Nymphoto's Art for Haiti Auction now online!

Artist: Tiana Markova-Gold
Title: Bathing/Benyen: A woman bathes in the sacred waterfall at Saut d'Eau, near Ville Bonheur, about 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The annual three day holiday, which takes place in July, honors Our Lady of Carmel, the patron saint of Ville Bonheur, and Erzulie Dantor, a Vodou spirit associated with water and sometimes also portrayed by the Virgin Mary.
Date: July 2004
Size: 11x14"
Medium: Chromogenic Print (this analog c-print was printed by the artist herself)
Edition: Limited Edition of 25, signed and numbered

Nymphoto's Art for Haiti Auction has begun! Everyday this week, we will feature artwork from our participating artists. Please feel free to spread the word on this auction to any art lovers!

Click here to our eBay page to see all the artwork available in our auction.

The Art for Haiti auction will be coordinated by eBay Giving Works and 100% of the proceeds will go to Partners in Health. The auction & print sale will begin February 27, 2010 at 7:30 PM (EST) and end March 9, 2010 at 7:30 PM (EST).

Artist: Maria Passarotti
Title: "Illumination"
Date: 2006
Medium: Digital C-print from negative
Size: 10.5"x13.25" on 11x14" paper
Edition: 4/10, signed

Artist: Jeff Cate
Title: "Untitled"
Date: 2003
Medium and Size: 11"x14" sepia toned silver gelatin print, unsigned

Partners in Health is a recognized non-profit organization that, over the course of 20 years, has established 12 medical non-profit facilities in Haiti. Partners in Health is committed to continue to work with the people of Haiti for better health care.

Work by (in alphabetical order by last name) Keliy Anderson-Staley, Nina Büsing Corvallo, Jeff Cate, Rona Chang, Cameron Goodyear, Candace Gottschalk, Laura Heyman, Geoffrey Hutchinson, Hee Jin Kang, Michelle Kloehn, Yijun Liao, Minette Lee Managhas, Tiana Markova-Gold, Stephen Meierding, Maria Passarotti, Suzanne Révy, Jon Shireman, Emily Shur, Brea Souders, Tema Stauffer, Julianna Swaney, Jane Tam, Hidemi Takagi and Jennifer Williams.

A warm thanks to our media partners:

Thursday: 31 Women in Art Photography

from Humble Arts Foundation:


Cave, 2007 © Ann Woo

31 Women in Art Photography

An Exhibition Curated by Charlotte Cotton and Jon Feinstein

Press Preview: Thursday, March 4, 12 – 6 p.m.; R.S.V.P. kate{at}hafny.org
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 6 / 6 – 9 p.m.
After Party: Saturday, March 6 / 9 p.m. – midnight
R.S.V.P required for opening reception and after party: rsvp{at}affirmationarts.com

Exhibition on view: Saturday, March 6 – Saturday, April 10, 2010

Location
Affirmation Arts Foundation
523 W. 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
(212) 925.0092
affirmationarts.com

Gallery hours: Mon – Thurs, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

In March 2010, in honor of Women’s History Month, Humble Arts Foundation in association with Affirmation Arts will present its second edition of 31 Women in Art Photography, a five-week exhibition celebrating 31 of the most innovative women in new art photography. The exhibition, curated by Charlotte Cotton and Jon Feinstein, will present an eclectic mix of new talent, culled from open submissions. 31 opens at Affirmation Arts in New York City on Saturday, March 6 during The Armory Show 2010.

The exhibition includes photographs by Erica Allen, Amelia Bauer, Claire Beckett, Gilda Davidian, Jessica Eaton, Naomi Harris, Carmen von Kende, Anna Krachey, Yvonne Lacet, Erika Larsen, Jessica Mallios, Alison Malone, S. Billie Mandle, Paula McCartney, Rachelle Mozman, Yamini Nayar, Sarah Palmer, Kristine Potter, Heather Rasmussen, Justine Reyes, Lisa Robinson, Irina Rosovsky, Sasha Rudensky, Victoria Sambunaris, Robin Schwartz, Emily Shur, Brea Souders, Rachel Sussman, Kirsten Kay Thoen, Carson Fisk Vittori, and Ann Woo.

Art for Haiti - LIVE!

