And Now for Something Completely Different...

Hi everyone:

I find myself here on a Sunday, recovering from a party at my house last night, and art is on the brain.    I've got some new work to share from one of my current portfolios, but also some work that is a bit different than...well...anything I've ever done.

First, the new but not the completely new.  I recently created a new photograph for the renamed "Playthings" portfolio on my website (formerly "Vintage Toys").  Here it is:

So, as you can see, this follows the general concept of the existing series.  But, to get describe it a little further, here's a freshly worded artist's statement about this body of work:

"In this series, I’ve chosen to represent the concept of memory through objects that are fraught with emotion during a relatively short, but important time in our lives.  Toys are created not merely as play things, but also as a way for children to relate to the adult world.   These memories are then packed away in playrooms, toy chests and boxes as they are replaced by “real life” experiences. But what happens when these toys are given new life in the “grown-up” environments they were originally created to mimic?  The lines between our innocent, child-like selves and our adult “reality” become a bit more porous… and we realize that maybe the world of our childhood is just as “real life” as the one we now occupy."

I've known that I wanted to take this photo for over a year, but I had to wait until just last weekend.  See, the problem is that I don't have regular access to an airport...you know, TSA rules, the fact I'm not a pilot and all those other pesky details.  Last weekend was our local airshow and during that event, they let the general public into the airport facility to see the planes there, watch the events, etc. So, I brought my 1950's Marx prototype toy plane along for an impromptu photo shoot.  I got some very strange looks as I was down on my belly photographing this thing, but it was worth it.  I shot over 100 photos in less than 10 minutes so I could get in and out of there before someone got suspicious, and the one I ended up using was frame #1.  Probably the first time in recent memory that's ever happened.

Now, back to the title of the post.  In this case, the "something completely different" is actually a series of line drawings I did a few months back.  If you read my recent interview on F-Stop (or Medium, LensCulture or Wobneb... pick your poison), you'll know that drawing, for better or worse, had a major impact on the early part of my photo career.  Well, I saw some work by a Japanese artist named Ko Ushijima and immediately became inspired to create my first ever series of line studies.  For about a week or so, it became an obsession and I was doing one of these a night and posting them immediately to Instagram and Facebook to get a some real-time reactions.  Feedback was quite positive...possibly because they're so different from what I normally do, but I'm pretty pleased with how most of them came out.  Here's a few for your viewing pleasure, in case you haven't seen them already:

I've got some additional images in the hopper and hopefully some more exciting news in the next couple of weeks.  Enjoy the start of my favorite month of the year, and stay tuned for some more new work!

-Marc

Just a taste

Hi everyone:

I know it's been a while and I do have some news to deliver on various fronts.  That info will be forthcoming in a couple of days when I can sit down and write a longer post, but for now, I wanted to let everyone know about an interview I did about my work with my friend and colleague Cary Benbow (a great photographer in his own right.)  It's undoubtedly the most in-depth discussion I've ever had about my work, and I'm really proud of how the article turned out.  Check it:

https://wobnebmagazine.com/2016/08/15/interview-with-photographer-marc-sirinsky/


In the meantime, stay tuned for more photographic tastiness!


-Marc S.

Back From The Dead

Hi everyone:

After a promise that I would be better about posting art news here, this is my first post in all of 2016.   Seriously shameful.  I could provide a ton of excuses, but that doesn't really get us anywhere, does it?
So much has happened, it's hard to know where to start!

In June of 2015, Gallery Plan B (my "home" in Washington, DC) closed its doors.  Since then, I've been working on my current bodies of work, and even managed to start a new one... more on that in minute.  I participated in a couple of group shows - the most enjoyable of which was Art Night DC - a wonderful experience with an incredible array of work.  A lucky design firm is now the proud owner of an image from my "painterly" series, and I hope to do the show again next year.

I also just returned from a trip to Italy, where I of course shot a bunch of images.  For this trip, I actually left my plastic camera at home... a first for me.  I did manage to get some other nice images with the other two camera I brought along for the journey.  Many of course were posted to various social media sites, but I held back a few, including one of my favorites:



I photographed this while en route from Montecatini Terme, IT to the old Etruscan city of Volterra.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out - both as a single image, and for the way it fits into my general portfolio of work.

