Beyond The Lens at Traywick Contemporary

2012-01-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm greeting the new year with a great new show at Traywick Contemporary, entitled Beyond the Lens. The show includes both older and brand-new work of mine; I just got back from helping with the installation and all looks great. It's pretty amazing to see a culmination of many years of work up on the walls, and showing with Lothar Osterburg and Marco Breuer is a treat. The opening is this Sunday, January 15th, from 4-6pm. The show will be up until March 31st - click on the link above for more details.

SNAP!

2011-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Writing (Hwy. 24, Berkeley, CA), 2011, C-print, 32" x 40"

Good news - I am excited to be a part of the SNAP: A Juried National Photo Exhibition at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek. The curators for the show are both pretty amazing - Sandra Phillips, head photo curator at SF MoMA and Drew Johnson, photo curator at the OMCA. They chose two of my new photos to include - hot of the presses and just ready to share. The show opens December 8th, from 6-8pm, and stays up through the new year until February 19th. It should be a great show, with lots of great work. I hope you can make it!

Turf

2011-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

I-880 & Hwy. 238 San Leandro, CA; I-280 & Hwy. 101, San Jose, CA; I-880, I-580 & I-80, Oakland, CA, 14" x 14"

It has been really fun to be a part of the Turf: Ecological Activism and Art show at Diablo Valley College. Interesting work, all different perspectives on "environmental art" - The gallery at DVC is awesomely octagonal and the work all looked great! I made three new freeway drawings for the show - they'll be up from October 31st - December 1st. If you're out in the east-east bay make sure to stop by a check out the show!

Proof at Southern Exposure

2011-09-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

When my new photo (Ikea Parking-lot) came down from the Bedford Gallery, I figured I would take it over to Southern Exposure to see how it would fair with the juror (Denise Markonish, Curator at Mass MoCa) for their annual group show this year - and the word was good! So I am delighted to say that I get to be a part of one of the biggest and best San Francisco nonprofit shows around. The show is up from September 16 - October 8! Hope to see you there!

Outlandish at Bedford Gallery

2011-07-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ikea Parking Lot, off I-880, Oakland, CA 32" x 40" 2011

I've been working on some new photos. All of them have me in them, dwarfed by local freeway structures. It's been fun crawling around these prohibitive lonely places, to be shooting film, and just to be creating again. This new piece is on view for the remainder of the summer at the Bedford Gallery, where it received a juror's award.

http://www.bedfordgallery.org/exhibitions/docs/Outlandish_PR.pdf

Happy Holiday Time Everybody!

2010-12-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

Frolic and play, the eskimo way...

Sesum fo L'lab

2010-12-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night I documented an excellent art event which was organized by the wonderful Polish artist Paulina Olowska (top photo) along with the Wattis Institute/CCA. The event included performance pieces and ultimately turned into a beautiful dance party at which I haven't had such fun taking photos in years. So fitting that in the description of the event it is states:
"...the idea that through mirroring it is possible to see more clearly who we are on the inside, to reveal more about ourselves."
It was a beautiful night.
click here for more information on Capp St./Wattis, Paulina Olowska & the Magnificent Seven

thank goodness for rain

2010-12-06T23:25:00.000-08:00

Had to keep my photo one students indoors - clearly they got into trouble.

Freeway embellishment

2010-10-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

Come to the East Bay (mini) Maker Faire on October 24th at the Park Day school in Oaktown. In addition to a wealth of good an interesting activities planned, I will be there to help you silkscreen a local freeway intersection onto a shirt or other piece of fabric (a dream come true!) Bring a t-shirt of yours that needs embellishment, or I will bring a few extra for those in need. I will also have some pre-made shirts for sale. What fun! Tickets are half price if you can think in advance: http://ebmakerfaire.wordpress.com/get-tickets/

Hope to see you there!

Inside/Out at OAK

2010-09-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

My video is up and running at the Oakland Airport in the Southwest Baggage Claim. Exciting yet odd to see myself quite so large - I am continually driving, continually missing the view from outside my window. The perfect piece for just after you've landed from your long flight, & just another reason to fly OAK!

Lighting Studio Fun

2010-07-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

More fun teaching digital 2 at Rayko. The ghostly image above was created by setting my camera to a long exposure during which time the strobes went off. Really this was the only way to go at the time, as a student had the pocket wizard (strobe control), so a long exposure and the hope that I would hit my shutter not too long before she hit hers was the way participate. Another fun class, & it looks like all of our feet are off the ground at the same time -- impressive.

I will be 8' tall

2010-06-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that a video of mine has been selected to be presented at the Media Wall in the Oakland Airport (by the Southwest baggage claim) via the Oakland Museum of California! It should be up for weary traveler's admiration starting in late June. This video is a simple exploration of a short drive along I-580, with one camera pointing in the car while the other points out. More details are coming - but here is a link to the video for curious ones: http://www.johnnaarnold.com/video/drive.php

Non-Mart fun

2010-01-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

I had such a great time at the Non-Mart event! Not knowing quite what to expect, me and my assistant (daughter) brought in the screens, ink, squeegees, some extra shirts and thank goodness some rags...
Soon we were set up and ready to go and wonderful people of all sorts were ready with their garments and enthusiasm. It all became a bit of a blur... I can't tell you exactly how many shirts were screened - I can tell you that I got a wonderful scarf, some great jelly, and some very cool artwork in return for the fun. Not only that but once we were finished and cleaned up I got to try an awesome rum ball (or two) and watched some gorgeous live logo-removal.
I packed up and drove home in high spirits. A special thanks to Sasha Petrenko for putting this together and Jeff King for hosting the space. Can't wait to do it again next year.

