Snapshot from the collection of Robert E. Jackson

We live in a time of political fragmentation and discord where cherished institutions seem under attack. America’s identity appears to be one of polarization, with a lack of common values to draw the country together. How does one define individual liberty during these times? What does the Statue of Liberty, which once inspired and beckoned individuals from around the world, mean to us on this celebratory Fourth of July?

It is an era of many questions and few answers. These snapshots of the statue from my collection are like shards of a mirror whereby the whole is elusive. They are abstractions which seem ghostly; a mirage thru which we are attempting and hoping to achieve some clearer vision of a brighter future for this nation. Photography can help elicit memories of better times, creating a nostalgia for what seems lost or missing and a hope for what will be. Patriotism isn’t an abstraction like these images. It is what this holiday is all about.

Images from the Collection of Robert E. Jackson. Follow him on Instagram to see more.

PostedJune 30, 2017

AuthorRobert E. Jackson

CategoriesPortfolio, Galleries

TagsSnapshots, Vernacular Photography, Statue of Liberty, July 4th, Independence Day, Patriotism

By now you may have seen wizard artist Neil Harbisson's super-viral 2012 TED Talk, demonstrating technology that allows him to "hear" color. Or maybe you're a fan of Design Observer and attended their pivotal "What Design Sounds Like" symposium in New York City in 2015. Or perhaps you marveled at Aperture's Fall 2016 Issue "Sounds," which explored the impact of music on photography. The interest in the intersection of the senses has drawn fascinating work across a range of creative media for years.

But more abstractly, is it possible to make a photograph of what we hear?
What are some photographic representations of riffs, repetition and tone?
How might an image have a verse and refrain?

For Humble's next open call, we're interested in seeing how photographers represent sound, music, any kind of audio frequencies in their work, with three major caveats:
No band photos. No live music photos. No photos of musical instruments. Let us see sound as we'd least expect it.

Submission Details:

DEADLINE:
August 15th, 2017

PostedJune 29, 2017

AuthorEditors

CategoriesExhibitions, Open Call

TagsOpen Call, Sound, Photo opportunities, no-fee open calls

Image courtesy of RayKo Center for Photography

In 1991, Bay Area arts benefactor Stuart Kogod opened a small storefront gallery and community darkroom on Polk Street in San Francisco. Combining the last name of Surrealist Man Ray and the first two letters of his own, RayKo Photo Center quickly emerged as a vital resource for photographers seeking reasonably priced darkroom access; youth and continuing education classes; exhibition and residency opportunities, and community involvement. RayKo moved to its current location on Third Street in 2004. At 12,000 square feet, it is the largest photographic community center west of the Mississippi.

In January 2017, Kogod announced that the building housing RayKo is up for sale, citing that the space could only succeed if it secured sustainable financial support beyond his own. If the sale is completed and RayKo shutters its doors, San Francisco will lose an irreplaceable space that has served both regional and national photographic communities for more than 25 years.

Humble’s senior editor Roula Seikaly posted a call for input from photographers who have worked, taught, learned, or exhibited at RayKo Photo Center. What follows are thoughts, memories and images produced by of a few of those artists whose practice and professional arc have been significantly enhanced by their association with RayKo. The post closes with a love letter to Ann Jastrab, RayKo’s ace gallery director and vocal photography advocate.

Thank you to all of the contributors, and to all those associated with RayKo Photo Center for helping to keep the doors of this unique institution open through numerous trials and tribulations.

Interviews by Roula Seikaly

PostedJune 21, 2017

AuthorRoula Seikaly

TagsRayKo, RayKo Photo Center, Blake Andrews, Sarah Christianson, Klea McKenna, Jacob Weber, Lupe Reyes, Judy Walgren, Ann Jastrab

© Drew Nikonowicz. From the series Notes From Anywhere — © Drew Nikonowicz. From the series *Notes From Anywhere*

Just one year since receiving his BFA in photography from the University of Missouri, Drew Nikonowicz has produced a prolific body of work that many would consider an accomplishment for photographers ten years his senior. In 2015, still an undergrad, the photographer snagged the coveted Aperture Prize for his series This World and Others Like It, and recently completed a one-year residency at Fabrica Research Centre in Italy.

Nikonowicz' mysterious, yet clearly defined practice explores aspects of fiction, reality and the history of photography. He shoots mostly large format black and white film, something unheard of for many photographers born after the creation of Photoshop. He imbues them with a current twist, often combining them with computer generated photographs to unite a historic technology with a contemporary one. At first glance, his pictures evoke early photographers like Ansel Adams and Edward Curtis in their monochromatic attention to the vastness of the American landscape. But while Adams and Curtis presented an optimistic, often idealized picture of promise and opportunity, Nikonowicz paints something a bit darker, layered with science fiction. I spoke with the photographer about his recent series This World and Others Like It, and its subchapter Notes From Anywhere.

Interview by Jon Feinstein

PostedJune 14, 2017

AuthorJon Feinstein

CategoriesArtists, Portfolio

TagsDrew Nikonowicz, Large format photography, black and white photography, aperture prize winners, Ansel Adams, new landscape photography

© Borjana Ventzislavova, I dreamed we were alive, 2012 / Bildrecht, Vienna 2017. Courtesy of Kunst Haus Wien.

I Dreamed We Were Alive, curated by Sophie Haslinger and Verena Kaspar-Eisert, on view at Vienna's Kunst Haus Wien through June 18th collects five artists described as “[exploring] intimate moments and personal experiences through the medium of photography.” The curators give each of the four of the artists a gallery wall, while placing the fifth among the others in a “meta-level” exhibition. There is a wide variety of photography on display from artists Yulia Tikhomirova, Lena Rosa Händle, Hanna Putz, Ekaterina Anohkina, and Borjana Ventzislavova: black and white, color, digital, film, snapshot-style, candids, portraits, landscapes. Despite some truly eye-catching and satisfying motifs and rhythms created by clever juxtapositions, the displays, taken on the whole, are a bit uneven. Some of the artists’ contributions stand out more than others, creating an experience that is unfortunately not more than the sum of its parts.

Exhibition Review by Deborah Krieger

PostedJune 9, 2017

AuthorDeborah Krieger

CategoriesExhibitions, Galleries

TagsYulia Tikhomirova, Lena Rosa Händle, Ekaterina Anohkina, Borjana Ventzislavova, New Photography, I Dreamed We Were Alive Exhibition

Abstract Vintage Snapshots of the Statue of Liberty: a Metaphor for Fading Freedom

Open Call - Group Show #54: Seeing Sound

A love Letter to RayKo: 6 Photographers on the Photography Center’s Influence, Impact and Legacy

Photographer Drew Nikonowicz Fuses Old and New Technologies to Unite Fiction and Reality

Photography Exhibition "I Dreamed We Were Alive" Combines Eye-Catchers with Head-Scratchers