[photopress:front_door.jpg,full,centered]front entrance to the exhibition hall
At every art fair, the rest of visual community at large steps up to the plate and takes advantage of the extra dedicated people, already in an “arty” mindset.
The galleries and organizations in the city or town, step up to the plate and bring out some special programs or exhibits to keep the flow going
Good for the promoters and the attendees. Win-Win.
And of course the fairs themselves offer extra value with seminars, conversations, and meet-n-greets (book signings).
PhotoLA this year had a good run of extras with one of favorites, the collecting seminars.

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Karen Sinsheimer, Curator of Photography at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art

By taking a group around the exhibit hall before it opens to the public, the collector and fine artist can get an expert opinion of the work being offered for sale, and an idea on general trends. Ms. Sinsheimer led the group we attended.

Honestly, it seems to have taken a fairly conservative swing with the crappy economy, as the hedge fund “buy it and flip it folks” all but vanished, and the real collectors have emerged again, but they are migrating to the more established, and those with an auction history. Maybe we aren’t true collectors but we feel you should buy what you love, collect what speaks to you. Chances are you’ll be paying a lot less for the pieces, and you’ll be building a unique collection that reflects your taste and not necessarily the market.
Don’t forget books either. As we have said before, with a limited market, the press runs are not large to begin with. You may pass on a book, decide that it is something that you would love to look at, and POOF, it’s gone.

Just this year, the Saul Leiter book, published by Steidl, came out in March, and by August had tripled in price due to a sellout. As, you know, it was reprinted, and we offered it here on the site as a giveaway.
So we feel that a fine book collection is a great resource to have, and a way for you to enjoy the photographs in your home.
Who knows, from the books, you may find an image that becomes the one you truly want to buy.

Now, elsewhere at the fair, across the street, were some lectures giving by some of the most recognized names in photography. The rooms were intimate, so tickets were a little harder to come by. Worth your time though as you get to sit and listen to a master, after walking the lanes of the exhibit.

As you spend more time at these things, the beauty is you get to dig deeper into the work after you’ve walked away and return. A fresh eye that allows you realize the dealers tastes and decide if you want to go through the stacks.
And you should.

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We were treated to a look at Jill Greenberg’s new series “everyonehateseveryone” in a portfolio box. Her sculptural sense with these scenarios is outstanding.

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You could have gone by the 21st Editions book publishers booth and had Joel-Peter Witkin describe the methods and madness behind that image you were always wondering. Or maybe everyone of his images.

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Or caught 2 of the most amazing deals we saw at the Aperture booth: a massive Mary Ellen Mark print for $7600 or the Thomas Allan print made especially for Aperture for $1000.

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Possibly you made it to Modernbooks and bought that Fan Ho book with an original print in the pre-publication price of $500.

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There was also a great collection of Vernacular photography dealers where you could pick up the apparent common, or ordinary photographs that held true meaning when separated and highlighted.

[photopress:keaton.jpg,full,centered]Marvin Heiferman and Diane Keaton
[photopress:sultan.jpg,full,centered] Larry Sultan asking the question….

As a matter of fact, we attended a talk by Diane Keaton on a new book she was involved with, celebrating and examining the collection of photographs she purchased from a Fort Worth Texas photographer named Bill Wood. He was the towns local photographer and by editing and selecting precise images Ms. Keaton and her co-editor/author, Marvin Heiferman created a book of vernacular photography with a point of view. Bill Wood’s Business.
Plus you get local luminaries like photographer Larry Sultan in the audience, along with world class collectors like Michael Wilson in attendance.(yes, he is also a Bond films producer)

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Not far from there was a portfolio review, where fine photographic artists bravely bared their visual souls for jury panel members to comment and critique. Held at a local hotel ballroom, the casual viewer(me) was able to walk up and down the lanes, stopping here and there to see the images of the new group of photographic artists, who are looking to make the leap to the big room. These are not students, these are not neophytes. These are some incredible talented artists who you would, for the most part, be happy to have framed and hanging on your walls.
The next step for them is representation.

OK, there was a ton more just on Saturday, openings at Bergamot, and a very cool photographer you have to know about.
But we’ll take a break for now.

coming up next is ArtLA. A full mix of art including some photo dealers.