Over-Again

2009-12-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's become a seasonal tradition for me to make some craftier items for the fine Holidayland festivities at Blankspace Gallery. This year I got my hands dirty creating a few silkscreens of local freeway intersections. I've been screening onto items that have already been loved, as to keep with the Over-Again theme of bringing new life to used items. The process is fun - a potential replacement for the now (somewhat) antiquated process known as printing in the darkroom.

I'll also be at Non-Mart's Stop & Swap on the 19th, happy to add a freeway intersection to any clean piece of something that you bring in for me to embellish.

I'm loving all of the local art/craft holiday events that are sprouting up each year - wherever you live, you should check it out - support local artisans and the local stores that show their work. It's fun.

To see more of the over-again work, you can check out that blog here.

Candice Breitz at SF MoMA

2009-11-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

I suppose the irony is that after touring many fine famous museums in New York, and seeing many fine noteworthy things, I have not been shocked or awed until seeing a video that I stumbled upon without any expectations (this often being the way).

The stunner: a Candice Breitz video installation at SF MoMA entitled "Working Class Hero", in which John Lennon fans individually sing along with John's first solo album. Each separate video is then synched with 24 others to form a chorus of sorts, while each person maintains the sense of intimacy with the music that is so hard to convey in public. I loved this piece - go see it while you can - till dec. 20th.

http://www.candicebreitz.net/

http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/395

intermission

2009-11-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

"The larger struggle we are witnessing today . . . [is] an ecological drama where the outcome rests not only on our realization that the natural physical environment is one and the same as our bodies, but that nature itself is a form of Mind."
—Bill Viola

Yes Men create a fake/true NY Post

2009-09-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

I had the fine luck of talking with andy brickelbaum one day and

I am a great fan of the yes men.

this morning they were up to more of their no good

And all I can say is YES

"SPECIAL EDITION" NEW YORK POST from The Yes Men on Vimeo.

New Sugimoto!

2009-09-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hiroshi Sugimoto has long been one of my favorite photographers, so I'm always curious to see what he'll be up to next. The man is ingenious for his genuine consideration for the medium of photography. He experiments with how photography interacts with other elements in the world - the show at Fraenkel Gallery looks to be another advancement into this realm. To create the photos, Sugimoto sent electrical currents through sheets of film. What we see is a documentation: visual evidence of that electricity. The photos have the same timeless beauty & search for truth that I find in the Seascapes, while including a scientific curiosity of light and time that is more present in the Theater work. I'm in love.

More teaching fun

2009-09-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been teaching and teaching. Above you can see my digital two Friday night class. I suppose I should've known that anyone interested in photography enough to give up their Friday nights would be pretty great to work with. Indeed, we had a dedicated crew that was motivated, kind and interesting. In fact, all of the RayKo students have been really great. Thanks all of you - now go take more photos!

Goats in O

2009-08-19T16:45:00.001-07:00

Novella Carpenter is my new hero. Her first book Farm City has recently been published - it's all about the adventures she's had while setting up an urban farm on squatted land in West Oakland. At the moment, I'm not sure what could be cooler.

I'm loving the new (non-violent) attention that Oakland is getting from this book, and I also love her stories of the wildly colorful neighborhood I once lived in. Her book is well-written and funny. She has a blog and an open-farm day next weekend on the 29th. Now I wonder why I never thought of this... well, at least someone did.

Denis Darzacq

2009-08-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

In looking for new and interesting photos that make the basics of photography more enticing, I've stumbled upon work by french photographer Denis Darzacq. Shutter Speed has never looked sexier. Muybridge would be proud, I'm sure.

a link to some photos here

& the video, in which you can watch him creating some of these works, below.

McEvoy, Installed!

2009-08-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful weekend that included a ferry ride to the SF MOMA. My new favorite hobby is pretending to be a tourist - fun on a budget.

This tourism came to a momentary lapse when we sought out the McEvoy store at the Ferry Building. Low-and-behold, they have used some photos that I took as part of their permanent display in the store. See the olive-tree tops above the shelving? Taken by none other.

Creating files large enough was interesting - I photo-stitched 10-12 digital files to create a solid 200 ppi file, 20' long. It was a fun project, great to see installed and looking beautiful. The McEvoy ranch -where they grow all of their olives- is tremendously gorgeous, and the olive oil is amazing too.

