The artist’s latest exhibition gives an unexpected look into family dynamics and the nature of aging.

New York City-based Aneta Bartos’ adolescence in Poland was shaped around her dad's bodybuilding career. Starting at age thirteen, she'd often travel alongside to assist him with various competitions, sometimes competing herself. Into her adulthood, she continued visiting him every summer, and in 2013, he asked her to make a few portraits of him to capture his physique "at his best" before his body began to deteriorate. While these were initially photos of him alone, they evolved into a collaborative, father-daughter series about the dynamics of their relationship.

Bartos' latest exhibition, Family Portrait 2015-2018, on view at Tommy Simoens Gallery in Antwerp through May 25th depict the artist with her retired bodybuilder dad, often in their underwear or bathing suits. Their mix of scenarios range from getting ice cream and playing on the beach to performing various behaviors of emotional comfort for the camera. In some images they stare into the lens, engaging directly with viewers, while in others, they seem to act out, recreate, or be entranced by memories from Bartos’ childhood. While the various states of undress might make some viewers uncomfortable, a deeper look reveals a tender, thoughtful window into family bonds and the fragility of life itself.

I emailed with Bartos to learn more about the series and her family dynamics.

Jon Feinstein in conversation with Aneta Bartos

PostedMay 14, 2019

AuthorJon Feinstein

CategoriesArtists, Exhibitions

TagsAneta Bartos, New Photography, Humble Arts Foundation, Photographer Interviews, Interviews with Photographers

A new book uses strange, sometimes mystical imagery to retell a fragmented family memoir.

"Magical," “Narrative" and "Storytelling" are three words photographers and tech brands often overuse to describe work and products that often don't actually imbue any of those characteristics. Sure, humans love to tell stories – we're drawn to them like cave sketches, right? They bring us together and make for a sticky TED Talk intro. But do they actually tug at us with just enough "mystery" to keep us guessing? With Paul Thulin's new book, Pine Tree Ballads, published by Candela Books, the answer, said in both a shout and a whisper, fist wrapped around the heart, is absolutely fucking yes.

Pine Tree Ballads takes us on a wonderfully confusing journey through the reenacted fantasies of Thulin's family history set in a small community in Maine. His great grandfather settled there in the early twentieth century, drawn to its resemblance to his Swedish homeland. Thulin reenacts these stories using a dreamlike sequence of images. Some feel staged, some feel like found family relics, and others rest somewhere in between.

As viewers, we're able to weave in and out of Thullin's consciousness with a dreamlike fluidity. Subtle photos of notes written in cursive text and an unexpected balance of black and white, color, and alternate-processed images help to pace, break up, and chapter-mark nearly 100 images that somehow, despite their volume, feel like an immaculately tight edit. Oh, and the inside front and back covers are peppered with glitter.

I emailed with Thulin to learn more about his journey.

Jon Feinstein in conversation with Paul Thulin

PostedMay 10, 2019

AuthorJon Feinstein

CategoriesArtists, Publications, Portfolio, Photobooks

TagsPaul Thulin, Candela Books, Pine Tree Ballads, New Photography, 2019 Photobooks, Photobooks

Jason Lee’s careers in skateboarding and acting pave the way for a distinct vision of the American road as it unravels (and decays) across Oklahoma.

You're likely familiar with Jason Lee from film and television projects such as MallRats, My Name is Earl, and The Incredibles. Prior to his acting career, Lee made a name for himself as a pro-skateboarder traveling internationally in the 80’s and 90’s, and co-founding Stereo Skateboards which is still in operation today. It’s now been more than fifteen years since Lee acquired a serious interest in photography, picking up tips on set from the crew. Despite having his first museum solo on the horizon, Lee’s already covered a lot of miles from several exhibitions, sold out photo books and a growing online presence.

Jason Lee in conversation with Amy Parrish

PostedMay 2, 2019

AuthorAmy Parrish

CategoriesExhibitions, Artists, Portfolio, Galleries

TagsJason Lee, More Than OK, Philbrook Museum of Art, Philbrook Museum, Amy Parrish, Tulsa, OK

The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center’s annual Contemporary Photography Exhibition has been one of my most anticipated arts events all year. I previously wrote about last year’s two-person show (or, rather, two small shows in the same gallery) and this year’s exhibitions were no less captivating. While Claire A. Warden’s Mimesis and Arielle Bobb-Willis’ At Zephyr do not play off one another as easily as Christine Elfman’s Even Amaranth and Mark Jayson Quines’ NOBODY, they are each impactful, thoughtful bodies of work that prove that there is no shortage of talent available to the PPAC.

Exhibition Review by Deborah Krieger

PostedApril 25, 2019

AuthorDeborah Krieger

CategoriesExhibitions, Galleries, Artists

TagsPPAC, Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, Claire A. Warden, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Deborah Krieger, New Photography

A new photography book combines religious kitsch, southern mythology, and eerie occult horror.

A crucifix made from Kraft cheese slices sitting on a dirt road. Poltergeist-y mist coming seeping through a sunlit door. Two bedsheet ghosts driving a car. These are just a few of the funny and strange photos included in Maury Gortemiller’s new book Do The Priest in Different Voices, a collection of images inspired by the photographers’ bible-heavy childhood memories. Growing up, religious illustrations helped him conjure the unseen and make the Bible’s written words – which felt abstract and inaccessible – feel tangible, palatable and worth contemplation. His work is a peculiar, contemporary take on these narratives, often infused with mythology from the American South where he grew up and currently lives and works.

We spoke to discuss everything from the project’s origins to Gortemiller's relationship with religion and his love for horror movies.

Maury Gortemiller in conversation with Jon Feinstein

PostedApril 18, 2019

AuthorJon Feinstein

CategoriesArtists, Publications, Portfolio, Photobooks

TagsMaury Gortemiller, Southern Photographers, Occult Photography, AIn't Bad, Photobooks, Photography Books

Aneta Bartos' Self-Portraits With Her Dad Capture A Complex Father-Daughter Bond

Paul Thulin Retells His Family's Folklore with Photographic Magic

More than OK: Jason Lee Prepares for his Premiere Museum Solo Show

Claire A. Warden and Arielle Bobb-Willis: Two Photographers' Strikingly Different Approaches to Turmoil

Maury Gortemiller Conjures the Unseen With Terror and Cheese