Brad Carlile Photo Blog

Architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works spoke Monday night in Portland. I was busy packing for my 2-week trip to New York, so I missed the talk. But several bloggers covered it.

Art Scatter reviews the talk at:
http://www.artscatter.com/general/a-little-brad-cloepfil-wisdom-coming-your-way/#more-217

Portland Architecture ’s Brian Libby reviews the talk at:
http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/2008/05/cloepfil-plays.html

Tags: architecture

Lie back in the video lounge that TJ Norris has crafted for us to experience an endless city. Let the soundtrack by Christen Renou allow your thoughts to flow. The endless/seemless looping of two image channels on the ceiling provide impulses of the images of a moving city. Feel the fact that most of our images in life are becoming man-made. We live in boxes no matter how nicely adorned and move in other boxes to other boxes — letting images flash by. Most American’s don’t live in nature, we live on things on top of nature. All animals are either pets(to be petted) or pests (to be killed). Think about next time you see a suburban family all reaching out to pet a wild moose in a national park. …but I digress.

TJ Norris’s “infinitus” may be experienced at NAAU(New American Art Union) (922 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR) from 7-May to 22-June. It is 71-minute seemless loop. This is part 3 of Tribryd, and is the final component of this installation series that has appeared at other venues since 2003.

TJ writes:
“Imagine the entire globe manifesting itself by its interconnected man-made mini malls and the like. It is a viral sign, a shift towards the abandonment of the fragility of nature altogether.”

“…A cyclical break in urban origins, perhaps only in the hands of a wizard with a master development plan. Combine this with the synethasiea caused by the artifice of the inferred dance floor, the glittering globe transcending from the ceiling, a blatant metaphor of our fragmented planet.”

“…Something mono happens. It’s that very moment when space and time intersect, it can be nullifying, disorienting. When akin to the power of the line, the basic shape of anything that falls before air, frontal or shaped, becomes only the reality of the
flat surface.”

Don’t miss other work that TJ has at NAAU.

And of course there was the reception, here is part of the indoor/outdoor party as seen from the gallery. Much better to experience this work in the hushed silence of your own time.

Tags: art, Music, photography

This month 23 Sandy Gallery hosts the national juried show “Resurrection”, which is called a New Look at Old Photographic Processes. This is a well-curated show (Laura Moya, director of PhotoLucida) especially given the wide range of subjects and the many types of antiquarian processes used.

This lead image in this blog is by Jan Potts. The image called “Il Duomo 9″ is stunning. Take your time with this wonderful syncopated image and its lush cyanotype-blue color. The visual rhythm created by the multiple holga exposures nicely builds on itself.

Above is Michael Mazzeo’s Jo B which is a ruby ambrotype, wet-plate collodion on black glass. I met Michael Mazzeo at Houston FotoFest 2008. Beyond being a accomplished photographer and teacher(many different workshops in wet-plate collodion, alternative processes, and digital negatives), he is also director of the Peer Gallery in Chelsea (526 West 26th St, New York). (note: the blue color in the image is from a reflection and is not part of the image)

Chip McDaniel’s “untitled(Aquagram(rm)” Silver Gelatin. Chip’s Aquagram® is his own darkroom process, which must be some sort of photogram. I remember doing this sort of thing as a kid in my mom’s darkroom in the 80’s, but this one is much more successful than anything I ever did in this area. I really like this work.

Artist in this show include some very well-known and emerging photographers from OR, TX, NY, CT, MA, PA, etc. This exhibition is accompanied by a nicely produced full-color catalog.

Next posting with be images and coverage of TJ Norris show “Infinitus” at NAAU…

Tags: art, photography

I am opposed to the Orphan Works Act. There is a simple way to let your voice be heard, see: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

How the Orphan Works Bills Affects Visual Artists:

H.R. 5889, The Orphan Works Act of 2008, was introduced on April 24, 2008 by House Judiciary Committee Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Berman of California, full Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith of Texas, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee Ranking Member Howard Coble of North Carolina. It limits the remedies in a civil action brought for infringement of copyright in an orphan work. It amends Chapter 5 of title 17, United States Code, (Copyright law) by adding “§ 514. Limitation on remedies in cases involving orphan works.”

