We're no fans of McDonald's, but we can't escape the impact of their golden arches on our landscape, culture and emotional psyche. And unsurprisingly, they're incredibly photographic. Their shimmering presence can be strange, funny, and ominous - at times a topographical eyesore, at others, an unfortunate landmark or "Where's Waldo" beacon of Americanism wherever we go.

Seeing these pop up repeatedly in our Instagram feed, and in larger bodies of work from some of our favorite photographers like Tim Davis and Susana Raab, we put out a call for various interpretations of the logo in context. Without further ado, here are 30+ photographs of the McDonalds logo in its unsettling glory. Make sure to check out more work from each photographer by clicking the link in their image-credit.

PostedJune 14, 2018

AuthorJon Feinstein

TagsMcDonalds Photos, Golden Arches Photos, New Topographics, New Photography, Weird Photography, New Landscape photography, Humble Arts Foundation, Jon Feinstein, HAFNY

© Robert Wade, California, 1969-1970, courtesy of the photographer, from "All Power: Visual Legacies of the Black Panther Party," PCNW 2018

Seattle exhibition traces the visual descendants of the Black Panther party

All Power: Visual Legacies of the Black Panther Party, organized by Michelle Dunn Marsh at Seattle's Photographic Center Northwest – as well as an abridged (expanded) version at AIPAD earlier this spring – is an exhibition drawn from a book of the same name and showcases a select group of contemporary black artists, whose work has been informed or influenced by The Black Panther Party. Timed to the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Seattle chapter – the first outside of California – the exhibition looks to how the Panthers' visual codes and social platforms play out in contemporary African American photography. I spoke with curator Michelle Dunn Marsh to learn more about the book, exhibition and plans to take the Panther's legacy into the future. The exhibition is up at PCNW through June 10th, 2018.

Jon Feinstein in conversation with Michelle Dunn Marsh

The contemporary American cultural and political landscape has become divided and pessimistic. Curator Ruben Natal-San Miguel's latest exhibition looks to its complexities and optimistic flipsides.

From fractured Facebook feeds to dreaded family gatherings, as Americans, we've seen a consistent decline of hope. Earlier this year, this prompted curator Ruben Natal-San Miguel and Harlem gallerist Loni Efron to announce a call for work with an upward angled view, juried by TEDx curator and former Slate photo editor David Rosenberg, Executive Director of the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) Hannah Frieser, and Humble Arts Foundation co-founder Jon Feinstein.

Titled American Splendour, the exhibition, which opens Friday, June 1 at Harlem, NY's Iloni Gallery and includes work from more than fifty photographers, presents a refreshing take on everything grim. From honest portraits to abstracted plateaus, American Splendour reveals a glimmer of hope within the rough.

American Splendour will be on view June 1, 2018 - July 12, 2018.
Opening reception: Friday, June 1.
ilon Art Gallery
204 West 123rd Street. Harlem, NYC.

Below are some highlights:

PostedJune 1, 2018

AuthorEditors

CategoriesExhibitions

TagsRuben Natal-San Miguel, Loni Efron, David Rosenberg, Hannah Frieser, Russ Roland, Rachel Rampleman, Susan B. Anthony Photographer, Matthew Schenning, Tema Stauffer, Kathleen Hayes, New York Photography Exhibitions

In an incident many artists, marketers, and consultants warned us about for months, a well-meaning photographer feels the consequences – and wrath – of solicitation without preparation.

Updated 7:23 AM PST, Mon May 28, 2018
Los Angeles boudoir photographer James S. Fancy woke up to an alarming email early Monday morning. It was from his sole email list subscriber, 37-year-old Gert Blumenschtol, a Berlin software engineer who received Fancy’s unsolicited email about his upcoming photography exhibition late Saturday afternoon.

PostedMay 28, 2018

AuthorEditors

TagsGDPR and photographers, data protection and photographers, we wonder how many people will think this is a real story, satire

© Rainia Matar. Wafaa and Sanaa, Bourj El Barajneh Refuge Camp, Beirut, Lebanon, 2017 — © Rainia Matar. *Wafaa and Sanaa, Bourj El Barajneh Refuge Camp, Beirut, Lebanon, 2017*

Roula Seikaly speaks with Guggenheim's 2018 photography fellows about what drives them and what they plan to do with this prestigious award.

Life as a working artist is the definition of hustle. For those who live its day-to-day reality, it means carving time out of a busy routine that includes - in addition to life’s personal demands - teaching and/or endless side gigs in order to support a creative practice.

By this measure, unrestricted grants like those awarded by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation are peerless opportunities. Of course, the official recognition of hard work is validating, but what may be more important is the gift of time it gives. We posed three questions to each of this year’s Guggenheim Photography Fellows and those who were able to participate replied with generous and detailed answers. In each answer, time and its central role in creativity is clear.

Congratulations to all!

Roula Seikaly in conversation with the 2018 Guggenheim photography fellows.

PostedMay 17, 2018

AuthorRoula Seikaly

CategoriesExhibitions, Artists

TagsGuggenheim Photography Fellows, New Photography, Roula Seikaly, David Maisel, Hank Willis Thomas, Meghann Riepenhoff, Nadia Sablin, Nicholas Muellner, Pradip Malde, Lukas Felzmann, Kristine Potter, Ian van Coller, Photography Grants

30-Something Strange, Uncanny, or Otherwise Unsettling Photos of McDonald's Golden Arches

A (photographic) Legacy of the Black Panther Party: In Conversation With Michelle Dunn Marsh

Where is my American Splendour? Photography Exhibition Presents Hopeful View of American Politics and Culture

Art Game Hustle: Guggenheim’s 2018 Photography Fellows on What it Takes to Earn the Most Prestigious Honor

30-Something Strange, Uncanny, or Otherwise Unsettling Photos of McDonald's Golden Arches

A (photographic) Legacy of the Black Panther Party: In Conversation With Michelle Dunn Marsh

Where is my American Splendour? Photography Exhibition Presents Hopeful View of American Politics and Culture

Photographer Sued by His One Email Newsletter Subscriber for Not Sending GDPR Update on Time

Art Game Hustle: Guggenheim’s 2018 Photography Fellows on What it Takes to Earn the Most Prestigious Honor