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The Photography Show, AIPAD 2018- Coverage Page

Let the show begin! Just after opening, Noon on Thursday, April 5th, 2018. Click for full size.

Once again in 2018, for the second year in a row, I’m proud to bring you THE most extensive coverage of The Photography Show, aka AIPAD, available anywhere. This page summarizes my coverage and contains links to the 4 Posts I’ve written on it in order-

#1-
The Photography Show- AIPAD, 2018

#2-
The Photography Show: Memorable Meetings, 2018

#3-
The Photography Show Discoveries: Jeanine Michna-Bales

#4-
The Photography Show Discoveries: Kris Graves

The Photography Show/AIPAD, 2018 is my NoteWorthy show for April.

My coverage of The Photography Show, AIPAD, 2017 may be found here.

NighthawkNYC.com has been entirely self-funded & ad-free for over 7 years, during which over 275 full length pieces have been published!
I can no longer fund it myself. More on why here.
If you’ve found it worthwhile, PLEASE donate to keep it online & ad-free below.
Thank you, Kenn.

Written & photographed by Kenn Sava for nighthawknyc.com unless otherwise credited.
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The Photography Show Discoveries: Kris Graves

Special Exhibitions have become a welcome part of The Photography Show/AIPAD, and 2018 proved no different. Particularly innovative was “All Power: Legacies of the Black Panther Party,” a show inspired by the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party branch in Seattle, Washington, terrifically curated by Michelle Dunn-Marsh, Executive Director of Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle.

The entrance sign, listing the Artists included along side the Black Panther logo. Click any Photo for full size.

While I highlighted the marvelous work of LaToya Ruby Frazier, and others, in my first piece in this now 4 part series on AIPAD, 2018, among those unknown to me in this exhibition (and elsewhere in AIPAD for that matter), I was particularly taken by this quartet of Photographs by Kris Graves.

Kris Graves, Clockwise from top left- “The Murder of Philando Castile, Falcon Heights, Minnesota,” “The Murder of Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri,” “The Murder of Walter Scott, Charleston, South Carolina”  and “The Murder of Eric Garner, Staten Island, New York” from “A Bleak Reality,” 2016.

The images depict the sites where 4 black men were killed by police officers between 2014 and 2016. The quiet poignancy of these works, a notable, and remarkable, contrast to the high pitch all around us today grabbed me hard. Three of the pieces, “The Murder of Philando Castile,” upper left, “The Murder of Michael Brown,” upper right, and “The Murder of Eric Garner,” lower left, contain visible reminders of what happened here in the form of memorials. “The Murder of Walter Scott,” lower right, does not (as far as I can tell). Though the events are in the past, what remains are the media of the actual events and the memories of them. As such, they fit perfectly into the concept of a show about “legacy.” This series, created after, serves to remind us that what happened in each of these seemingly mundane locations, spread throughout the country, can happen anywhere.

As Photographs of an Artist new to me I was also taken with his approach. It says “look at this,” instead of telling you what to think, but it makes me wonder what the Artist is thinking as we see through his eyes. Instead of close-ups of the exact spots, there is a distance in each shot, that makes them each “landscapes,” I find fascinating and powerful. Stephen Shore, Robert Adams, and others, redefined the genre of American Landscape Photography after Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, et al, defined it earlier in the 20th Century, as they felt their predecessors had taken things about as far as they could in one direction. Since the American landscape was rapidly changing post-World War II, they created something that showed what they then saw around them. Kris Graves is one of those doing it, again now, in works like these1, though he returns the human element, which in these works is utterly profound- even when no people are present in 3 of the 4 Photographs. The absence of people echoes the absence of the murdered and leaves us, seemingly, the only ones there. Witnesses, after the fact.

Obviously, “All Power: Legacies of the Black Panther Party,” is a remarkably well done special exhibition. I reached out to its curator, Michelle Dunn-Marsh, to ask her about Mr. Graves inclusion in the show. She told me, “I met Kris at Photolucida last April having known of his work through Aperture, and in October Terry Novak and I did a studio visit with him. Shortly thereafter I invited him to consider participation in this exhibition, and he told me of the series we had on view at AIPAD. It was powerful in not only content but also adding a landscape dimension to the exhibition, which is predominantly figurative, so his work, Sadie Barnette’s FBI documents, Ouida Bryson’s still life and Christopher Paul Jordan’s collage were additive on multiple levels. I think Kris has received a lot of attention for his portraits so it was also an opportunity to bring awareness to other bodies of work he has created.”

Before I left the exhibition, I noticed the lower part of the nearby info card.

 

Not only is Mr. Graves an accomplished and formidable Artist, he is ALSO a Book Publisher! AND? He has a booth in the PhotoBook area! It just so happened that the gentleman manning the information table at “All Power” had bought a copy of Mr. Graves latest publication, “LOST Omaha,” and urged me to look at it. I was immediately impressed by its quality, and the quality of the Photographs by Zora J. Murff. It looks and feel different than 90% of PhotoBooks I see, and at 28.00 the gentleman felt it was cheap. Cheap in price is not a term I hear applied often to new PhotoBooks. Hmmm…

“LOST Omaha,” by Zora J. Murff, the first book I saw published by Kris Graves Projects.

Overnight I did my customary “getting up to speed” research after being taken with the work of an Artist I previously didn’t know, (as I did with last year’s AIPAD “Discovery,” Gregory Halpern), and my initial impression was, again, confirmed. On his site, krisgraves.com, I saw an Artist who’s taking new approaches to a wide range of genres, from the portrait to landscapes, as well as someone who’s making real contributions to moving the ball ahead when it comes to representations of people of color in his work, and the resulting gallery and museum shows. I found that “A Bleak Reality” had been commissioned by Vanity Fair, in September, 2016. More of the series may be seen here. More recently, in March of this year, Mr. Graves documented each and every one of NYC’s 77 Police Precincts(!), something I doubt many people who live here, like me, have ever seen more than one or two of. They are, typically, fascinating. As Photographs, some remind me of Bernd & Hilla Becher, but as in all his work, Kris Graves has his own style, and as I looked at more and more of his work, I began to feel the Artist’s preference for observing at a distance present in much of his work.

Kris Graves is someone who sees the big picture.

Kris Graves, “Road to Skaftafell,” 2010, from “Discovered Missing,” 2013. On the road…in Iceland.

Moving over to his publishing site, krisgravesprojects.com, I looked at his 2013 monograph, “Discovered Missing.” Though the Photographs were taken in Iceland the style reminded me of “A Bleak Reality” at AIPAD. After Mr. Graves’ work draws you in to “look at this,” his images retain your attention. Still looking becomes meditating.

“Yellow Hats, Kyoto, Japan,” 2005, from “Permanance,” 2012

His work is beautiful, cerebral, both ethereal and earthy, grounded in the streets, while it reaches beyond, and expresses…well, that’s up to each viewer. His landscapes are often blessed with a feeling of the miraculous moment of discovery- the perfect scene of the empty dollar store parking lot in front of the breathtaking mountains behind, or, we’re on a cliff looking down on a group of Japanese in yellow hats, or the perfect spot to catch a majestic cliff towering over a distant lighthouse, or a two lane blacktop on an open expanse of flat road that seems to be leading to a distant mountain, partially shrouded in clouds. In many of these works, the recurrent element of distance fascinates me.

“Family Dollar, Taos, New Mexico,” 2009, from “Permanence,” 2012

Some are odd juxtapositions, almost like stories with two parts. They’re partially works that could be called “New Topographic,” but they’re not. Boxes don’t fit here (or with any Artwork really). They’re scenes from a near and foreign world, where even what’s seemingly “familiar” seems strange. Kris Graves gets us to look at our surroundings while not allowing us to feel comfortable in our assumptions. Instead, it’s like he’s sharing his observations and making us think about what we’re seeing.

“R.I.P. 5Pointz, Long Island City, 2013,from “LOST LIC.” Courtesy of the Artist and Kris Graves Projects. 5Pointz was a mural space on Davis Street that was demolished in 2014, after efforts to save it failed.

His colors also fascinate. They, too, are characters in what we see. In his landscapes, they serve to convey mood, or to create a dialogue between sections of a work.

“Jessica,” 2016, 11 s 14″ Archival pigment print, from “Testament Project, Volume 03.”

But then, in his innovative series of portraits, “The Testament Project,” the Artist gave control of the lighting to his subjects.

From “Testament Project, Volume 03,” by Kris Graves, essay by Carrie Robbins, PhD.

“By including subjects in the creation of the scene and altering of color, I seek to create Photographs that portray individuality in addition to their blackness,” he’s quoted saying on his site. His portraits also show us another side, of the subject, in a way I’ve never seen attempted before, which given the millennia long history of portraiture is no mean feat. To this point, Artists have had the complete control over their subject’s appearance. In Kris Graves’ “Testament Project,” he emphasizes the individuality of the subject by giving them control of the lighting, which allows him or her to become part of the actual creation of their portrait. This, too, can be said to be observing from a distance.

Photographer & Publisher, Kris Graves here figuratively wearing his Publisher’s hat, proudly displaying the new 10 volume set, “LOST,” his Kris Graves Projects just released at his +KGP table in the book area.

Sunday, April 8th, I headed over to the Kris Graves Projects booth at AIPAD, and lo and behold, there was Mr. Graves, himself, like Gilles Lorin, Stephen Wilkes, and Mr. Tony Vaccaro (as seen in Part 2), patiently answering questions from anyone else who happened by, including a never ending stream of folks who seemed quite familiar with Mr. Graves and his work. While I was standing there, an Artist came by and actually pitched a book project to him.

So, wait. Just who is Kris Graves? He’s an NYC native now based here and in London. He received his BFA from SUNY Purchase and has had his work displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, London, Blue Sky Gallery, Portland (where Kris Graves is now on the Board of Directors. Christopher Rauschenberg, Robert’s son, is President), and the Brooklyn Museum. In 2017, he was among 5 Shortlisted for the prestigious Aperture Portfolio Prize, out of 700 porfolios reviewed. His Art is in the collections of said Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and his Publications are in the collections of the Watson Library at The Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, Yale University Library and the Whitney Museum Library. He has been showing his work since 2006, with his most recent solo show at the University of Arizona, 2017. There are currently 38 Publications on the Kris Graves Projects Online Store, including 6 marked “Sold Out,” as I write. Of the total, “only” 9 are of his Photography.

After my overnight research, I was interested in his monographs, “Discovered Missing,” 2013, consisting of Photographs taken in Iceland, and “Permanence,” 2012, Photographs from 2003-12. Faced with the items on the table, above, I didn’t see them. So? I asked for them. He produced a copy of “Permanence” from the row of standing books on the far left! It’s the red book that’s peeking out, second from the front.

Wait.

WHAT Artist pays for a booth at AIPAD and then doesn’t prominently display his own work? (Ok, yes, his publications are “his work” as well, I grant that. I’m referring to his Photography, which others, like myself, might just be discovering at the show.) The only reason I left with 2 of Mr. Graves books was by knowing I wanted them going in, and I HAD TO ASK FOR THEM! And? In both cases, he told me that they were the very last copies!

Hmmmm…

They’re not prominently on display, but they just sold out. Wow. I’m not the only one taken by Mr. Graves Photography. Late to the party, again. And? I’m about to be as impressed by his publishing. Let’s take a closer look at that Photo of Mr. Graves and exactly what IS on his KGP table at AIPAD, shall we?

A closer look.

Heres’ what I saw. The new 10 volume set, “LOST,” consisting of a series of books, each featuring one city was front and center as it is newly completed and being debuted and offered as a Limited Edition of 25 Box Set at a special price at the show. Mr. Graves is proudly holding a set, with the newest volume, “LOST Omaha,” in the front. He should be proud of it.

“Let’s get LOST,” to paraphrase Chet Baker. By all means, do, but this set is now mine.

As you can see, the 10 volumes of “LOST” are “LOST New York” (with Photos by Lynn Saville), “LOST LIC” (Long Island City)(Photos by Kris Graves), “LOST Berlin” (Photos by Andreas Gehrke), “LOST Calcutta” (Photos by Laura McPhee), “LOST San Francisco” (Photos by Luke A. Abiol), “LOST Chicago” (Photos by Owen Conway), “LOST Boston” (Photos by Michael Cardinali), “LOST Beijing” (Photos by Lois Conner), “LOST Seattle (Photos by Joseph P. Traina), and “LOST Omaha” (Photos by Zora J. Murff)- which completed the series). Each is prominently shown. To the left, with the green lines are other KGP Publications, including “These Americans,” by Mercedes Jelinek, “all that cannot be said,” by Colin Stearns, “Bless Your Heart,” by Grant Ellis, “A Place to Disappear,” by Pablo Lerma and “Blood Line” by Anne-Laure Autin.” The first book in the vertical stack on the right is the last copy of “Provisional Scenery,” 2015 by Kris Graves, his other monograph that I purchased.