Up for Auction: Jane Tam's Grandmother's Swollen Foot and Sweet Potato Leaves © Jane Tam

Nymphoto's Art for Haiti Auction is now live! Please visit: http://myworld.ebay.com/nymphoto_collective/!
We will highlight the work of the artists who so generously donated to this cause, this and also next week. We would like to start by pointing you to our own Jane Tam. Jane is soon heading to Fotofest where her work was selected by Aaron Schuman for the exhibit Whatever is Splendid. Congrats, Jane!


© Jane Tam

Jane Tam
Whatever Was Splendid
Fotofest Biennial 2010, curated by Aaron Schuman
Vine Street Studios
1113 Vine Street
Houston, Texas
March 12 - Apr 25, 2010

NOTE: if you feel like you do not see everyone's work, refresh or come back a little later. Ebay was a bit buggy so it might take a little longer for some works to show up. Don't panic, the auctions runs through March 9th, 2010! You have plenty of opportunity to bid on all that great art work.

Go-Go Gadget: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Who doesn't have a ton of obsolete gadgets piling up at home? I've got cameras, cellphones, computers along with other things taking up space. Mostly because it's inconvenient to figure out how to get rid of them in an environmentally safe manner. Wired's Gadget Lab rounds up some good (and simple) ways for you to dispose of unwanted electronics, like turning old cameras into cash by entering a few questions about their condition on Gazelle. You can also find manufacturer's recycling programs from companies like Apple, Canon, Sony and others. So take a look in your junk drawers, here's a chance to free up some space.

This Thursday: Viviane Sassen @ Danziger Projects

courtesy Danziger Projects/©Viviane Sassen

Viviane Sassen
Danziger Projects
534 West 24th Street
New York, NY
March 4- April 10, 2010
Opening Reception March 4, 2010

Mary Ellen Mark Telegraph Interview

Head over to www.telegraph.co.uk for an interview with pioneer Mary Ellen Mark.

A Conversation with Kelli Pennington

Ablaze, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

Kelli Pennington is currently pursuing a MFA degree in Photography at Syracuse University. Her approach to photography is natural and showcases poetic moments in life.

Intimacy, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

Nymphoto: Tell us a little about yourself?

Kelli Pennington: I grew up in Southern Maryland just south of Washington D.C. Since, I have moved around spending time in Albuquerque, Portland and Prague. I have a TEFL degree and taught English to school children at the Euro Space Center in Belgium. I currently live in Syracuse, NY where I’m in my final semester of Graduate School. I live on the north-side of town with my partner Julian and our small grey Chihuahua - Kailer. The snowfall here averages around 122 inches each winter, so I own more than a few pairs of long-johns.

HummingBird, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

NP: How did you discover photography?

KP: My mother photographed often when I was young. I seem to remember her hobby having an abrupt end- soon after she found me playing with her camera's shutter. I guess she forgave me - years later, she gifted me a camera for my 16th birthday.

Black Interior, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

NP: Where do you find inspiration?

KP: I find that life is full of inspiring instances. I search for small instances where I feel like I’m the only witness, moments that I think other people miss. I find inspiration in my connections with others; my relationships propel and perplex me. I’m a social person but you’ll never find me on Facebook - I adore face to face. There is a type of energy that is generated from contact with those that you cherish. My work deals with instances that are derived from that type of energy.

Reflection, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

Lately - Julian and I have been taking long distance bike rides in the summer. These travels combine the voyeurism of being a passer-by and an unaccustomed awareness and sensitivity to the environment.

Submerged, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

NP: How do your projects come about?

KP: For the last seven years I have photographed moments from my life. After graduating from undergrad, while living at home with my parents, I figured I’d keep a visual diary of my unplanned life. My photographic sensibilities were shaped by this body of work. I shoot in the moment and rely on available light. This body of work is ongoing and will be released as a limited edition book later this year.

Ontario, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

Outside of the life project, many of my other projects are motivated by seeking a connection or understanding. I am working on a body of work that investigates sustainable communities. While I was an artist-in-residence at Saltonstall in Ithaca, NY this past summer, I photographed EcoVillage Ithaca. I have a deep interest in individuals that have made efforts to realign their lifestyle with their politics and beliefs.

Apparition, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

NP: What’s next?

KP: We’re moving to Portland, Oregon in June after I finish school. We lived there before moving to Syracuse so I’m looking forward to returning to the rain and flowers. Once in Oregon I’ll continue working on my sustainable communities project, try to find a teaching job, and gardening. My end goal is to establish a sustainable artist residency and community center so I'll be laying the ground work for the non-profit.

