Juliana Beasley on Lens Culture

View of Rockaway Park, from the series Last Stop: Rockaway Park. © Juliana Beasley

"Here one still finds friendship, laughter and even love."

Juliana Beasley's Last Stop: Rockaway Park series is featured on Lens Culture.

Tonight: Tierney Gearon's Explosure Opening Reception

Explosure
Tierney Gearon
Phillips de Pury & Company
Howick Place London SW1P 1BB
Exhibition: 6 –29 January 2009
Reception: Wednesday 14 January 2009 6–8pm

Op-Ed by Candace Gottschalk

Today in our Op-Ed Series we re-post a very thoughtful piece written by Candace Gottschalk. Technically this makes this not an Op-Ed piece as Candace is a co-founder and editorial member of the collective, however Candace speaks of central issues facing women artists and we think it important to keep the discussion going.
Most women are nurturers and caretakers, and even those without children often take on great responsibilities in their families or even with regard to friends. The single mindedness and perhaps even selfishness necessary to succeed (short term & long term) in the arts does not come easily to most and are difficult to combine with other aspects of life. Candace eloquently writes about her experience of becoming a mother and remaining an artist.



Pregnant: 8 months © Candace Gottschalk

"Thoughts on Catherine Opie and Motherhood"

The day after Christmas, I finally made it to the Catherine Opie show at the Guggenheim (with the husband and son in tow, of course). I was impressed and surprised by the amount of work included. Some of the images I had seen before, others I had only read about. As is the case with many exhibits, I responded to some series more than others. But what captured me most, in the hour or so that I was there (...because Jasper, my energetic 2 year old, can only handle so much museum time) was the variety and breath of the work that Opie has created over the course of her career. I found it refreshing and inspiring. In grad school, the dictating consciousness was to find your niche, and stick with it. But with Opie, she finds her niche, creates a strong body of work, and then moves on to the next challenge. I could sense a further shift after she became a mother, her work becomes more introspective and self-revealing, which got me to thinking...

As a mother and an artist, I am constantly in a struggle with being both selfish and selfless. After reading too much Virginia Woolf in college, I learned that in order to create work, you need to be selfish. The art making process is extremely selfish, there is no denying that. Once I had Jasper, I was confronted with the opposite: there was no me, at least not the me that I developed into and had grown to know. Parenthood teaches you things about love, patience, and selflessness that I never knew I could truly comprehend. Now that Jasper is no longer an infant, and is as willful as the rest of them, I need to re-learn the "me". I need to start re-introducing the selfish back into my life and into my work. Motherhood and Artist are two difficult notions to reconcile. They both want you 100% of the time. So, thank you, Catherine Opie, for making the two cooperate and for opening my eyes to the possibility.

Candace Gottschalk is an artist living in Brooklyn with her son and husband.

Lisa M. Robinson in Dwell

Emergence © Lisa M. Robinson

The February issue of DWELL magazine (out now) features Lisa M. Robinson's gorgeous portfolio, Snowbound.

For our Conversation with Lisa, click here.

Mary Ellen Mark @ Staley-Wise & Fahey/Klein Galleries

(via Exposures)

World renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark’s exhibition titled Seen Behind the Scene is currently on display at both the Staley-Wise Gallery in New York and Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles. This show features candid photographs of many top actors, actresses and directors. In awe of the work that so often goes unseen, Mary Ellen Mark strives to document the hard work and dedication she witnesses both on and off set. Her images transcend her approach from those of mundane paparazzi shots to complex provocative works that truly shed light on her subjects.

Mary Ellen Mark’s extensive career as a photographer includes over 15 publications including Mary Ellen Mark: Twins, published by Aperture in 2003. Additionally, she has contributed works to magazines such as Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine, Life and Rolling Stone. A recipient of five honorary doctorates, Mark has also won numerous awards, including the acclaimed Cornell Capa Award from the International Center of Photography.

Don’t miss your chance to see this world-class exhibit from an artist American Photo readers named as the most influential woman photographer of all time.

Mary Ellen Mark: Seen Behind the Scene

December 4-January 17, 2009
Fahey/Klein Gallery
148 North La Brea, Los Angeles
323-934-2250

January 8-February 14, 2009
Staley-Wise Gallery
560 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York
212-966-6223

Everyone Loves Juliana

This is just a reminder to go check out Juliana Beasely's newly started blog. Julianna is a gifted storyteller in any medium. You can find Juliana's blog at: www.julianaslovelylandofneurosis.blogspot.com.
Juliana is also participating in Daniel Cooney's 2nd Emerging Artist Auction at www.igavel.com.

Wager # 3

Wager #3 Santa Barbara Burning © April Gertler

Head over to www.wager-avg.blogspot.com to see & read about April's latest work offered. And stay tuned for our upcoming interview with April on January 15, 2009.

Opening Reception Sunday: Steph Plourde-Simard

© Steph Plourde-Simard

"What Survival Looks Like"
Photographs of Steph Plourde-Simard

Almanac Gallery
1252 Garden Street
Hoboken Street, NJ 07030
Opening Reception: Sunday, January 11, 2009 , 2-6p.m.

From the artist's statement:
In the hills outside of Antigua, Guatemala - an area known for extreme poverty, violence and gang rule - I came to know Ana, Julio and their 5 young children. While documenting their home and family I was humbled by their hospitality and warmed by their incredible spirit. As much of the Guatemalan population lives in varying degrees of poverty, and many either wait for change or work tirelessly towards it, the lives and "everyday" stories of those surviving near-impossible situations are invisible, except to illustrate the occasional news bite or political campaign. My experiences and education in social justice work has taught me that often the simple act of "just surviving" is a powerful and revolutionary one. I am moved and heavily influenced by survival and the various forms it takes, particularly in how it manifests in daily life, whether it is obviously visible or not. This series began as a question to myself of what survival looks like, and time spent with a loving family who are waiting for their world to change. It has since grown into a much larger theme in my work and my life.

About the Almanac Gallery:
Internationally known photographer, Benedict J. Fernandez, founded the Almanac Gallery to give young and under-recognized photographers a forum to show their work. Almanac Gallery is located at 1252 Garden Street (corner of 13th Street), Hoboken, NJ 07030.

The Gallery is open by appointment only. Call 201-865-6997 or fax 201-865-6997 for more information.

Upcoming: Michal Chelbin @ The Strand

From Strangely Familiar © Michal Chelbin

(via The Strand) Michal Chelbin will discuss her first monograph, a provocative collection of photographs that depicts performers and wrestlers from small towns in the Ukraine, Eastern Europe, England and Israel. Her work straddles the public and private arenas, allowing viewers the titillation of getting a behind-the-scenes look without seeming intrusive or voyeuristic. Although Chelbin's influences--August Sander, Diane Arbus--are readily apparent, her vision is fiercely her own.

Where: The Strand, 2nd Floor (Broadway & 12th Street)
When: January 29, 2009 -- 7 p.m.

Taryn Simon On Deutsche Boerse Prize Shortlist

Artist Taryn Simon is shortlisted for the Deutsche Boerse Photography Prize. Read more here.