Last minute post!

Work was insanely busy today... but I wanted to post a last minute plug.. and show my support for the lovely Brian Ulrich in his second show at Julie Saul Gallery in NYC. Brian is seriously one of the sweetest and most generous of the blog / photo community that I have come across. And his work is superb. Perhaps I'll see you there!

Info about this show from Julie Saul Gallery's website: Thrift and Dark Stores is a continuation of his larger project, Copia, a long-term photographic examination of the complexities of the consumer-dominated culture in which we live. His prescient insight into post 9-11 consumerism boom has awarded him a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship.

The exhibition will feature a series of nine 30 x 40" color prints from the Thrift series, a combination of portraits and interiors. The Dark Stores will be represented with a sequence of small prints hung tightly as a nod to Ruscha's storefronts and other similar projects and one large scale store front-a defunct Circuit City.


© Brian Ulrich | Target, 2008

Opens TODAY May 28 | 6 - 8pm
May 28 - July 3, 2009
Julie Saul Gallery
535 West 22 Street
New York, NY 10011

Sweet..

Last weekend "Domesticated: Men and the Domestic Interior" opened up at Transformer Gallery in DC. It was reviewed in this weeks Washington Post. Below is the excerpt about my work. It was such a sweet surprise to wake up to Friday.

"One artist here -- the most compelling of the lot -- offers androgyny as an alternative to gender codes. Brooklyn-based Amy Elkins photographs two shirtless young men in half-length portraits that mimic historical modes of female portraiture. As we look at these men, we're reminded of a long tradition of Venuses as well as the Greeks' love of a luscious boy. The subject of "Kyle" proves an especially rich muse, his arm crossed over his chest in a gesture suggesting both protection and flirtation.

What works about Elkins's pictures is their lack of clear-cut agenda. Yes, they participate in the preconceived -- and sexist -- modes of art history. But they never, ever replicate them." - Jessica Dawson for the Washington Post. May 22.


From the artist talk at Transformer on May 16th

Half way through May

Past the swine flu onwards to... NYPH 09, Hiroh Kikai, the WIP Grant call for entries closing, Men and the Domestic Interior opening in DC and all sorts of other jazz.


© Hiroh Kikai

Time is truly flying right now and I'm having a hard time keeping up! It's only going to get busier. Last week I went to go see Richard Renadli and Doug Dubois speak about portraiture, intimacy and family at the Affordable Arts Fair. I'm a bit late on writing about it, but it was really impressive to see the two of them up there speaking back and forth about one anothers work and sharing their ideas of photographing intimate moments with strangers and family alike. The work paired up really nicely and I am glad I made time in my afternoon to catch it... especially considering my work is primarily intimate encounters with wallflowers and family, etc.

As for this week... well there are a million amazing things to do and once more my health has sort of collapsed and prevented me from taking the plunge. NYPH opened last night and I had to skip out due to having severe allergies / some sort of sinus issue. It's still lingering which makes me quite blue, as I really wanted to make it to Yancey Richardson Gallery tonight for the opening of Hiroh Kikai and August Sander. I absolutely love both of these photographers and can only imaging how amazing the show must look. I'll have to swing by next week to have a look.

Tomorrow at NYPH my WIPNYC partner Cara Phillips will be speaking on a panel with Joerg Colberg, Laurel Ptak, Brian Ulrich and Andrew Hethrington on blogging and building community at 11:00am. If you are in the area, check it out.



Saturday I hop on megabus and head down to DC for the opening of Domesticated: Men and the Domestic Interior, curated by Al Miner and including the works of Yolanda del Amo, Dru Donovan, Jamil Hellu and yours truly. If you are in the DC area info is as follows:

OPENING:
May 16, 2009
Curator and Artist Talk, 4pm
Reception 5 – 8pm

Transformer Gallery
1404 P Street,
NW Washington, DC 20005
202-483-1102

I'm sure the insanity will keep rolling. It's all good insanity though so I'll be posting again soon.

This is Your Warning..



Had a brief and fun encounter out in Philly that included Zoe Strauss' I-95 event. Walked away with this amazing image. Zoe's night time text pieces are fantastic!