I will also be selling a limited edition 2003-2010 book of my work on my website and during my MFA Show in NYC at Dumbo Art Space the first week of June.

Raspberry Catch, from Liminal Bliss © Kelli Pennington

To see more of Kelli Pennington's work, head to www.kellipennington.com.

It's Not Too Far Off: Zoe Strauss I-95

click to see larger -courtesy Zoe Strauss

Tonight: Tiana Markova-Gold @ Janera

JANERA Hosts: Haiti's Reconstruction

(via Janera Soerel )

Yes, another Haiti fundraiser. There is still much work to be done.

© Tiana Markova-Gold

Another Haiti event?! Yes, indeed, at our February 23rd salon we will talk about Haiti's reconstruction because it is vitally important. RSVP here to secure your place. The event will also be streamed live on FORA.tv. If you can't attend, watch it online , and participate in the conversation.

Why should you care? You've probably already donated to the cause. You may have even attended a fundraiser or lecture of some sort. You've doubtlessly read dozens of detailed articles. But guess what? The reverberations of the earthquake will be felt for quite a while, not only in Haiti, but also in the US.

And now that the initial response is over, we at JANERA want to talk about long-term reconstruction and the political repercussions.Aside from the humanitarian reasons to care, there are many consequences from the earthquake that may directly affect your life: mass Haitian migration, a prolonged US military presence on the island, and Chavez's wrath, to name a few.

Haiti's reconstruction is only starting now, and this is when farsighted thinking and discussion become important. What are the long-term consequences of an American military presence in the region? How will Chavez react to that? Will he tamper with oil supplies? When, if ever, will Haiti be able to stand on its own feet? Can Haitians seize this catastrophe as an opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty, the drug trade, and widespread childhood slavery?

We aim to provide you with food for thought, while you enjoy yourself in the gorgeous Wall & Water Lounge at the new Andaz Wall Street.

Nikolas Kozloff, author of Hugo Chavez, Oil, Politics, and the Challenges to the U.S. will talk to Bob Maguire, Director of the Haiti Program at Trinity Washington University in D.C., and Chair of the US Institute of Peace's Haiti Working Group.

The conversation will be moderated by Haitian-American François Pierre-Louis, Associate Professor at CUNY and specialized in Caribbean and Haitian Politics.

Our program will open with the captivating Haitian-American slam-poet Lenelle Moise. She has performed among others on the U.N.'s stage and at New York's Culture Project.

We will discuss these questions, and more, on Feb. 23, with Bob Maguire, Director of the Haiti Program at Trinity Washington University in D.C., where he is a professor of International Affairs, and Chair of the US Institute of Peace's Haiti Working Group and Nikolas Kozloff.

The conversation will be moderated by François Pierre-Louis, Associate Professor at CUNY, specialized in Caribbean and Haitian Politics.

Lenelle Moise, a Haitian-American poet and performance artist, will recite a few of her poems to open the program.

Details:

• Tuesday Feb. 23, 2010
• 6pm Cocktails
• 7pm Performance & Discussion
• The Wall & Water Lounge at the new Andaz on 75 Wall Street
• $40 in advance ($50 at the door - cash only)
• RSVP here
• Live streaming on FORA.tv starts at 7p.m., click here to watch it online

Remember, as a member you get discounts to our events, and are guaranteed a space! And, when you join you gain access to a close-knit network of globally aware individuals. Click here for details and to claim your spot. Join TODAY!

To top it off, Nymphoto, a collective of women photographers, is running an online auction from 27 February to 9 March to benefit Partners in Health in Haiti. Nymphoto is putting some interesting pieces on sale, and this could be a good opportunity for you to buy a piece of art that would normally go for a much higher price.

Photographer Tiana Markova-Gold will also show her work.

Picture of the Week: Lisa M. Robinson

Fault © Lisa M. Robinson, 2009

Be sure to revisit our conversation with Lisa.

The Photography Post

Check out www.thephotographypost.com, Rachel Hulin's latest project!

Alessandra Sanguinetti @ 591 Photo Blog

Great interview at 591 Photography Blog with Alessandra Sanguinetti, find it at:www.591photography.com.