Magnum Photography Web Site

2009-07-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

(photo: Brian Ulrich, Magnum)
It is not possible to consider the history of photography without mentioning the Magnum group of photographers, a cooperative of many of the most successful documentary photographers in the world. Established in 1947 and still going very strong today, you can meander through an amazing array of images if you've got the time:
Magnum Photography Web Site

A nice aspect to the site is a listing of updated photography contests and awards that you can apply for. A good way to stay motivated and to get your work out there. This is a big one, due Sept 30th (perfect timing!)
Magnum Expression (Documentary Photography) Award

Eggleston Movie

2009-06-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

This very cool documentary on William Eggleston is now free to watch online!
Very exciting, this is the real deal- it's over an hour long, so grab a seat & some popcorn and get to know Eggleston more personally.

Bright lights

2009-05-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here's to another wonderful evening at Yerba Buena! Colder than it looked, but beautiful none the less. Students took great shots and some even got in trouble with the security at the Jewish Museum!

The image above was shot at 1/2 sec. at f4, iso 400. The amazingly portable "elbows-planted" stabilization system as well as an IS lens for sharpness. All on my new & amazing 5dmark2. Below you will see the amazing part - even this detail is shown slightly below 100% of resolution. Keep those Mega-pixels coming! never enough as far as I'm concerned....

Frank!

2009-05-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to both learn and mull over the story that is photo history. An image's relevance modifies with time - some work that once appeared remarkable now seems dated or overly-stylized. Other work that once seemed remote and irrelevant now appears intuitive, personal, and delightful. All things change when looked at through the lens of time.

Throughout my years of enjoying and considering photos, Robert Frank has been remarkable from beginning to end. His imagery is beautiful yet cutting, composed while remaining emotionally involved. He poured his intensity and his questions into his images. I can feel this while looking at a reproduction, to the point of them being too much too see at times. They are raw and open, and for this I love them. Above is one of my favorites photos ever.

The good news is that SFMoMA must agree with me, as they have begun a Frank retrospective! This includes the many (hard to find) movies that Frank made as well as original prints from the Americas. Go Go Go! I will be there too.

Went to alabama and got me some mojo dust

2009-04-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Nobody kicks ass like nina simone.

This clip is short, & sweet.

Larry Fink is coming to town

2009-04-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

My professor from Bard will be here this weekend and will be lecturing as well as teaching via the graduate school of journalism at UC Berkeley. This is pretty exciting news as Larry must be one of the most completely unique, shockingly fun and yet somehow still professional people i've yet gotten to know. And now you can meet him yourself-- he's lecturing this friday night and then teaching a seminar all weekend. Both events are guaranteed to be wonderful, you should go. Click here for more details.

Pride Parade

2009-03-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

One of the weekend intensive classes managed to align itself perfectly with the pride parade. It was a perfect opportunity to get outside and take some pictures. This one I was particularly proud of.

Monster Drawing Rally & Me

2009-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

I will be drawing for the first time this year in the Monster Drawing Rally at Southern Exposure.

Will I make some freeway drawings or something else? Honestly, I'm not quite sure... but come on down to stand and watch as many talented artist draw and draw-

This Friday, Feb 27th. 6-9 (I'll be on from 7-8pm) @ the Verdi Club 2424 Mariposa Street, SF. $5/donation.

See you then!

Inauguration

2009-02-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

I was not one of the many, many fine folk who dropped everything to get to DC for this fine occasion. But I will say that Zaya's school really did a wonderful job of making the day an exciting one. What could be better? I got to watch this fine moment actually happen (shock & awe) with my daughter's class of 3rd graders here in Oakland. All were encouraged to wear special obama-gear (that is, if you were in the mood). You know I was.

That time of year

2008-12-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, once a year the wonderful Blankspace Gallery puts on a gift / art show.

Not only are there a bunch of cool handmade unique gifts for sale at the show just in time for this holiday gift-giving season (including some made by yours truly), but in addition it is just a generally great place to see.

The gallery is open F, S, S, from 12-7 up till christmas. And in case you missed the first one, there is another fun party coming up on sunday the 14th- So all should proceed at full speed. If you are really lucky, you may even be able to have your picture taken with a bearded hot-dog or two.

Hot Damn! Things really are looking up

2008-11-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well it turns out this truly is a most terribly fabulous world after all.

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that our country actually voted in a seemingly dreamy president that I personally am in total awe of. Despite this craze in the economy, things are looking bright. A brilliant & well balanced man is about to be officially inauguratedto run this gigantic country of ours and here I stand in a state of wonder and excitement and plain old this-must-be-too-good-to-be-true disbelief.

But thats not all! There is word from up high that things have suddenly gotten much, much, much better. According to the NYT (always my favorite reference point) it appears that we've suddenly had even more wonderful news. Overnight (literally) we've managed to end the Iraq War, indict Bush for high treason, repeal the Patriot Act, pass a national health insurance act, expand the NY city bike path system, pass a maximum wage law, while the United Nations passed a weapons ban and nationalized oil has decided to fund climate change efforts.

& just in time for the holidays.

For validation of these amazing facts, check out this fine web site here. This web site is thorough and wonderful and worth checking out for the adds alone- so go!

Brought to you, it is believed, by my very favorite pranksters The Yes Men.

And if you haven't yet, you should most definitely watch the movie.

Palin's impressive generosity

2008-09-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Below is a e-mail I received yesterday inside of which there is another e-mail. I attach all this as it is funny and worth reading and in my opinion, a truly brilliant idea.

