Russia-By-Rail

Read and watch NPR’s reporter David Green and photographer David Gilkey’s account of their 2-week long journey through Russia, from Moscow to Vladivostok, by train.  
With passable roads for wheeled transport still a rare site in the vast expanse of Siberia, the Trans-Siberian railway is a monster of a road: at 6000 miles it is the longest railroad in the world.  And the landscape opening up to anyone traveling along it - formidable and unforgiving. 

"The things to do were amazing and the places to see were epic; but the people, the people are what made it all worth the effort", said Gilkey.  While going through his outtakes, a photo gallery emerged with stark images capturing the strength and self-assuredness of the Russians. 
"It was in their eyes.  You could see that life is tough - nothing comes easy - but it has made them stronger," he said.  "The adversity is always present - in life, in government, but they march through it while holding on to a strong sense of the past."

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Storm clouds pass above a wintery landscape on the shores of Lake Baikal in central Russia.  Baikal is the world’s largest and oldest lake and holds nearly 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. 
(David Gilkey/NPR)

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The route of the trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to Vladivostok

Night Photography

I am pleased to announce the opening of a photography exhibition Night Photography at the Darkroom Gallery for which one of my photographs - Self-Portait In Minneapolis - was chosen by the Juror Linda Rutenberg
Tucked away in upper Vermont, not far from Canadian border, the gallery showcases works of photographers from all around the world.  Night Photography features work sent in from all across the USA, Canada, Brasil, UK, Germany, Switzerland, and Turkey.  Opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 4th, 5-7p.m. 

Inviting entries from photographers, the Gallery stated: 
Night photography reveals a world that we do not consciously see and offers photographers unique creative opportunities.
Night and day, dark and light - one implies the absence of the other.  But like yin yang, each has a bit of the other. The surprising thing to first time night photographers is how their images reveal things that the mind’s eye does not see.  Different light sources reveal their true colors. Compared to daylight, directed and weaker light creates drama, contrast, mystery and mood. The dynamic range of light at night tends to be more in line with our tools abilities. Of course there are technical challenges with shooting in low light, but also tremendous creative opportunities. That’s what we want to show with this exhibit. Do you work with existing light - or do you introduce your own? Maybe you paint with light emitting light brushes. How have you approached shooting at night to express your vision? We want to see.

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Self-Portrait in Minneapolis

I took this photograph while visiting Minneapolis for the opening of a photography exhibit at the Photo Center there in March of 2010.  This is a view of the night city, and the Mississippi river, from Guthrie Theater, a gem of a building by French architect Jean Nouvel.  I think I picked up on the folded language of the building, and the way it elevates you above the city, as if on a stage, while leaving you invisible.  A myriad of color lights, inside and out, and playful multiplicity of reflections teased my sense of reality, conjuring up a new one, appropriately theatrical.
There are many remarkable photographers represented in the show.  I would like to highlight two of them: Carmen Spitznagel from Germany (to see her amazing, serene work, click HERE), and Fabian Freese, also from Germany (click HERE to see his Lightpaintings, vanishing architectural interventions)

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The Sea, Carmen Spitznagel

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Cuxhaven2 - Nordsee, Fabian Freese

darkroom.pdf Download this file

Isa Leshko: Elderly Animals

I just received the December newsletter from the photographer Isa Leshko, and wanted to share her recent photography series Elderly Animals with you.  In the short documentary by Walley Films posted on the NPR website, Isa talks about the project, about how it emerged, unexpectedly, and how working on photographing these farm animals and pets towards the end of their lives she was in fact looking in the face of our own mortality as well.  I am overwhelmed with how much emotion - and respect for their subjects - these images evoke.  Most of the animals in these images look weary and tired, but some of them emit strong unconquerable defiance. 
Here is an excerpt from an Observer article about Elderly Animals: 
It’s not strictly true that all living things grow old and die.  The jellyfish Turritopsis nutricula returns to sexual immaturity after reproducing and is believed to be biologically immortal. The rest of us, however, succumb to our age with weary inevitability. It’s good to have work such as Leshko’s to remind us that – be we horse, hound or human – there’s more to life than youth.

Presenting at Smith College

This afternoon, I will be giving a presentation on my personal design and photography work at Smith College as part of the spring lecture series, Daughters of Invention. I am thrilled to be in such an inspiring company! Last hours of preparation…

I have unearthed, after 13 years of it laying dormant, my Masters of Science thesis project on Architecture+Music. Still today, the subject is so relevant to me, and fresh!

Morton Feldman once said: I paint the canvas of time with colors of sound. John Cage may have added: …and silence….

Daughters of Invention Poster.pdf Download this file

Recent Publishing

I am happy to announce that two of my photographs have just been published in two separate editions.  

