AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: IL VIAGGIO DI VETRI DATE: 9:36 PM ----- BODY:

The book has been out for a bit. Just wanted to let everyone know that it feels fuckin good to finally have this book completed. Couple of my chef friends have looked at it- Matt from Joel, James from Le Bernadin, Justin -chef from The Box, all seem pleased, so it that makes me think it doesn't suck.

The project was simple and complex, just like the food. We generally would shoot super rustic style outside Marc's restaurant or in the dining room next to the windows. Thanks to Marc for breaking my balls to get the best out of me, pushing everyone to not compromise and sell out. Something that I am quite pleased with is that 99% of the images in the book were shot on film with natural light.

Labels: , ,

-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: THE FEDERAL RESERVE, WALL STREET, BANKSY DATE: 4:47 PM ----- BODY:


When the world was coming to an end a few weeks ago- up went this piece a block away from La Colombe. Quite amazing- my friend David Guinn who is a rad painter and muralist was impressed by the size of the piece and the gestural quality. I have to say I have become quite a fan of Banksy. He is one of the few people I know that was able to publicly express the outrage of the American people in a public space in a timely manner. I love it when the banking system suddenly gets socialism when they need the big bailout! Privatize the profits and socialize the losses...
-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: EL GUITAR HERO DATE: 6:07 PM ----- BODY:


Do you know when you've mastered the highest level of guitar hero and after picking up smashed plastic schrapnel off the kitchen floor- you ask yourself, "What next?" Well my friends, come by next Thursday to see the kid who has got chops! See the light of Jesus (pronounced HAY SEUSS) emit out of this man's fingertips. Carlos Cuestes of Colombia will be performing at NYC LA COLOMBE this Thursday Oct. 16th @ 8pm. The program will exist of new contemporary works of latin american composers that will blow your f'n mind!
-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: UTINGA! DATE: 5:52 AM ----- BODY:


Recently came back from a trip to Brazil that was somewhat life changing. It solidified much of what I knew was true with the coffee world, but brought a new perspective to how I view the farmer. The coffee farmer's work ethic, soul, and passion for life is huge. The only things that are huge in the states happen to be our levels of insatiable materialistic consumption. The farmers have nothing, but that allows them a level of freedom that is hard to attain here in the states. What can you do? Slow the fuck down, be kind, don't be a douche, treat every single fuckin person with respect. I should listen to myself sometimes...
-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: BUSH WTF? DATE: 6:27 AM ----- BODY:

JUST WENT AND SAW THE DOCUMENTARY - NO END IN SIGHT - AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS - WTF?! HOW IS IT THAT THE PIRATES THAT ARE RUNNING THIS COUNTRY ARE NOT IMPRISONED? GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND IT WILL CONFIRM EVERYTHING YOU ALREADY KNOW IS TRUE AND THEN SOME.
No End In Sight
-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: Manufactured Landscapes DATE: 12:18 AM ----- BODY:

Just saw Burtynsky in Manufactured Landscapes, a documentary film on the photographer and his ongoing work dealing with man's effect on the landscape of the industrialized world. After the Mao dynasty the agrarian/urban landscape in China was 90%/10%, that figure is now changed completely to 30%/70% urban. The imagery that he deals with is on a massive scale: industrialization, overpopulation, pollution, human rights issues, and the irreversible ecological effects that man forces on the planet make for a queezy documentary. However, Burtynsky's strong view on not vocalizing sides, rather letting the imagery speak is what makes him as an artist and documentarian so effective.
Check him out here - Edward Burtynsky
-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: Silk Screen Posters DATE: 7:21 AM ----- BODY:

My friend Jason over at HeadsofState design was commissioned a poster for the new cafe we are building.
Check them out here THEHEADSOFSTATE!
-------- AUTHOR: wheretherearewolves TITLE: THE SIZE OF THINGS. DATE: 1:09 PM ----- BODY:

I remember as a kid watching those ridiculously kitchy Japanese Godzirra movies on sleepy, stormy days, with mom making grilled cheese and tomato soup. God those were the days!!!

Well this article isn't about lazy afternoon food nostalgia, rather commenting on the current status of contemporary art scene, particularly photography and more specifically, talking about the finances and the business of art and its effects on the "SIZE OF THINGS." Taking a gander at photography's current loved ones there are a number of artists including Alec Soth, Katie Gannon, Gregory Crewdson, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Candida Hofer, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Vik Muniz, Thomas Ruff, Rineke Dijkstra, and Robert Polidori that are taking on works of monstrous proportions that would even make Godzilla blush.














Robert Polidori's current visual anesthesia is viewing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art seems to solidify the idea of big is better. Oh, the mind numbing epicness of it all!
Polidori at the Met

There are many philosophical, emotional, and academic implications in the decision for an artist to create a photographic work large: to create a visual tension and impact through sheer size is the most evident. Would the iconic imagery of Irving Penn's cigarette buds be as powerful if rendered as 8x10" prints? Ever since the mid 80's when Jeff Wall started creating huge lightboxes creating cinematic art tableaux that were derivatives from famous large representational paintings from masters, the size the photographic images have taken, the lush scale and grandiose proportions has been pushed to obscene proportions.