Can you match the cover image with the city? Time’s up. Top row, left to right- “LOST Beijing,” “LOST L.I.C.,””LOST Calcutta,””LOST Boston,”and “LOST Berlin.” Bottom row- “LOST Chicago,””LOST San Francisco,””LOST Seattle,””LOST New York,” and “LOST Omaha.”

The Artists he publishes are Photographers Mr. Graves told me he has “known for a while.” In “LOST,” through each Photographer’s work, we visit the subject city as if we’re “lost” in each place, without a GPS. Few famous landmarks are Photographed, yet, the sense of each place is undeniable. Some of what is seen could be seen anywhere. But it’s not. Its all organically specific to the place its in. These images created by 10 individual, poetic, sets of eyes, are brought together and unified under the singular vision of their publisher, and in that sense, they are truly collaborations. I found the results to be uniformly strong throughout all 10 books, As you move from book to book, from city to city, Mr. Graves overall concept of the series combines with the difference in the Artist’s styles, and content, to create the set’s overall impression and make for a wonderful internal dialogue that holds them together as a “set.” As such, it’s the ultimate “anti-travelogue.” No one is going to go to any of these cities looking for most of these sites. As in his Photography, Mr. Graves is something of a “visionary observer,” at a bit of a distance, here, too, in my view.

The Artist told me he named it in honor of how he felt after he left his job at the Guggenheim Museum. It’s a good thing he told me that, because looking at the set, the direction, focus and execution of the entire project is ANYthing BUT “LOST.” It not only feels like he knows EXACTLY what he’s doing, but how to pull it off, how to seamlessly meld such disparate visions into a cohesive, unique whole. Since Mr. Graves said he’s known these Artists for a while, perhaps that familiarity enabled him to know what he was going to get and how that part would fit into the whole. Whatever the case is, the results are remarkable, and highly recommended.

Kris Graves, left, Artist Michael Cardinali author of “LOST Boston,” in the white shirt, right, and Artist Lynn Saville, author of “LOST New York” in black, behind him, at the “LOST” Book Release in LIC on April 14th.

After AIPAD ended, I went to the Book Release for “LOST” in Long Island City, where I bought one of the 25 sets to get the full effect and to familiarize myself with the Artists involved. As good as the individual books are, I now think it really is best experienced as a set. Having had it a week, my feeling is that’s there is a surprisingly high bar that’s maintained throughout, both in the work and its presentation. Having been, briefly, to only 2(!) of the 8 other cities (NYC gets two books), I can only speak about NYC.

Luckily, among the Artists at the Book Release was the accomplished Photographer, Lynn Saville, author of “LOST New York,” who also teaches at both the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) and at the International Center of Photography (ICP). Ms. Saville has three monographs published by three major publishers- Rizzoli, Random House and Damiani. I asked her about her involvement in “LOST,” and she said, “He approached me to be a part of his series…and I was intrigued. The timing worked out- and I’m proud to be the “New York” in this series. Another nice thing was the quickness of it – and the other artists – Laura McPhee and Lois Conner and several other photography artists – I really like the off-beat selection of cities and the scope of it…. They are like artist’s books – and the box set is very nice.”

Lost, from “LOST New York.” You now have to look at Lynn Saville’s work to see this view of Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building along East 42nd Street since the Vanderbilt skyscraper has gone up right in the front. It’s cropped on the cover, but this full image is inside her new “LOST New York.” Courtesy of the Artist and Kris Graves Projects.

In Lynn Seville’s “LOST New York,” there are some familiar sights. Or were. This spot near Grand Central Station on the cover of “LOST New York” is now filled by a gigantic skyscraper that’s gone up in the interim. Its “Lost” in a different way. This view is now lost. Ms Seville told me that person who’s window this is complained about that very fact.

Lynn Saville, from “LOST NYC.” Courtesy of the Artist and Kris Graves Projects.

I asked her what went into her decisions as to what to include in “LOST NYC” and how to sequence them. She told me, “In choosing pictures for and sequencing this book, I sought to include each of the various strands of my past work. Also, I was influenced by my recent commission from the MTA, Arts & Design (her work is being shown in a solo pubic art exhibition at Grand Central Terminal), which involved photographing the western façade of Grand Central Terminal, newly exposed to view by the beginnings of construction at One Vanderbilt Avenue. These pictures, one of which appears on the book’s front cover, recalled my initial interest in the city’s iconic structures. For me, therefore, the book is a polyphonic weaving of my various ways of seeing and engaging with the city.”

Kris Graves signs his out of print “Discovered Missing,” 2013 for another guest at the “LOST” Launch.

When I saw his “A Bleak Reality” works in “All Power,” I noticed the info card, pictured earlier, has his birthdate. Not caring all that much about age I didn’t do the math. I only noticed that Kris Graves is in his 3rd decade and the second number was not a big one. Think about this for one minute-

In a show as big as AIPAD which includes 100 of the world’s leading Photo galleries going toe to toe presenting their finest work, it’s INCREDIBLY hard to be noticed as a young Artist alongside the likes of Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Gordon Parks, Atget, Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, William Eggleston, Bruce Davidson, Daido Moriyama, Robert Capa, and on and on and on. In a PhotoBook area that includes the likes of Steidl, Mack, Akio Nagasawa, TBW Books, Art Book DAP, Damiani, Minor Matters, and Aperture, a small, independent, Artist-run Publishing company is there, WITH the Artist/Publisher in attendance EVERY DAY, selling out of multiple titles of quality books.

For ONE young person to be doing BOTH of those things, successfully at AIPAD? It’s just unheard of. That’s why Kris Graves struck me as THE Artist & Publisher discovery of AIPAD, 2018.

There will be those who will look at all of this and say. “Wow. Kris Graves has a bright future.”

I look at it and say- The future is now.

*-Soundtrack for this Post is “Let’s Get Lost,” by Chet Baker, which you can hear here.

My thanks to Kris Graves, Lynn Saville, Michelle Dunn-Marsh, and the gentleman manning the “All Power” Booth on Saturday, April 6th.

The Photography Show/AIPAD, 2018, is my NoteWorthy Show for April.

This is the last of my 4 Posts on AIPAD, 2018. Once again, for the second year, I’m proud to bring you THE most extensive coverage of The Photography Show anywhere. The rest of it is here. My 2017 coverage is here.

NighthawkNYC.com has been entirely self-funded & ad-free for over 7 years, during which over 275 full length pieces have been published!
I can no longer fund it myself. More on why here.
If you’ve found it worthwhile, PLEASE donate to keep it online & ad-free below.
Thank you, Kenn.

Written & photographed by Kenn Sava for nighthawknyc.com unless otherwise credited.
To send comments, thoughts, feedback or propositions click here.
Click the white box on the upper right for the archives or to search them.
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  1. As I mentioned in Part 1 feeling that one of LaToya Ruby Frazier’s works in the show does as well. ↩

“What Walking Looks Like” – Q&A With Jeanine Michna-Bales UPDATED

If ever there was a series of Photographs that could be termed “monumental,” Jeanine Michna-Bales’ “Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad,” 2002-16, is one in my view. Fourteen years in the making, ten of those spent doing research into the Underground Railroad, (a field that due to the life and death nature of it for all involved, very little is known about even 150 some years later)..Three years scouting locations and taking Photographs. It’s only fitting the resulting project is now a touring exhibition from the Mid-America Arts Alliance that’s currently scheduled to run through 2024! Viewers, including yours truly, who saw some of these works on view at The Photography Show (AIPAD), earlier this year, were captivated by them. I recently called the Artist one of my two AIPAD “Discoveries,” and heard from any number of other show attendees who concurred. 

“Resting Place. Church Hill, Mississippi, 2015” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales. Click any image for full size.

Given how much there is to say about this 14 year project, I felt my initial look at it at AIPAD only scratched the surface. After the auspicious beginnings of the traveling exhibition over the past year, and considering how many more viewers will be discovering Jeanine Michna-Bales and “Through Darkness to Light”over the next eight years, I’m sure many will want more information about it and the Artist. Luckily, Jeanine has agreed to do a Q & A, only the second I’ve done here at NighthawkNYC in almost 3 years. 

Just back from being invited to speak at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in conjunction with the Sally Mann Retrospective currently on view there, I asked Jeanine questions about “Through Darkness to Light” I haven’t seen answered anywhere as yet, and I also asked her about the two fascinating projects she started during the intervening fourteen years- “Fallout: A Look Back at the Height of the Cold War in America circa 1960,” 2013-date, and “Frack-tured: Seismic Activity in the Barnett Shale,” 2015-date. Taken as a group, the three projects show a common thread in her work thus far- While the events at the heart of her projects are in the past, many of the actual places lost, remaining evidence scarce, Jeanine Michna-Bales, through years of research, dedication and hard work, manages to recreate in her work convincing, and often beautiful, works that put the viewer in those places and times. Why? Perhaps she’ll tell us below. For my part, I’m reminded of what George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it1.”

Jeanine, who is represented by PDNB Gallery, Dallas, and Arnika Dawkins Gallery in Atlanta, also kindly supplied Photos to go along with a few I took at AIPAD, and this one-

Jeanine Michna-Bales in front of some of the fruits of over a decade’s work, the extraordinary night Photography of “Through Darkness to Light,” at AIPAD, April 7, 2018.

Kenn Sava (KS)- Let’s start at the start. Where did the idea for “Through Darkness To Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad” come from?

Jeanine Michna-Bales (JMB)- Part of my practice as an artist is to write 3 pages long hand each day. Or try to anyway. Sometimes trying to balance my time between my family and career gets difficult. Most days I do manage to write ‘my pages’.

I am usually exploring why I am interested in a particular topic, flushing out an artist statement, looking at a topic from different viewpoints, etc. What is it that resonates with me? What information from that topic is applicable to today?

I also enjoy taking walks to help clear my mind. Always have. I had just finished a project documenting the locations where I had taken these walks. So, I already had the thought in my mind of what walking looks like.

“Devil’s Backbone. Lewis County, Tennessee, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

Growing up in Indiana, the Underground Railroad was part of our curriculum in grade school. I remember being fascinated with the topic and trying to comprehend that someone would have to go through this journey in order to be free.

I like to think that “Through Darkness to Light” chose me. In 2002, the idea just showed up on the pages one day and wouldn’t let go of me. I kept coming back to the thought of what a journey out of slavery would look like. I spent years trying to research locations. I started before the U.S. Congress Freedom Trail Initiatives, where they were funding research to identify locations and narratives. Also, prior to the National Freedom Center in Cincinnati. So, there wasn’t a whole lot of information out there. I would research and get nowhere and then put the idea away and go back to my day job as an advertising agency art director. But, it wouldn’t let me go. I kept coming back to the idea over and over again. Finally, in 2008 or 2009 my step-dad suggested that I visit the Indiana Historical Society library. There was a librarian there who had been interested in the Underground Railroad. Anytime she came across anything that referenced it, she would make a photocopy and notation on how to find it and put it into a clipping file. She had clippings from period newspapers, to historical ones, to recent ones. Thesis papers. Books. And tons of information. I copied everything and brought it home. It took me months to go through and organize. But, it was the catalyst that gave me those first few locations to photograph.

Often, I would not be able to find locations or details. The amount of information I was going through was tremendous. I was searching for narratives in order to add their voices into the project, as well as give me a good idea of what to photograph. But, I would always manage to have the information given to me by someone.

The project won a 2014 CENTER Santa Fe Choice Award and some images from the series were a part of the group exhibition for the award winners. The woman whose work was on display next to mine invited her uncle to the show. He lives in Santa Fe. We ended up talking because he was intrigued by the images from “Through Darkness to Light.” I had been looking for a missing link in the path through Indiana for several years. As we got to talking, it turns out that he is the ancestor of abolitionist William Beard whose house I had been searching for. He was able to look up the address for me and send it to me.

Another time, I was out photographing around midnight in the Georgetown District of Madison, Indiana. The district was home to George DeBaptiste and other conductors on the Underground Railroad (UGRR). A woman came out of her house to walk her dog. She wanted to know what I was doing and I explained it to her. She was in the process of trying to get a monument built to highlight the history of the UGRR in the area. She had been in contact with numerous historians and was able to pass along their contact information and make introductions for me, as well.

I can’t count how many times things like this happened over the course of the 14 years working on the project. I definitely had help along the way.

“From Whence We Came. Following Robinson Road, Mississippi, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- After the initial idea, how long was it before you realized that it would be the huge undertaking it turned out to be?

JMB- I don’t think it really dawned on me how big the undertaking was until I started to actually capture some of the images for the series. I initially had about nine photographs to show when I took the project to three photo reviews: PhotoNOLA in December of 2013, FotoFest in Spring of 2014 and Review Santa Fe in the summer of 2014. It took me 3.5 years to capture all of the images. I drove out the warranty of our new car during that time.

I’d say that I am extremely well versed in what not to do and am still learning what to do. My background is in large format photography: 4×5 field camera with sheet film. This was my first time using a digital system. I used the Canon system because their tilt/shift lenses mimic the movements of the 4×5 camera. The digital sensors of the camera weren’t quite capable of capturing what I was envisioning. So, I had quite a time trying to figure out ways to work around the camera’s limitations in order to create the images that I thought would best tell the narrative. Digital cameras are known for generating noise under low light situations. I was trying to show a large depth of field at night. Not a good combination for crystal clear images. Each time the next generation of camera was released (twice), I traded in my old one. And each time, the technology was much better. I still wish I had the last camera when I started the project.

