Jury Duty

It's been a long, lazy summer and it's finally time to get back to work! What better way to get a head start than to jury a photo competition? I've spent the past two days reviewing submissions for the En Foco New Works Photography Fellowship Awards #15 and I and have yet to score any of the work. This is a very challenging project. I am required to judge the artists on the work submitted, but I also have to assess their proposals for what they intend to produce if granted a fellowship. Now, where's that crystal ball?

Throughout the selection and scoring process, I'll be sharing some of the images that catch my eye, but please don't assume that these are the winning entries. Here are a couple of portraits from photographer Adam Amengual.

Carlos Nieto from the "Homies" series, ©Adam Amengual

I’ve been attracted to two stories for quite a long time. One is the story of why people join gangs, cults, hardcore religious factions, etc. The other is the story of positive change, how a human can go from being one type of person to another.

Through the help of the gang intervention organization Homeboy Industries, I photographed people who have made the decision to change their lives for the better. The people in these images are all former gang members or had spent time incarcerated before walking through the doors at Homeboy Industries. It is a place that takes people in and sees the potential in them when others do not. “Through a variety of services, Homeboy Industries helps these men and women redirect their lives and provide them with hope for their futures.” In shooting this project I hope that people can see the subjects for what they are, humans trying to better themselves.  –Adam Amengual 

Alvin Paez from the "Homies" series ©Adam Amengual, 2011

Mad Money...

In his latest body of work, "The Price We Pay," photographer Will Steacy addresses the subject of debt at a time when our nation is on the cusp of financial crisis. With only days left before the US either raises its debt ceiling or begins to default on its loans, Steacy gives us...money, the familiar American greenback with its distinctive, ornate border designs and the intricately rendered faces of our founding fathers.

But these bills are worthless. They are worn and rotted and have been removed from circulation. The faces which once exuded confidence, security, and self-reliance, now, upon close inspection, appear distressed, disturbed, and disfigured, not much unlike our economy. We are suffering the unfortunate consequences of bitterly partisan political agendas which have nothing, and everything, to do with money.

See the entire project on our website.

Here is a small selection of images from "The Price We Pay."

All images ©Will Steacy, 2011

Deadline Friday: Critical Mass 2011

For photographers interested in having their work considered by curators, editors, publishers, dealers and writers, and collectors, Photolucida's Critical Mass offers a great opportunity. For a very fair price you can submit 10 images to be seen by a group of more than 200 reviewers, many of whom are in a position to do something substantial with your work.

Photolucida does not call Critical Mass a "competition," and for good reason. Yes, the initial pool of photographers, usually around 700 strong, is quickly edited down to a approximately 180 by a pre-screening panel and the remaining portfolios are then voted on by a second jury.  At least one photographer is awarded the prize of a nicely published monograph and the top 50 vote earners can claim the label Critical Mass Top 50. Though  it is competitive, no one loses at Critical Mass. The real reward here is not in the rankings, but in the simple fact that 200 influential people have committed their time and expertise for the sole purpose of taking a serious look at your work. There really is nothing else like it.

For the record, Critical Mass allows jurors the opportunity to see your ten thumbnail images online with the option to click through to enlarged images. On the same page is a link to the artist's project statement, most of which I  read (not every body of work is completely self-evident in only ten images.)  Also on the page is a space for reviewers to leave comments, critiques, and questions for the artist. And of course there is the ratings box. With 200 reviewers from all over the world, the odds are quite good that you will connect with someone who will be keenly interested in your work.

By the way, the "Critical Mass Top 50" label and the vote tally in general doesn't really mean much. I gave a solo exhibition this year to a Critical Mass artist who did not even make the top 50. Also, the top voter earner doesn't necessarily receive the book award. That has to go to someone with enough good work to warrant a monograph. So who cares about vote tallies?  I'm just looking for great work.

So take a few moments to read more about Photolucida, the Photolucida Portfolio Reviews, and Critical Mass and see the Critical Mass monographs.

If that isn't enough, read the Photolucida blog.

New York Pride and Marriage Equality!