Section 514 is the new limitation on remedies which the Orphan Works Act will impose on any copyrighted work wherever the infringer can successfully claim an orphan works defense, whether legitimate or adjudicated by courts to be conclusive.

• The Orphan Works Act defines an “orphan work” as any copyrighted work whose author any infringer says he is unable to locate with what the infringer himself decides has been a “reasonably diligent search.” In a radical departure from existing copyright law and business practice, the U.S. Copyright Office has proposed that Congress grant such infringers freedom to ignore the rights of the author and use the work for any purpose, including commercial usage. In the case of visual art, the word “author” means “artist.”

• This proposal goes far beyond current concepts of fair use. As acknowledged by the Register of Copyrights it is not designed to deal with the special situations of non profit museums, libraries and archives. It is written so broadly that it will expose new works to infringement, even where the author is alive, in business, and licensing the work.

• The bill would substantially limit the copyright holder’s ability to recover financially or protect the work, even if the work was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office prior to infringement.

• The bill has a disproportionate impact on visual artists because it is common for an artist’s work to be published without credit lines or because credit lines can be removed by others for feckless or unscrupulous reasons. This is especially true of art published in the Internet Age.

for more information go the the website listed above

Tags: art, photography

There were many shows to look at this First Thursday and it was a wonderful warm evening to walk around Portland. Amanda Wojick had several sculptures and other works on display at Elizabeth Leach Gallery (17 NW 9th, Portland OR).

I particularly like the sculpture “Among” which was a connected stack of polystyrene. “Among” can have different configurations depending on how the work is stacked at different installations. on the walls behind it in the image is Amanda Wojick “During I - III” which is bandaids and acrylic medium on paper. The paper hangs from the top and curls naturally at the bottom.

A show that is deservedly getting lots of attentions is Roger Ballen’s show at Quality Pictures (916 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR).

Here is an example of the work, an image called “Hanging Pig”

Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery (929 NW Flanders st., Portland OR) hosts the group show “Zeitgeist: a changing landscape” They write:

The Zeitgeist exhibition promises insight into the recent past and near future of the Portland art scene. Many of the artworks in the exhibition elevate concerns and influences of this new generation of artists,…

I’ve always been a fan of Anna Fidler’s work. This should had the piece “The Sensualists.”

Last mont I had an uncharacteristically blurry show of Jeff Jahn’s installation, this month I almost thought about continuing that tradition, but decided not… so here is Jeff Jahn’s “01202007(Tram) architect Sarah Graham of AGPS”

At Blue Sky Gallery (122 NW 8th Ave, Portland OR) is a variety of photographs and other works by Stephen Berkman. Make sure you go to the back room and look behind the curtains to see Stephen Berkman’s “Looking Glass”

Laurie Danial has a show called “Beautiful Losers” at Froelick Gallery (714 NW Davis, Portland OR). She always does great work and this show is no exception. I invite you to explore Laurie Danial’s “Magellan’s Passage”.

Normally I’m not a big fan of lace on tables, but Rebecca Ripple changed my mind. Take a look at the show at Tilt Gallery & Project Space (625 NW Everett #106, Portland OR).

Stan Peterson show “Wanderings: New Sculpture On and Off the Wall” is at Beppu Wiarda Gallery (319 NW 9th, Portland, OR) this month. I liked the lyrically playfulness of the work called “Book Passage.”

Walking home I created this image of my own…

Tags: 1st Thur, art, photography

Another friend of ours, Thomas Kellner was at this years New York AIPAD. Thomas lives in Germany and shows his work internationally. In the past he has also had solo shows in Portland including the now-closed “Photographic Image Gallery”.

Thomas’s images are composed of strips of 35mm negatives and printed as a contact sheet. Each strip is painstaking planned and shot perfectly to build up the images. Thomas tilts and varies each frame which instills a kinetic vibrational energy to the scene. Take a look at the image “66#20 Mexico, Correos 1″. I really like this image which was also shown at AIPAD at the John Cleary booth.

Kellner himself cites the French Cubist Robert Delaunay for the initial inspiration that led him to his method (on the right see Robert Delaunay’s “Champs de Mars: The Red Tower.” 1911-1923. Oil on canvas. The Art Institute of Chicago.). Thomas creates a image by overlapping multiple images or perspectives of a scene has been likened to cubism and to the artist David Hockney, who created art by collaging multiple polaroids together. Kellner’s work are not collaged or placed but are taken as a linear sequence and these strips of images are laid out as rows to form the complete image. Thomas describes his images as “deconstructing architecture in a visual language.”

