Fertile Image Working Surface

Center for Fine Art Photography

UPDATE

I recently found out that the CENTER FORWARD 2011 show that includes one of my conceptual composites, now up at the Center for Fine Art Photography will be traveling to the Denver Colorado Airport in early July and will be there through August.

I recently got an email telling me that I have been included in a show at the Center for Fine Art Photography entitled CENTER FORWARD; a survey of new and current trends in photography. The show opens on May 6th in the centers main gallery in Fort Collins Colorado, so I have to send them a framed print of the picture and consider myself fortunate to be selected from over 2600 images from around the world, ... but it's hard to get really excited with everything that's going on in the world. I also have to include a statement about the photograph and what I have to say about why I made it and what it means to me is even more troubling. So what do I get from showing the work? Is showing the work, no more and no less ... I do wish I was happy about it all right now but I'm not. Maybe I will feel better later.

This is the piece the juror chose:

Untitled 2010

an interesting problem

"Reporter" - Psychic Numbing from Facing History and Ourselves on Vimeo.

 

WITNESS

This morning I was looking for something to stimulate me, get me going and I got the juice to write this blog entry from looking at some photography. Surfing around the web I ended up on the website of James Nachtwey and was reminded of the power of journalistic documentary photography and also what a theatrical bubble we live in here in the US. A bubble evidenced by how enthralled we are by hundreds of articles about the lives of Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen. And please don't think that I am dismissing the tragedy of drug addiction because I know it all too well but the way that celebrity drug addiction is used as theater here in the states is ridiculous. We do not "witness" pain and suffering. We make fun of it. But if you look closely at James Nachtwey's photographs you will witness real suffering, some of which exists here in the bubble too. 

If we can just take your eyes off of American Idol for a moment and pay attention to world around us. Maybe we can begin to see who we are and the world we live in a bit more clearly and be moved to real change .....

Check out WITNESS. It got me moving this morning.

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/ 

Binding Threads - Corner Store Gallery

I am one of the artists participating in the Binding Threads Show at the Corner Store Gallery on Capitol Hill. The show is running through February 21st. Try to get by and check out the great work by 7 African American artist. Below are a few pictures from the reception party that took place on Saturday the 29th of January. 

http://cornerstorearts.org/

 

Mr. Dyson himself checking out one of my pieces.

Ann G. Allen co-curator for the show talking with Dyson

Wayon during the artist talk.

Two women in conversation underneath my work.

The show had a great turnout of art lovers and collectors.

Gallery Opening at the Corner Store

Corner Store Art Gallery

Opening Saturday January 29th

Reception from 5 to 8 PM

On View January 29^th through February 21^st

GEARS Charles A. Sessoms 2010

Binding Threads

7 African American artists find common ground  

through painting, metal, and light.

 

Thomas Allen - Photographer

Gwendolyn Aqui-Brooks - Mixed Media Folk Artist

Helen Elliott - Enamel Artist

Sandy Gobar - Painter

Nicole Glaudé - Painter

Lewis Green - Painter

Charles Sessoms - Photographer

________________________________

 

The Corner Store

900 South Carolina Avenue, SE

Washington DC 20003

 

202.544.5807   /    cornerstorearts.org

 

Anna Deavere Smith

POSTCARD

Toying with the idea of compositing some of the old with some of the new to create something I am calling a Postcard. Mixing images to create a narrative satisfies in a different way whatever it is that causes me to make films. The piece is sort of dark but I think it is relevant to the times ..... I am sure more positive themes will emerge as well

POSTCARD 2010