quiet the last few days now that they’re gone!
Over the two weeks they were here it was interesting to watch the materials accumulate in the auditorium. For me, I kept watching and waiting for the team of photographers to show the beauty of Rochester, NY. Generally, they all tended to focus on the dark side. Now, I know coming in they had their own agenda and their own photographic interests. I know for a fact certain photographers had tunnel vision and wouldn’t take a single photograph unless it was something they were specifically looking for. How do you accurately portray a city if you don’t allow yourself to truly experience it? I realize this is a very generalized statement. There were, of course, some very lovely photographs taken here in the city. LOTS of portraits!
An interesting aspect of the display of House of Pictures were the tables spread out covered in brown paper. They wanted to know what the audience thought of the project and invited a written response. They also asked, “What did we miss??” and “What do you want from a picture?” – both questions receiving a range of responses.
It most certainly was an experience having them here!
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read more of my posts about Magnum’s House of Pictures project here, here, here, here, and here!