I meet Thomas 2 years ago at Houston FotoFest 2006, I saw him at this year’s FotoFest but only had a few minutes to say hello due to hour schedules in Februrary. So it was great to take an hour and catch up with him at AIPAD. Thomas is keeping quite busy, and here are some of Thomas’s upcoming 2008 shows:
Dancing Walls, Galerie Maurer, Munich, Germany: May 8 – Jun 15.
Dancing Walls, Schneider Gallery, Chicago, USA: Sep 5 - Oct 21.
Dancing Walls, in focus Galerie, Burkhard Arnold, Cologne: Nov 8 – Dec 23.
Thomas just finished a show at K4 galerie, Saarbruecken: Apr 4 – Apr 30.

Thomas also published two new books. One book is called “Dancing Walls 2003 - 2006″ with an introduction by Alison Nordstrom (Aperture). It is in an edition 1000 (half of the edition sold already), 29 Euros / 49 USD, plus shipping.

The other is called “All shook up - Thomas Kellner photographs the Boston Athenaeum”, with an illustrated essay by Richard Wendorf, 96 pages, 28×28cm, published by The Boston Athenaeum, 2008, edition 500. $20 USD, plus shipping. To order the book in Boston, contact: The Boston Athenaeum, Jim Feeney, Feeney[at]bostonathenaeum.org

Tags: art, photography

Our friends Vanessa & Jeff turned about to be stars of AIPAD. They were widely successful in selling at the show and to some important collectors as well. Was this due to the “Carlile bump” due to mentioning them on this website Our dinner with Jeff & Vanessa (yeah I think not, they are just talented artists).

Their work is very strong, captivating, mysterious, and works on many levels. From talking with them at dinner several weeks ago, I’m certain they will continue to amaze us in the near future.

The work collaboratively under the name “Louviere + Vanessa” and have a current series is called “As if…” They are represented by “A Gallery For Fine Photography”. “A Gallery also represents Jerry Uelsmann & Maggie Taylor. There is an appropriate Jerry quote that I like: “It is important to be obviously symbolic without being symbolically obvious.”

The Louviere + Vanessa website can be found here.

Tags: art, photography

The April 2008 AIPAD (April 10-13, Park Avenue Armory, NYC) Photography show brought together thousands of people to see the work of hundreds of photographers being showing in around 80 galleries. This it it gave us the opportunity to have a delightful conversation with the master photographer Jerry Uelsmann (far right) and his wife the wonderful artist Maggie Taylor (2nd from right) while hanging around their work. Wonderful!

Jeffy is truly one of the masters of photography and a hero of mine. He broke new ground in photography and continues to create amazing new work. Forty years ago he had a solo show at MoMA and has been influential with his enigmatic surreal images that touch on powerful conscious and subconscious notes for decades.

Currently too many critics and curators see to think that experimental photography skips from Man Ray right over to the ever-so-slightly-tweaked realities of Cindy Sherman. After last year’s Uelsmann retrospective at the Beijing World Art Museum, when will there be a major US or European retrospective. Jerry is also thinking about larger scale prints which would be amazing to see in the right museum or gallery setting.

I’d highly recommend to any photographer study Jerry’s work to learn powerful symbolic and intellectual combinations that convey deeper meanings and make us think and feel new things about the world around us and our perception of it. Often his compositions are totemic which often helps to convey a deeper spiritualism.

Jerry creates his work with film and darkroom techniques, but he in no way harbors any ill-thoughts on digital work. To him it is like painters who prefer to use different brushes. Maggie creates wonderful images that make heavy use of photoshop and takes layers to the extreme. Maggie also has a finely-tuned visual literacy and uses it to take allegorical narrative magic to a new level.

Maggie and Jerry also are collaborating on a variety of works.

Variety of links:

• http://www.pdngallery.com/legends/uelsmann/
• Maggie & Jerry on a Adobe Podcast George’s iDisk (see “1220 Podcast - Maggie Taylor and Jerry Uelsmann”).
• Maggie Taylor ’s “Landscapes of Dream “Adobe Photoshop Master Class (on Amazon)
• A Gallery in New Orleans represents both of them: http://www.agallery.com/

Tags: art, photograhy

We met our good friend Rosanne Olson, Seattle photographer, for breakfast in the east village (image: Andrea (left), Rosanne(right)). Rosanne was in New York for a filming of Good Morning America to talk about her new book.

