The End of Manhattan by Jay Fine and trip to Madrid

Last week I actually got out of work at a reasonable hour on a Thursday (wonders never cease) and made it downtown for an hour of First Thursday in Chelsea. First stop on this momentous occasion was the Kim Foster Gallery on 20th Street, where I checked out a series of photographs shot in Lower Manhattan by Jay Fine. The gallery's first post-summer show was somewhat 9/11 in theme, with a mix of Mr. Fine's ethereal photographs mixed with the New York / Italian-American themed paintings of Antonio Petracca. While Mr Fine is definitely talented, I wish more of his work had been included in the show because notes on the show suggest that Mr. Fine has lived in Lower Manhattan and has been documenting activity near the World Trade Center since 2003. The photos are thought-provoking without being overly nostalgic (which is a typical and at this point, kind of shameful, place for artists to take their work based on 9/11). As I become very impatient with the sensationalized coverage of 9/11 every year around this time, I found this show to be a refreshing, positive and visually interesting exploration of the topic that all too often ventures into maudlin territory (this is not at all to suggest that I am not moved by those who lost loved ones in the tragedy - of course I am and as a New Yorker was very personally impacted by the events of that day, I just find the media's nonstop tear-jerking coverage to be very manipulative and off-base 10 years later).
Then, I ventured down the block to check out Lee Bae's show at Nicholas Robinson. While I will not pretend to know the first thing about sculpture, the coal-oriented objects arranged by Mr. Bae are breathtaking. The inspire the mind to go to all kinds of dark, creepy, archaeological places. These sculptures make one feel like they're unearthing archaiac treasures of some strange tribe of animals who buried their costumes before some kind of horrific volcanic accident. I love that art that weaves a narrative in my head. This show is awesome and this art would look killer in anyone's apartment.
So, be jealous! I'm off to Madrid later this week. While my time is going to be pretty limited, I'm trying to compile my short list of great art to view while in town. Naturally I'm planning trips to Museo Del Prado and Reina Sofia, but am hoping also to drop by Espacio Minimo Gallery(there's a jaw-dropping group show on right now, Human Nature, featuring works by the brilliant Corey Arnold, and Rachell Sumpter).
I also can't really speak or read Spanish work a damn, so I am hoping like hell that the show up at Marlborough Galleria in Madrid is this one: Carlos Franco: Veredas entreveradas.

Katie Orlinsky photos of Mexico's Drug War

Today's NY Times Sunday review has a long story about the rising role of women in the treacherous drug industry in Mexico. Katie Orlinsky's photos are gritty, harsh depictions of women who have been hardened by both prison life, but one suspects, also the grim events leading up to their convictions in a country so completely torn apart by poverty and crime.


Ms. Orlinsky, who is a fellow at Columbia's well-reputed Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, proves without a doubt with this series shot at the Juarez Women's Prison that she's a master of black and white (she's already more than proved herself to be a very unique talent in her handling of color in the series she shot in Gaza).

Nicely done, Ms. Orlinsky! It's always a pleasure to call out remarkable female talent, especially when the subject matter of the project is also feminist in nature.

Tyler Hicks in the NY Times

It's been a long time since I've posted about really strong photojournalism, and Tyler Hicks' work today in the New York Times from Somalia is definitely post-worthy. Mr. Hicks has produced a slideshow about the devastating famine in Somalia. The situation in Somalia is one that has pretty much been a complete humanitarian mess since 1991, which is almost impossible to get my head around because I was still in high school then. Since around the time that the latest prime minister in an ongoing revolving door of leadership just took office in June, 2011 (Abdiweli Mohamed Ali), it's estimated that the government's soldiers have control over about 60% of the capital Mogadishu, where about 80% of the country's population resides.
That's just nuts.
Imagine if 40% of New York City was basically run by heavily armed militia (Al Shabab) with ties to Al Qaeda.
The simple beauty of Mr. Hicks' work really is just heart-breaking when the viewer considers the truth of these photos. The children subjects of these photographs are breathing their last breaths. There is probably no miracle on the way to save them. This is a humanitarian crisis of the highest nature; a pseudo-government blocking Western aid and imprisoning people trying to get out of Southern Somalia to escape this famine. Mr. Hicks is not only a true master of composition, but an exemplary human being for even daring to hang out in Al Shabab territory to obtain these images and expose this kind of suffering to audiences in the US.




(c) 2011 Tyler Hicks / NY Times

These pics have inspired me (a self-professed famously cheap bastard) to part with some cash and make a donation to the World Food Programme, which is funded entirely by donations. If you're inspired to do the same, check it out here.

Jehad Nga, my hero!

In 2008, I was standing in line at Starbucks (story of my life) and the cover picture on the NY Times caught my eye. It was a picture taken by Jehad Nga, a US photographer/nomad who roams the world basically looking for trouble (from what I can gather by his Facebook posts). I wrote about that picture and Mr. Nga's work has always inspired me to return to this blog even after weeks of not having time to dedicate to it, because his career embodies why photography is important to me: there are people in this world who are suffering the effects of decisions made by others, and their reality can only be known to us through the images captured by people brave enough to risk their own lives to travel head-first into danger. Mr. Nga not only makes it his business to seek out this human suffering, violence, and danger, but he also somehow manages to capture moments that are indescribably beautiful. He is really a rare talent, and from what I can assess, a righteous dude as well.