Project 5 Portfolio Review

(from Project 5)

Guidelines for applying to Project 5's
Portfolio Review

Date of Review: Sunday, April 4th

Project 5 is proud to announce our second group Portfolio Review in New York City. Project 5 is a unique collaboration between Amador Gallery, ClampArt, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, Foley Gallery and Sasha Wolf Gallery that has grown out of years of friendship and shared ambitions in the photography market.

Project 5 hopes to foster a supportive environment for artists to receive constructive criticism and build an ongoing dialogue about their work with art world professionals.

After the formal reviews conclude we will have a short one hour meet and greet so that all the artists and reviewers will have an opportunity to meet each other and share contacts, ideas, etc.

To apply for Project 5's Portfolio Review please send:
-A written description of your work
-A biography that outlines your education and professional experience.
-A link to your website, if you have one.
-10 jpegs sent either in a zip file or attached to an email (or series of emails). The jpgs should be 100 dpi and 6 inches at the largest dimension.

Project 5's Portfolio Review will consist of three 20-minute reviews with three of Project 5's gallerists. Great consideration will be given to the matching of gallery owners and artists based on the strengths and experience of each.

Deadline for receipt of materials for this review will be February 26th and the artists will be notified of acceptance by March 19th A non refundable $250 check made out to Daniel Cooney Fine Art will be due no later than March 26th.

Please direct all applications and questions to info@project5group.com or to any of the galleries involved. You may also see our website for more details and testimonials from previous participants at www.project5group.com.

Go-Go Gadget: Take Notice

I was walking around my neighborhood recently, thinking about all the little stores and restaurants that have gone out of business, giving way for designer boutiques and restaurants. Over the years, the visual landscape of the neighborhood has really changed. It got me thinking about how things are recorded over time. In people's minds, through photos, online... Here's a game that is played by noticing things around you when you're out and about in a neighborhood.

Noticin.gs is a game where players are awarded points for things like spotting the first thing in a neighborhood, or noticing something every day for a week. You play by snapping a photo and uploading it to Flickr, tagging it with 'noticings' and geotagged with where they were taken.

It's a fun way to start paying more attention to what's around you and documenting someplace that might not be there someday.

via Digital Urban

Rhona Bitner on WIPNYC

from WIPNYC:



for more images, visit www.rhonabitner.com.

If You Are in Oxnard, CA

Amy Elkins & Others
Homesick
A group exhibition curated by Joaquin Trujillo
Carnegie Art Museum
Oxnard, CA
- through February 21, 2010

Michelle Mollow about Susan Havre Thelwell @ PDN

Head over to PDN online to read Newsweek’s Michelle Molloy portfolio review of Susan Hayre Thelwell's work.

A Conversation with Tiana Markova-Gold

This interview was first published on this blog on February 19, 2009.
With Nymphoto's Art for Haiti online benefit auction to begin next week, we decided to re-publish this interview with Tiana Markova-Gold, one of the artists participating in the auction and who has worked in Haiti.

The first image by Tiana Markova-Gold I ever saw was from her Haiti series. And I was mesmerized. Without the caption I knew this was Haiti and I was captivated by this depiction of a country much overlooked & the poetic style of photography that brought paintings of Gauguin to mind.
Like in the work of Juliana Beasely, one can feel the empathy and respect Tiana has for her subjects.




© Tiana Markova-Gold


Nymphoto: Tell us a little about yourself.

Tiana Markova-Gold: I live in Brooklyn with my boyfriend, in a neighbourhood that I really love, but that’s changing a lot as it gets more and more gentrified. I’ve lived there longer than anywhere else in my life, but I’ve also lived in Vermont, in San Francisco and Oakland and briefly in the Caribbean. I’ve traveled a lot….I’ve spent time in Central America, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe… My life has been full of many adventures, a lot of struggle and a lot of incredible experiences.




© Tiana Markova-Gold


NP: How did you discover photography?

TMG: I was always interested in photography, as far back as I can remember…my mother was always taking photographs and when I was a small child she made super 8 films. I took some photography classes when I was a teenager, but I was a dancer so I didn’t really think about pursuing photography in a serious way…it wasn’t until a few years after I stopped dancing that I started to focus on photography. I was traveling a lot and taking photographs, just snapshots for myself….a woman I knew was an editorial intern at a magazine and when she saw some pictures I had taken on one of my recent trips she asked if she could bring them in to show the picture editors at the magazine. It was the first time I had considered that photography might be something I could do professionally.




© Tiana Markova-Gold


NP: Where do you find inspiration?