Her book is getting a lot of deserved attention. It is a wonderful book that is called “This Is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes“. It has a photograph of each woman and their stories. It has 54 portraits of women of all ages (19 to 95) and from all over the country.

We had a great breakfast catching up on all kinds of things projects, art, Courbet exhibition, Whitney Biennial, Viktor Frankl, AIPAD, modes of expression, GMA filming, and life in general.

Rosanne’s empowering book that has beautiful photographs of these woman that are all sizes and shapes, ethnicities and experiences.

Hopefully you saw her on the Sunday April 13th “Good Morning America” along with five of the women in the book. Here are images on the Good Morning America website.

In Portland Oregon at “In Other Words Women’s Books and Resources”, you can see Rosanne in person on Saturday, April 19, 2008 2pm for a reading and book signing.
Location: 8 NE Killingsworth St
Portland, OR 97211
Tel: 503-232-6003
In Other Words website about the reading.

Rosanne writes:

My deepest wish for This is who I am–our beauty in all shapes and sizes is to start a communication among women and men. We have long been influenced by advertising to think that there is only one type of beauty, which few can achieve. But in truth, there are many kinds of beauty. I hope this book will be used in mother-daughter book clubs, in women’s studies programs, as gifts to our sisters, daughters, mothers. The other day a male friend called me to say that he had seen the book. He said he had never seen photographs of women such as this, as he was used to seeing photos of women stylized by men’s magazines. I hope this book will help open eyes and hearts. I hope the conversations will be of healing and compassion.

For the book’s website see:
www.bodyimagebook.com

Tags: art, photograhy

It’s been a few days since visiting the Whitney 2008 Biennial and seeing a lot of the works there. Unfortunately much of the show is un-memmorable and or uninspiring. I guess that speaks volumes. So I’m left trying to scratch my head for my best recollections from my sparse notes just 3 days ago.

I of course missed the Armory part of the Biennial, since AIPAD occupied that space this weekend (in the next couple of days I’ll try to post about that event).

Missing the Armory part means I missed Portland artist MK Guth’s work “Ties of Protection and Safekeeping”. I heard it got a deserved amount of attention.

As far as the show at the Whitney, appropriation/assemblage sculpture and installation art seem to dominate the show. I heard Saltz termed it “Home Depot displays.” I can’t really disagree with that thought.

Since I guess about half of the artists were from from New York I guess you go to Chelsea if you want a survey of painting and photography trends.

In the show, I liked John Baldessari ’s three works in particular “Arms & Legs (Specif. Elbows & Knees), Etc.: Elbow (Blue) with Desk” (2007). I might of thought of different work of his for the show but it still hit a chord.

Another interesting one was Mika Rottenberg’s “Still from Cheese” (2007).
This installation consisted of an awesome wooden shack with videos about woman with long hair and the making of cheese. It gave one things to think about. But one thought just kept coming into my head, it was a Pythonesque thought… “blessed are the cheesemakers?”… “Well, obviously, this is not meant to be taken literally. It refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.”

Jedediah Caesar’s “Helium brick aka summer snow” (2006) was a huge polystyrene block, where resin and pigment had eaten and eroded deeply into it. I enjoyed it but wanted a lot more more.

At first glance I enjoyed the lyrical interference of Carol Bove’s “The Night Sky over New York, October 21, 2007 9 p.m.” (2007). But honestly it was lacking some references that really let me know what it was about. A passing lecturer was talking about the work and explained the arrangements of the brass rods was in relation to a sky chart of the constellations over NYC and their relations to the buildings at the date above. Armed with this I enjoyed it even more.

I missed Omer Fast’s “The Casting” that edits between stories of soldiers. Some later told me it was a good video to see.

Overall if it is to be a survey then it also seems to be many themes common to MFA shows of late. I’m not sure all of the work engages life around it as it should. Is this a a sign of the times, or just a sign of the Whitney times?

Whitney 2008 Biennial runs through June 1 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Avenue, at 75th Street.

Tags: art