Last week he published a story about his family history in Libya on the Time Lightbox website that was so touching, it's been on my mind all week.
The photographs that accompany the story, which obviously Mr. Nga didn't take himself because he probably wasn't even born yet when most were taken, provide a very rare glimpse into what Libya was like before Gaddafi took over the country. It was a downright glamorous place. It looks like a modest duplicate of Palm Springs in the 1960's, complete with fancy night clubs like the one at the hotel once owned by Mr. Nga's father, lavish New Years Eve parties, sun-kissed swimming pools and family picnics in classic American cars. I will confess I've never wondered much about what the Middle East was like before I was born. In my head, countries like Libya, Syria and Lebanon smack of dictatorship, restriction, religious persecution and corruption. This story is wholly enlightening, it really delivers the impact of what so many decades of political tyranny has done to the lives of the people in Libya, as well as the psychological trauma that such radical change inflicts on the people who choose to leave a country and their personal success behind to escape a terrible situation.

Please take a moment to read Jehad's heartfelt, genius story about what the current events in Libya mean to his family. You'll be glad you did.

So much to post... viva!

Summer in New York has sucked the life out of me. Quite seriously. I can't handle the heat and I don't venture down to Chelsea during summer months when it's too hot out to enjoy a hot coffee at joe on 23rd Street.
That said, I've probably missed out on a lot of awesome stuff, which I do regret.
What I don't regret at all one bit is commissioning this bit of total awesomeness by artist Rebecca Hanson for my friend's birthday:

My friend Lauren and I were in Bermuda back in March and had to make a break for it during a boring part of our tour of downtown Hamilton for ice coffee. We found ourselves at Rock Island Coffee House, pretty much the coolest coffee shop on the planet, where they were showing Ms. Hanson's recent work. Her landscapes of local beaches are breathtaking, but her cool little bomb-head character paintings stole Lauren's heart. I can't wait for my friend to get back to the city from NOLA and check out this super boss gift (hopefully she is not regularly reading my blog, but given my infrequent summer posting situation, I think my friends have given up on me until fall).
In photography news, Daniel Cooney has some very awesome prints on auction at igavel right now including some extremely hot work by Kenro Izu and Todd Hido (whose work I adore).
If I had money to spare (thanks a whole bunch, Sallie Mae) I'd be online bidding on this hotness right now:
by Joseph Hoflinger. If you have money, you should get yourself on over to igavel and bid on this and then give it to me. I do intend to get over to Daniel Cooney on 25th Street tomorrow to catch the last day of Lydia Ann McCarthy's "Refractions" show, which looks inspiring. If only the heat would just subside!

And lastly in late summer news on things I don't regret, I have a new couch surfer and his name is Silvio Dante. I don't regret plucking him out of the shelter on E. 110th Street one bit.

My little guy is suffering from a pretty bad eye infection he picked up at the NYACC but some kind soul there took the time to start treating it and keep him off the euth list, so he's already on the mend and terrorizing my big fatso cats around the apartment.

Open Studios at LIC Art

Last weekend I made the trek out to Long Island City (ok, it's not that far, but it does involve taking the E train on a weekend, which is far from enjoyable) to check out open studios at LIC Arts Center and Reis Studios.
Fran Kaufman, notable portrait photographer of musicians, has studio space there, so it was extremely cool to see so much of her work in such an intimate setting. Fran had a show up at BAM of her work with jazz musicians, and she really is a master of capturing *that moment* as well as the spirit of the music.

My heart goes out to Chris Hondros...

The world lost a brilliant photographer and fearless artist this week in Libya. Chris Hondros made it his life's work to show the true violence of war. His photograph of a little girl in Iraq, screaming in agony with the blood of her parents on her face after they were killed by US soldiers at a routine traffic stop, is one of the most moving images of modern warfare I have seen. Even today, six years after the photograph was taken, I feel tears welling up every time I look at this picture. One of the children in the car at the time this photograph was taken had also been injured by the gunfire that had killed his parents, and because the powerful images of Mr. Hondros captured international attention, the boy was flown to Boston for life-saving medical care.


copyright 2005 Chris Hondros

It's kind of impossible for me to put into words what an enormous tragedy it is when members of foreign press associations - especially ones who are so unbelievably talented at their craft - are killed while working. People like Chris are just as much fighters for freedom as soldiers are. They risk their lives to rush headfirst into extremely dangerous environments to show the world what's going on, what people are enduring, and ultimately what our own troops are sent in to fight for. Chris was killed this week during a mortar attack in Misrata along with Tim Hetherington, who produced the jarring documentary Restrepo with writer Sebastian Junger.

Chris Hondros's website
An audio slideshow on Chris's work in Iraq care of NPR
Tim Hetherington's website