Logistically, covering all of the terrain was difficult. I would scope out possible locations during the day. Then, stay up all night or almost all night to photograph. I quickly figured out that about 3 days was my maximum time that I could function. Then, I would head back home and regroup. Spend time with my family. Do more research and then head back out. I tried to keep the images so that they tracked logically in relation to time: i.e. each station was still operating at the same time, season-wise (didn’t want to shoot something in the fall and have the next image be in the summer), etc.

Oftentimes, I wouldn’t have the information that I needed until I was able to actually get to a historical society or library in a given town. Or talk to local homeowners, etc. In the notes of the book, information is given that discusses details of why I photographed places even if I was unable to find written documentation that they were an actual part of Railroad. The UGRR was word-of-mouth because it was illegal to help. I kept that in mind while piecing together this route that someone could possibly have taken.

“Off the Beaten Path. Along the Yockanookany River, Mississippi, 2014,” as seen at AIPAD.

I also visited local libraries, state libraries, historical societies, national/state parks, and contacted various historians. Any books that I saw (in my own library or while at the library), I referenced their bibliographies looking for other sources of information. Currently, I’d say about 1/16 of the historical research is online at throughdarknesstolight.com. I am in the process of going back through all of my materials with the intention of putting as much of it online as possible. Some of the period pieces belong to specific libraries and collections. So, cost may become an issue as far as posting some of the items. But, I am adding to and updating the bibliography section that was pulled together from the publication and traveling exhibition of the series. The traveling exhibition has been extended through March 2024 and has about 8 more slots available for venues to book the show.

KS-Given the secret nature of the Underground Railroad, how hard was it to undercover the stories and details, all these years later, you wanted for your Photographs to tell the story?

JMB- Finding a lot of the details was quite difficult over the years. Keeping records was a great risk for those helping as well as for those escaping. So, there simply isn’t a lot of documentation that exists. Largely, the Railroad ran via word-of-mouth. I tried to keep this in mind while working on the series and find as much documentation as possible to support local oral histories. 

A lot of the details and locations were pulled straight from narratives and reminiscences. In the north, different accounts referenced working with other station masters and often told tales of ‘cat and mouse’ games with local law enforcement officers, like Wright Rhea. He was the sheriff of Jefferson County, Indiana and used his office to capture many fugitive slaves.

In the end, is the documented route a known route that someone actually used to escape slavery? We simply don’t know. It is very possible. I made sure that each station or stop along the way was logistically feasible: i.e. stations in operation at the same time, geographically nearby, etc. From what I have learned, I don’t think that any specific route was used in the exact same order over and over again. That would have led to the capture of too many freedom-seekers.

I chose a first-person viewpoint to help us all understand that it was the freedom-seekers themselves that were making this tremendously difficult journey in search of a better life. They had some help along the way once they had to made it to the north. However the majority of the time, they were on their own. And they were in possession of amazing amounts fortitude, determination and sheer will.

“A Safe Place to Regroup. House of Levi Coffin, who was unofficially dubbed the president of the Underground Railroad, Fountain City (formerly Newport), Indiana, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- What were you the most surprised to learn?

The Underground Railroad was America’s first civil rights movement. It blurred racial, religious, socio-economic and gender lines. And united a diverse group of people in the common cause of finding a way to abolish slavery within the United States. One thing leads to another and many of the voices that spoke out against slavery ultimately tried to introduce a civil rights bill.

“Keep Going. Crossing the Tennessee River, Colbert County, Alabama, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- You mentioned heading off to Washington DC and doing some research at the Library of Congress while you’re there. Are you still researching the Underground Railroad?

JMB- “Through Darkness to Light” is finished. Although, I do still keep up with books and information as they come out. I just ordered a copy of “Barracoon: The Story of the Last ‘Black Cargo’” by Zora Neale Hurston.

I was asked to give a talk at the National Gallery of Art on Through Darkness to Light with artist Clarissa Sligh. Our talk was entitled “The Evidence of Things Seen and Unseen” and was held in conjunction with the exhibition “A Thousand Crossings” by Sally Mann (Update- June 26, 2018- I just received the full transcript of Jeanine’s remarks at the National Gallery. It has been appended to the bottom of this Q&A).

“A Brief Respite. Abolitionist William Beard’s house, Union County, Indiana, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- Given how many miles the Underground Railroad covered, how did you decide on what to Photograph? Was it largely due to access to the remaining sites?

The UGRR encompassed countless, constantly changing routes. The documented route that I photographed was pieced together directly from the research for the project: i.e narratives, etc. Sometimes, what was planned didn’t necessarily end up what was photographed. Oftentimes, buildings had been torn down, were updated and lost their 19th century character, or simply they didn’t fit into the ‘look’ that was developing for the series.

For instance, “Approaching the Seminary” is a view of a corn field. The school house for the Union Literary Institute had been heavily damaged by a tornado. The school taught African Americans at a time when it was illegal to do so. Agriculture was a main component of their curriculum. And I also had come across a narrative of freedom-seekers being hidden in a corn field overnight because the station they had left was being watched by fugitive slave catchers, as well as the station they were headed to. The UGRR conductors were unsure of the property owner’s loyalties. But, they took a chance and were able to keep the fleeing slaves safe. 

“Within Reach. Crossing the St. Clair River to Canada just south of Port Huron, Michigan, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- “Through Darkness” has been on quite a journey, itself, as a traveling exhibition, with much more to come, looking at the schedule of venues on your site. If you could summarize the experience for you so far, what’s been the takeaway from it being in so many places?

JMB- The traveling exhibition launched in Evanston, Illinois in January of 2017 followed by other solo and group shows around the country. I have traveled to quite a few of the venues for artist talks and book signings. For me, the conversations resulting from the work is why I decided to become a full-time artist. A lot of those conversations are complicated and can be uncomfortable at times. These are topics that have been ‘brushed under the rug’ for years. And we are just now starting to address the lingering aspect of not having face-to-face dialogues with people who have different backgrounds or beliefs from our own. We are a deeply divided country right now. And have been in the past as well. How do we use our history to find a common ground? Can we all sit down and talk with each other? Not attack, belittle or try to persuade someone to our viewpoint. But, truly listen. And, I hope, ultimately have empathy for our fellow humans. It might be a lofty goal. But, I feel that change starts slowly – one conversation at a time.

Is there any one image in particular that stands out, perhaps due to it’s meaning for you, or the story of the Underground Railroad, or for what you had to go through to get it?

There are quite a few images that have special meaning to me in regards to the ‘help’ that I received along the way. There were so many times during the project that I would run into a dead end and not be able to find the information that I needed. As I mentioned above, I ran into William Beard’s descendent at an award show exhibition. There were many serendipitous moments throughout the series. Every time I would arrive to photograph at a location, a Cardinal would be there, as if letting me know this was the right location to take an image. 

When I was out on the road photographing, I would scope out possible locations during the day and return at night to take the images. This left little time for sleep. When I was in Natchez, Mississippi, I had been out on several trips recently and was already tired. On the second night after staying out until 3:30am I headed back to my hotel to grab a cat nap. I planned to get up at 5am before sunrise to go photograph again. At the last minute, I decided I was too tired and turned off my alarm. At around 5am, the TV in the hotel room spontaneously turned on. It took me a minute to figure out what was happening. I turned it off and crawled back into bed. About 10 minutes later it turned on again. I got up and thought to myself, “Oh, alright, I’ll go out and photograph.” I ended up taking one of my favorite images that day “Moonlight over the Mississippi”.

I could mention other things that happened like this throughout the time that I worked on the series. And that is why I feel that the project chose me more than I chose to work on it.

“Freedom. Canadian soil, Sarnia, Ontario, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- How close do you feel “Through Darkness” came to realizing your initial vision, or did it wind up being something completely different from it?

JMB- The initial thought was, ‘what would it look like escaping from slavery to freedom?’. I had started to research the series. I visited the Levi Coffin house in Indiana and took some images of the hiding places in the house during the daytime. I also took some images of a plantation during the day. I was completely disappointed in the results. But, the project wouldn’t let go. I kept researching and writing about what kept drawing me back to the topic. And then several years later, I was visiting my husband’s family in Tennessee and was out photographing at night in the woods. And I took the image “Through the Underbrush”. Once I saw that image, I knew that was the way that the series needed to be portrayed. It pointed directly to the research because the freedom-seekers moved under the cover of darkness. Darkness lent the images that sense of uncertainty and foreboding. Feelings, I imagine, one would be feeling on such a journey. And darkness also gave rise to the title of the series as well. And then I kept finding references to it in various period writings, especially an amazing passage from one of Frederick Douglass’s speeches in England. I now close my talks with his words.

“Approaching the Seminary. Near Spartanburg, Indiana, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- Without giving away your secrets, could you speak a little about what went into getting these beautiful nocturnal Photographs?

JMB- From a technique called stacking – based on the fact that digital noise is generated randomly, where you take several images of the same scene and them stack them together at different opacities in Photoshop – to literally cloning out each little speck of noise and dust in each image. The latter would take me about 3 weeks at 8 hours a day for each image. Luckily, I didn’t have too many images that had that much noise in them. I was able to trade the initial camera I was using in for the next generation and the technology had drastically improved. I also learned to never set my ISO above 400. And I tried to keep it between 100 and 200. So, I ended up with longer exposures which I think lend that painterly quality to some of the images. I also quickly figured out that there is virtually no light in the woods on a new moon night. So, I did end up using some light painting in order to get any information to register on the light sensor. Light painting is a technique where while the camera shutter is open during a long exposure, you are able to ‘paint’ the scene with light. I have a pretty good collection of various lights that I can use now. The technique is a lot of trial and error because objects in the foreground will be much brighter than objects in the background. Since, it was a digital system, I could view ‘test’ images and be able to ‘paint’ better on the next capture. 

“Eagle Hollow from Hunter’s Bottom. Just across the Ohio River, Indiana, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- Of the images from the series I’ve seen, “Eagle Hollow from Hunter’s Bottom” continues to captivate me. Why did you choose that particular spot? Was it the beauty of the roots, or is there something more relevant to it?

JMB- There were a system of safe houses that ran up from Eagle Hollow to Ryker’s Ridge and then up into one of three main routes through Indiana: western, central or eastern. In the image “Over the Hills” you are standing in Kentucky, a border state – and for all intents and purposes a southern state. The blue hills you see in the background are Indiana. You can also see more of that scene in the panoramic image “The River Jordan”. The land at the Ohio River is low and flat, but rises steadily up over the hills or mountains into the main part of Indiana. Ryker’s Ridge has a gorge or cut that goes from the top down to the river’s edge. Most of the year it is a dry creek bed. But, in the spring with the snow pack melting water rushes down into the Ohio River causing erosion along the edges. I was hiking through the bottom portion of this area with my Mom looking for a location to photograph. And we stumbled on the roots of the trees. Some of the places were big enough that someone could crawl into them and curl up and hide. The exposed roots symbolized so much and they became “Eagle Hollow from Hunter’s Bottom”.

Excerpts from “Through Darkness to Light” as seen at Arnika Dawkins Gallery’s booth at AIPAD, 2018. Contemporary testimonials, quotes (like this one from Harriet Tubman) and songs are an integral part of the the project.

KS- You’ve released a book that includes contributions from former Ambassador Andrew Young, historian Fergus Bordewich, Eric Jackson, head of the Black Studies Department at Northern Kentucky University and Robert Darden, a professor and author, that would indicate the book, and the project, walking the line between Art and history. What was the experience of working with them like?

Working with the contributors was amazing. They each had their own research and viewpoints to contribute to the project. I did want the book to cross over into different areas of interest and not just be a Fine Art book. The essays give us a glimpse of the United States in the mid-1800s. And are necessary for us to understand the back and forth of the north and south that lead us to the Civil War. “Through Darkness to Light” is a visual essay meant to grab the viewer and thrust them into the journey. Sometimes, pictures can speak louder than words.

Fergus Bordewich has written many books on the historical United States. His book “Bound for Canaan” is a well-written, resource-rich view into the UGRR. So, I approached him for the essay that would lay the groundwork for the existence of the UGRR in the U.S.

I came across Dr. Eric Jackson’s name when I found an article he had written in “Traces”, the magazine for the Indiana Historical Society. In his essay for the book, he was able to highlight several escapes from slavery. Especially, one from the region.

Singing and spirituals were such a part of the research I was digging through, I knew that topic had to be addressed. I heard an interview of Professor Darden on NPR and he agreed to contribute to the book.

Trying to get the project in front of Ambassador Young was a long, interesting process over the course of two years. I eventually was able to speak with him via telephone thanks to his assistant. I recorded the conversation and that transcript was reworked into the foreword for the book. He recited song lyrics, even singing some, from memory. He discussed their relevance to today. And it all tied back to the songs and spirituals from slavery times. The conversation couldn’t have been scripted better. 

