Sunday, December 30, 2007

tinyurl

Times Square confetti to carry messages

Sun Dec 30, 9:30 AM ET

NEW YORK - Messages and wishes for the new year from people around the world will float down on the New Year's Eve revelers in Times Square when the confetti is dropped.

For the first time, anyone can get a message printed on a piece of the multicolored confetti by visiting the Times Square Information Center or by using the Internet to type a message on a "Wishing Wall Online" — http://tinyurl.com/2c5efd.

The message-carrying pieces will be mixed among the more than one ton of confetti, organizers said.

Messages can be serious or silly, said Tim Tompkins, a spokesman for the Times Square Alliance, which organizes the party.

So far, messages have included everything from wanting to be taller or having a smarter boss to healthy children and asking for the safe return of a child from Iraq, he said. "Peace in the World," reads one posted on the "virtual wishing wall."

"Another person wrote that they wanted their husband to get a green card so that they could join them here in the states," Tompkins told WABC-TV.

Friday, December 28, 2007

grandma

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

new living with a portrait

tentative title (still playing with the titles for this series)
"portrait of kafka (painted by his ex)"

i like this pic better than the other picture i have of kafka in a U of C student bedroom...

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

bird banding

wow...this series is fantastic...
http://toddforsgren.com
--the bird banding series

contemporary celebrity protest


Monday, December 17, 2007

the night daniel fogelberg died

Sunday, December 16, 2007

hello, it's me

one of the best songs ever and it was on the radio when i was in LA with my mustang rental car...just to give you the whole picture.

also, an artist i met at lumpen


who gave me his card, which led me here:

www.ryanvbrennan.com


which made me happy.

i like the living the dream video...

i included the above pic of ryan's work in the spirit of recycling engendered by the previous post.

perceived obsolescence et al


my sis sent me this great animation/lecture on the environment:

http://storyofstuff.com/index.html

pretty well done and accessible so good for forwarding!!!!

also,

i saw 'i am legend' the movie last night...the first blockbuster i've been to see in the theatre in YEARS...thumbsUP! thanks to tavis smiley, my friend andrew and i were both turned on to going in the first place.

until next time, keep the faith.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

gareth mcConnell

and gareth mcconnell, whose two pictures below i really respond to, i think a combo of the top pic gray shirt boy and pink sweater a few posts down is what i want...i saw work from gareth 3 years ago and have never forgot him, but never really looked him up until tonight...some images are at www.garethmcconnell.com/


Wednesday, December 12, 2007

and this one

from ryan mcginley, which is excellent...i don't think for my shoot, but this is the kind of picture that belongs in a great photobook with a blank page to the right of it. btw, his series irregular Regulars is amazing (fans at morrissey concerts), one of my favorite all time groups of pictures. ryan deserves the criticism he gets sometimes, but not across the board, he's too talented.

ps: submit a portrait to me...read a few posts below pink sweater pic

helen van meene


and here is a more constructed image i like from helen van meene, whose pictures (mostly of girls) often rely on a strange sexual tension between girlhood and adulthead in my view but which is transcended in the above image

hellenvanmeene.com

and michael schmelling

who has a great project called 'shut up truth' by michael schmelling which is a vignette of his friendship with the man pictured above...the work is funny, quirky, and sometimes dark and nicely leaves a lot of ends untied. shut up truth i consider a book that is a portrait of a friendship, not about singular images...nonetheless inspiring.

michaelschmelling.com

study time, submit a portrait?


getting in the mood for the spencer elden shoot in january, i thought i'd blog a little about the notion of self inspiration. i am going to try to look at a lot of portraiture between now and then and figure out what i like. the only fine art pix i've made of people have been on-camera flash, so i don't have much experience with working this way...

it has occurred to me that making a portrait of someone whom is 'loaded' with cultural significance might do well to simply be described in a way that is not overly 'produced'.

one image that resonated with me is from an artist named marnix goosens who was included in aic's insight dutch photo show--it is entitled pink sweater and is above.

if anyone would like to submit a portrait to me and why they like it, i'd love it! i don't think many people stick with this blog so i'll be thankful for any submissions.

good news and Good news!

ok, first bit of good news...i saw lavendar diamond perform at the empty bottle tonight and it was fantastic!!! the weather was awful, i was getting a migraine, but i had i lost all my restlessness once they started. she is wonderfully sincere, coyly political, and a chatterbox on stage. it was the best thing i've seen live in a long time...