****

Did you see this Daily show bit on "another word for
decision.. Help me here... It rhymes with voice."
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184097&title=Bristol-Palin's-Choice
Love, Sarah

***
Dear Friends:
We may have thought we wanted a woman on a national political
ticket, but the joke has really been on us, hasn't it?
Since Palin gave her speech accepting the Republican nomination for
the Vice Presidency, Barack Obama's campaign has raised over $10
million dollars. Some of you may already be supporting the Obama
campaign financially; others of you may still be recovering from
the primaries. None of you, however, can be happy with Palin's
selection, especially on her positions on women's issues. So, if
you'd like to make your opinion known, may I suggest the following
fiendishly brilliant idea?
** Make a $5 minimum donation to Planned Parenthood. In Sarah Palin's name! **
A Planned Parenthood donation is tax deductible.
And here's the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her
name, they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been
made in her honor.
Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood
website: https://secure.ga0.org/02/pp10000_inhonor
You'll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send
the 'in Sarah Palin's honor' card.
Use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters:

McCain for President/Sarah Palin
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington, VA 22202

Feel free to send this along to all your women friends
as well as your men friends and urge them to do the same.
Thanks.
. . . . . . . . . .
Rebecca S. Neimark
rebecca@twentysixletters.com
**
One more thing to add in case you haven't seen this yet:
http://womenagainstsarahpalin.blogspot.com/

Charlies Angels but with cameras

2008-08-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I taught an "intensive" version of the digital photo 2 over at Rayko. Sure enough, it was one of the most knowledgeable and silly groups I've ever worked with...
(& they took good photos, too)

Some writing

2008-08-05T01:19:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the photos of Henri Cartier-Bresson. What's not to like, they have an amazing ease and sense of balance. Did he create or discover his decisive moments? Like all masters, he makes the nearly impossible look easy.
Still, I was happily surprised by this short introduction he wrote in his own book: The Mind's Eye (Aperture). Without further ado...

Photography has not changed in it's origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not a major concern.
Photography appears to be an easy activity; in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its practitioners is their instrument. What emerges from this recording machine does not escape the economic constraints of a world of waste, of tensions that become increasingly intense, and of insane ecological consequences.
"Manufactured" or staged photography does not concern me. And if I make a judgement it can only be on a psychological or sociological level. There are those who take photographs arranged beforehand and those who go out to discover the image and seize it. For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to "give a meaning" to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry - it is by great economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression. One must always take photographs with the greatest respect for the subject and for oneself.
To take photographs is to hold one's breath when all facilities converge in the face of fleeting reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.
To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye, and one's heart on the same axis.
As far as I am concerned, taking photographs is a means of understanding which cannot be separated from other means of visual expression. It is a way of shouting, of freeing oneself, not of proving or asserting one's originality. It is a way of life.
Anarchy is an ethic.
Buddhism is neither a religion nor a philosophy, but a medium that consists in controlling the spirit in order to attain harmony and, through compassion, to offer it to others.
- Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1976

Ice Cream Truck Movie?

2008-07-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

So we are house sitting at this wonderful home on the Mills campus. We are lucky there are many great movies here to watch, and crazy good music to listen to, and some good foreign liquor to try... But somehow this has all gotten me thinking about a movie that I saw long long ago. In it there was an ice cream truck- kindof a crazy one that was following around this guy or something... and I'd really like to see this movie again. I just looked it's not by wim wenders but, well, it is strange. It's not was probably made in the 80's. Anyone? I will say thank you.
There is also another movie- same era- A guy who is a mechanic and is released from jail- they end out talking while lying on the kitchen floor. Perfect dialogue.
Let the internet give me knowledge. & thanks.

New Technology from Eye-Fi

2008-06-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

An interesting world we are creating. I have always found it entertaining that we have folks whose job it is to drive around in cars with cameras attached to the tops of them to document our neighborhoods (Google Earth "streetview", MSN, etc.) It turns out we have a another entire crew of folk whose soul purpose it is to drive around in order to figure out where all the little wireless base-stations are that bring us the internet without plugging in.
Why o why, you may wonder. Well some fine folk under the name of Skyhook have discovered that this information, once documented, can be used as an alternate to a GPS satellite system to figure out where you are, locationally speaking.
The fun does not stop there- This fancy technology has now been stuffed into the standard issue memory card that fits with ease into your digital camera. My understanding is that the location is then automatically added to your metadata in each file. All for only $130- I'll be saving my pennies.
Until then, you should read the actual article at the NYT so that you can get the information second hand, instead of third...

Water Fall

2008-06-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Here's to another great class taking pictures at night in the fine city of San Francisco. Watching as my students discover the delightful fun of creating and discovering interesting pictures has become more and more enjoyable. Quite a treat.

McEvoy Ranch

2008-06-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to be asked to take pictures at McEvoy Ranch for their store at the ferry building. I must admit, I did not know much about McEvoy before we got there, but basically it is a gorgeous little organic olive oil orchard in Petaluma. Here are a few out-takes from the event- as the official subject matter was the trees themselves. This first one is of a ring that appeared around the sun- we don't know why- but it was there for a good hour or so. The other is of a large and happy (and all organic) bunny which lives amongst these olive trees. I've gotta say, as far as being a rabbit goes, that's got to be about as good as it gets these days.