A few weeks ago, I emailed photographer Alec Soth represented by Gagosian Gallery and very gently asked some questions of about why he prices, sizes and editions his work. His comments are posted here on his blog, Alec Soth's Blog.
I respect Alec's work and what he has to say for the most part, but I questioned his gigantic sizes of his prints as just a mechanism to sell his work for more money and I asked him how he feels the bigger is better component plays into the visual integrity of his work. His reply in short, "I understand there is a hunger amongst photographers to talk about these financial matters but I am utterly bored with the topic."

In a recent article in Art Forum discussing the paintings of Julie Mehretu, Christian Haye, gallery director of The Project Gallery in NYC has an equation that sells art by the square foot:

"Can art be priced by the square foot, like carpet? On the stand, Haye testified that the gallery currently sets prices for Mehretu's work in just that manner, using a formula based on the size of the painting: $1,000 a square foot for works over 100 square feet, $1,500 a square foot for works from 50 to 100 square feet, and $2,500 per square foot for works smaller than 50 square feet, with a minimum price of $25,000."

The rise of photography in the contemporary art world has now placed itself on the same pedestal with painters and sculptors. Last year Alec Soth's show was followed only months later by a multimillion dollar Richard Serra extravaganza. In order for photography to take it's rightful place in contemporary art history and in the art market the financial gaps between sculptures-paintings-photographs, has to be relatively bridged.

A collector walks into a Chelsea gallery expects to spend at least $100,000 on art, and is now asked if he is interested in stimulating his collection with 4 photographs for the same price that are from the same series that are hanging in the Whitney. To help photography to command prices that can compete against a Serra, Koons, or Twombly the criteria of the photographic work is not defined by the historical importance of the artist, rather the criteria in question is "Can the work be measured in feet and not in inches?" The economics of multimillion dollar gallerists have dictated that there is a relative equation with size and importance.

Recently, a friend of mine, Emmet Gowin had a surprising exhibition at Pace Macgill in midtown, and the show was simple and beautiful. The photographs were full of wonderous emotion, elements of alchemy, spirituality, created works of one of a kind prints that were painstakingly crafted. I said the exhibition was suprising because the prints were impressively small, fitting the intimacy of the work. The price of the print was dictated by the quality of the image not its physical girth. Needless to say it was refreshing.

Just as modernism and abstraction was a direct act against representation I hope that there are photographers out there that wish to create works that communicate with much power but rely soley on THE SIZE OF THINGS, and leave the work to speak for itself.
-------- WHERETHEREAREWOLVES

Saturday, October 25, 2008

IL VIAGGIO DI VETRI


The book has been out for a bit. Just wanted to let everyone know that it feels fuckin good to finally have this book completed. Couple of my chef friends have looked at it- Matt from Joel, James from Le Bernadin, Justin -chef from The Box, all seem pleased, so it that makes me think it doesn't suck.

The project was simple and complex, just like the food. We generally would shoot super rustic style outside Marc's restaurant or in the dining room next to the windows. Thanks to Marc for breaking my balls to get the best out of me, pushing everyone to not compromise and sell out. Something that I am quite pleased with is that 99% of the images in the book were shot on film with natural light.

Labels: , ,

THE FEDERAL RESERVE, WALL STREET, BANKSY



When the world was coming to an end a few weeks ago- up went this piece a block away from La Colombe. Quite amazing- my friend David Guinn who is a rad painter and muralist was impressed by the size of the piece and the gestural quality. I have to say I have become quite a fan of Banksy. He is one of the few people I know that was able to publicly express the outrage of the American people in a public space in a timely manner. I love it when the banking system suddenly gets socialism when they need the big bailout! Privatize the profits and socialize the losses...

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

EL GUITAR HERO



Do you know when you've mastered the highest level of guitar hero and after picking up smashed plastic schrapnel off the kitchen floor- you ask yourself, "What next?" Well my friends, come by next Thursday to see the kid who has got chops! See the light of Jesus (pronounced HAY SEUSS) emit out of this man's fingertips. Carlos Cuestes of Colombia will be performing at NYC LA COLOMBE this Thursday Oct. 16th @ 8pm. The program will exist of new contemporary works of latin american composers that will blow your f'n mind!

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

UTINGA!



Recently came back from a trip to Brazil that was somewhat life changing. It solidified much of what I knew was true with the coffee world, but brought a new perspective to how I view the farmer. The coffee farmer's work ethic, soul, and passion for life is huge. The only things that are huge in the states happen to be our levels of insatiable materialistic consumption. The farmers have nothing, but that allows them a level of freedom that is hard to attain here in the states. What can you do? Slow the fuck down, be kind, don't be a douche, treat every single fuckin person with respect. I should listen to myself sometimes...

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

BUSH WTF?