I also finished an image from a brand new series about an hour ago.   I'm not sure where this series is going, but I have some hopes for it and think it could be a nice change of pace for me, without leading me too far astray from my other work:




The image was shot with an iPhone, but using this really cool microscope called a uHandy by Aidmics Biotechnology.  As many of you know, I look to my personal past and as inspiration for many of my images.  The last time I was in Chicago, I visited the neighborhood where I grew up and took some "samples" from a few select locations.  When I returned, I ran some of the samples through a scientific process and then created the photographs from the results.  This one is from the location of a bicycle accident I had as young kid, and accordingly, the image is called "Crash."   I have high hopes for this series, and unlike most of my other work that tends to be on the small side, I envision these prints being quite a bit larger.   We'll see how it all develops (pun intended - see what I did there?)

So, creating new work and looking for a new gallery home...that about covers it for now.  More updates as they become available, and thanks for sticking with me!

-Marc

Keeping the Promise (For Now)

Hi all:

So, as the title of this post says, I'm going to attempt to keep my promise and post more frequently.  I just got back from vacation, I sent out my official new website announcement this evening, so no time like the present, right?  Yep, I agree.

I've been thinking about it and I feel like my blog followers are the truly "special" folks who are really invested in my work, exploits, shenanigans, etc.  And, while I post pictures regularly to Instagram and Facebook, I feel like this should be the place where you get a little something extra.  Maybe it's works-in-progress, a finished piece before the rest of the cyber-universe gets to see it, or maybe something just for you.  I've done this in the past to varying degrees, but I've never made it part of the blog's mission.  Well, now it is.

To that end, while I was traveling last week, I did a lot of shooting.  And, while I posted a lot of images up to my various social media accounts, this one I held back.  Part of the reason is it needed a little photo editing love, and the other reason is I think I may want to do something with it, but haven't decided.  It has no title yet and is hot off the presses, so let me know what you think.

I did a ton of shooting with my vintage plastic camera as well, so expect some new images from that in the near future (both straight and mixed media).  Otherwise, stay cool out there and more to come very, very soon.

-Marc

New and Improved...

Hi everyone:

Welcome to the new and improved blog.  I know it's been a long time since you've seen postings from me.  The reasons for this are many and varied, but its partly because I've been working on providing a better visual experience for everyone - both here and on my website.  While the website itself obviously received a major face-lift, the blog will basically operate the same way.  You'll see updates on my work, upcoming shows and other art-related goodies - but with a slightly refreshed look.

Stay tuned for some upcoming show announcements and other updates.  And as always, thanks for your support.

-Marc

On To The Next One

Hi everyone:

Just a quick note to thank everyone who has come out to see "Man Made" at Gallery Plan B in DC.  There's still a week left for those of you who haven't made it there yet, and it's a great group of work.   The show has been selling quite well in general, and in fact, I purchased a piece myself from the show - only the second time I've ever purchased from a show I've been in.  Drop by if you can... it will be worth the trip.

In the meantime, I'm gearing up for Gallery Plan B's "Year End Show."  This one is just a big art extravaganza... it's a showcase for all of the gallery's artists and it's their largest group show of the year.  The coolest part is that the show is constantly changing because when a piece is purchased, it goes home with the buyer that day and a new piece (either by that artist or by someone else) is put up in its place.   I like to go more than once for this very reason... each visit is a completely unique experience.

Information is as follows:

Year-End Group Show
Gallery Plan B
November 28 - December 24th
Opening Reception on Saturday, December 6th, 6-8 pm

The work is already safely in the gallery, and several of my pieces will be included.  Some work you may have seen before, but others will be new.  The reception for this one is always a great party, so mark your calendars!

That's all for now.  Lots of other new work in the pipeline - so more very, very soon!

