Update: Be sure to read an update to this post with more detail on how the photographers created their pieces here.
26 Blocks is an art project that “…showcases the work of 26 of Metro Phoenix’s best photographers working with 26 of Metro Phoenix’s best writers.” They worked together to offer their interpretation of one of 26 downtown Phoenix city blocks through photography and the written word. Then the sculptor, Rafael Navarro, topped off each presentation with a 4″ x 4″ square block sculpture of each block. The exhibit began at the After Hours Gallery in Downtown Phoenix last month and in now starting a tour of venues around the city. I missed the opening at After Hours but was able to see the exhibit at the University of Arizona College of Medicine’s downtown Phoenix campus last Thursday, the first stop on its city tour.
The College of Medicine show was not in a normal gallery space. Rather it was in the auditorium of the old Phoenix Union High School that has been renovated and now houses the college. As a result a traditional gallery layout was not possible. So each city block’s pieces were propped up on tables around the large auditorium room. I do not think the unconventional setting distracted from the works however. In fact, the history of the old high school building now having been re-purposed and given a new life, almost added another layer to the stories of the Phoenix city blocks being told through these photographers, writers and sculptor.
One of the most interesting aspects of this show was the unique interpretations each pair had of their individual city blocks. Blocks that may not have been separated by more than one street could seem miles away as each photographer and writer approached them from very unique perspectives and visions.
The photography ranged from the very straightforward architectural and portrait to much more abstract interpretations involving post-processed works.
Two that stood out as favorites to me were Block E from photographer Chris Loomis and Block V from Stephen G. Dreiseszun.
Chris’ photograph of Block E, the lot of dirt that splits 3rd St into two separate lanes to the east and west of it, just south of Roosevelt, stood out to me for two reasons. 1) It was a bit more on the abstract side and 2) whereas most of the other lots were developed and alive with urban life, this lot was in more of a “what once was” state being dirt and foundations of former structures. So some creative license had to be taken to make an image out of a vacant lot. Appearing as though it was taken from high above, crop-circle like shapes fill the dirt and weeded lot while a girl in bright blue appears to be dancing inside the shapes. Chris’ photograph is a great example of the art of photography to me. The artist saw what was and turned it into his own vision through photography.
Stephen Dreiseszun’s photograph of Block V was very different than Block E. Block V encompasses the construction site between Washington and Jefferson on the North and South and 1st Ave and Central Ave. on the West and East. The very urban scene of high rise construction was captured by Stephen beautifully. The lighting of late evening makes the sky a deep, rich blue while the lights of the street sign and construction crane highlight these urban elements. The perspective captured in the photography for Block V is one that the casual passer by may not take the time to notice. But this image captures what I feel the 26 Blocks project is all about, seeing urban downtown Phoenix at more than everyday street level views and taking the time to stop and notice the subtle beauty of the built environment.
The pairing of two art forms, photography and writing, has resulted in a show that speaks to a broad audience. The art lover, the lover of the written word, the urban dweller, the suburban admirer of the urban environment and fans of a diverse and dynamic city such as Phoenix.
26 Blocks is on Tour through the remainder of the year at venues around the Valley. This is a unique project that is well worth seeing regardless of which of those categories you fall into, or even if you fall far outside of those categories. Check for tour dates and locations and make sure you see the 26 Blocks exhibit before it is gone.
I wrote about the 26 Blocks exhibit when it opened last month. The project involves pairing 26 of the best photographers in the Phoenix metro area with 26 of the best writers and assigned the duos one of 26 downtown Phoenix city blocks. Their assignment was to capture their assigned block’s past, present or future in one photograph (with up to four images in it) and 500 words.
I missed the opening of the exhibit, but now the exhibit is beginning a tour of the city and will be displayed at various venues arounand runs from 5:30 to 7:30. As an added bonus, the opening of the exhibit coincides with the first public unveiling of the College of Medicine’s renovation of the old Phoenix Union High School into their Phoenix campus. So you have a chance to see a great photography exhibit and an architectural restoration of a historic Phoenix building.
On Friday, May 7th, at the After Hours Gallery in downtown Phoenix, a unique art project entitled 26 Blocks will be unveiled. The project has paired 26 of the best photographers in the Phoenix metro area with 26 of the best writers and assigned the duos one of 26 downtown Phoenix city blocks. Their assignment was to capture their assigned block’s past, present or future in one photograph (with up to four images in it) and 500 words. Sculptor, Rafael Navarro joined the writers and photographers as well to combine the essence of the entire 26 Blocks into one work of sculpture.
