Kerry James Marshall & The Ideals of Feminism

In a rare public appearance Kerry James Marshall briefly discussed his painting ‘Still Life with Portrait’ featuring Harriet Tubman and her husband John. He stated he painted the portrait because he wanted to show her feminine side. A male perspective seems to always default to a woman in a dress and her hair in flowers. What is wrong with the mainstream imagery that we are familiar with? She should be praised regardless of any visual we have of her.

‘Still Life with Portrait’ Kerry James Marshall, 2015

Frank Ocean - Gayletter Interview

Frank Ocean did a recent interview in the Gayletter discussing his success and creative process. One response he had to the music industry was this -

What about more generally — how do you keep yourself protected as an artist in the music business?

For me, it’s about Why am I doing this? What exactly do I want from this? And how do I get those specific things I want out of this? And what does success look like on those terms? And what does failure look like on those terms? That’s how I think about it now.

Most artists are not presented many different paths on how to make their careers successful. Success can come the traditional route (gallery representation, advance degree) but is it the type of success that you want?

Galleries are not making any money. Grants can be a struggle to obtain. Residencies are expensive and most museums are struggling to pay the bills. After reading this article I have made a list of what this type of success looks like. Many things have been scratched off my list and it has now become more manageable. New project to come.

The full interview is here

A summer of film

I held steadfast to my commitment to film the entire summer. Within less than 12 weeks i learn how to shoot manual, develop film, and make my own prints. When I grew tired of using 35MM I shifted my focus to using only polaroids. It was a nice break from lugging around my digital.

When I finally went to New York I believe I have started to get the hang of it all. The manual could be such a burden to be able to capture candid moments.

Here are some of my favorites -

Film Pt. 1

Hi

My journey into film has just started.

Tired of hauling the digital beast around.

Committing to film for an entire summer?! Ahhhhh

Photo Contests

A good opportunity or a cash cow? You will hear responses all over the spectrum but I think the overall consensus is that people just want an audience for their work. Understandable but is photography contests the way to go? What is the the overhead costs of having one?

Not much. You have to truly consider what you will receive if you are selected - an exhibition? A shout out on the website? A congratulatory email? A cash prize? I hate to be so technical but if you break down the cost then here is what happens -

National Geographic just closed their photographer of the year contest on May 31st. The prizes range from a trip abroad to cash prizes (this year is $10,000 for first place). All taxable mind you! The magazine will print your entry in an upcoming publication and will post it via web and social media.

Sounds wonderful. How many entries are you competing with? With $15 entry fee per photo I would say at least 100,000 photos are submitted. Do the math - 100,000 x 15 = 1.5 million dollars gross profit for Nat Geo. They not only have a 'Photographer of the Year' they also have 'Travel Photographer, Nature Photographer' and on and on it goes. Millions upon millions in entry fees. With those figures 10,000 sounds like a tiny prize. I can say with confidence I have not heard of anyone making it big with winning - only obtaining bragging rights.

If your aim is to get published there are other avenues to explore. Be selective. These contests provide very little in return and can burn a deep hole in your pocket. Whatever you end goal is make sure that the contest fits in it. Do not play into the hype. In the end, if you do not win, the publication is getting the attention and clicks - not you.

Barcelona

Thank goodness I ended my European tour in this city. The weather and the sun were a blessing. Every single city was cold up to that point - I was over it.

My sister hated Paris, loved Barcelona and I 100% agree. Why?

Maybe it is the colors. The city's colors are vibrant, the architecture is so different. In many European cities the building's architecture starts to duplicate - you will get tired of it quickly. Paris, Budapest, and Prague you will see numerous similarities. In Barcelona, you will see no such thing. I spent more time looking up at the buildings than doing my normal people watching. I am convinced that I could really grow as an artist in Spain. Picasso even said he grew so much from working in Spain despite spending most of his career in Paris. If you have a chance to go - visit his museum! No pictures are allowed but it is totally worth it. I spent nearly three hours there and it was not nearly enough time.

Everyone is friendly. Limited English skills but they are very patient and you can manage. You will hear a lot of warnings about pickpockets - 'best in the world' I was told. No ubers and cabs are very expensive. Stick to the bus and being on foot.

My photos of the buildings may or may not do the city justice. However, here is some lovely snaps of tourists and residents.

Paris

Paris is a gloomy place. Photogenic, but gloomy. The atmosphere is rather eerie and it is anything but romantic.

The first city in Europe Americans will name is Paris. You can thank 'We will always have Paris' and 'American in Paris' for that. I could fall in love with the city if it was my first European stop, but being a seasoned traveler that was not the case.