“Over the Hills. North Trimble County, Kentucky, 2014” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

KS- You’ve now released a limited edition set of prints. How did you decide which prints to include in the limited edition out of the 81?

As for almost everything with the series, the research informed the narrative. I pulled 12 images together, along with 12 quotes from UGRR participants that give us the best sense of what a journey to freedom may have been like.

KS- As “Through Darkness” took so long to complete, you began two other projects, “Fallout: A Look Back at the Height of the Cold War in America,” 2013-, and “Frack-Tured Land: Seismic Activity in the Barnett Shale, 2015-, along the way. With “Through Darkness,” all three focus on giving the viewer a sense of the direct experience of their subject- what it was like to be on the Underground Railroad…The effects of fracking…What it was like to live in a period of heightened nuclear tension. All three show us the past as “warning” of the future. In each case, you have undertaken extensive research of the subject, where other Artists might not. Why? What do you feel it adds to your work? Is it hard to walk the line between historic fact and Art, even after the fact, like with the Underground Railroad?

JMB- Yes, I extended my stay in Washington D.C. a few days in order to do some research at the Library of Congress for two other projects. One I started in 2013 is called “Fallout: A Look Back at the Height of the Cold War in America, circa 1960.” I was freelancing for a local magazine in 2013 when an assignment came in to photograph a backyard ‘bomb’ shelter in Dallas.

“Interior Entrance. Public shelter, Paris, Texas, 2013,” from “Fallout: A Look Back at the Height of the Cold War in America Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

I asked to come along on the shoot. And I was dumbfounded with how I felt after climbing down that ladder and stepping into this space. All of the fallacies were just glaring us in the face: i.e. hand-crank for clean air, only expecting to spend 7 days below ground, you had to go outside the blast door to use the ‘toilet’, etc. I went back and photographed that space and embarked on a tour of U.S. fallout shelters and the project entitled “Fallout”. How could/can photographs convey such a sense of panic, fear, and even resignation? The government was pulling reports studying fallout patterns, casualty statistics, etc. They knew that the shelters were useless. But, they had to keep the population calm.

“Capacity 105. Public Shelter, Power Plant, Weatherford, Texas, 2,’ from “Fallout: A Look Back at the Height of the Cold War in America Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

Thousands of fallout shelters were left behind by the Cold War generation. Many remain intact, but are hidden, underground and unseen. I believe, in many ways, these spaces may be viewed as a warning to us today. Referencing declassified information from the Cuban Missile Crisis, I have been working since 2013 on a series that gives voice to these unique architectural spaces that were built throughout the U.S. in the 1950s and ‘60s. Spaces that one can step into and feel how terrified most Americans actually were at the thought of a nuclear holocaust. The images will ultimately highlight the Cold War experience through shelter spaces in 14 cities.

Found documents from the period overlaid on some of the images offer a chilling insight into the psychological effects of the Cold War on government officials and ordinary citizens. These period documents play an important role by serving as a kind of ‘interview’ with those who lived through this experience but are no longer here to bear witness. The juxtaposition of shelter spaces that have remained virtually untouched except by the effects of time, and found text like casualty statistics helps us understand that Civil Defense was only a way to maintain some semblance of order with the threat of nuclear war hanging over Americans’ heads day in and day out. Most major cities only had enough shelter space for roughly 40% of their daytime population. With the advent of faster technology to deliver nuclear warheads in the 60’s and later, the remaining populace would face dire circumstances if they survived at all.

“Survival Chances. Indianapolis Civil Defense Headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2016.” Photo courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

Fast forward to December 22, 2016 when President Elect Donald Trump and Present Vladimir Putin both declared that they were going to increase their respective countries nuclear arsenals. Hearing this we might actually think that we had stepped back in time to the height of the Cold War.

 

Popular Mechanics Magazine, February, 2018. “The good news is, if you make it through the blast and the shock wave, you are now in a survivable situation.” Keyword= “IF.”

In light of these announcements and other recent developments, it is more vital than ever to view our uncertain present through the lens of the past. If you take away the fact that one of the announcements was made via Twitter, the names and the date, you’d think we were back in the 1960s. Have we not learned anything from our past? Why does history need to come full circle? I think these fallout shelters and all of the pamphlets and government studies sit as a warning to us today. Don’t make the same mistakes. Evolve. Learn. And use the past to find a better way to navigate the future.

“Earthquake Epicenter: 2.3 magnitude at 7:37 am on January 6, 2015 Tower Village Apartments; Irving, Texas,” 2015, from “Frack-tured: Seismic Activity in The Barnett Shale.” One of seven earthquakes that occurred on the same day. Photo and caption courtesy of Jeanine Michna-Bales.

The reason I chose to photograph “Frack-tured: Seismic Activity in The Barnett Shale” was because we had moved from San Francisco, California to Dallas, Texas in 2004. We had earthquake insurance in California. And initially didn’t have it in Dallas. We do now. I was sitting at my desk working, when all of a sudden our house shifted back on its foundation (pier and beam foundation) about an inch or so and then slammed back into place again. The desk drawers were rattling like crazy. I went to get online to see what was going on. My initial thought was that it was an earthquake. But, we weren’t supposed to be having them here. The web was so jammed that I was unable to access any sites to see if it was an earthquake for about 45 mins.

“Location of the Old Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Irving, Texas.”
One of five earthquakes in the same day. The previous day had seven and the day after had three.

Once I was able to confirm that it indeed was an earthquake, I started to dig into what was going on. That’s when I learned that the Dallas-Ft. Worth area had no earthquakes on record until 10 hit the area within roughly a 24-hour period surrounding Halloween in 2008. And that clusters of earthquakes had been hitting 3 major areas around the DFW metroplex since then. This was 2015. And that became the year with the most earthquakes on record over 100 and magnitudes and frequencies were increasing. Why wasn’t I aware of this? Why was all of this information hidden? What was causing the earthquakes? Nothing in Texas is built to seismic standards, nor retrofitted. What are the implications of that?

I wanted people to be aware that we had been thrust into an active earthquake zone by the oil and gas companies. We are one of 17 areas within 8 states that are experiencing induced or manmade earthquakes. Scientists have linked this seismic activity to wastewater injection wells as far away as 50km and some say even further.

Jeanine Michna-Bales, “Artist’s timeline of earthquake data” pulled from the U.S. Geological Survey (earthquake.usgs.gov) and Earquaketrack.com. Not “Art” per se, rather one byproduct of her research. In an email to me on June 3rd, Jeanine told me that she had just updated this chart to include a 3.5 magnitude quake that occurred on May 21st, while she was in Washington. Click here for full size.

And another project that I have been researching for a few years and that I plan to start image capture on this fall is about the National Woman’s Party and their 1916 western campaign. Hundreds of women were sent west to the 11 states where women had the right to vote, asking to put aside all political agendas except for women’s suffrage. I am attempting to get the project ready for the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment in August of 2020.

I think my research process informs my projects from their titles, down to what and how I choose to capture the images. The research validates the images. And the images are ways to get complicated, disturbing, confusing, and relevant information out into the world. The visuals draw you into the narrative and make you start to learn more. This starts conversations. And the dialogue is what I am most interested in. Can we have an open discussion in mixed company about racial profiling and the prison industrial complex? Can we discuss our countries nuclear policy? How does this align with other countries that have nuclear warheads? What are the alternatives to fossil fuels? Is contamination, air and water, earthquakes, etc. worth independence from foreign oil? Can we actively and passionately explore other energy options? Questions spark discussions. And face-to-face conversations are what we are missing nowadays. I think they can lead to empathy and understanding. And we need to have more of them each and every day.

My projects walk the line between fine art and documentary. In my mind, the two are closely linked. I like to think that if I document a given project in a visually compelling way, then people will be drawn into the series. I want them to ask questions and want to learn more about the ‘who, what, where, when and why’. Are these topics relevant to contemporary society? I want the work to start conversations. Our society, and societies in general, has a tendency to come full circle in relation to history. The pendulum swings back and forth. I hope my work helps us make a more informed path for our collective future.

KS- Why did you decide to become an Artist? Who were your influences? Do you paint or draw?

JMB- I have always been interested in art. Over the years, art classes were some of my favorite ones. I used to be able to draw and paint pretty well. I’m not one of the naturally gifted people out there. So, without practice the skill diminishes.

My becoming an artist has been a long, winding journey. My former career was in advertising as an art director. Basically, the skills I learned from that job have served me well when I finally decided to take the leap of faith and become a full-time artist. I still thoroughly enjoy coming up with the concept for a new project. I use my word lists to come up with titles and descriptions. I am able to design and produce my own promotional materials. I am somewhat comfortable talking in front of crowds. However, I do still get nervous and tongue-tied.

While I was in advertising, we always joked around about the fact that what we were doing wasn’t ‘brain surgery’. Translation: our work wasn’t particularly important, unless of course, you were the client. There was something missing for me. I started to photograph projects on the side as a creative outlet. Some of this earlier work is in the archive section of my website. Again, I still felt like something was missing. But, I had no idea what that something was. Now, as I look back, I understand that my projects didn’t have a purpose. They were lacking a narrative, one that supports a broader purpose for being. The projects weren’t asking questions and starting conversations.

Fast forward to the late 1990s and early 2000s. I started writing, long hand, three pages a day. This is how I determine what topics I am drawn to and why. I can flush out artist statements and other things. Sometimes just by showing up to the page, I am rewarded with ideas. Such was the case back in 2002 when the idea for “Through Darkness to Light” materialized from the tip of my pen. It took 14 years, but I think I have managed to do the idea a bit of justice. Get the work out into the world. And get people talking. Because, as I mentioned before, change occurs slowly, one conversation at a time.

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BookMarks- As mentioned in the Q & A, “Through Darkness to Light” is accompanied by a beautiful book of the same name published by the Princeton Architectural Press with 192 pages, 100 color illustrations, and 13 black & white illustrations, ISBN 9781616895655. Signed copies, and/or the Limited Edition Portfolio, may be obtained through Arnika Dawkins Gallery or PDNB Gallery.

For further information- Jeanine has 2 comprehensive websites, one for her Photography including all of her projects, and a separate site dedicated to “Through Darkness to Light,” which includes fruits of her research, resources for educators and an extensive Underground Railroad Bibliography. It also includes the schedule for the traveling exhibition of “Through Darkness to Light,” here.

*- Soundtrack or this Post is “Safe House,” by Senses Fail from “The Fire.”

My thanks to Jeanine Michna-Bales. 

————————————————————

UPDATED- July 20, 2018-

Here is the video of Jeanine and Clarissa Sligh’s remarks at at “The Evidence of Things Seen and Unseen,” on May 20, 2018, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, which was presented in conjunction with the Sally Mann Retrospective currently on view there. A transcript follows.

Here is the unedited transcript of Jeanine’s talk I received from the National Gallery-

“Hello, everyone. Well, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. So this project basically took me 14 years to complete. I did have, at the time when I started it, a job in advertising– like Sarah had mentioned, my degree. And I guess I was researching on the side. And it was before the Freedom Trail Initiatives, and so a lot of the information was very difficult to find.

So I was lucky enough to kind of stumble on a treasure trove at the Indiana Historical Society, where there was one librarian who had been working there for years and years and years. And any time she came across any information on the Underground Railroad, whether it was a newspaper clipping from the time period or something more recent, she would make a photocopy of it and stick it into this clippings file folder. And so when I stumbled on that, I was extremely excited to find some of the information.

So I have, I guess, a lot of quotes from the participants because all of the people that were part of this journey have all passed away. And so, I wanted to bring their voices and their thoughts into the project. And so, you’ll see throughout the book and the slides different quotes from people. So this is actually from Frederick Douglass. And he’s trying to give us a sense of what slavery would have been like.

And he states that he could think “No better exposure of slavery can be made than is made by the laws of the states in which slavery exists. If more than seven slaves together are found in any road without a white person, 20 lashes apiece. For visiting a plantation without a pass, 10 lashes. For letting loose a boat from where it is made fast, 39 lashes for the first offense, and for the second, shall have cut off from his head one ear.

For keeping or carrying a club, 39 lashes. For having any article for sale without a ticket from his master, 10 lashes. For traveling in any other than the most usual and accustomed road when going alone to any place, 40 lashes. For traveling in the night without a pass, 40 lashes.”

He further states, “I’m afraid you do not understand the awful character of these lashes. You must bring it before your mind, a human being in a perfect state of nudity, tied hand and foot to a stake, and a strong man standing behind with a heavy whip knotted at the end, each blow cutting into the flesh and leaving the warm blood dripping to the feet– and for these trifles.

For being found in another person’s quarters, 40 lashes. For hunting with dogs in the woods, 30 lashes. For being on horseback without the written permission of his master, 25 lashes. For riding or going abroad in the night or riding horses in the daytime without leave, a slave may be whipped, cropped, or branded in the cheek with the letter R, or otherwise punished such punishment, not extending to life, or so as to render him unfit for labor.” All of these laws referred to, you can still find in writing coming from Bravard’s Digest, Hayward’s Manual, Virginia Revised Code, Prince’s Digest, Missouri Laws, and the Mississippi Revised Code.