TMG: I think a lot of my work is, at least on some level, inspired by a need to understand or make sense of things I struggle with in my own life. It’s like I’m making a map to help me find my way through the world, through the web of experiences and relationships that is my life, and in doing that, maybe help illuminate the way for somebody else.

I am also deeply inspired by the innate beauty in the human spirit. I want to recognize and acknowledge that spirit, especially in situations where it is not always so obvious…as Karim Ainous said (when speaking about a film he co-wrote), “It is about a faith in the human being, no matter what. When he is an outlaw, when he is stealing, when he is making love.”

Sometimes I am inspired by my anger or frustration with things I see happening…I take photographs to try to make people look at what is going on; to expose things people are not aware of or not paying attention to.

I’m also just very curious about the world and the people living in it….




© Tiana Markova-Gold


NP: How do your projects come about?

TMG: I began the sex workers project while I was in the full-time photojournalism program at ICP. I had to do a lot of footwork before I was able to actually begin taking pictures. I did a lot of research and contacted many people and organizations providing services to sex workers in New York City. I also spent a lot of time in neighbourhoods that were known for street prostitution. The first woman I photographed in Hunts Point was someone I just walked up to on the street one evening and started talking to.



© Tiana Markova-Gold


NP: What's next?

TMG: In January I’ll be in Asia for three weeks on a photography fellowship from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation.

I’ve just begun working on a new project about women and violence….Initially I’m focusing on women fighters…I don’t want to say much more because it’s just beginning and I’m not sure yet exactly where it will go.

NP: Thank you so much!

Please visit www.tianamarkova.com to see more of Tiana's work.

Art for Haiti

Bathing/Benyen, 2004 © Tiana Markova-Gold

The Nymphoto Collective is proud to announce its online auction and print sale to benefit the relief effort in Haiti.

The Art for Haiti auction will be coordinated by eBay Giving Works and 100% of the proceeds will go to Partners in Health. The auction & print sale will take place February 27 through March 9, 2010.

Partners in Health is a recognized non-profit organization that, over the course of 20 years, has established 12 medical non-profit facilities in Haiti. Partners in Health is committed to continue to work with the people of Haiti for better health care.

It has been only a month since the earthquake in Haiti, but the press is already beginning to slow down its coverage, which is why the Nymphoto Collective has organized this online auction. The Haitian people have a very long road ahead to recovery. The artists participating in this fundraiser want to show their solidarity and let the Haitian people know that they will continue to support them in the months and years ahead. Some of the participating artists have family and friends in Haiti, and some have built relationships with the Haitian people and culture through photography.

Work by (in alphabetical order by last name) Keliy Anderson-Staley, Jeff Cate, Nina Büsing Corvallo, Rona Chang, Cameron Goodyear, Candace Gottschalk, Laura Heyman, Geoffrey Hutchinson, Hee Jin Kang, Michelle Kloehn, Yijun Liao, Minette Lee Managhas, Tiana Markova-Gold, Stephen Meierding, Maria Passarotti, Suzanne Révy, Jon Shireman, Emily Shur, Brea Souders, Tema Stauffer, Julianna Swaney, Jane Tam, Hidemi Takagi and Jennifer Williams.

This eclectic group of artists has shown in museums and galleries around the world. The fundraiser offers an opportunity for collectors to acquire artwork and contribute to an important cause.

Download Press Release >

Please visit www.nymphoto.com on February 27th to be directed to the auction.

Thursday: Penelope Umbrico Lecture

from Camera Club of NY:

Penelope Umbrico

Thursday, February 18, 7pm
The School of Visual Arts Amphitheatre
209 East 23rd Street (between 2nd/ 3rd Ave), Third Floor

Free to CCNY members, SVA students, faculty, and staff
General admission $5, $3 for other students with valid student ID


Image © Penelope Umbrico

A New York based artist and educator, Penelope Umbrico has, in her work, examined typologies found in sales catalogs, search engines, photo sharing sites and online classified communities. She attended Ontario College of Art in Toronto, Canada, and received her MFA at the School of Visual Arts. Umbrico has exhibited nationally and internationally, and is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NY; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, International Center of Photography, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. She also has received numerous grants and fellowships, including Anonymous Was A Woman, Aaron Siskind Foundation Fellowship, NYFA Artists Fellowship, NYFA Catalogue Project Grant, and the Harvestworks Scholar Fellowship. Umbrico is currently core faculty at the School of Visual Arts, both its BFA Photography program and MFA Photography and Related Media program and is the Chair of MFA Photography at Bard College, NY.