The French are not rude, they are just obsessed with being French. It was surprising they are not curious about any visitors and their English skills are very limited. Very polite but again, no interest in speaking English or learning about you.

Another thing - want to take their picture? No, thank you. Be sneaky and be prepared to be confronted by someone who catches you. I did not find myself in that situation and I hardly took any photos. Paris is such a love/hate relationship. I did not get that warm feeling but perhaps on another visit. I will come back to visit the Paris Opera. Paris, I am bored with you but I am not done with you.

MCA Instameet

I never posted about this but I just discovered it. I attended an event around Murakami's exhibition last fall with 400 guests. My Instagram was featured in the post. Yippee!

From the MCA:

On June 22, we welcomed more than 400 of our friends from the Instagram community when we again paired with @igerschicago to bring the world of Takashi Murakami to the social media masses. We welcomed Instagrammers from throughout Chicago to an empty MCA so they could explore the galleries freely. We also provided Murakami merch for selfies, MCA artist-guided tours, and a special all-MCA Bingo game—post 5 photos in a stack post relating to the series of clues to get a Bingo—with photo-focused prizes from the MCA Store. Below are some of our favorites. Follow Instagramers Chicago to find out about their next meet.

MCA Blog Post

A Year in Photos - Live. In Color.

Robert Capa - Israel

It would be a tragedy if I traveled all the way to Hungary and not visit the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center. Their special exhibition titled 'Capa in Israel' documented his experience in the newly formed Jewish State from 1948 -1950. The showcase was small but the selection of images accurately depicted the struggles and emotions of families starting a new life in an unknown environment. When I review photographs I am generally drawn to raw or captivating moments. These are the types of things I like to convey in my own work. I rarely prioritize technical aspects as I believe a photograph can be fascinating and have these elements missing. Take a look at Eugene Atget's work if you do not believe me.

This exhibition visit was out of my routine - I often go solo but this time I was accompanied by another photographer based in New York. My exhibition buddy admires Capa strong composition and framing. I was surprised by him mentioning that Capa took into account the smallest details when taking photographs - something I never do. From number of port holes in the frame ( see below - he captured all three and centered them perfectly) to the depth of field I started to finally grasp my understanding of these technical elements. In order to accomplish this, it is important for a photographer to wait for moments to organically present themselves rather than catch subjects 'in the act'. It is clear that Capa did the former while I tend to gravitate to the latter. For the remainder of the trip I decided to take the 'Capa Approach' to everything - frame the shot and wait for moments to organically happen in front of me.

Open House - Chicago

The transition to fall gets most people excited in the city for Blackhawks, football, and apple picking. I on the other hand am excited for one particular weekend in October and that is Open House.

You'd be surprised how many people in the city don't partake in the annual ritual or know anything about it. 48 hours (more like 16) to visit 200 sites where you can look up, down, and all around historical sites, skyscrapers, mesmerizing homes, and art studios. My intent was to get some inspiration and practice but instead I would say I got a little bit of spiritual awakening. I ventured to religious sites and I have never felt so comfortable in a church. One visit that stuck out was the Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church in West Town. Every detail - including the color of Jesus' clothing to the entrance facing the West had a reason behind it. The staff and priest were very kind and inviting to all the visitors. We even got the opportunity to witness a Christening taking place.

The press always insist visitors should see Yale House and I made the effort this year to do so. I was underwhelmed when I first walked in but I warmed up to it as my visit progressed. A historical site that caters to elderly residents with canary yellow walls, high ceilings, and unique staircase makes it a wonder and very photogenic building.

I only saw a small number of sites due to the small time frame. No question I will have to be to be strategic next year - 16 hours is not a lot of time to see your short list. Even though I was exhausted by Sunday evening it is all well worth the effort.

EXPO - Chicago

There is not much I can say about EXPO this year only that I was beyond disappointed. It was smaller, less exciting, and the art did not leave much to the imagination. I came in this year with a different mindset so it was unfortunate that my expectations were not met.

There were a few stand out artists that I would definitely would love to see more of. The Exposure artists: Lucas Simoes from PATRON/MARSO, Geneieve Gaignard from Shulamit Nazarian and Gigisue representied by the 313 Art Project. Gigisue's work was bold, not daring but gave me pause. I have been aware of Ms. Gaignard's work for a short period of time (during one of my shameless sessions browsing Artsy) . I love that she incorporates herself in her work - to convey a strong message in most cases it is best to deliver the message yourself. The artist[Gaignard] was present but I missed out on a chance to have a meaningful dialogue.

I can never say anything unfavorable about art that requires the audience's participation. Lucas Simoes had patrons in awe and a fit of giggles walking on the concrete floor that was supported by foam. I am not sure what his message was but I just flat out loved it.

That is all for now. Until next time..