I wanted to go over some of the research that I did. Basically the entire project was informed by the research. Like I said, spent a long time on it, and that kind of gave me the framework of this series. And it informed the title, as well. So I found that fugitives would travel roughly 20 miles per night. So these are some of the maps that I was consulting to try to figure out stations that existed and then also tried to figure out what stations were nearby that they could have gone through within that amount of distance.

I read many, many, many first-person narratives. And the WPA in the 1930s actually went back and interviewed former slaves. And they put out these books. And they divided them by states from where they were living. I also consulted many other books in different historical societies and other such sources.

And it was the very heavy reading to do. Often times, I would have to put it down and go play with my dog or hang out with my son just to get the images that I had been reading about out of my head. This is kind of, maybe– I don’t know– an 8th or a 16th of the library that I built up while I was doing all the research.

So I would take some of those clipping files that I mentioned and put them into binders. And so I have little stickies kind of referencing where they were and if they were irrelevant along the path. And some of them are pulled from masters theses. I’m getting them from writing different historians and asking if they can share some of their research. So yeah, it was a logistical puzzle to put together.

I did consult a lot of period sources. So on the left is a handwritten minutes page from the Neil’s Creek Anti- Slavery Society. And they were in southern Indiana. And basically, their constitution is what you’re seeing up there. And their goal was to be the total abolition of slavery.

On the right, actually, it’s a pledge from J. Pearce. And so, at the time, it was illegal to help people escape slavery. And he was proclaiming publicly by signing this pledge– he signed his name to it– and then he wrote out that he

And he was proclaiming publicly by signing this pledge– he signed his name to it– and then he wrote out that he

was going to help. And then on the back also above his name, you’ll notice that there’s a cipher there. So they were actually encoding messages.

This is the Free Labor Advocate and Slavery Chronicle. So there was an area in Indiana kind of on the Ohio border. And it was a Quaker stronghold. And a lot of the people that had decided to live there had moved from Tennessee and North Carolina. So they had witnessed the atrocities of slavery firsthand. They were adamantly opposed to it.

What you’re seeing are some ads that are in that newspaper. And they’re actually free labor goods stories. So they were purchasing produce, cotton, and other things that were not made with slave labor.

This is the documented route that I settled on to photograph. It was changing constantly as I was going through the process, trying to find locations. Did the Underground Railroad exist in the South? Not so much.

So I kind of pieced together a route that I thought somebody could have possibly taken in the South using those first-person narratives about where they would have stopped. I did find that people would run away in protest just for a day or a week or something and go to the neighboring plantation and then return back. So I figured that they would adopt that philosophy if they were running permanently.

So it goes from Louisiana, across Louisiana, up through Mississippi, the corner of Alabama. Then you’re in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and finally ending in Sarnia, Ontario. Detroit was actually dubbed “Midnight.” So slave catchers, if they didn’t catch anybody within the first couple hundred miles, they would just go to Detroit and wait. I can’t imagine getting that far and getting caught in the end.

This is the first image in the series. And it’s entitled Decision to Leave– Magnolia Plantation on the Cane River in Louisiana. And it was taken in 2013. Frederick Douglass states, “No man can tell the intense agony which was felt by the slave when wavering on the point of making his escape. All that he has is at stake. And even that which he has not is at stake also. The life which he has may be lost. And the liberty which he seeks may not be granted.”

Southern Pine Forest Following El Camino Real, La Salle Parish, Louisiana, 2014. Stopover, Frogmore Plantation, Concordia Parish, Louisiana, 2014. John Little, who is a former slave says, “‘Tisn’t he who has stood and looked on that can tell you what slavery is. ‘Tis he who has endured.”

Moonlight Over the Mississippi, Tensas Parish, Louisiana, 2014. And Frederick Douglass again states, “Brothers and sisters we were by blood, but slavery had made us strangers. I heard the words ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ and knew they must mean something, but slavery robbed these terms of their true meaning.”

On the left is Sunken Trace, Claiborne County, Mississippi, 2015. And on the right, Determining True North in the

Rain Along the Southern Part of the Old Natchez Trace, Mississippi, 2014. And this is the account of the escape of Reverend Jacob Cummings. A local grocer heard that the Smiths were mistreating their slaves. He showed Cummings a map of Lake Erie, spoke with him about Ohio and Indiana, taught him to find the North Star and determine direction by moss on the tree, and encouraged him to make a run for it. In July 1839, Cummings fled. And he was successful.

Cypress Swamp, Middle Mississippi, 2014. The Censor, which is an anti-slavery weekly– and this is from February 26, 1868, “The conveyance most used on the southern section is known as the foot and walker line– the passengers running their own trains, steering by the North Star, and swimming rivers when no boat could be borrowed.”

Keep Going, Crossing the Tennessee River, Colbert County, Alabama, 2014. Frederick Douglas says, “A keen observer might have detected in our repeated singing of ‘Oh Canaan, sweet Canaan, I am bound for the land of Canaan’ something more than a hope of reaching heaven. We meant to reach the North. And the North was our Canaan.

Devil’s Backbone, Lewis County, Tennessee, 2014. William, who was a slave and also a half brother to a United States senator, says “The man I called Master was my half brother. My mother was a better woman than his, and I was the smartest boy of the two. But while he had a right smart chance at school, I was whipped if I asked the name of the letters that spelled the name of the god that made us both of one blood.”

Fleeing the Torches, Warren County, Kentucky, 2014. Harriet Tubman says, “I had reasoned this out in my mind. There was one of two things I had a right to– liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would have the other, for no man should take me alive. I should fight for my liberty as long as strength lasted. And when the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me.”

Hidden Passage, Mammoth Cave, Barren County, Kentucky, 2014. Documents show that passengers of the Underground Railroad pass through the cities surrounding Mammoth Cave, including Cave City, Glasgow, and Munfordville. For where they could safely cross the Green River, there weren’t a lot of areas that they could get across there. While there is no evidence that the cave itself was used by the Underground Railroad, the most accurate map of the system was drawn by Stephen Bishop, who was a slave and cave guide. And he gave tours in the 1840s and 1850s.

When I actually contacted– it’s a national park now– the National Park Service to get access to photograph, they initially denied my request. And when I kept giving them more and more information that I was finding about the paths around the cave, they finally agreed that they just simply did not know and that it was OK for me to come in

and photograph, as long as I let everybody know that I wasn’t sure, so.

Over the Hills, North Trimble County, Kentucky, 2014. So basically, this is literally the dividing line between the North and the South that you’re looking at. You’re standing in Kentucky, which is a border state. They had plantations, so part of the South. Those blue hills that you see in the background, that is actually Indiana. So you’re looking at a free state. They actually called the Ohio River that separated Kentucky and Indiana and the states going east the River Jordan. And that was their goal, was to get across it.

Eagle Hollow from Hunter’s Bottom. Just Across the Ohio River, Indiana, 2014. At Eagle Hollow, part of a network of Underground Railroad stations that shepherded slaves northward through Indiana, Chapman Harris, a free man, reverend, and blacksmith, signaled safe crossing to fugitives waiting on the Kentucky shore of the Ohio River with hammer strokes on his anvil.

John H. Tibbets, he is actually a member of the Neil’s Creek Anti-Slavery Society that I showed you that book at the beginning with the Constitution. His first assignment on the Underground Railroad, he later wrote a book entitled his Reminiscences. And this is an excerpt from that. “After dark, I drove to the place agreed upon to meet in a piece of woods one mile from the town of work. I had been at the pointed place but a very short time when Mr. George DeBaptiste sang out, here’s $10,000 from Hunter’s Bottom tonight. A good slave at that time would fetch from $1,000 up. We loaded them in and started with the cargo of human charges towards the North Star.”

On the left, Nightlight. Passing into Fayette County, Indiana, 2014. On the right, Friend or Foe? Station Just Outside Metamora, Indiana, 2014. A Brief Respite. Abolitionist William Beard’s House, Union County, Indiana, 2014.

I kept coming across in my research reference to the Henry County Female Anti-Slavery Society in Indiana. And it was actually off of my path. And so I kept ignoring it. And it kept popping up, and I kept ignoring it.

So finally, I decided to pull it out and look at the original minutes book that was handwritten, like the one that I showed you earlier. And I found that members of the Henry County Female Anti-Slavery Society were taking up donations to buy 127 yards of free-labor cotton in order to sew garments, vests, coats, pants, dresses, shirts, and socks. Two thirds of the garments were directed to Salem, Union County, care of William Beard.

Another interesting part about this is that I was having trouble finding the original address of William Beard’s house. And this work was up on display in Santa Fe. And another woman had her work up as well in the awards show. And her uncle, who was a lawyer, came to the show.

And we started discussing the series and the work. And he said, oh, I grew up in Indiana. My ancestors are from there. Well, it turns out he was William Beard’s ancestor. And so he was able to look back through his family

records and send me the address so that I could go photograph the house. I had a lot of synchronistic moments like that during the series.

On the left is A Safe Place to Regroup. House of Levi Coffin, who is unofficially dubbed the president of the Underground Railroad, Fountain City, formerly Newport, Indiana, 2014. Levi Coffin wrote, “The dictates of humanity came in opposition to the law of the land, and we ignored the law.”

On the right is Approaching the Seminary. Near Spartanburg, Indiana, 2014. Article 8 of the seminary, it’s the Union Literary Institute Constitution. And it states “Differences in government, discipline, and privileges will not be made with regard to color, rank, or wealth.” So they were giving agricultural skills to African Americans and also teaching them how to read. And that was against the law at that time, but they did not care.

On the Safest Route. James and Rachel Sillivin cabin, Pennville, formerly Camden, Indiana, 2014. Several documents from the mid-1980s to the present indicate that Eliza Harris stayed at this location during her flight northward. Her crossing of the Ohio River would become one of the best known escapes due to her representation in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Dirt Road. Outside Coldwater, Michigan, 2014. Within Reach. Crossing the St. Clair River to Canada just south of Port Huron, Michigan, 2014. English writer, William Cowper, wrote, “Slaves cannot breathe in England and Canada. If their lungs receive our air, that moment, they are free. They touch our country, and their shackles fall.”

And the last image in the series is Freedom. Canadian soil, Sarnia, Ontario, 2014. Harriet Tubman says, “I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now I was free. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came like gold through the trees and over the fields. And I felt like I was in heaven.”

And Frederick Douglass gave a speech at Finsbury Chapel in Moorfields, England, May 12, 1846. So as he spoke and how he wished, I hope that we can all come through the darkness into the light together. And this is what he said during that speech.

“Slavery is one of those monsters of darkness to whom the light of truth is death. Expose slavery, and it dies. Light is to slavery what the heat of the sun is to the root of a tree. It must die under it.

All the slaveholder asks of me is silence. He does not ask me to go abroad and preach in favor of slavery. He does not ask anyone to do that. He would not say that slavery is a good thing, but the best under the circumstances. The slaveholders want total darkness on the subject. They want the hatchway shut down, that the monster may crawl in his den of darkness, crushing human hopes and happiness, destroying the bondman at will and having no one to reprove or rebuke him.

Slavery shrinks from the light. It hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest its should be reproved. To tear off the mask from this abominable system, to expose it to the light of heaven, ay, to the heat of the sun, that it may burn and wither it out of existence, is my object in coming to this country. I want the slaveholder surrounded as by a wall of anti-slavery fire, so that he may see the condemnation of himself and his system glaring down in letters of light.”

Thank you.”

END

My thanks to Isabella Bulkeley of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
You can now follow @nighthawk_nyc on Instagram for news and additional Photos!

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  1. George Santayana, “Reason in Common Sense,” Vol 1, 1905, P.284 ↩

The Photography Show: Memorable Meetings, 2018

One of the great things about The Photography Show (aka AIPAD) is beyond the staggering amount of Photographs to be seen, it’s rich in in the presence of Photographers, themselves. In this second Post on The Photography Show, 2018, I’m going to take look at some of those I saw, met and spoke to. Going in, I thought last year’s list of those I met would hard to top- Bruce Davidson, Mike Mandel, Gregory Halpern, Jim Jocoy, Raymond Meeks, Paul Schiek, Tabitha Soren, among others. But, this year’s edition turned out to be equally rich. Here are some highlights.

First, the legendary Elliott Erwitt, a former President of Magnum Photos, still going strong at 89, was on hand to sign “Pittsburgh 1950,” a new release of work unseen these past 68 years at GOST Books-

Elliott Erwitt joined Magnum Photos in 1953 and is still a member. Here, he signs the Special Edition of his book, “Pittsburgh 1950,” which comes with the print seen in the right corner, at GOST Books.