I have spent some time perusing the 26 Blocks web site (which in itself is pretty well done) and this looks like a very exciting project. It combines three things I love, photography, writing and downtown, urban environments. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this exhibit. If you miss opening night on Friday the project will be on display at the After Hours Gallery from May 7th through the 31st before it goes on a tour of Phoenix (tour details are still to be announced).
With the recent death of Jim Marshall, a highly regarded photographer who documented much of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, interest in the photography of that era has been on the rise. Photography played a significant role in documenting the Civil Rights struggle and bringing it to the forefront of America’s consciousness. The New York Times recently published Civil Rights Battles, in Black and White by David Gonzalez on their blog Lens as a tribute to the photography of the era and its role in the movement. Well worth checking out.
Although well known for his photography of the great American national parks such as Yellowstone, Ansel Adams also has a strong connection to Arizona. He was one of the founders of the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, one of the largest archives of Adams’ work; he was often published in Arizona Highways magazine; and he often photographed the wonders of Arizona from the San Xavier Mission near Tucson to the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly.
The Phoenix Art Museum, in collaboration with the Center for Creative Photography, is presenting an exhibit of Ansel Adams’ photography entitled “Ansel Adams: Discoveries.” The exhibit features 120 photographs spanning the lifetime of Adams as well as documents from his personal archives.
Adams is best known for his sweeping landscape photography. But this exhibit highlights his work in the architectural photography realm as well as some portraiture he did during his career in addition to his well known nature and landscape work. It traces his relationship with Arizona Highways magazine and Eastman Kodak as well. But more than that, it presents Adams’ personal photography philosophies such as his concept of careful seeing – observing the subject in careful detail and truly seeing all that it had to present – as well as his struggles with and ideas on working with color photography.
This is a very well done exhibit of the full spectrum of Ansel Adams’ work and life. It runs at the Phoenix Art Museum until June 6, 2010. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults. But if you go on a Wednesday nights from 3 pm to 9 pm it is free.
Time is running out on this exhibit. But if you are in the Phoenix area and have some free time during the holidays it is well worth visiting. The Phoenix Art Museum has a partnership with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ to exhibit some of the 3.8 million archival items and 80,000 fine prints in their collection.
The Face to Face, 150 Years of Photographic Portraiture exhibit runs until January 10, 2010. It is not a huge exhibit with about 70 portraits. But it includes work by some well known portrait photographers such as Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, and Diane Arbus. The exhibit presents early portraiture from the 1800s up to modern times. It is a very well done display of some of the best of the best when it comes to portrait photography and well worth a trip to the Phoenix Art Museum.
As a bonus, the museum itself is a piece of art. It is a modern building with lots of concrete, glass and steel. The lines and structure of the building are a great compliment to the art it houses. I did not get a chance to photograph the museum or its grounds on this visit, but I plan to go back to see what kind of images I can capture.
I came across the Fraenkel Gallery recently thought I should share. If you have not heard of the gallery, as I hadn’t, it has been one of the top galleries focusing on photography in the US since 1979. It is located in San Francisco and has (and does) feature photographers such as Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, and Lee Friedlander. The galleries on their website are well worth spending some time going through and being inspired by.
If you have any interest in photography you undoubtedly know who Ansel Adams is. His landscape photography, particularly of the Southwestern US, is world renowned. So if you are in the Southwest between now and February 14, 2010 you have a great opportunity to check out an exhibit at the Tucson Museum of Art featuring more than 100 of his photographs.
Ansel Adams has ties to Tucson through the Center for Creative Photography that he co-founded at the University of Arizona in 1975. A trip to Tucson to see the exhibit and then take in the Center for Creative Photography would be well worth it. If you have extra time to spend in Tucson bring your camera and check out some of these top spots for photography in Tucson.
Red Headed Woman. 2008 © All rights reserved Daniel Gordon 2009
Should you happen to be in or near New York City the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) opened its annual contemporary photography exhibit New Photography on September 30th. It runs through January 11, 2010. The exhibit features the work of six young artists whose styles range from abstract to representational. The exhibit attempts to answer the question “what it means to make a photograph in the twenty-first century.” The six artists displaying their work in this installation are, Walead Beshty, Daniel Gordon, Leslie Hewitt, Carter Mull, Sterling Ruby, Sara VanDerBeek.
For those of us in Phoenix the Phoenix Museum of Art has a portrait photography exhibit in place until January 10, 2010. Face to Face: 150 Years of Photographic Portraiture examines the photographic portrait. According to the museum’s site it explores “the stories portraits can tell, the ways photographers convey the essence of their subjects and the impact of the relationship between photographer and subject.“