It ends out that they give tours of the ranch, and they sell their amazing olive oil at Whole Foods- so you can check out this amazing place yourself.

What it is

2008-06-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

I went to properly dispose of the asbestos piping that was hiding in the walls of our home. Turns out the closest dump that will take the stuff is in Livermore, by the Altamont Pass. It was windy and hot and there were plastic bags floating everywhere in the sky. Not to mention the strangely sweet smell of fermenting garbage. Funny once I paid for the special disposal fee I was told to just throw it in with the rest of the garbage. So, thats what I did.

Now it turns out that the fine folk at free range studios have started a environmental cartoon for kids. The first episode of which is called "bag the bag"- or something like that. It's only 7 minutes long, so it's easy for you to check it out.

Jelly side up

2008-06-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

This photo was Zaya's idea- I'd say it was a co-production.

Seems she's doing that thing that medium-sized people do, which is to say she's loosing teeth. Lucky for us she is growing new ones too- big ones that seem to barely fit in her mouth at all. These teeth keep moving without asking permission from either of us. The tooth is hanging from a fine thread and suddenly the valued muffin with jelly is alarmingly painful to eat. Just when one begins to think they know what they can count on. Luckily, we came up with this work-around...

Platypuses

2008-05-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

So we are moving and house-demolishing and things have been a little stressful. Searching for relief, I have found this platypus, with an accompanying article over at the nyt. What more could one ask for? A mammal that lays eggs. To quote the article "The platypus lacks nipples; the young nurse through the abdominal skin." & according to wikipedia "they locate their prey in part by detecting electric fields generated by muscular contractions". not to mention that "The male Platypus has ankle spurs which produce a cocktail of venom". Geesh. May the platypus be with you.

Perfect Weather

2008-05-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my first intensive-style teaching weekend, over at Rayko. Lucky for me I had some great students who came with both questions and answers. Not only that, but we had a nice overcast morning for them to take some pictures in. There is this wonderful industrial area right next to Rayko where they are building a new freeway, so it is constantly changing. It is wonderful to watch them explore with their cameras, sharing in one of my favorite things to do.

Student's Shots

2008-04-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

I mentioned putting up some of the images that my students had taken for our evening field trip. This evening photo-taking excursion always proves to be fun and educational, if not just cold. This photo of the boat at Yerba Buena was taken by Brian Lynch. Night time can yield all sorts of unexpected results.

The last weeks assignment is to photograph one object in 10 different ways. Here is a link to a student who did a stellar job of pursuing this assignment- Jane Yen.

A picture I took

2008-04-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

Teaching at Rayko is getting busier and busier. More people keep signing up and full waiting lists lead to adding another section. The good news is this gives me more experience and allows me to meet many interesting people. Beginning digital just ended for the second time, and as usual we finished the class with an evening shoot-out. I am planning on posting some of my student's images, but as I await those, I thought I'd share with you the one that I took while teaching. You never know what you may get when you take pictures at night.

Long Ago

2008-04-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

After going to an interesting lecture by Charlotte Cotton at Mills, I've begun reading a book by her- The Photograph as Contemporary Art. The photographer as interpreter of events, it seems. I fell in love with photography as it allows for wordless communication- ironic now as I come to terms with the importance of verbally communicating my thoughts on images.

There is a fine line between a snapshot of my daughter and an image that goes beyond that. This one helps me remember what it was like being 7.

Sleeping

2008-04-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

Lucky for us, we got to try out the vacation idea. Sean is not used to these sorts of things, and confuses easily without a chore. As you can see great progress was made as he practiced the all important skill of napping on the couch.

In progress

2008-04-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

This would just be to say that there is art being made- photos being taken and in turn photos being re-created as I sit behind this very computer. This little dog was in Spokane, where it snows. I've been geeking out on the improved photomerge aspect of the newest photoshop. It's pretty amazing, kinda like shooting with a 4 x 5, only totally different. The final prints are so large and so detailed that putting up a little one here just doesn't do it justice, so this dog above is just a small cropped bit of one.

Bjork's newest mushroom-inspired undertaking

2008-04-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

worth watching.

There is also a nice video about the making of the video, here on the NYT site.

Obama speech on race

2008-03-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I suppose I can apologize to those of you who are looking for more information on the making of my art or such. But despite the long and painful debates occurring between Hillary and Obama, and despite my tendency to sigh and just let fate take care of the damn election, when I see things like this speech below I know that my duty is to stand up for this man. The opportunity that we have right now is, I believe, amazing.Below are a few excerpts from the pretty long speech given today by Barack Obama. Below that you can watch the actual speech. This speech is not a simple one, but the issue he is tackling is complex, and very close to home, and as usual his views are pretty amazing. Hope you can find some time to watch and/or read.
The entire speech & the video can be found together on the Obama site if you click here.
But if you have just a minute- here are my favorite parts...

"The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through - a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
...
For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances - for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.
...
In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper."

