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:

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.

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.

Culturehall: Framed

from Framed © Sara Appelgren; © Andrea Chung

Two of Nymphoto's founders, Nina Buesing Corvallo and Candace Gottschalk, curated a selection of artwork on Culturehall (www.culturehall.com) this week. Culturehall is a curated online resource for contemporary art where selected artists can share their work with curators, gallerists, collectors and other artists. This week feature is titled Framed and showcases work by Sara Appelgren, Tina Markova-Gold, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Andrea Chung.

Also please revisit our conversation with Tiana by clicking here and stay tuned for our upcoming conversation with Sara Applegren.

Artist Reception Tomorrow

We hope to see you tomorrow at the artist reception for Nymphoto Presents @ Sasha Wolf Gallery.




© Corinne Vionnet, Lizzie Gorfaine, Katrina D'Autremont

Nymphoto Presents @ Sasha Wolf Gallery
Sasha Wolf Gallery
10 Leonard Street
New York, NY
May 23 - June 6, 2009
Artist Reception: May 28, 6-8PM
Download Press Release >

The exhibit features work from artists who entered our first call for entries:

Jennifer Boomer, Livia Corona, Katrina d'Autremont, Jen Davis, Lizzie Gorfaine, Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, Megan Maloy, Tiana Markova-Gold, Debora Mittelstaedt, Beatrix Reinhardt, Anna Skladmann, Malou van Breevoort, Corinne Vionnet, Sophia Wallace and Susan Worsham

As well as works from Nymphoto members:

Nina Büsing Corvallo, Rona Chang, Candace Gottschalk, Maria Passarotti and Jane Tam

A Conversation with Tiana Markova-Gold

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.

II Amerika @ ICP : Tina Markova-Gold, Alice Dison, Christina Oaige & Many More

If you missed the opening reception of II Amerika at ICP Friday, you can still see the show featuring great work by photographers like Tiana Markova-Gold through October 12, 2008.
More about the exhibit below:

(via ICP.org)
Education Gallery: 1114 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street

Hours: Monday–Sunday, 10:00 am–6:00 pm

Conceived through informal meetings between graduates of ICP's Full-Time programs and members of the ICP community, this collection showcases the personal vision of a diverse group of photographers free from the constraints of the commercial and editorial market. It brings together the work of 24 photographers and represents a broad social commentary on the United States at this pivotal moment in the country's history.

The photographers in this collection exemplify the cross-cultural nature of America. While living here—whether American-born, immigrant, or just passing through—each one represents a facet of this diverse society and has a unique take on its culture. There is more here than just a geographical link; each photograph in some way addresses the nature of American life. These pictures are grounded in a particular reality unique to this country, a 'New Americana' if you like.

Regarding the collection, Robert Stevens, former international photo editor at TIME and current ICP faculty member, identifies the notion that: "America, truth be told, is fractured into a thousand pieces. But it couldn’t be anything else."

Originally premiered as part of Bushwick Open Studios in June 2008, this exhibition—II AMERIKA—further expands upon the themes and issues addressed in the original, showcasing a broader spectrum of work and delving deeper into the nation's psyche. Though it would be a mistake to suggest this is a comprehensive review, there is here the making of a statement about where the country is today.

If America is a democratic idea, then Amerika is the social reality. These photographers live and breathe its air, they explore its people and its landscapes. They photograph what they find and their discoveries give us a better idea of the State of the Union than any Presidential address ever could. And to that, attention must be paid.

Curators: Nicolas Silberfaden, Deidre Schoo, Tom White
Project Coordinator: Lucy Helton