Currently on exhibit at MOMA, is a full span of the work of Robert Heinecken: Object Matter, artist and teacher. Provocative, and sometimes sexually charged, this exhibit may be an adult experience. While writing this, I sat in the gallery and watched as families with young children had to make some detours.

Robert Heinecken called himself a para photographer . He was part of a new age of photographer who eschewed the photographic world of contemporaries Robert Frank and Gary Winogrand , and instead, almost like a throwback to the Bauhaus he explored what power of the still image did to influence us cultural , especially when put up between the onslaught of electronic media and commercialism.

Perhaps closer to his mindset would be Jerry Uselmann, with artistry in the darkroom before photoshop not seen before,or Les Krims, who explored the simplistic world of Polaroid SX-70 and manipulated it present am almost humorous approach imagery. Both walked away from traditional photography, but Heinecken threw out all of the rules and created images/sculptures that connected current culture so specifically to his pieces, that he stands on top of that mountain.

Robert Heinecken. Recto/Verso #2. 1988. Silver dye bleach print, 8 5/8 x 7 7/8″ (21.9 x 20 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Clark Winter Fund. © 2014 The Robert Heinecken Trust

The sexually charged 60s gave him a provocative counterpoint to his musings. When in one series he doctored up traditional magazines with pornographic images and left the apparently new family friendly mags in places like doctors offices. One can only imagine the reaction to compromised mags. At the exhibit you can have a free version of this concept, although it is office friendly, shall we say.

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Well, as sure as the sun will come up every day we know the compact camera you bought last year will be updated this year.

Just commit and buy when you need.

If you haven’t secured your latest favorite compact, check out what’s coming from Sony in June: The RX 100 III.

Maintaining an $800 price point ( guess the figured that was the ouch number for a compact), this latest iteration of an acknowledged winner, come with a Zeiss 24-70 mm lens and a 1,8-2,8 aperture range. Sweet.

But one that also made me stop was the 50MPS video recording. 50 MPS!!! Last time looked, this was near broadcast quality, although the chip is smaller than required.

And a 1″ 20.2 MP Exmor Rsensor, wi-fi capable, built in ND filter, 12,800 ISO , AND…..HDMI clear output for UNCOMPRESSED video recordings. Oh, and a variable angle LCD screen. on a compact.

Is this the rocket in your pocket you’ve been looking/waiting for?

I don’t know. The specs are amazing, though and Sony has been pretty true to their word in the past.

If you’re waiting for your next compact camera, and have the dough to splurge, June could be your month.

Speccage

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With the continued success of the Nikon 1 series, they have come out with 2 newer models, the Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon 1 S2, incorporating the learnings from other models in the Nikon family.

Designed for the photographer looking for a lightweight solution with the versatility of a DSLR, and for the family shooter looking for a smartphone upgrade. 

What very family photog wants and needs is a camera that can capture life as it happens, not seconds later. With 20 frames per second you can be assured of having that perfect moment captured forever. No smartphone will get that part right. Especially at a full resolution 18.4 or 14.2 megapixels, depending on your camera.

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I spend a lot of time as an art rat.

Galleries, museums, sites, pop-up stores, small press runs. You never know what you may see. Many times it’s a bit of the same struggle of vision.

Don’t get me wrong: I love classic imagery. The masters have much to say, to show us, and help us develop our own languages.

When someone grabs you by your unique brain cells, and visually challenges you, I, for one, stand up and applaud.

Toilet Paper magazine is just that.

“On the occasion of his sensational retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Italian provocateur Maurizio Cattelan announced that he was retiring from art. In fact, his new career had already begun in 2010 with Toilet Paper magazine is just that. magazine-cum-artist’s book containing no text, only full spreads of color photographs that appropriate the slick production values of commercial photography to deliver dreamlike (or nightmarish) images. Since the first issue, in June 2010, Toilet Paper has created a world that displays ambiguous narratives and a troubling imagination. It combines the vernacular of commercial photography with twisted narrative tableaux and surrealistic imagery. The result is a publication that is itself a work of art which, through its accessible form as a magazine, and through its wide distribution, challenges the limits of the contemporary art economy. ” Amazon.com

The imagery isn’t always easy to take, or appropriate for the office (the new rating system) but it is worth your $13.00 to have a look at an issue. Today, I was at the Museum of Modern Art store and was reminded of this artists work, as it was featured.

Controversial artists wake us up, question us, offend us, make us angry, make us explore.

I share this magazine info with you with that word of caution. It’s not for everyone and be forewarned.

For adults only.

This article is being reprinted from a previous posting. For Mothers Day, I felt it was a fitting post in her honor. And remember to honor your mother, in what ever way you see fit.
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