Still Life Saga Continues

Worked in the studio yesterday for over 6 hours. Setting up, not liking anything, starting all over and over and over. I did manage to get some images that i like though so it makes it all worth it. Here is a new still life from yesterday's shoot.

Wednesday is the new Thursday?

Clifford Owens, Text Piece (video stills), 2008, Courtesy the artist and On Stellar Rays Gallery, New York, NY

There are so many things going on tonight it will be hard to make it to all of them. I will definitely be at the Studio Museum tonight for the opening of 30 Seconds Off an Inch. Fellow LMCC resident Paul Mpagi Sepuya  will be showing two pieces from his project "Mpagi Sepuya (Or, with your names, you come here, you are home)" 2009. This group show is filled with so many amazingly talented artists: Adel Abdessemed, Edgar Arceneux, Jabu Arnell, Kabir Carter, William Cordova, Thierry Fontaine, Charles Gaines, Deborah Grant, Rashawn Griffin, David Hammons, Maren Hassinger, Leslie Hewitt, Wayne Hodge, Rashid Johnson, Jennie C. Jones, Jayson Keeling, Simone Leigh, Glenn Ligon, Dave McKenzie, Nicole Miller, My Barbarian, Kori Newkirk, Chris Ofili, Demetrius Oliver, Karyn Olivier, John Outterbridge, Clifford Owens, Akosua Adoma Owusu, William Pope.L, Michael Queenland, Robin Rhode, Jimmy Robert, Nadine Robinson, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Gary Simmons, Xaviera Simmons, Shinique Smith, Soda_Jerk, Kianja Strobert, Stacy-Lynn Waddell, and Nari Ward. Also on view will be Wardell Milan's Drawings of Harlem.

This evening also marks the final show at Melanie Flood Projects in Clinton Hill. Even though Melanie is moving out of her current space I'm sure that she is moving on to bigger and better things and I personally can't wait to see what's next for her. I'm hoping to end my evening there to see Erica Allen's Untitled Gentleman series.  

I was also invited to the opening of Sharon Core's Early Americans, at the Hermes Gallery tonight which I would love to see. I missed her exhibition at Yancey Richardson last year but am a big fan of this beautiful still life work.

Don't know how I'm gonna make it from Midtown to Harlem to Brooklyn all in the course of a few hours but I'm gonna try.

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

Roy DeCarava, 1919-2009

I am so saddened to learn that Roy DeCarava passed away on Tuesday. He was the first photographer that deeply inspired me, whose work moved me. I was in a high school art history class when I was sent on assignment to go to MOMA and write about his retrospective. I was completely transfixed by his images. His intense and rich detail in the blacks but also the subtle spectrum of whites created was so incredible. His tonal range was an exquisite palette of light and dark. One of my photographic heros is gone but his work and legacy live on. 

R.I.P. Roy DeCarava, 1919-2009

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/parting-2/

First Things First

Here's a quick scan of my first still life shot in my new studio. I can't wait to make a print of this in the darkroom. This residency is a dream come true. My studio is beautiful and I'm surrounded by so many talented and inspiring artists. Thank you LMCC!

Something's Missing...

Sonja Thomsen, Crude, 2007
My good friend Sonja Thomsen came to visit me last week from Milwaukee. We went to grad school together at SFAI but since then only get to see each other once or twice a year. So its always a treat for her to come and stay with me. We looked at a bunch of art in Chelsea, checked out the Robert Frank show at the MET and headed up to Woodstock for CPW's auction. It was a whirlwind four days and I wish she could have stayed longer. You tired me out Sonja but I still miss you!

Click Here to see more of Sonja Thomsen's beautifully subtle yet powerful images.

Syracuse Studio Visit

Photo courtesy Sonja Thomsen

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of hosting a studio visit at LMCC for Syracuse students. Doug Dubois, Yasser Aggour and Laura Heyman brought their bright and talented juniors, seniors and grad students to tour the studios. Myself and fellow SU alum, Latoya Ruby Frazier talked about our work and process along with fellow residents, Michael Paul Britto, Kenya (Robinson), Deana Lawson, Paul Sepuya, Elia Alba and Becca Albee. Thanks to all the artists who opened up their studios and shared their work and insight.