Tonight: Susan Lipper Lecture @ ICP

Susan Lipper
Lecture
ICP
January 27, 2010
7 PM

(next up: Carrie Mae Weems Lecture @ ICP: March 17, 2010)

Picture of the Week: Elisabeth Bernstein

© Elisabeth Bernstein

Gorgeous fabricated landscapes by artist Elisabeth Bernstein.
If you are in New York you can see this work at Wild Project through March 6, 2010.
Online you can find Elisabeth's work at: www.elisabethbernstein.com.

Elisabeth Bernstein
Scapes
Wild Project
195 East 3rd Street
New York, NY 10009
-through March 6, 2010

Ellen Von Unwerth

Interesting profile of photographer Ellen von Unwerth at www.maimuse.com. The article in German but there are lots of images and clips and I am sure Google Translator can help too.

Alex Prager at Yancey Richardson

It's the last week of Alex Prager's "Week-End" solo exhibition at Yancey Richardson Gallery.

From the press release:

Yancey Richardson Gallery is pleased to present Week-end, an exhibition of new work by Alex Prager and the third installment in the photographic trilogy of staged female portraits by the Los Angeles-based artist. Simultaneous with our New York show, Week-end will be shown at the M + B Gallery in Los Angeles; both exhibitions will be accompanied by a catalog. In the project gallery we will feature a selection of prints from Garry Winogrand’s Women are Beautiful portfolio.

Alex Prager: Week-end
January 14 - February 20, 2010
Yancey Richardson Gallery
535 West 22nd Street , 3rd Floor, New York, New York, 10011

Happy Valentine's Day

Relationships work best when each partner knows their proper place © Yijun (Pixy) Liao

Please re-visit our conversation with Yijun (Pixy) Liao, by clicking here.

Go-Go Gadget: Bigger isn't always better

Image courtesy of Gizmodo

Since digital cameras were first introduced to the market, people have focused (no pun intended) on how many mega-pixels a camera has as a measure of how advanced it is. Well, more isn't necessarily better. Nowadays, it's all about the light baby! In this article, Gizmodo gets all scientific-like and explains why a camera's low-light performance is one of the new go-to standards in judging a digital camera. We've reached our mega-pixel saturation point. To make the next big leap in technological advancement, the camera industry needs to look at better sensors, image processors and lenses for the next generation of digital cameras.

The Year In Pictures

Chairs, 2007 © Alejandra Laviada

The Year in Pictures
Works by Jowhara Alsaud, Alejandra Laviada, Katherine Wolkoff & Others
Danziger Projects
534 West 24th Street
New York, NY
- through February27, 2010

Please re-visit our conversation with Alejandra Laviada, by clicking here.

A Conversation with Yishay Garbasz

Old houses in Tel Aviv near the sea, 2004 from Israel © Yishay Garbasz

Yishay Garbasz is working on several interesting projects that explore the idea of heritage. She addresses the active divider of the landscape, the inherent political nature of the changing border between Israel and Palestine in The Fence. With In My Mother's Footsteps, Yishay retraces her mother's journey during the holocaust while documenting her inheritance of this personal yet shared history. In Four Generations, a project which culminated from a residency in Taiwan, she explores the sense of tradition and what is left as generation after generation live under the same roof. Yishay traces the process of lineage with her photographs.


Jia Dong, Taiwan, 2007 from Four Generations © Yishay Garbasz


Meinong, Taiwan, 2007 from Four Generations © Yishay Garbasz


Wu Family, Taiwan, 2007 from Four Generations © Yishay Garbasz

NP: Tell us a little about yourself.

YG: I am British Israeli. I grew up in Israel until my early 20’s when I moved to the US to learn how to write (I am very “cixelsyd”). Moving out of my home country and learning how to write changed my life dramatically. I went to the US because at the time that was the only place where there was a school specifically for people with learning disabilities. Being around people with the same dilemma was very comforting. And the joy of being able to write a check without help is paramount. Or, at least my trouble with writing checks now doesn’t have to do with illiteracy.


People have written that in Theresienstadt, children drew pictures and there were concerts. I personally never heard a concert or saw anything there, as I was forbidden to walk about.
from In My Mother's Footsteps (25) © Yishay Garbasz

Following upheavals in my personal life I went to engage in monastic Zen training in upstate NY. Many of the things I thought about myself and what my life should be fell apart.