The first one, Untitled No.1, has been included in the collection of contemporary art yearbook ’Still Point Art Gallery: Selections From 2010 Exhibitions’.  The book includes work from about seventy artists from around the world, and can be purchased from Blurb. 
The other work is from a series of photographs I took of a Habitat for Humanity housing project on Stanley Street in Amherst, designed by architect Chuck Roberts of Kuhn Riddle Architects.  It was included in the book ‘The Power of Pro-Bono: 40 Stories about Design for the Public Good by Architects and Their Clients’ edited by John Cary and published by Public Architecture.  The book can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Amherst Biennial

One of my new works, Time Still No.3, has been selected to be part of the first Amherst Biennial. The event will take place in various locations across the town of Amherst. Please see the invitation below for specifics. Come, wander around, and enjoy! This promises to be a grand event!
Amherst Biennial Invite Email (dragged).pdf Download this file

Amherst Biennial Invite Email (dragged).pdf Download this file

An evocative photograph of an evocative mind...

On a dreadfully ugly day like today I was delighted to wake up to the world that celebrates a new (but long-in-the-making) architecture of light and human interaction.  The main prize in architecture, the Pritzker Prize was awarded yesterday to a Japanese duo of architects SANAA.   

If there ever was an architect able to capture and express lightness in architecture, SANAA must be it.  Their spaces are made of flowing multilayered interlaced geometries that dematerialize along the building’s edges creating a perimeter that is soft and light .  Playfully woven into an often densely populated urban architectural fabric, their buildings come close to appear as oversized balloons about to take off.. Even when they are shaped like a stack of boxes!      

SANAA architect Kazuyo Sejima by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue (via Polis)

Architecture meets Art and Science

1. DESIGN FOR THE MASSES  Tomorrow is the last day of the 

Bauhaus exhibit at MOMA

.  This is the first major show on the famous art and design school at MOMA since 1938. 

(The slideshow on this website has some beautiful visuals, don’t miss it)  This show follows the inspiring 

'Bauhaus Modern', the exhibition at Smith College Museum of Art

 in Northampton, MA held in the fall of 2008 and guest curated by Dr.Karen Koehler, Five College professor of art and architectural history.  

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Color Study: Squares with Concentric Rings,1913

Wassily Kandinski

Image source: 

creativecommons.org

2. ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT WALLS.  If you happen to be in Vienna this winter, don’t miss the 

'Transitory Objects' at Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary museum

. 

Here’s a related article in Seed Magazine

. 

I was particularly drawn to 

Neri Oxman’s organic self-supporting architectural skins

.  This young and extremely talented designer from Israel works with rapid prototyping technology, and in her research combines biomimicking with the design and construction of built environment.  This may as well be the language of our not-so-distant future architecture.   

Pompidou Center in Paris currently features Alisa Andrasek, one of ‘Transitory Objects’s’ participant’s project 

'Biothing'

Speaking of Pompidou, the Center as always has an array of amazing shows.  Among them, a 

vast display of women artists at ‘elles@certrepompidou’

, a first show of its kind, where a museum showcases the feminine side of its permanent collection. Around 200 women artists are represented from 20th century to the present day.  

And a couple of other shows at the museum I want to mention, one of them still up and running. 

3. EYEBALL RE-CUT  

Exposition on Surrealism in film and photography - ‘La Subversion des images-Surréalisme, photographie, film’

 - this exposition just closed, but the evocative video collage intro is well worth watching

4. THE PAINTER OF BLACK AND LIGHT 

Currently showing at Centre Pompidou: Soulages: Black on black

 (and not-so-black) 

Reminds me of Louise Nevelson’s ‘Queen of the Black Black’ period.  Although, while Nevelson went through a number of creative phases, her inspiration and expression growing from color to white, from black to gold, Soulages has always been the ‘king of the black black’.

Check out Artsy's page for Pierre Soulages: https://www.artsy.net/artist/pierre-soulages 

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Louise Nevelson, Cityscape, 1979 

Image source: 

creativecommons.org

Soulage

Pierre Soulages, Peinture 324 x 362 cm, 1985 Polyptyque C 

Collection Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne

Image source: 

creativecommons.org

Help Haiti

There are many ways to help. 
Here are just a few: 
A truly inspiring organization! 

Their Response

"We primarily work in the reconstruction phase of post disaster situations and will be focused on transitional and permanent housing and community structures. We do not do emergency shelter. We are partnering with Yele Haiti, AIDG and other local group by supplying them pro bono construction and design professionals, setting up community housing resource centers and support in the design and building of earthquake resistant structures."
A Boston-based organization, Partners In Health (PIH) works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world.

-You can text-message your contribution!
Bill Clinton for The Washington Post, January 14: 
"Those eager to help can donate through the U.N. effort, my own foundation or by text message (text “HAITI” to 20222 to donate $10 to U.N. relief efforts).”