here she is:


ok, the GOOD News...(after a year of patience) i finally spoke with, then spoke to the dad of, then spoke to the dad of again, then locked down a date (jan 6th) to go to LA and photograph spencer elden, the infamous baby on the cover of nevermind for the self portrait as an artist series. i have 2 hours, which is pressure unlike what i'm use to in order to get a shot i am happy with, but this will be a great learning experience for a shoot whose logistics will feel editorial. and no, i will not be shooting him in, near, or around a pool.

ps: if anyone wants a copy of the picture i am taking sponsorship offers for the expensive/short trip out west!!!


Monday, December 10, 2007

sneak peak

i will be involved in a button show that opens this friday....here is a sneak at my button below. it's a detail of a larger pic i made last year at the MCA when i took a snapshot of Wolfgang Tillmans with his eyes closed. it was much later when i realized i really liked the pic and the endearment/failure involved in a failed attempt at a simple normal snapshot of a 'celebrity' (especially if you're into photo). the info is below, or go to www.lloyddoblergallery.com for info...


One By One

An Exhibition of Buttons

Opening reception:
Friday, December 14th 6-10pm
Continues through January 19th
Regular hours: Tuesday and Thursday 5-9pm
Saturdays 12-5pm, or by appointment

Featuring over 50 artists across the country, 1"x1" buttons will be displayed on the gallery wall and there will be a grab bag of buttons for trading or to decorate the latest evolution of your messenger bag. The purpose of the show is to integrate the community in an interactive art exhibit that allows for conversation on the cultural fascination with buttons, designs will range from text based pieces to recognizable pop culture icons. Artists include Matthew Woodson, Sharlene King, Ellena Chmielewski, Kat Rhorbacher, Carrie Ruby, Mr. Gauky, Cayetano Ferrer, Ann Tarantino, Chelsea Wagner, Luke Drozd, Kristyna Baczynski, Christine Norrie, Christian Rieben, Julia Hechtman, Servando Garcia, Cody Hudson, Jason Lazarus, Pamela Staker, Greg Stimac, Jason Jozwiak, Isabel Urbina, Fox Mulder, Bert Stabler, Chris Roberts, Eric Guerrero, Rachel Adams and many others.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

I believe in Oprah (article excerpt below)...

Oprah tries to give Obama a lift with black voters

By Caren Bohan and Matthew Bigg

...

"When Oprah talks, people listen," said Kimberly Willis Green, 34, who traveled from just outside Atlanta, Georgia for the Winfrey and Obama rally.

"I believe in Oprah and I believe that she's not going to lead us down the wrong path," said Lisa Kelley, 40, an elementary school assistant teacher from Columbia who said she arrived at the rally undecided.

"I'm definitely leaning towards Obama," Kelley said...



Thursday, December 06, 2007

a box of wishes

collecting letters to xmas again for a book project called 'Santa Clause, north pole, somewhere on earth'...

here are two quick pix of a recent letter...if you can't read the text:
'My name is Savannah and I am 8 years
old. I hope you and your elves are doing
great. I have been good all year. For
Christmas I would like:
a box of wishes
microscope to see germs
a fake dog
spiderman 3 movie
a new car for my barbie
love
savannah

the return envelope has no return address, just savannah, stickley, IL



Tuesday, December 04, 2007

researching Harold


below is an invite to a Harold fundraiser coming up on Saturday in Chicago. Harold just happens to be the most important emerging arts residency in the midWEST! start planning your application now...go to haroldarts.org for more info...can't find enough info? email me at jasonlazarus.photo@gmail.com (disclaimer: i am on the admissions committee)



Dear Friends of Harold-


Harold is putting out a record! Come celebrate and help us raise funds for the production of our annual record of musical works created at the Harold Artist Residency.

Join us Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10p-3a. It's $10 at the door, and the show's 21 and over.

Morseland- 1218 Morse Ave
Rogers Park- Chicago
2 blocks east of CTA red line
Free parking in adjacent lot


Bands:
Yale the Band
Vaux Maui
The Indeterminate Melody

Kitchen open 'til 1am!

Food, drinks, and great music! What more could you ask for on a wintery Saturday night!

Hope to see you there,
Harold

haroldarts.org