The equally legendary Susan Meiselas,  also a Magnum Photos member (since 1976), was on hand, graciously signing her classic Aperture book, “Nicaragua” for me at Damiani-

Susan Meiselas at the Damiani booth on Thursday

Dayanita Singh signed her newly minted Paris-Photo Aperture PhotoBook of the Year, 2017, “Museum Bhavan,” at Steidl’s table. It consists of a unique box that contains 10 smaller books that the Artist conceived as a portable museum-

Photographer Dayanita Singh, signs “Museum Bhavan,” at Steidl. As you can see, each copy comes in a unique box. The Artist graciously selected one for me she thought was particularly beautiful.

Jungjin Lee signed her beautiful book, “Opening,” at Nazraeli Press-

Jungjin Lee at Nazraeli Press’ booth.

The renowned and influential Paul Graham spoke about his classic 12 volume set, “A Shimmer of Possibility,” then signed the newly released MACK Limited Third Edition-

Paul Graham at MACK Books.

Along with MACK’s third edition of “A Shimmer of Possibility,” the most highly anticipated book release of the show was, perhaps, the debut of TBW Books 4 volume “Annual Series #6,” which resulted in the biggest book release crowd I saw. Last year’s “Annual Series #5,” which featured volumes by Lee Freidlander, Mike Mandel, Bill Burke and the aforedepicted Susan Meiselas, was shortlisted for the Paris-Photo Aperture PhotoBook of the Year, 2017. Both Gregory Halpern (“Confederate Moons”) and Jason Fulford (“Clayton’s Ascent,”) were on hand to sign their two books. Like many others, I was anticipating Mr. Halpern’s first book since “ZZYZX,” which won the Paris-Photo Aperture PhotoBook of the Year for 2016. Would this one, titled “Confederate Moons,” considerably shorter in the making, measure up?  No pressure.

TBW’s “Annual Series #6,” debuting at AIPAD, consists of new books by Guido Guidi, Jason Fulford, Gregory Halpern and Viviane Sassen, from left to right.

He didn’t seem to be worried when I spoke with him, first at MACK’s booth, where he signed “ZZYZX,” and later at TBW Books-

Gregory Halpern was a popular man. First, he was on hand to sign his classic, “ZZYZX” at MACK Books, ..

Then, like a blur, Mr. Halpern was over at TBW Books signing his terrific, new, “Confederate Moons.” Here’ he’s seen behind Artist & Publisher, Jason Fulford, who also has a book in “Annual Series #6,” titled “Clayton’s Ascent.”

I’ve said before that Gregory Halpern’s work speaks to me as much as any Photographer from the younger generations of Photographers I’ve discovered these past 18 months. I now live with his work on my walls. Seeing new work by him was an event for me, the way music lovers look forward to a new album/CD by an Musician or group that inspires them. So, I made a conscious effort to put any resulting bias aside and live with “Confederate Moons” for a week.

The first Photo in “Confederate Moons,” by Gregory Halpern, courtesy of the Artist and TBW Books.

It turned out to be very easy to do. I opened it, was presented by the first image, and just went on the trip from there. There is no text in “Confederate Moons,” beyond the title page and the colophon. The Photographs are not titled or dated. A few days after AIPAD ended, Mr. Halpern posted an “About” on the “Confederate Moons” section of his website. It revealed that “Confederate Moons” is a collection of Photographs taken in North and South Carolina, in August, 2017, the month of the solar eclipse. I find it a beautiful meditation on unity, difference and something that unites everyone, regardless of their location, demographics, beliefs, age, or race- the sun, the source of life. A good many of the Photos are portraits in one way or other, many show the subject looking up.

Photo from “Confederate Moons,” by Gregory Halpern, courtesy of the Artist and TBW Books.

Whereas “epic” is a word I’d use to characterize “ZZYZX”- as in an epic journey filled with epic images.  “Confederate Moons,” strikes me as something of a “love letter” to nature, including humanity, while also serving as a reminder that whatever our differences are, we are united by things like our dependency on the sun. Along with striking images of the eclipse and the darkened world (Mr. Halpern must have been EXTREMELY busy during those very few minutes) there are images of the south and it’s natural beauty and uniqueness, during what I assume may be before and after.

Photo from “Confederate Moons,” by Gregory Halpern, courtesy of the Artist and TBW Books.

It’s easy to make up your own story as you move through it. Or multiple stories. I find it’s enhanced by not having any texts or even titles for the Photographs, though I usually insist on titles (even if it’s “Untitled,” or “No Title”). It’s another extraordinary book, every bit as evocative as “ZZYZX,” though it feels more personal to me. Mr. Halpern mentioned to me that he still believes in the power of a Photograph or a work of Art to change the world. I hope he’s right. I do, too.

At TBW’s Book release, Mr. Halpern was joined by his friend, the accomplished and well-known Photographer & Publisher, Jason Fulford, who’s “Clayton’s Ascent,” is, also, one of the 4 volumes in “Annual Series #6.”

Jason Fulford puts his official stamp, appropriately of two men in a hot air balloon, on his wonderful, new, TBW Book, “Clayton’s Ascent.”

In addition to all of these renowned Artists, there seemed to be more Photographers present in gallery booths, on hand to talk to show goers about their work, something I think is just terrific. As I’ve said in the past, personal contact with an Artist is one of the great joys of buying Art. More often than not, priceless insights, stories and details are shared, which I’m sure help sales, but become cherished memories for both buyers (a sort of verbal/experiential provenance) and visitors.

Stephane Couturier discusses his “Paris 9- ilot Edouard VII- Photo no 10, 1998” at Les Douches la Galerie, Paris’ booth, where Tom Arndt followed discussing his work.

Over the course of the show, I noticed that Stephen Wilkes was on hand over multiple days at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, graciously discussing his monumental landscapes and answering questions from visitors. I know firsthand that he made fans out of some of those who heard and met him.

Stephen Wilkes at Bryce Wolkowitz was on hand for 3 days by my count to discuss his massive, extremely intricate landscapes.

The work Stephen Wilkes is discussing- “Lake Bogoria, Kenya, Day to Night, 2017.” This is a composite of over 1,000 Photographs taken in a single day, from morning to night. The black birds in the front are circling their prospective dinner while the prospective prey gets nervous. Courtesy the Artist and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery.

Over at Jorg Maass Kunsthandel, all the way from Berlin, Gilles Lorin was also on hand over multiple days to discuss his classical/modern still lifes. As if that wasn’t enough, he also did a terrific job designing the layout of the booth, one of the most beautiful I saw, that, in addition to a wall of Mr. Lorin’s darkly mysterious works also included Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Painter Sean Scully(!), and a marvelous William Eggleston.

Gilles Lorin at Jotg Maass Kunsthandel, Berlin, where he also designed the booth’s layout superbly.

Still-lifes by Giles Lorin at Jorg Maass. One or two struck me as having a small bit of Durer’s “Melencolia.”

Ok. Quick quiz time- What do Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Georgia O’Keeffe, JFK, Greta Garbo, Fellini, Jackson Pollock, Elaine and William DeKooning, Grace Kelly, Marcel Duchamp, Giorgio DeChirico, and World War II have in common?

All were Photographed by Mr. Tony Vaccaro.

So, there I was…

Monroe Gallery booth, AIPAD, April 7, 2018

Henri Cartier-Bresson is famous for his Photography, and for the title of his most famous book- “The Decisive Moment,” 1952. It’s a cryptic, mysterious phrase that has become both a mantra for countless Photographers since, and something of a phantom for those seeking “it” in the real world. Adding to the mystery, and magic, of the book, beyond the 126 classic Photos within, is the fact that the original French title of the book translates as “Images on the sly.” Talk about a moving target!

Standing in Sydney Monroe Gallery’s booth on Sunday, April 7th in mid-afternoon, I was faced with the scene above. In front of me sat the living legend, the Dean of Photographers, ninety-six years young, Artist Tony Vaccaro, the subject of an amazing HBO Documentary, “Underfire: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro,” enchanting all who came within earshot of him with astounding and unforgettable tales of the classic Photo lining the wall above him. What was I saying about the value of personal contact with the Artist?

I yearned to say “Hello,” to tell him how much I admire his work, and congratulate him on an incredible life…

But? This was my third attempt at doing so.

Flashback. Last year, at 2017’s AIPAD, Mr. Vaccaro was present at Mr. Monroe’s booth, but the crowd was, understandably, unrelenting. This was as close as I got to him-

AIPAD, April 1, 2017. Tony Vaccaro at Monroe Gallery’s booth.

Going into AIPAD, 2018, he was scheduled to appear on Saturday, April 6th. But, delayed in traffic, I missed Mr. Vaccaro’s appearance! Darn! So? I stayed to look at his work on view.

Wall of Photographs by Tony Vaccaro seen at Monroe Gallery’s booth at AIPAD, April 6, 2018.

Before me was a history of much of the 2nd half of the 20th century. On the left, combat Photos taken, literally, in the trenches during World War II! To their right, a gorgeous Photo of the old Penn Station. Next to that, two Photos taken in Europe after the War. Next to that a model wears a hat very similar to the immortal rotunda of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in 1960, a year after it opened! Each work was hand titled, numbered and signed by the Artist. And, to the right of that, the amazingly off the cuff Photo of Georgia O’Keeffe seen later.

I mentioned to Mr. Monroe my disappointment at having missed Mr. Vaccaro. “He’ll be back tomorrow afternoon,” he replied. “Really?,” I replied in shock. The third try might be the charm. Returning as soon as I arrived at the show, I was faced with the scene up top. This time, I stood patiently, waiting for the seas to part. Finally, I took a hard swallow. (Hey, I’m a pretty shy guy. It’s hard for me to approach strangers.) I walked forward and grabbed my own “decisive moment.”

Then, all of a sudden, I was face to face with a chance to talk to a legend. He couldn’t have been nicer….more gracious…more welcoming. Wow… I asked him if I could take his Photo. Not only did he agree, he posed, then after I did, he even decided to remove his glasses.

I’ll never forget the next few moments. Though I have already forgotten just how many passed.

After taking the Photo, I asked him about his work. Regarding the one of a kind Photo of Georgia O’Keeffe he was sitting under, he said that he had spent a few days around her and she was not responsive to the idea of being Photographed. That’s understandable. Earlier in her life, Ms. O’Keefe had been the muse of legendary Photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Together, O’Keefe & Stieglitz created a unique, perhaps unequalled body of work, characterized by her haunting, ethereal beauty and a very rare intimacy. But, suddenly, she looked at him through a piece of cheese, and voila! I can’t recall ever seeing one as unguarded as this. The fact that she’s still not smiling, makes it all the more special. She’s only letting the viewer in so far. The cheese is in the way, acting like a shield. Of course, Mr. Vaccaro took other Photos of her, in color, which are now quite famous, but this one is the only one I’ve seen that shows another side of her.

Mr. Vaccaro graciously posing for yours truly under his classic Photo of the greeat Georgia O’Keeffe. I’m amazed you can’t see the camera shake in the Photo.

Next to it, the wonderful Photo of the model in front of the Guggenheim, elicited a question about it from a visitor. “I was there when Frank Lloyd Wight was designing the Guggenheim,” Mr. Vaccaro answered. Wait. What??? Sure enough. I remembered the famous shot, one of my favorites of Frank Lloyd Wright, standing in his work room, with his arms raised and outstretched, standing behind his desk. A spontaneous moment that became something of a “perfect” portrait of the great Architect. Blown away, I had to ask a follow up question. “What was Frank Lloyd Wright like?,” words I never expected to ask any one. “Hard worker. Hard worker,” Mr. Vaccaro said. “What was it like to Photograph him?” “He never told me anything. I told him just go about your work, do what you want to do, and I’ll take the Photographs. And that’s what we did. He never told me anything.” I asked him about his amazing World War II Photographs. He told me he was always able to get film, and he carried a small film developing set with him, with chemicals and small nesting trays that were easy to pack. He developed his film as he used it. As is shown in the Documentary, he went from Normandy to Berlin. “Mrs. Roosevelt was waiting for me when I got to Berlin,” he said. He moved on to the beautiful shot of the “Old Penn Station,” “It was lucky I photographed it. A short time later, they destroyed it. What a shame. What a beautiful building,” he said. I asked him if he had a favorite among the countless Photographs he’s taken. “The G.I. kissing the little girl.(“The Kiss of Liberation”) I think that’s marvelous.The French also thought that was super and they gave me the “Legion of Honor” (in 1994).

“I was there when Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim,” Mr. Vaccaro said. That sound you heard was my jaw hitting the floor.

He mentioned having worked at Life Magazine after the War, and I asked him if he knew Gordon Parks, who would have been at Life at the same time. “Gordon was a good friend of mine,” he recalled. These days, Mr. Vaccaro and his family have the Tony Vaccaro Studio, in Long Island City, where Mr. Vaccaro was headed when he stopped to take the Photo of the “Old” Penn Station, which maintains and manages his archives, as Mr. Vaccaro continues to work. His daughter in law, Maria, who manages sales and the archive was on hand as well. I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful Leica Mr. Vaccaro had around his neck. He told me it was a gift to him from the great German camera maker. Well, you can’t get better advertising than what he’s created with one, that surrounded him on “his wall,” as he called it. Then? He talked about looking forward to his 100th Birthday!