After falling apart, strangely things also came together in new and different ways. I moved to Berlin 2 years ago to continue my focus on where my mother had grown up and a lot of my work deals with that. I lived in Asia for 4 years before I moved here and it’s been quite a shock moving from Eastern culture back to the west.


Chen Family, Taiwan, 2007 from Four Generations © Yishay Garbasz

NP:How did you discover photography?

YG: I enjoyed taking pictures as a little girl. However, after being a photographer in the Israeli army I stopped taking pictures for 10 years. Returning to it only during my training at the Zen monastery in upstate NY; Photography become part of my practice. I went to Bard College and studied with Stephan Shore who was a huge influence. His teaching style allowed me to pursue my interest in photographing gender without any discrimination when there was some from even other faculty members. I also appreciated his general social awkwardness and lack of tact because I like my photographs to be direct. Perhaps that’s why I find myself in Germany now.


Har Homa, Palestine, 2004 from The Fence © Yishay Garbasz

NP: Where do you find inspiration?

YG: Me. Most of the projects I do are about identity; Understanding who I am and how I fit into the world. My project, ‘Footsteps,’ traces my mother’s journey through the Holocaust around Germany, Holland, Czech Republic and Poland. This project taught me about my post-traumatic memory and allowed me to understand my own mother better. I think promoting clarity through different perspectives is also key.


El Quds University, Palestine, 2004 from The Fence © Yishay Garbasz


It was three days after the girl on the right stopped a twelve-year-old kid with a heavy backpack, which turned out to be a cell phone controlled bomb. The kid was paid one Euro to smuggle the bomb across the checkpoint, he did not know that it was cell phone controlled. The ambulance has to be checked by the two soldiers before it can cross. The guy in the white is a human rights activist. Note solar panel.
Huwwara checkpoint, Palestine, 2004 from The Fence © Yishay Garbasz

I like to take an approach that intertwines my personal background and some political exploration of the modern world. I had never thought of myself as political, but viewing my projects and how they evolve I’m surprised to find subconsciously I’m politically aware…disappointed that consciously I’m not, but I guess that’s Europe.

Other artists are also very influential on my own views about my work. John Cage for example and his “4:33” I find very important. Taking people’s expectations to see a certain type of image or hear a certain piece of music, altering and expanding it beyond the frame of conventionality.

I never expected to do nude self-portraits as a project. For ‘becoming,’ however, I did so. I had SRS or the new name, which I prefer – gender clarification surgery. ‘Becoming’ is a weekly study documenting my transition from one year before and one year after my surgery.


Many women in this camp started suffering from seizures, which might have been caused by all the chemicals used in the factories around us. Only later did we learn that in and around out camp, was one of the largest underground complexes of the war.
from In My Mother's Footsteps (48) © Yishay Garbasz


For the first time, we traveled in a closed cattle car. It was very crowded. There was a bucket in which to relieve yourself, and opposite, a bucket of drinking water. The water bucket was empty quite soon, but the other bucket filled to overflowing. When the train made a sharp turn, some of the contents spilled over the sides, and the people next to it got drenched. We had been told that we were going to Birkenau to work, but we didn’t know what to believe.
Train tracks leading to Auschwitz-Birkenau
from In My Mother's Footsteps (27) © Yishay Garbasz

NP: How did this project come about?

YG: I was lucky and got a Thomas Watson fellowship which afforded me the opportunity to develop my project, ‘Footsteps.’ Judith Lewis Hermann texts were very helpful for my work at this time when I was discovering gaps in my memory. These were posttraumatic memories that I inherited from my mother. My mother lost parts of her soul in those places and I had to go back to collect them with my camera.

I spend one year shooting and almost 3 years editing. Starting in 2004 the book came out in 2009…


Meinong, Taiwan, 2007 from Four Generations © Yishay Garbasz

NP: What's next?

YG: Working on the installation of both ‘Footsteps’ and ‘Becoming’ for the next Busan Biennale. The flip book for ‘Becoming’ will be out in July (Mark Batty Publisher). There are several projects on the backburner that I’m continually writing grant applications to develop them further. Also, I’m in the process of finding a gallery in New York to show at.

Thank you Yishay. For more images, please visit www.yishay.com.