"My hope is that these photographs cause some viewers not only to revisit and rethink the subject but even to change their minds about it. It appears to me a matter of basic equality—and basic human rights."
Hrvoje Slovenc, NYC, 2007

Kurt Walters and George Karabotsos - Brooklyn NY ©Hrvoje Slovenc, 2007

Don Price and Wilkie T. Pretorius - New York, NY

Lynnn Schumacher and Louise Strain - East Islip, NY

C. A. Kelly and Joseph Coencas - Brooklyn NY

Hrvoje Slovenc
Partners In Crime
Artist Statement

My project focuses on same-sex couples that have been living together for an extended period of time, eighteen years on average. The idea was inspired by late nineteenth-century wedding portraits and the professional techniques employed in them (large format camera). While most of the earlier works were produced as cabinet cards, shot in studios with artificial backgrounds, my reconstructions are in color, taken in the couples' homes. The purpose is to demonstrate the mundane quality of what can only be seen as a marriage setting. In these photos, though, I am trying to capture the public face that society mandates for same-sex couples. These couples appear to be both physically and emotionally disconnected because in many ways, both subtle and overt, that is how they are told they should behave. Thus in conflating images of stiff, traditional marriage poses and contemporary domestic spaces, I have sought to normalize what is still, at best, a hotly contested relationship in American society.

     The vexed attitudes about gay marriage in this country contrast sharply with European perspectives on the subject. Same sex marriage has also been legally recognized in Argentina and South Africa.  Much closer to the U.S., Canada gave its imprimatur almost five years ago. My hope is that these photographs cause some viewers not only to revisit and rethink the subject but even to change their minds about it. It appears to me a matter of basic equality—and basic human rights.

Exceptional Press for Caleb Charland: Fathom And Fray

Attempting to Paddle Straight at the Moon, 2010 ©Caleb Charland

Caleb Charland
Charland says that the photographs in his solo début "rest in the gap between knowledge and uncertainty," which helps explain why so many of them look like the results of science experiments, lab accidents, or inspired pranks. The most mysterious of these are cameraless pictures, made by the direct contact of unusual materials (a lit sparkler, unchecked mold) and film or photographic paper, in the style of Marco Breuer. But in others Charland is a phenomenological provocateur-setting off a smoke bomb in the woods, redirecting the beam of a flashlight in a snowstorm, disappearing into a globe of tiny flames from his cigarette lighter-achieving quietly spectacular results.
Extended through June 24 
-Vince Aletti

 Caleb Charland's Magical Evidence 

Photographer Caleb Charland is currently the subject of a solo show at the Michael Mazzeo gallery in New York City. An artist-inventor and backyard poet, Charland somehow teases the marvelous from the mundane. The images show us that disciplined experimentation can lead to magical results, not just empirical evidence. There is a strong performative aspect to his photographs, whether he is using himself or choreographing objects and events. View entire article...
-Rebecca Horne 

...enough of endless narcissism -- at last this season we can celebrate the medium's ability to combine rich objective content with exciting subjective imagination. The new Caleb Charland show at Michael Mazzeo is truly wondrous to behold.
Gathering the light cast from the things of this world, only to reflect it back at us, photography is the medium of the mirror. How apt, therefore, that some of Charlard's most intriguing images incorporate actual mirrors, notably in a piece "Study for Sun with Face Mirror", in which he puts himself virtually in orbit... Read the entire review...
-Barbara Confino 

Caleb Charland  sees the extraordinary in the common place.  His photography is on exhibit at the Michael Mazzeo Gallery in Chelsea.  You'll see , sparks fly from cigarette lighters and create a sphere of fire, face mirrors multiply and float like celestial bodies. Or how a beam of light  splinters from his hand and splits the night sky.  All of his images are created in camera without digital manipulation.  He combines art and science with endless curiosity and captures the energy on photographic paper.  Wonder what would happen if you put bacteria on film, let it multiply, and photographed it?  Probably not, but Mr. Charland has.  You'll  marvel in the beauty of the fray.  The show is extended to June 24th.  Don't miss it. Perfect for 7 and up. View the blog...
-Edna Suarez

Caleb Charland refuses to be bound by the limits of materials he's working with. Charland considers the subjects he's photographing - or scanning -- with a head-cocked, "hmmmm, what can I do with this" perspective. It's actually hard to determine whether he's bringing a creative viewpoint to scientific, intellectual situations, or the reverse.
What is obvious is that his work is beautiful, attention-getting and head-scratching interesting. For example, a work that seems to be a picture of a starry sky in reality is a reversed scan of Charland's palm with dots penned on. Another panorama of a nova is actually four levels of bacteria photographed over time. So get over to Michael Mazzeo gallery and take this show in while it's still around. You'll be as enchanted as this reviewer was. View the blog...
-R.J. Westerhoff

Going on from now till June 24 at the Michael Mazzeo Gallery in New York is an exciting exhibition from one of our most beloved artists, Caleb Charland. Back in July 2010, we wrote about how Charland makes us believe in magic through his shockingly surreal work. Using everyday objects in new and unexpected ways (and mostly without the help of Photoshop), he makes us eternally curious about the world around us. The exhibition, called Fathom and Fray, is showing his recent work or 17 prints of both camera and cameraless images. Of course, the best part about his works is that you can enjoy the image for what it is and then get surprised by reading what it's made of! View the blog...
-Alice

View Fathom And Fray as well as other projects by Caleb Charland at

www.michaelmazzeo.com

Open Submissions: Family Value

The gallery is reviewing work for inclusion in our summer portrait salon, titled Family Value, which opens on July 7. We are seeking diverse interpretations on the theme of family portraits and the idea of family in general.