A beautiful Man, and his beautiful Leica.

Right before I bid farewell, Mr. Vaccaro was discussing his work with a couple who promptly made a purchase they’ll never forget. Not privy to the conversation, he leaned back next to me and I heard him say, “I was at the right place at the right time.”

I leaned over and, smiling, said to him,, “Yeah. A LOT of times.”

*- Soundtrack for this Post is “Time In A Bottle,” by Jim Croce (for Sv)-

This Post is dedicated to Susan Meiselas, Paul Graham, Gilles Lorin, Dayanita Singh, Gregory Halpern and, the one and only, Mr. Tony Vaccaro, for their Art, for the beauty of their spirits, and for sharing both, with me, and the world.

The Photography Show/AIPAD, 2018, is my NoteWorthy Show for April.

Once again, for the second year, I’m proud to bring you THE most extensive coverage of The Photography Show anywhere. This is Part 2. The rest is here.

My coverage of The Photography Show, AIPAD, 2017 (including “Memorable Meetings, 2017”) is here, and my prior Posts on Photography are here.

NighthawkNYC.com has been entirely self-funded & ad-free for over 7 years, during which over 275 full length pieces have been published!
I can no longer fund it myself. More on why here.
If you’ve found it worthwhile, PLEASE donate to keep it online & ad-free below.
Thank you, Kenn.

Written & photographed by Kenn Sava for nighthawknyc.com unless otherwise credited.
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The Photography Show- AIPAD, 2018

There’s no “swim suit” for this vast sea of images. Just dive right in. Arthur Elgort, “Stella Diving, Watermill, Long Island,” 1995, seen at Staley Wise Gallery at The Photography Show. Click any Photo for full size.

The 2018 edition of “The Photography Show,” (commonly called “AIPAD,” the acronym of The Association of International Photography Dealers, the organization that presents it), was a week later than last year’s blockbuster, though much else was the same. I’m not surprised. As I said in the last of the 4 pieces I devoted to 2017’s show, there was little to complain about from this visitor’s perspective, so I very much anticipated this year’s model.

It did not disappoint.

The highlight of the NYC Photo Year beckons. Don’t let the small entrance fool you. A vast show awaits inside.

It returned to the same familiar, cavernous, space known as Pier 94, on the Hudson River, and it reprised many of last year’s popular features, including a Publisher, PhotoBook Dealer & Photography Organizations area, a dedicated “AIPAD Talks” area, a “PhotoBook Spotlight” area, and new this year, an AIPAD Screening Room featured films by Photographers, or relating to Photography.

“Say Cheese.” The view from above right before the opening bell on Thursday at noon. Even a panorama can’t capture the whole of AIPAD.

Though, by my count, there were about 20 fewer dealers than last year (103 vs 123 comparing this year’s guide to 2017’s. AIPAD, itself, reported 96 this year1), given the enormous size of the show, it’s highly unlikely that anyone who didn’t make a count would have realized it- there was still too much to see in one visit. I made four, spending all of Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday exploring it. Still, I’m sure I missed something. 

The Floor Plan.

What I did see impressed me quite a bit. In the next piece, I’ll take a look at highlights. First, here’s an overview.

“Something for everyone,” the show’s Press Release said.

The best thing about AIPAD for me is that nowhere else in NYC all year long can so many very good, great, and even classic Photographs be seen in one place. You would have to spend weeks walking around the city’s galleries and Big Five Museums to come close. But? Even then, you wouldn’t come close. AIPAD provides the opportunity to see what Artists from around the world are doing; to discover new Artists, and to see beautiful examples of classic Photographs, both familiar and known only through books or legend.

f64. Robert Mann, left, stands outside his renowned gallery’s booth, Catherine Edelman Gallery, equally renowned Chicago dealer, right, with Gallery f5.6, Germany, Gallery 19/21 from Conn., further on the left, and the fascinating Legacy of the Black Panthers 50th Anniversary Exhibition further back on the right.

While Aaron Siskind, Alfred Steiglitz, Edward Weston, Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams, Atget and Kertesz were among the classic Artists being shown at the most booths (per the guide), there was a very impressive amount of lesser known Artists who presented quite strong work, in an extremely wide range of styles and genres– from the literally unknown, like these-

Unknown Artist, “Selection from a Speedway Photograph Portfolio” on display at Harper’s Books booth.

To some of the most famous Photographs ever taken-

Well? Almost. Ansel Adams, “Moonrise Over Hernandez (Cancelled),” 1941, printed circa 1969. This print was created in Ansel Adams’ darkroom on what turned out to be defective Ilfobrom paper. As a result, they were marked “Cancelled” with a machine used in banking and then sent to Ilford to demonstrate the flaws in the paper. Seen at Scott Nichols Gallery.

Great works by revered names…

Henri Cartier-Bresson, “Rue De Bassano, 8th Arrondissement, Paris, 1953” seen at Contemporary Works/Vintage Works.

Sally Mann, “Naptime,” 1989, seen at Edwynn Houk Gallery is the subject of a current retrospective at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Robert Frank, “US 285, New Mexico, 1955,” from his enduring classic PhotoBook, “The Americans.” Seen at Howard Greenberg Gallery.

The Photographs in Painter Ed Ruscha’s “Gasoline Stations Portfolio,” 1962, weren’t even taken as “serious Photography” by the Artist when he took them. 56 years later, they’re some of the most influential Photographs taken since. Seen at Bruce Silverstein.

To surprises from Artists previously seen, like this wonderful wall of work by Jeff Brouws which channels the classic work of Bernd & Hilla Becher…

Jeff Brouws, “Coaling Tower series,” 2013-17, seen at Robert Mann Gallery. Apologies for the glare. Like the Becher’s classic series, Mr. Brouws has Photographed in the same weather and lighting conditions they always used.

To work previously not known to me that impressed…

Gohar Dashti, “Home (series),” 2017, at Robert Klein Gallery

Or…

Omar Imam, “Untitled, 2017 (serene place),” from his powerful “Syrialism” series at Catherine Edelman Gallery.

This year’s show also included special exhibitions, including this one, curated by Sir Elton John, titled “A Time For Reflection”-

Sir Elton John curated this selection from AIPAD member galleries titled “A Time For Reflection.” Included is Gordon Parks’ “American Gothic,” near the right corner, which can be seen in my recent Post about Mr. Parks just concluded shows.

Another special exhibition was “All Power: Visual Legacies of the Black Panther Party,” from the book of the same name, presented by the Photographic Center Northwest, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party’s Seattle chapter.

Installation view of one corner of “All Power.” Work by Robert Wade, Gill Baker, Deborah Willis, and Lewis Watts among those seen here. The words are from Point 7 of the Black Panther Party Platform and Program, 1972.

It featured a very impressive roster of Artists, and I was particularly impressed by the works of LaToya Ruby Frazier’s, including 2 pieces from her poignant “The Grey Area,” about the demolition of the hospital in her home town in spite of efforts, that she was involved in and Photographed, to save it. The work “UPMC Global Corporation, 2011” from her series “The Grey Area,” especially struck me as I have been looking at a lot of work by the so called “New Topographics” Artists Lewis Baltz and Stephen Shore2. This work seems like a culmination of what those Artists were depicting in series like Lewis Baltz’ “New Industrial Parks Near Irving, California,” and “The Tract Houses,” in the 1970s.

LaToya Ruby Frazier, “UPMC Global Corporation, 2011” from her series “The Grey Area,” 2010-12, that documents the demolition of Braddock Hospital in her Pennsylvania home town, which she had been involved in trying to save.

One of the things I look forward to most about AIPAD is the chance to see what galleries from elsewhere in the world bring and display.

see + gallery, Beijing, China, left, Atlas Gallery, London, right, with Laurence Miller Gallery, NYC behind them, and Les filles du calvaire, Paris, France behind on the left.

As they did last year, many showed work completely new to me, and possibly a good many other show goers, like this-

Alfredo Jarr, “The Power of Words,” 1984, at Jean-Kenta Gauthier, Paris, France

Detail.

and this…

Raghu Rai, “A Photographer, The Wall Series, Delhi, 1973,” seen at TASVEER from Karnataka, India

and for the lover of modern vintage prints-

Two gorgeous examples by Eikoh Hosoe, “Ordeal by Roses, #29,” 1962, left and #16, 1961, right. Seen at IBASHO, Japan.

Making the rounds, the first thing that strikes you is the level of seriousness of the work on view. Almost nothing here is frivilous. Given the very significant cost of being here, the travel (some came from down the street, some from, literally, the other side of the world), the logistics, the hours involved in being at AIPAD- every single thing here is something someone significant in the Photography business believes is worthy of being here and being seen along side what everyone else feels should be seen here. So, the show provides fascinating insights into, and a barometer of, what so many leading dealers think about the Photography market and what’s selling, while balancing that with making a statement about the overall identity of their gallery. I find all of this endlessly fascinating. This year there was a distinct absence of the encroachment of “video,” or moving elements incorporated in Photography, which, to my eyes, has thus far come across as gimmicky. I much prefer seeing this-

Made using brand new “technology”… of the 16th century. Abelardo Morell, “Camera Obscura: The Philadelphia Museum of Art East Entrance in Gallery with a de Chirico Painting,” 2005. Light from outside (the exterior of the building) enters the darkened gallery seen above through a small hole, and is “projected” on the opposite wall, where the de Chirico hangs, upside down. At Edwynn Houk Gallery.

As you walk through AIPAD, you’ll find the work that doesn’t hold up to such “company” is in the extreme minority. to the contrary, you’re virtually guaranteed to discover a new Artist of interest you previously didn’t know.

Jean Pagliuso, 4 works from her “Owl” series, at Mary Ryan Gallery. Of course, anyone showing Owls, the Official Bird of NighthawkNYC, let alone these 4 beauties, was bound to catch my eye.

Then, there is the area devoted to Book Dealers, Publishers and Photography based Organizations, including Aperture, which held a steady stream of PhotoBook talks (in the area to the far right, below, with AIPAD Screenings just behind it in the far right corner) throughout the weekend. This area also hosted a steady stream of Booksignings and Book Launches, while also giving book collectors a chance to talk to a number of the world’s leading PhotoBook publishers, from bigger (Steidl, ArtBook DAP, Mack, Damiani, and Nazraeli), to specialty publishers TBW Books and Minor Matters, to Japanese Publishers, Akio Nagasawa and SUPER LABO among a number of others. The organizations also included Light Works, the Photography Collections Preservation Project, and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, who told me that their striking home doesn’t have plumbing!

The front of the Publishing and PhotoBook area. The show is so big, this large section of it isn’t even seen to the left of the panorama posted earlier.

Books have long ago secured their place as essential to Photographers and the world of Photography. In many, even most cases, they are the only way to see the work of the vast majority of Artists. Over time, they have become an “Art-form” unto themselves. For both reasons, it’s only natural, and in my opinion, critical, that they be included in AIPAD. The best PhotoBooks publishers (Gerhard Steidl, Chris Pichler of Nazraeli, Michael Mack of MACK, Paul Schiek of TBW Books, among them) are Artists themselves, either literally, or as bookmakers. The beauty and craft they bring to their work enhances the experience exponentially to the point that it’s an essential part of the experience of the work. In addition to these world-class publishers, intrepid book sellers, like Harper’s Books (who showed a spectacular collection of rare books and collectibles, seen in the center glass case in the Photo above) and Photo-eye (who featured the MASSIVE new Taschen book, “Murals of Tibet,” hand signed by H.H. The Dalai Lama, which starts at $12,000.00) were highlights. But, the “stars” of this area were many of the book booths offered exceedingly rare chances to meet, and have a book signed by, Artists including Susan Meiselas, Elliott Erwitt, Paul Graham, Ralph Gibson, Jungjin Lee, Gregory Halpern, Jason Fulford, and Dayanita Singh, among others.

In assessing the “world of Photography,” since AIPAD is so international in scope- in all of it’s dimensions, I’d be remiss if I didn’t make special mention of the renowned, non-profit, Aperture Foundation, who’s founders include Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange, and who celebrated their 65th anniversary in 2017. In my opinion, through everything they do, they are one of the lynchpins of the Photography world. As is well known, they nurture up and coming Photographers who deserve wider attention, publish important PhotoBooks (“Stephen Shore” was one of the very best PhotoBooks I saw in 2017), put on terrific shows (like their recent “Prison Nation”), and publish often terrific limited edition prints by many of the leading lights of both contemporary and classic Photography at exceedingly reasonable prices.

Aperture’s PhotoBook Spotlight, this one featuring legendary Photographer, Paul Graham, center, who discussed his classic book “A Shimmer of Possibility.”

At the show, they ran a steady stream of PhotoBooks spotlights, which included Paul Graham, who’s “A Shimmer of Possibility,” (winner of the Paris Photo-Aperture Prize for the Best PhotoBook of the Last 15 Years in 2012), spoke about it on the debut of MACK’s third edition. In my opinion, everyone involved in Photography owes a debt to the Aperture Foundation, and I hope they support them through buying their books, prints and magazine, or making a donation. That’s my opinion, and no…they didn’t ask me to say that.