-Barack Obama, March 18th, 2008

Evening Shoot-Out

2008-03-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

I would say that a good time was had by all.
This brings to and end the first beginning- digital photography course that I've taught at Rayko, and it proved to be pretty fun, actually. The students were interesting, nice, and fast learners to boot. We managed to cover more ground than I'd anticipated, and many of the photos they took were impressive. I was also impressed by the kindness that the students showed each other, and the enjoyment they showed as we tromped around South of Market, taking many pictures along the way.

mysteries

2008-02-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Why is sean looking so shockingly, boyishly happy?
& who is that kind looking man next to him?

What the heck are those innocent looking papery things?

Who's hand is this, and why does it glow?

These questions and more can be answered by going to a new and slightly more purposeful blog- the blog of our home re-construction. Click here to find the answers & come back frequently, because none of us really know what might happen next...

More Obama

2008-02-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

There is much to say about the Clinton/ Obama debate, the fact that we democrats are torn, the idea that we can collectively balance between two candidates as we seem to be doing right now. Below is an excerpt from an article I was reading this morning by Kate Michelman, about being a woman and being for Obama, which I found especially poignant:

"When a presidential candidate's core values are unity, equality, opportunity and creating an atmosphere of respect and harmony, both nationally and internationally, then that candidate's vision aligns with the best hopes and dreams of the women's movement. And that is precisely Barack Obama's vision.
For me, the choice between supporting Barack or Hillary was the choice between supporting someone who I know would be very good, Hillary Clinton, or supporting someone who I know could be truly great. And right now, on those causes that define me and millions of other women, we shouldn't settle -- and I won't settle -- for anything less than "great.""
Here is a link to the full article, at salon.com

extra bits

2008-01-29T12:59:00.000-08:00

I suppose it is important to keep in mind the relative importance of things.

That being said an activity that I find to be largely underrated these days would be the importance of turning ones compost.

To discover the creepy-crawlies thriving in what we've left behind.

In preparation for the 5th

2008-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

I have been away for the holidays and count myself extremely lucky to have such wonderful people in my life and to have had a chance to see almost all of them.

This said, I have a political message to put here. Politics are messy, and for the most part I try to remain knowledgeable without getting too involved. However, I am afraid that these next two weeks are a time at which sitting back and watching could prove to be a mistake.

In the past hour I have received a message from Michelle Obama describing the ferocity of the fight that has grown between Clinton and Obama. I then opened the New Yorker to find an article describing the differences between their process and their reasons for becoming president. Finally, a (female) friend of mine who actually went to Las Vegas to canvass for Obama just sent out a heartfelt letter stating that the Clintons (there seem to be two of them running) were basically using dirty methods to win in Nevada. It begins to seem that the Clintons have a personal vendetta-style determination towards winning the white house.

I am not against Hillary Clinton. I find her to be hard working and indeed I would be proud to show my daughter a woman at the highest form of power in this country. However, when I imagine president H. Clinton, I feel nothing but disappointment and dread. As the New Yorker article describes "to Clinton, the presidency is more about achieving goals than about transforming society."

From this I can say we have an amazing possibility now to transform the presidency. As a figure head and a leader there is more at steak than the bills that will be passed and the supreme court justices that are to be elected. There is the symbol of coming together, of idealism, of faith in the people of our country, of prioritizing finding a way to work together. There is also the way that we are viewed by the rest of the world- not as greedy empowered folks with a over-funded military, but as idealistic, educated, caring people.

The criticism has become that Obama is too idealistic. I will say that if we were all to loose our idealism, our country will only go further down the drain towards which it is spinning.

This is a transformative moment. I thought we could wait to worry about this in September, but the time is now. Please, go to The Obama web site, read about the issues, donate if you can, discuss this election with the people around you, and, yes- vote.

Begin the Over-Again Ceramic Adventure

2007-12-04T00:38:00.000-08:00

Up to no good, Sean & I have gotten into more trouble.
With a new idea we went and purchased some once-loved plates and cups, etc. and then we drew on them with a ceramic over glaze. I am learning. We fire them in a kiln and voila! A re-creation fit for the Over-Again label... heh.
Where can I see this work you ask?
Ah, well, if you are in this Bay Area you can visit the lovely and wonderful Blankspace Gallery, where our work will be making its debut. This Friday night is the time if you want to be there with the crowds.
Otherwise, if you really just want to sit behind the computer, you can!
just go to www.overagain.etsy.com and shop to your heart's content.
And, as things develop there is a new blog just for the Over-Again things.
Wish us luck....

2007-11-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

a 4x5 of my daughter & our dog. May love be with you.

post-thanksgivng

2007-11-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

The turkey and I are sharing in life blood. sharing life experiences. Although really it's a one-way street I suppose.

Still my body is learning- it had been living close to the ground. eating small bits of grain. feeling the wind blow through its feathers.

I was told it was organic but whether it was allowed outside or not was unclear.

I hope it was a happier turkey because now I can feel it all around me. in the blood pulsing in my face most of all.

Perhaps that is the root cause of the problems: by eating animals that had crappy lives their sadness works its way into our bodies and corrupts our soul. It could explain many things. W, for instance.

But this turkey doesn't seem all bad.

Greedy humans pay unlimited amounts for wise cow meat.

I could read them stories

If only.

This too would explain some things. The innate wisdom of the mother-cow finding its way into the otherwise simple-minded local.