Michael Mazzeo Gallery strongly supports artists with distinctive points of view. As is customary at the gallery, we do not charge fees for submissions, but if selected, prints must be framed and delivered to the gallery by June 30, with a return shipping label included. All work must be exhibition quality, signed, numbered, and available for sale. Gallery policy is to offer original editioned prints to our clients. We do not exhibit "special edition" prints made for benefits, charities, auctions, or fundraisers.
Print sales will be split 50/50, with the cost of framing reimbursed to the artist.

SUBMISSIONS:
Please do not send jpegs or pdf files! We prefer a link to images posted online. Deadline for submissions is June 18, but sooner is better.
Please include in your email:
1. A link to the images
2. A couple of sentences about the images or a project statement
3. Available sizes and editions
4. Retail prices

Send to:  summer@michaelmazzeo.com

Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.

All correspondence should be sent to summer@michaelmazzeo.com

Michael Paris Mazzeo
Gallery Director

MICHAEL MAZZEO GALLERY
508/526 W.26 St. Suite 318
New York, NY 10001
+1.212.741.6599
www.michaelmazzeo.com
www.mazzeogallery.blogspot.com
 
EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 24:
CALEB CHARLAND
FATHOM AND FRAY

OPENING JULY 7:
FAMLY VALUE
SUMMER SALON

New Yorker Review of Caleb Charland's Fathom And Fray

We are absolutely delighted by Vince Aletti's review of Caleb Charland's Fathom And Fray, in the Summer Fiction Issue of The New Yorker. The exhibition is on view at the gallery through June 24. Please stop by to see this inspiring collection of photographs.

Call For Entries: New Works Photography Fellowship

En Foco's New Works Photography Fellowship Awards is an annual program selecting three or more U.S. based photographers of Latino, African, Asian, and Native American heritage, through a national call for entries. New Works helps artists to create or complete an in-depth photographic series exploring themes of their choice, and provides the infrastructure needed for national visibility and a professional exhibition of their new work in the New York area.

Selected artists receive an honorarium, photo-related products, technical assistance, a photographer's page on enfoco.org, an article in Nueva Luz, and a culminating group exhibition in New York City in 2012.

I am honored and excited to have been asked by Executive Director Miriam Romais to be the juror for New Works #15. I am an ardent supporter of En Foco, having worked with the organization on fundraising events and including En Foco artists in gallery exhibitions. I eagerly anticipate viewing the submissions as they come in.

Deadline for entries is July 27.
More information here.

Manual Training and Industrial School for Colored Youth, Bordentown, NJ ©Wendel White, New Works #13

This exhibition is supported in part by the New York State Council of the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the Bronx Council of the Arts, and Canson Infinity.

ABOUT EN FOCO:
En Foco is a non-profit organization that nurtures and supports contemporary fine art and documentary photographers of diverse cultures, primarily U.S. residents of Latino, African and Asian heritage, and Native Peoples of the Americas and the Pacific. Founded in 1974, it makes their work visible to the art world, yet remains accessible to under-serviced communities. Through exhibitions, workshops, events and publications, En Foco provides professional recognition, honoraria and assistance to photographers as they grow into different stages of their careers.
Learn more about En Foco here.

Moveable Feast at The Museum of the City of New York

There is still time to see Moveable Feast: Fresh Produce and the NYC Green Cart Program at the Museum of the City of New York. The Aperture Foundation, in partnership with the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and the New York City Department of Health, commissioned five photographers –  LaToya Ruby Frazier,  Thomas Holton, Gabriele Stabile, Will Steacy, and Shen Wei to document the program. The exhibition is on view through July 10. Read more about the project at Aperture.org

Here is what The New Yorker Magazine critic, Vince Aletti, had to say about the show...

A first look at Caleb Charland's upcoming "Fathom and Fray"

Black Dots on My Palms Anywhere Lines Cross, Scanned and Inverted to Look Like Stars, 2009

Diptych, two Lambda C-Prints on Fujiflex Paper

4 x 7 in., Edition of 15

Caleb Charland's "Fathom and Fray" will be on display from May 5 to June 13, with an opening reception Thursday, May 5th 6-8pm.