Jeff Rich's show 'Watershed' opens tonight at Jennifer Schwartz Gallery

We wish we could join Jeff Rich and the Jennifer Schwartz Gallery folks for Jeff's opening of his show 'Watershed' tonight in Atlanta! From the photos we have seen today, the exhibit looks gorgeous. Is it coincidence that the color of the wall is the same as the book cover's?

Some preview copies of Jeff's upcoming book are on hand at the gallery tonight and we look forward to receiving the bulk at the end of the month.

Stay tuned!


photo credit: Jeff Rich

Success Story - Evgenia Arbugaeva at Newspace!

I first saw Evgenia Arbugaeva's work at Lensculture/FotoFest in Paris year before last and was instantly intrigued. Apparently the other reviewers felt the same way as they awarded her, out of all the attending photographers, the 400 Euro prize from Blurb.

I was happy to see she submitted work from her Tiksi series to Critical Mass this year (2011), where she was one of the initial book award finalists. Evgenia gracefully declined the inclusion as she felt she is not done with this series yet - she still has a few more trips to Tiksi to build on this body of work.

Newspace's Laura Valenti Jelen saw Evgenia's work jurying Critical Mass and gave her a show which opens tonight - thank you, Laura!

Evgenia's work transcends "documentary" or "ethnographic" photography. It shows us a stage-like, playful world that seems to exist through a childhood vantage point. This might make sense as she grew up in Tiksi, which is located on the Siberian coast of Russia.

Evgenia's world is a magical, ethereal world (slightly science-fiction-y) that has been created through her poetic imagination, instead of the perhaps more realistic frozen, remote community that logistically is hard for a traveler to reach. To visit, one needs a special permit because of its strategic and military importance since the years of the Cold War.

Opening is tonight! See you there!

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CALL FOR ENTRIES - 2012 Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers

Blue Sky established the Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers in 2007 to create a public archive of original prints by contemporary photographers based in the region. The juried Drawers program has become a favorite part of Blue Sky's programming, available to approximately 25,000 visitors annually.

To coincide with the upcoming Portland Photo Month (April 2012), Blue Sky is expanding the geographic scope of the Drawers to include up to 80 photographers from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia and Alaska. If you are a photographer in one of these states, this is a great opportunity to potentially have your work in one of the most esteemed photographic arts centers.

Jurors this year are Clint Willour and Laura Moya.

Deadline for submissions is Friday, December 23, 2011, and there is no entry fee.
Details can be found here!

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Success Stories this Week!

Ann Jastrab sent a Rayko current show - Carl Corey's 'Wisconsin Tavern League' - post card in the mail to us with the note:

"A Photolucida 2009 find! Finally getting Carl in the gallery..."

Also, up at Rayko Photo Center this month, work - 'Urban Wilderness' - by Joseph O. Homes, a 2010 Critical Mass participant.


From Critical Mass 2011 participant Jane Fulton Alt:

"Just wanted you to know that 'The Burn' was featured on the front page of the online Morning News website today...I am sure it must have been from Critical Mass exposure...

Many thanks!"


Also, we would like to send a big THANKS to the seemingly tireless Aline Smithson, who has featured many Critical Mass 2011 entrants...

Christopher Chadbourne, Carli Davidson, Bill Viccaro, Meg Birmbaum, Jackson Patterson, Cynthia Bittenfield, Sebastian Liste, Bootsy Holler, Michael Marten, Katarzyna Majak, Kenneth O'Halloran, Michael Mergen, Michelle Frankfurter, Susan Worsham, Daniel Beltra

...on her blogzine, Lenscratch the over last few months.


image: Carl Corey - 'Marty, Chippewa Club, Durand '


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Jeff Rich's 'Watershed' on the way to the printer!

We are excited that the design phase of Critical Mass book award winner Jeff Rich's book is complete and on the way to the printer! It has been fun to see the final details come together - the last round of the copy editing done, the final decisions on colors of cover fabric, endpapers, the foil and H & T band. It will be gorgeous!

Please check out Jeff's website dedicated to the progress of the publication: WATERSHED - The French Broad Basin Book Project

Jeff will have some copies air shipped to Atlanta for the opening of his exhibition at the Jennifer Schwartz Gallery, opening reception on February third. The bulk of the books will arrive end of February and go out to all participating 2010 Critical Mass photographers and jurors shortly after.


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Some Fun Success Stories!

On the local front, Jesse Rieser is opening his show 'Christmas in America: Happy Birthday, Jesus' tomorrow night (Friday, Dec. 2nd, 6pm) at Newspace Center for Photography and will be giving a lecture on Saturday at 1pm.

Jesse met the Newspace folks at Photolucida last spring. Jesse is also part of the current Top 50 Critical Mass finalists. Need to get in the mood for the upcoming holidays? This will get you started.


Also fun to see Portland photographer Carli Davidson (Critical Mass finalist) has a show at Pushdot Studios - 'Tiny Beasts'. Carli's 'Disabled Pets' series caused quite a (good) stir with Critical Mass jurors.


Some other news that has crossed our desk:

Just wanted to let you know that I offered Evgenia Arbugaeva (from Critical Mass) a show at Newspace in January. I fell in love with the work and we had an opening in the schedule. So glad I found her in CM!

- Laura Valenti


Just wanted to let you know that I've posted six images by Martin Karplus on PDN's Photo of the Day. I had met him and reviewed his work at Photolucida.

http://www.pdnphotooftheday.com/2011/10/11530

- Darren Ching

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Critical Mass 2011 Book Award Finalists

This year it was extra-hard! After much deliberation over the many worthy projects, Photolucida is pleased to share the following six photographers have been selected as the book award finalists!

Daniel Beltrá
Kirk Crippens
Scott Dalton
David Ellingsen
Jennifer Hudson
Larry Louie

You will notice that type of work represented above varies quite a bit in aesthetic and intent, but has the common denominator of being strong, compelling imagery. We are happy that artists doing such varied photographic work are all supported by the Critical Mass jurors despite aesthetic definition.

We look forward to seeing their respective book proposals and selecting the Critical Mass 2011 Book Award. Check back for updates in mid-January when we will make the award announcement.

Congratulations to the above photographers!