My body's desire to produce way too much milk when nursing related to my desire to feed and care for really the whole world. Or perhaps more simply just from drinking too much of the overly-processed stuff when I was a child.

I was told recently that most people really are not capable of an interesting conversation.

Could this be true?

End of the Class

2007-11-18T11:47:00.001-08:00

You would think that my students would be a more somber bunch. Somehow though, I seem to be able to get them to jump up at least once per class. More accurately, this is the culmination of a serious lighting studio tutorial- starring, in no particular order: Jan, Michael, Brian, Melinda, Lexi, Jen, & Julie.

Here's to a great end of class & end of year. With more good news to come.

Bright Lights, Big City

2007-11-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

Goodness. I've been away.

Last week Sean & Zaya & I went out to the bigger city as Sean was in two group shows- one being "Grounded" at Southern Exposure / Inter- section for the Arts, and the other a gun show at Root Division. Sean's paper-towels without the butterflies looked really good, as you can see. But If you were Zaya the more exciting part of the night was that in walking from the one gallery to the other Sean began to swing Zaya up towards the planets. And the winning photo of the night you can see.

Manufactured Landscapes

2007-08-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last night Sean & I drove to the bigger city to see the above movie. It's been a while since I've had to leave the east bay just to see a film, let alone seen a film in a theater at all. It seemed strange to use up gas and time for such a thing but I will tell you now that you too should go do the very same thing. It was well worth it.
Edward Burtynsky is a photographer out of Toronto that I first discovered three years ago. His subjects are the places where industry has most altered the land. He began with the trailings from mines. His tendency (for better or worse) is to embellish the beauty of these sites. The places that he's documented have grown to include the cross-cutting of the earth for train tracks, ship-wrecking of old oil tankers in India and now the amazing mass-production of commodities and the accompanying changes that embody China.
Although I have always admired Burtynsky's work, his reluctance to take a forward stance on his subjects, and his decision to rely upon expensive, clean, gallery prints of these embellished locations seems to me a mixed blessing. He seeks out and hence brings awareness of the sites, but then so refuses to give any hint at judgement- some could think it is fine just to sit back and buy the book. I find myself frustrated.
This film however, made by Jennifer Baichwal, encompasses all of the amazing strengths of Burtynsky's work, and then goes one fine step further. By simply interviewing the people who live in and around these landscapes, by documenting their work and their lives, the tenor is no longer neutral and clean. One cannot help but form their own opinion when faced with women heating up our discarded mother-boards outside of their homes, or seeing children (who most probably have never been in a car) standing barefoot in the oil that was stuck to the bottom of an outdated oil-tanker, scooping it up with a 5-gallon bucket. The director does not narrate, like the sometimes painful Michael Moore or even Al Gore- instead she quietly, beautifully shows us and lets us see, lets us understand. In the best sense, this film is educational.
I have little doubt that for me this will be the most important movie of the year. Go see it now if you can. It's showing is quite limited though, so otherwise- we'll just have to wait for the (petroleum comprised) dvd.

Sean's boats @ 301 Bocana

2007-08-11T09:58:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago to this morning, Sean & I jumped in the car and drove over our favorite Bay Bridge to the charming neighborhood of Bernal Heights. Once there we forced our way (guerrilla- style) into the small, friendly gallery 301 Bocana. Soon we were painting the walls a photo-inspired middle gray. Very civilized of us we went out to breakfast as the paint dried and returned only to attach around two thousand small paper boats to the walls and ceiling of the space. Our thumbs ached for days but it was fun and it was well worth it, as you can hopefully see by the image here. If you are in the neighborhood or are just intelligent enough to realize the importance of seeing this you should go- then please let us know what you think. Sean can be reached directly for compliments, etc. at yello6(at)yahoo.com.

summer of '96

2007-08-06T11:21:00.001-07:00

For the summer of 1998 I intelligently ran away to join the circus.
No ordinary circus I fell in love with a special one, and one that too few people over on this west coast seem to know about. Much to my delight, yesterday's NY Times has a wonderful article commemorating the Bread & Puppet Theater; article here. Holland Cotter wrote a really beautiful synopsis, and there is a short slide show there as well. I highly recommend it.
I first went to see the circus in Vermont the summer of '96, right after graduating from college. I took a few 4x5's, which I will try to post here soon. So much I could say, but to summarize I was awed by the place (Northern Vermont farm land), the performance (amazing earth-full puppets) the beauty (as these puppets were used to celebrate our world and the land), and the generosity of it all. All performances are free. Rye bread (which I later helped to grind the flour for) with garlic aioli is given away. Somewhere close to 30,000 people attended that year, and by the time I was working there the "party" atmosphere at the camp sites had gotten so large that by executive order the entire celebration was shut down.
That fall I helped as we went on tour through the Appalachian mountain range- I saw places I'd never been and worked harder than I ever had in my life.
Reading this article makes me want to go back, makes me wish everyone could see that pageant, and makes me wonder why such beautiful things become such small pieces of our collective reality. It needed to stay smaller, but at the same time I wish it could be much, much bigger.
Bread & Puppet's web site here.

