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Archive | July, 2011

Film, cameras and back in the darkroom…

By on July 31, 2011 in Uncategorized

With the demise of Kodak Plus-X comes the understanding that I support those companies that make film and employ workers and not worry about the terrible errors made in Rochester.  To that end I have been shooting Foma 100 and 200 speed MF film and like the results:  crisp, wide tonal ranges and pushes nicely.  The odd thing is that the poly stock used for the film base is light blue which, although it does not effect the print in the darkroom, still looks funny and does not wash off.  The initial anti-halation dye washes off, but not the base coat.    I am also using Ilford Pan-F 50 which is a smokin’ bit of film.  Both are consistent, stable and very available.

My attempt to find a space for a solo show has yielded no joy.  The lines of inquiry tossed out on to the sea have come back empty or with demands both financially and artistically too heavy for me to carry.  I am still hanging a few pieces in the upcoming 14th Colony  group show on August 13th and I hope to have some rural scenes in a hanging at a local health center.  Also, I have been clued in to another co-op, the real thing this time, in nearby Hudson, NY.  I will check that out tomorrow. There is also an arts co-op in the nearby town of Tivoli which I am going to investigate.  All of these are paths for growth, change and community–three things I need, want and cherish.  I’ll try to set up as much as possible before I head out to Italy and Greece in less than month.  Yes, on August 29th I fly back to Europe for another 4 months of art, art history and travel.

I’ll be taking a friend’s RolleiCord MkVI this time.  It has better glass than the Mamiya c330 and is half the weight.  I’ll take only one lens for the Canon 5D MkII (50mm L series), one lens for the Voightlander (35mm Skopar) and my  G11 point-and-shoot.  This  frees up a fair amount of space and bulk in the camera bag, which allows me room for the MacBookPro…

Still no response from those I have emailed.  Why am I the only one who follows etiquette in regards to email?  Not true, obviously, but please, people, throw me a bone here!

More to come,

JDCM

Possible show and travel draws near…

By on July 7, 2011 in Paros, Uncategorized

I leave for Italy and the Aegean Center Italian session in a little over  month-and-a-half. To be honest I am not sure, beyond the art history context, what I will be doing.  I am nervous about the fall and what it will bring to me.  Obviously ‘change’ will be a constant.  With all the drama of last spring behind me I hope to make a fresh start with the Aegean Center and build some new bridges in the local community as well as the school dynamic.  What my role will be as a third semester intern is unknown, but I have written of this already.  I have only the ability to let the Universe decide these things for me and act accordingly.  I have been emailing the people I know and so far no response.  Perhaps this is my own impatience since I tend to write back to those who email me all but immediately.  Other people have their lives to live and I cannot expect them to jump onto their keyboards and drop me a line.  The urge to begin ‘test packing’ is filling me and I have new gear to bring, namely a new laptop which is something I have never traveled with before.  I’ll see how it packs in my carry-on bag today, perhaps, and test the weight.

I am in negotiations with the owner of a great space for a small solo show.  I hope to hang the event for an August opening  running through Labor day, but I may have to skip that weekend as it would make it difficult for the owner to sign a lease with anyone else beginning on the first of the month.  I will be flexible with this and take what I can get.  I will also have to pay rent, which is a cost I had not anticipated, but in the long run do-able and necessary if I want this show in such a short amount of time.  I will have have 12 figure studies and twelve ‘rural views’, all medium format and all sized in an intimate manner that draws the viewer into the image.  We shall see, we shall see…I am ‘acting as if’, however, and prepping my work for the show.  This means matting, framing and having it gallery ready.  I will not push away any other opportunities for other viewings.  Once again, the Universe is in charge.  I can only do the footwork and accept the results.  Some of the new images can be seen on my photo site, so I won’t post them here.

More to come…JDCM