It’s hard to believe I’ll be back on a plane in just a few days. I haven’t even finished blogging about my last trip yet! During my recent trip to NYC I stopped in at MoMA to check out Print/Out which is by far my favorite exhibition of 2012. Hands down.

Highlights of Print/Out for me were: Copy Light/Factory by SUPERFLEX, Thomas Schütte’s portfolio Low Tide Wandering, Rirkrit Tiravanija’s Untitled 2008–2011 (the map of the land of feeling), and Philippe Parreno’s Fade to Black. There was so much to look at it. It was great.

The above two photos I snapped outside the gallery – there were no photos permitted inside. The second photo is of Gonzalez-Torres’s project “Untitled” (1991).

Since I wasn’t able to photograph the awesomeness of Print/Out I just HAD to buy the exhibition catalog. I have it by my bedside and have browsed the pages regularly since returning to ROC. I have started drawing again too. This exhibition was really so inspirational. I needed that burst! What do you do when you need inspiration? More often than not I head to an art museum. Good for me I live right across the street from one!

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While at MoMA I also checked out Millennium Magazines (read these posts!) and the Cindy Sherman exhibition (again, no photos allowed. the large-scale murals were incredible! see photos of the exhibition on the MoMA site!)

I just wanted to take a moment today and wish all of the amazing mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day!

I love these photos. The top one is of my mother and I the summer of 1986. Isn’t my mother gorgeous? Also, I love my “Party Animal” onesie. I wonder who picked that out? The second photo is of my aunt, Diane (she’s like a second mother to me), and I reading books the fall of 1987. So cute!

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My aunt sent me the above photos earlier today. I can’t wait to print them out!

WOW, I want this Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera so badly. It looks like SO MUCH FUN!

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Buy the Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera at the Photojojo Store!

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!

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!

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!

“Esopus is a twice-yearly arts magazine featuring fresh, unmediated perspectives on contemporary culture from a wide range of creative professionals. It includes artists’ projects, critical writing, fiction, poetry, visual essays, interviews, and, in each issue, an audio CD.

Published by the non-profit Esopus Foundation Ltd., the magazine has a simple mission: to provide an unfiltered, non-commercial space in which creative people and the public can connect in meaningful, productive ways.”

ESOPUS 16 was the third publication from Millennium Magazines that I added to my subscription list. I LOVE the physicality of this issue!

Also, you can listen to this issue’s CD on the ESOPUS website. So many great details!

“Legible documents a series of examinations and experiments in formal and environmental notions of legibility. The capacity to subconsciously decipher and understand design (specifically typography) in a civil capacity functions as a means to make living seamless.”

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images and quote from Josh Finklea’s website

Here’s another reminder to SUBMIT to 6x6x2012!!

Details:
>Each artwork must be 6×6 square inches (or mounted to a 6×6 board) and signed only on the back, to be exhibited anonymously.

>All entries will be accepted, exhibited and will be for sale to the public for $20 each (in the gallery and online for global purchasing) to benefit RoCo.

>Artist names will be revealed to the buyer upon purchase and all artworks remain on display through July 15, 2012. Sold Out artists’ names will be revealed next to their work online on July 6, 2012.

>Anyone may enter up to 10 artworks of any medium and there is no fee to enter. You! Yes, you!

New this year is the RPO Bravo Award! Six artworks will be selected for 6 covers of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Bravo Program Book. All entries are eligible.

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE: May 6, 2012 (Postmarked by May 5) – get your work in early! If you’re a slacker (let’s face it, we all have our moments!) I will remind you again, and again, and again…

Ready to submit? Let’s do this! Here is the Entry Form – PDF and check out the 6×6 website for FAQs.

I cannot emphasize enough how FUN this exhibition is to participate in and it gets even better every year! 6x6x2012 – you’re already looking good!

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Photo above is from 6x6x2011: Global. All five of the prints I donated sold during the first hour opening night!
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I love 6×6 season! Last year I assisted RoCo Staff in photographing 4,407 works of art (donated from all 50 states and 34 countries!) for the 6x6x2011: Global on-line gallery. I assisted RoCo Staff in photographing 5,004 works of art for the 6x6x2010: You Asked For It on-line gallery, I personally photographed 3,077 works of art for the 6x6x2009 – Second and Final Year! on-line gallery, and I assisted in the design and coordination of 6x6x2008 – the FIRST 6×6 exhibition! Love 6×6. Love.