seeing all

2007-07-30T10:49:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have seen my artwork- you will know that the google "street view" images came as an interest & surprise. At first I was not sure what to make of it- their images being so close to what I've making. A strange companion, google maps. Yesterday I finally looked around and found some really wonderful images- and something very nice about having a defined number of images for me to work with. A collaboration of sorts I guess. This one here was taken in my home town of Oakland, CA.
Now I went to a fun site: digg.com and have discovered photos of the cars that are taking the photos. In fact, microsoft is now also driving around taking their own god-dammed pictures (thank you). So far, one can only see a few of our metropolis's from a close-to-eye-level-view, but rumor has it that these cars are all over the place now and so it seems there is more and more on its way. I'm hoping they will become more international soon- I would love to check out the streets of Haiti or Chad or Istanbul, while at the same time petting my dog and drinking my tea. Multi-tasking 21st century style.
Here is a link to the photos of the google vehicles. I saw the green van on the Bay Bridge briefly- I should have taken a picture but I thought it was big brother out to get me.
Here is a link to a brief article about the microsoft ones vs. the google ones.
What is this desire that clearly more than just I have to document the roads and views and street life in our towns? What can we learn from this fascination? & from the images?
As now gigantic companies compete to document the mundane, I guess I'll sit here and consider documenting these documents.

kiss

2007-07-26T15:29:00.001-07:00

News item of the day: Woman caught kissing a Cy Twombly painting in France. (Link to BBC article)
I've always wanted to touch the damn things or kiss them or better yet get naked and rub my only somewhat clean flesh all over any really amazing thing I see. The little ropes along the floor and the guards in their suits only make me want it more.
Guess I'm not alone.

whatsoever

2007-07-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

It ends out that at this place where we live the earth shakes seemingly at random and with no warning whatsoever. Although I've lived here most all of my life, there seems to be no way to get "used" to it- unlike living on the sea or perhaps in Alaska where it is light all day or in the Midwest with the cold and the snow storms- this one always comes as a surprise. for better or worse. Now some people sleep with their shorts on.

off

2007-07-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

More places to go. more things to see. Michael Ondaatje on the radio with Robert Haas & I am too busy planting corn, watering flowers, warming veggie corn dogs for my child. Cleaning the house. Packing up so that we can go.
Free time I have a tendency to anticipate as being empty or negative but now I realize I am crazy it is to be relished, sought out & protected. I can even wonder if getting anything done is worthwhile. Laziness looks beautiful. I wonder.
The air here is cleaner and it is quieter than our old home. We have a yard.
Zaya is wanting the piano to play it's own song. Planes and helicopters overhead stand out now that the other noises are gone away. And now the refrigerator- I never understood before- what terrible beasts they really are.

cool things

2007-07-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

scott's blog is better than mine. you should go. not to mention the playful interactive actions he created here.
and if that weren't enough there are a hundred other cool and exciting things going on, somewhat quietly.
for instance, miranda july is making a book with/for our friend will rogan- details of which you can find here.
Our good friends tonya & trevor are gone away which is sad but their dog has put up a tremendously entertaining blog documenting their journey, found here.
I finished teaching my class. third time more of a charm.
all these good things I am not sure I can keep up but I guess I will try.
two dogs now as we are sitting and the new/ visiting dog is infatuated with the cat but the cat does not agree. She shuns the dog.
all girls. two girl dogs, one girl cat, the female spider that is residing by the computer monitor, and me.

which one is first

2007-06-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

Summer must be here. Zaya's last day of school is tomorrow and the sun is up and the melons and zucchini and tomato's that I've planted are growing-everything needs tying up and then leaves my hands smelling wonderfully green. A smell that is sacred for its ephemeral-ness like the smell a babies head. As the gardening volunteer for the class, we put together a grand finale in Zaya's classroom- eating coleslaw from the cabbages that we'd planted and singing songs that made even me laugh.
I heard a wonderful bird outside now and thought of the songbirds that are going extinct- being kicked out of their territories by building and development followed by the new climate changing their food sources, changing their lives. Some days I can think of these things and feel overwhelmed- that so many of us care and yet it is hard- beyond the obvious of recycling and caring and trying not to drive my car- to know what to do to help. How much to give and how much to take. Realizing that unless there is a major sea change within each of our lives as a country, even as a world, the devastation will be unfathomable before we realize what we've done.
Reminding me of a segment I heard on npr with sound-recorder/ documentarian Bernie Krause. here is the closest excerpt that I could find:

Among his first lessons on how sound can reveal profound changes in the environment: his recordings of Lincoln Meadow in the Sierra's Yuba Pass. There, he recorded before and after "selective" logging of trees. The company said the work wouldn't affect the habitat, but a year later Krause's recordings showed profound changes.
"The density and diversity of bird and frog life was completely altered. The place looks absolutely fabulous, but the critters are all gone," he said.
--S.F. Chronicle, May 2oth, 2007

Bernie Krause- sounds of silence

He is also integrating some of his sound collections with google earth & google maps- so that you can see the land from above, see a map from above, see the ground from street level, and now hear what the place sounds like. amazing. good? bad? I have no idea. Earth documented, encapsulated, captured and easily accessible. seems to file itself away nicely. http://earth.wildsanctuary.com/