JUST WENT AND SAW THE DOCUMENTARY - NO END IN SIGHT - AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS - WTF?! HOW IS IT THAT THE PIRATES THAT ARE RUNNING THIS COUNTRY ARE NOT IMPRISONED? GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND IT WILL CONFIRM EVERYTHING YOU ALREADY KNOW IS TRUE AND THEN SOME.
No End In Sight

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Manufactured Landscapes


Just saw Burtynsky in Manufactured Landscapes, a documentary film on the photographer and his ongoing work dealing with man's effect on the landscape of the industrialized world. After the Mao dynasty the agrarian/urban landscape in China was 90%/10%, that figure is now changed completely to 30%/70% urban. The imagery that he deals with is on a massive scale: industrialization, overpopulation, pollution, human rights issues, and the irreversible ecological effects that man forces on the planet make for a queezy documentary. However, Burtynsky's strong view on not vocalizing sides, rather letting the imagery speak is what makes him as an artist and documentarian so effective.
Check him out here - Edward Burtynsky

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Silk Screen Posters


My friend Jason over at HeadsofState design was commissioned a poster for the new cafe we are building.
Check them out here THEHEADSOFSTATE!

Monday, December 04, 2006

THE SIZE OF THINGS.


I remember as a kid watching those ridiculously kitchy Japanese Godzirra movies on sleepy, stormy days, with mom making grilled cheese and tomato soup. God those were the days!!!

Well this article isn't about lazy afternoon food nostalgia, rather commenting on the current status of contemporary art scene, particularly photography and more specifically, talking about the finances and the business of art and its effects on the "SIZE OF THINGS." Taking a gander at photography's current loved ones there are a number of artists including Alec Soth, Katie Gannon, Gregory Crewdson, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Candida Hofer, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Vik Muniz, Thomas Ruff, Rineke Dijkstra, and Robert Polidori that are taking on works of monstrous proportions that would even make Godzilla blush.














Robert Polidori's current visual anesthesia is viewing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art seems to solidify the idea of big is better. Oh, the mind numbing epicness of it all!
Polidori at the Met

There are many philosophical, emotional, and academic implications in the decision for an artist to create a photographic work large: to create a visual tension and impact through sheer size is the most evident. Would the iconic imagery of Irving Penn's cigarette buds be as powerful if rendered as 8x10" prints? Ever since the mid 80's when Jeff Wall started creating huge lightboxes creating cinematic art tableaux that were derivatives from famous large representational paintings from masters, the size the photographic images have taken, the lush scale and grandiose proportions has been pushed to obscene proportions.

A few weeks ago, I emailed photographer Alec Soth represented by Gagosian Gallery and very gently asked some questions of about why he prices, sizes and editions his work. His comments are posted here on his blog, Alec Soth's Blog.
I respect Alec's work and what he has to say for the most part, but I questioned his gigantic sizes of his prints as just a mechanism to sell his work for more money and I asked him how he feels the bigger is better component plays into the visual integrity of his work. His reply in short, "I understand there is a hunger amongst photographers to talk about these financial matters but I am utterly bored with the topic."

In a recent article in Art Forum discussing the paintings of Julie Mehretu, Christian Haye, gallery director of The Project Gallery in NYC has an equation that sells art by the square foot:

"Can art be priced by the square foot, like carpet? On the stand, Haye testified that the gallery currently sets prices for Mehretu's work in just that manner, using a formula based on the size of the painting: $1,000 a square foot for works over 100 square feet, $1,500 a square foot for works from 50 to 100 square feet, and $2,500 per square foot for works smaller than 50 square feet, with a minimum price of $25,000."

The rise of photography in the contemporary art world has now placed itself on the same pedestal with painters and sculptors. Last year Alec Soth's show was followed only months later by a multimillion dollar Richard Serra extravaganza. In order for photography to take it's rightful place in contemporary art history and in the art market the financial gaps between sculptures-paintings-photographs, has to be relatively bridged.

A collector walks into a Chelsea gallery expects to spend at least $100,000 on art, and is now asked if he is interested in stimulating his collection with 4 photographs for the same price that are from the same series that are hanging in the Whitney. To help photography to command prices that can compete against a Serra, Koons, or Twombly the criteria of the photographic work is not defined by the historical importance of the artist, rather the criteria in question is "Can the work be measured in feet and not in inches?" The economics of multimillion dollar gallerists have dictated that there is a relative equation with size and importance.

Recently, a friend of mine, Emmet Gowin had a surprising exhibition at Pace Macgill in midtown, and the show was simple and beautiful. The photographs were full of wonderous emotion, elements of alchemy, spirituality, created works of one of a kind prints that were painstakingly crafted. I said the exhibition was suprising because the prints were impressively small, fitting the intimacy of the work. The price of the print was dictated by the quality of the image not its physical girth. Needless to say it was refreshing.

Just as modernism and abstraction was a direct act against representation I hope that there are photographers out there that wish to create works that communicate with much power but rely soley on THE SIZE OF THINGS, and leave the work to speak for itself.