There are, of course, some standouts at PhotoLA that caught our attention. When you see this much work, things separate in your memory and rise.
One of these was the work from artist Holly Andres, currently on exhibit at the DNJ Gallery in Los Angeles
[photopress:handres_b_04.jpg,full,centered] © Holly Andres

What drew us to this work was the narrative. Each image from the series we saw, gave us the opportunity to walk into the image and create a story.
As the illustrative segment of photography appears to be growing, this young artist creates a fairly cinematic story in still images with a plot line for the viewer to explore. The concept that draws us in to this image, is also the thought of it hanging on one of our walls. You could ruminate on the possibilities forever. Some images hang and hit you in the gut, some just grow with you.
You should at the very least, visit the gallery site to see the rest of the series.
Admittedly not all of the images have the same impact. There are a few that go over the top and don’t really leave a lot of room for the observer. The concept works best when there is a slight mystery to the scene.

From the press release:
“This series tells the story of four fair-haired adolescent girls discovering hidden truths in the rooms and
backyards of the fictional world of “Sparrow Lane.” The girls, peering into a secret doorway or
unlocking a closed door, begin the search for forbidden knowledge. Andres’ use of familiar iconography,
such as mirrors, birdcages, secret passageways, and skeleton keys, hints at possible meanings in these
dramatically rich scenes. Her vibrant colors and theatrical staging dispels any disturbing undertones the
images might have; the audience, as a result, becomes drawn to the photographs’ allusive and
metaphorical qualities.”

The best news is that this is a young artist, so the promise of even greater things to come is pretty exciting.

Currently on exhibit at PhotoLA and DNJ Gallery.

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For the 18th year, Stephen Cohen brought PhotoLA to Los Angeles, proving again to the world that there is a strong support of the photographic arts in the land of LA.

[photopress:cohen2.jpg,full,centered] Stephen Cohen

With a solid range of images and book selections, the overall fair seems to lean toward the classical realm of photography.
There are some notable exceptions however, including a piece of performance art, where the artist,Tiffany Trenda, has placed herself inside of a box camera, and the viewer is invited to peer into the lens, where they’ll be greeted with another camera-head and a monitor showing their face. Sound confusing?
It’s probably just the description but maybe these shots will help.

[photopress:camera.jpg,full,centered]Outside of Camera
[photopress:_.jpg,full,centered] What the viewers see

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What passerbys will see

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The Hurrell Estate is on hand with the classics from the Hollywood master,
Continue Reading »

Well, Santa Monica actually.
[photopress:photola_logo.gif,full,alignright] The 18th installment of this excellent international photo fair , PhotoLA, comes to the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, starting Jan. 9-11th.
In this relatively new venue for the exposition, they have gathered photographic art dealers from around the world to display and yes sell, their wares.
As collectors ourselves , we have really seen our collection become one of our best investments through the years, even in crappy economic times.
But there isn’t any photograph we want to sell. Honestly to surround your life with art, especially in your home, is one of the great things about having opposing thumbs.
OK, I’m sure someone will point out the chimpanzees that paint. But can they read a histogram?
Continue Reading »

With the announcement of the new iLife 09 on Tuesday, a new feature was introduced to iPhoto:
GEOTAGGING!!!

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Called “Places” this is how they describe it:

“iPhoto helps you explore your travel photos with a new feature called Places. This feature uses data from GPS-enabled cameras or the camera on iPhone to categorize photos by location and convert GPS location tags to common, user-friendly names. So without any effort, pictures you took of the Eiffel Tower are labeled with easily searchable names like “France,” “Paris,” and “Eiffel Tower.”

If you don’t have a GPS-enabled camera or iPhone, you can still make the most of Places. Add locations to your photos by typing the name of a place, entering an address, or dropping a pin on a map. Then, when you want to find photos you shot in New York City or the Grand Canyon, just type the place name in the search field. If you feel like exploring, use the Places column browser to navigate your photos by clicking a country, state, city, or point of interest.”

It’s a step, although you still enter the data for where you were. For me the GeoPic II, attached to a Nikon DSLR is still the best solution I have seen. Hands down. You shoot, it puts the data in the EXIF file right on your shot.
This new feature in iPhone will just make it easier to map it.
You can do that now with Photoshop Lightroom, just for your information.
Imagine you are sending someone a snap of a great restaurant you found on a vacation, and the recipient can click on the photo and get a google map so they can visit it, too.

but……..this entry by Apple just shows why geotagging is a gamechanging photo enhancer. They did it with the iPhone, and now it’s available in your editing program, along with some enhanced edit features.
Once it is released, there will be a hands on review here.