Nico Krijno, “Burning Wicker Chair,” 2011, a Huxley Parlour Gallery, London. The South African Photographer’s fascinating work is something I definitely have my eye on.

With so much to see, I strongly advise getting the multi-day ticket. Thursday is my favorite day to go and get acclimated. The weekend crowds haven’t arrived and you can actually talk to the dealers and booth holders and get some of the fascinating backstories behind what they’re showing. Things have a tendency to germinate in my mind overnight. I’ll see something I don’t know, then go home and research it or the Artist, and go back and see it again. Friday and Saturday things were steady and busy throughout, with the weather cooperating this year. Sunday seemed to me to be surprisingly busy. During my rounds on Sunday, within 2-3 hours of closing, most (not all) of the dealers I spoke with said the show was “Good,” or “Very good” for them, and I was surprised by how few expressed a negative sentiment. What this tells me, beyond how successful The Photography Show was (and there is no doubt it was) is that the Photography market remains robust, and signs of a downturn were not to be seen, as far as I could tell. This is good news for the Artists, particularly, as well as the dealers, of course. After it ended, AIPAD reported record attendance numbering over 15,0003.

Lisa Kereszi, “Gold Curtain, Poconos Resort, PA, 2004,” seen at Yancey Richardson Gallery.

As so? I look forward to the curtain going up on The Photography Show, 2019. But, don’t worry- The curtain is not coming down on my AIPAD 2018 coverage…yet. Stay tuned!

*- Soundtrack for this Post is “Take Me To The River,” by the great Al Green, which I actually said to a cab driver on Saturday. It can be seen in an early performance by Talking Heads here.

Uh-oh…Guess who’s back from their Winter Migration…

“On The Fence, #18 – “The Wall Has Eyes” Edition. Celebrating the 1st Anniversary of my fine feathered friends and “On The Fence,” who debuted after AIAD, 2017.

The Photography Show/AIPAD, 2018, is my NoteWorthy Show for April.

Once again, for the second year, I’m proud to bring you THE most extensive coverage of The Photography Show anywhere. The rest of it is here.

My coverage of The Photography Show/AIPAD, 2017 may be seen here.

My previous Posts regarding Photography are here.

My thanks to Margery Newman and Nicole Strauss.

NighthawkNYC.com has been entirely self-funded & ad-free for over 7 years, during which over 275 full length pieces have been published!
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  1. Press release April 12, 2018 ↩
  2. I’m not putting them in that box. They were part of a show with that title which spawned the term at the George Eastman House, Rochester, NY in 1975. ↩
  3. Ibid ↩

Cai Dongdong: Guns & Shutters

Cai Dongdong “Aiming at the Camera,” 2017, Gelatin silver print, Russian camera(!), wood. Photo courtesy Cai Dongdong and Klein Sun Gallery. Click any Photo for full size.

On October 6th the NYC Art world was permanently changed with the opening of the monumental “Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World” at the Guggenheim. Filling all 6 floors of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rotunda and spilling over into two of the side galleries, it was as close to encyclopedic as any show of it’s kind could ever hope to be. Having closed on January 7, I’m still processing my thoughts about it. (Update- My piece on it is here.)This much I can say- In it’s wake, the training wheels are now off. The flood gate of what’s been going on in Contemporary Art in China has opened and we’re officially in the deep water.

And it’s about time.

The 71 “key Artists and groups” as the show’s site calls them were remarkably well chosen, in my opinion, divided between historically important Artists and works, and those of the moment. Still? In a country of 1.4 Billion people, it’s impossible to include everyone. Many deserving Artists were missed, especially with only 9 women represented. (My Post on it is here.) While big on video & installations, almost completely missing was Photography, Ai Weiwei’s famous “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn,” 1995, being one of the few works included.

Cai Dongdong, “Splashing Woman,” 2016, Handmade color photo, knitting, in Artist’s frame. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything quite like this.

If you are among those left wanting to see more, see what other Contemporary Chinese Artists are doing, or see what Contemporary Chinese Photography Artists are doing, I strongly encourage you to check out some of the fine and daring galleries around town that specialize in Contemporary Chinese Art. With a 10 year history of representing and showing Chinese Artists who are, largely, in the process of becoming better known in the USA, Klein Sun Gallery on West 22nd Street is among the leading galleries in the field. Gallerist Eli Klein speaks with both passion and experience about the Artists he, and his gallery, represent, but, also about “the difficult concepts and social commentary portrayed by some of our artists,” as he told me.

The latter is exactly what makes Klein Sun a must visit gallery on my rounds. Mr. Klein comes by his passion naturally. He is the son the late, extraordinary, women’s champion, Janet Benshoof, who passed away on December 18th.

Installation view of the first gallery.

In all the years that I’ve been going to Klein Sun, this is a particularly good time to go. Their current show, “Cai Dongdong: Photography Autocracy,” through January 18, is an eye-opener, full of pushing-the-envelope creativity, in works that will linger with you after they upend your preconceptions. Mr. Dongdong’s work, which is centered on Photography, is rife with commentary, divided between themes including the military, the act of seeing and being seen, and Henri Cartier-Bresson’s famous “Decisive Moment.” But it’s the universality and humanity of his work as a whole that impresses me the most. Though the faces are Chinese, they could be anyone. For western eyes, there are echoes of Man Ray, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Cornell in works that are “Photo-Sculptures,”as he calls them, but decidedly different from Robert Rauschenberg’s “Combines.” Unique among all the Photographers I spent last year seeing, Cai Dongdong, also, constructs the beautiful stands and frames he uses himself, ala Joseph Cornell or Holly Lane, creating an all in one experience in which the Photograph plays one part. The Artist, who turns 40 this year, has a bit of a unique background. He joined the People’s Liberation Army- as a portrait Photographer, a post he remained in for about a decade. This served to have a lasting influence on him, as one might suspect, as one side of his subsequent Art incorporates these Photos, while another side uses found images, (selected from an archive that Phil Cai, Mr. Klein’s Associate at Klein Sun, told me numbers over 600,000 images), but in all his work, he combines Photographs in ways that defy the “Autocracy” of the image to force it to say “something else,” always unexpected.

Cai Dongdong, “The Photographer II,” 2015, Handmade color photo, photographic lens in Artist’s frame. The lens goes right through the work.

Going beyond Photographs with his passion for Photography, a number of these works contain camera lenses inserted right into the piece, making the viewer the subject. Many others contain mirrors or reflective surfaces, and one, seen at the beginning, and below, puts you at the place of the Photographer- if you dare.

Cai Dongdong “Aiming at the Camera,” 2017,

Through mirrors and lenses, he also puts the viewer in the work, reminding us of our complicity by looking and seeing, most poignantly they’re included in a number of nudes on view, including one that replaces the model’s head with a round mirror, all ready for your face.

Cai Dongdong, “Back from Target Practice,” 2017, Gelatin silver print, LCD Light box. These harmless looking smiling armed ladies are returning from target practice. Or? Are they coming for us? Interestingly, the piece is mounted about head high for many viewers, making it personal.

The central element, for me, in his work is the humanity that runs through it. In “Aiming at the Camera,” 2017, the Artist, literally, puts you in his shoes when he took this Photo. In “The Association of the Cannon,” 2016, a cannon goes off expelling a harmless and lovely nude. Right next to it, in “Back from Target Practice,” 2017, a group of armed young women walk towards the viewer, making you feel that even women, the givers of life, when armed, can pose a real danger to you-particularly when they’re coming your way. These Photos have a “journalistic” feel that’s turned into something else in the whole, something the Photo may, or may not have originally intended. Hence, the Photo’s “Autocracy” in the show’s title is subject to Artist’s intervention. The Artist is the one with the unlimited power to control what it says.

Detail.

The role of guns (rifles and cannons) is a recurrant theme in the Artist’s work that was also a memorable part of his last Klein Sun show, “Fountain,” 2015. Here, guns alternate between being a threat and being “defused.” The two shows mirror each other beautifully, down to their success, with “Fountain” selling out, and “Photography Autocracy” getting very close to it. (A word to book collectors-  The Artist created an extraordinary book for “Fountain,” in a limited edition of 500 signed & numbered copies, the stack of available copies at the gallery dwindled each time I visited, partially my fault. For someone who has been buried, literally up to his neck in Art & PhotoBooks, as anyone who has seen my apartment this year could swear to in court, I was shocked to see the intricate details that have been painstakingly included in this book. It’s gorgeous. Another example of the extreme care and craftsmanship that goes into Cai Dongdong’s Art.)

Cai Dongdong, “The Guerrilla on Hunghu Lake,” 2017, Gelatin silver print, wood. This is just an extraordinarily beautiful Photograph, in addition to being a powerful image. The background is ravishing, which serves to bring another level of meaning to the “action” of the approaching guerrillas in front of it. The idea of setting this in a hand made boat is just brilliant, in my opinion.

It’s fascinating to look for evidence of his experiences in the Army in these works, but it’s unknown (to me) which Photo Mr. Dongdong took and which he found. In the end, it matters not. Some of the end results, however, have a “day dream” effect, where I picture the Artist in his Army job, armed with his camera, fantasizing about whatever scene is going on in front of him. “Wouldn’t it be great if a beautiful lady came out of this cannon right now instead of a shell?”

Cai Dongdong, “The Association of the Cannon,” 2016, Gelatin silver print in Artist’s frame. Right out of Max Ernst, a work I might have expected from John & Yoko, seems to sum up this show.

I think it’s exactly that that makes this show so successful and so popular- it’s very easy to relate to the humanity in the work, regardless of your culture or background.

“Road,” 2016, Gelatin silver print in Artist’s frame. The Photo of the “road” in the upper right is collaged on and extends out from the surface, curved on the side nearest the lady.

Regarding his background, I asked the Artist a few questions, through the gallery since he lives and works in Beijing-

Frist- What inspired you to become an Artist?

Cai replied, “A rain when I was born.”

And- Who influenced your Art?

Cai- “My kids.”

Cai Dongdong, “Obstacle,” Gelatin silver print in Artist’s frame. Notice the ridge where the print is folded about 2/3 to the right. Photo courtesy of Cai Dongdong and Klein Sun Gallery.

As Phil Cai pointed out to me, looking at it from the right, the lecturer is cut off by the ridge made by the folded print…as the solders are cut off from him on the lefl.

I also asked Mr. Klein how he discovered Cai Dongdong. He said, “I first saw his work on a chance Studio visit in Beijing. His studio was close to one of another artist I was visiting and was told I shouldn’t miss it. Quite frankly I was blown away. It was such pure art, no bullshit, no trying too hard, not showing off. It was just Real. Cameras and parts all over the place, wood that he was using to make his own frames. A unique mix of installation, old and new photography, mixed media, collage, sculpture and compelling cultural commentary. I had to pursue representing him and knew that very quickly. His demeaner and dedication were also very clearly defined which is indicative of a better potential for a long and successful career.”

Cai Dongdong, “Big Harvest,” 2017, Silver gelatin print in Artist’s frame. Phil Cai spoke to me of the influence of China’s “Collectivsim,” in this work, that they are “gathering themselves.” When I see it, I see the succeeding smaller figures representing future generations.

Mr. Dongdong’s work speaks to the larger “cultural commentary” than to one that’s specifically Chinese, in my opinion.  These are works that end up expressing the universal experience of being human- even in a “collective.” People can be “trained” to move and operate together, but it’s harder to control their thoughts, imaginations, fantasies, and Artistic impulses. Yes, guns can be dangerous. Yes, nations are continually preparing for war. But, these nations are made up of human beings who are living their daily lives, too. Here are works about the experience of being human- from basic events like being seen naked, being seen at work, being seen serving your country, that every human being experiences. In Cai Dongdong’s Art, the world becomes a little smaller, and that’s one of the best things Art can accomplish. It also looks like he has fun creating it, and that comes through, too.

Time will tell if Cai Dongdong achieves the stature of Gu Dexin, Alec Soth or Ai Weiwei, but in the meantime he’s creating beautifully made objects with their own point of view, a decidedly unique way of seeing the world, each one overflowing with humanity. That’s certainly a recipe that’s stood the test of time, for a long time.

*-Soundtrack for this Post is “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, and recorded by The Beatles on “The White Album.” (No, It’s not a drug song, as you can hear John say, here.) In lieu of their version, Gavin DeGraw does it here-

This Post is dedicated to the memory of Janet Benshoof. 

NighthawkNYC.com has been entirely self-funded & ad-free for over 7 years, during which over 275 full length pieces have been published! If you’ve found it worthwhile, PLEASE donate to allow me to continue below. Thank you, Kenn.

You can also support it by buying Art, Art & Photography books, and Music from my collection! Books may be found here. Music here and here.

Written & photographed by Kenn Sava for nighthawknyc.com unless otherwise credited. To send comments, thoughts, feedback or propositions click here. Click the white box on the upper right for the archives or to search them. Subscribe to be notified of new Posts below. Your information will be used for no other purpose.