-Marc

Too long, but maybe worth the wait

Hi all:

Well, I just took a look and realized I hadn't written a post since April!  APRIL!  Wow.  A few things have happened since then, which I'll get to in a bit, but apologies for being so absent.  Many of you have seen updates via Facebook, so that makes me feel a little better, but I'm going to try and be better about posting here as well.

Lots of stuff happening here, as I'm sure there is with each and every one of you.   Lots of traveling, exploring and photographing has been happening of late, and the latter relates to the main news I'm about to relay.  After all, that's why you guys are here, right?

The first piece of news to share is that I am now fully and exclusively represented in stock by Aurora Photos.  Previously, I was signed on simply to their iPhoneography category.  But, they've made some changes over the past few months and after having some conversations with them, we decided to expand our relationship a bit.   I've been holding some images back until their internal changes took place, but now that they have, I am feverishly providing them images.  So, keep on eye on Aurora Photos in the coming months for some new photographs perfectly suited for everyone's publishing needs!  Ok, maybe not everyone's, but someone's!

The second item on the agenda is to mention that I have an upcoming show.   This one will be with my now old friends at Gallery Plan B, my favorite gallery in Washington DC.  I have 4 brand new pieces I'll be showing, and they are quite different from what I've shown in the past.  And when I say brand new, I mean that some of the prints are drying...RIGHT NOW.  So, if you're a DC-local, come on out for some wine, some art and a generally awesome time.  Even if you're not local; drive, fly, teleport, whatever...!  I'll be there, so stop by and say hello.

Gallery Plan B
1530 14th Street NW
Washington, DC
Opening Reception:  Saturday, October 18th, 2014
Time:  6-8pm

That's the main stuff for now.  Watch for the official show announcement to be posted here in the next couple of weeks.  Otherwise, take care of yourselves, enjoy the start of your autumn (for those of you that are fortunate enough to have autumn) and keep checking back for more news!

-Marc

New and Very Different

Hi everyone:

I can't believe I haven't popped in to say hello since November!  Seeing as how it's now April, that may be a record for the longest I've been away, but I can assure you I have a pretty solid excuse.

For those of you that don't know, I ended up needing carpal tunnel surgery after a very long and difficult project at work.  And since using the computer is what caused the problem in the first place, I needed to take a break from that for a bit.  Creating new work was also not happening for a while.  But, I'm about 95% better now and actually have some new images to share.

Some of you have seen these new images on Facebook, but here is where the die-hard fans (if you're out there) get some background info on these.

First up, we have a re-worked oldie, but goodie:

After the image in my last post, I felt like it was time to experiment with some new techniques. I was digging through some old files and found this polaroid image.  It's one I've always liked and in fact, I did a large 11x14 inch c-print of this image about 15 years ago.   This 669 print seemed like the perfect candidate to experiment with, and here I ended up using wax crayons (furniture crayons to be specific) on top of the print itself.   I kinda like how it turned out...and though it's clearly a one-off, I get the feeling that executing this image may be an important step...because...


next up, we have a piece that could be a new direction for me.

The origins of this image go back quite a long time...probably 8 or 9 years.  The original photo this is derived from was actually a contact print from a pinhole negative.  I also rediscovered this image in my old files, and decided to play with it a bit...cutting it out, scanning it and then putting it through my normal process to arrive at a rice paper print.  But then something happened...the rice paper print didn't work properly, but the remnant ink it was transferred from had exactly the look I was going for.  In every other case, I've thrown those remnants away...it never even occurred to me to use them.  But, in this case, it worked quite well, and from there, I went to town with some charcoal...something I hadn't used since I was in art school close to 20 years ago!  I kind of consider this image the 3rd in a trilogy of work that extends back a long way...both of the others were mixed-media self-portraits of a sort, and I look at this piece in a similar way.  It was a fun experience and I must admit that I'm quite pleased with the results.

I have a feeling that I'll be doing more work like this in the future.  Some fun discoveries happened along the way and this is a method for me to incorporate some other things into my work in an effective way.  I like them, and I hope you do too.

And a promise...I will post again sometime next week...even if I don't have anything interesting to say.

Be well,

Marc 

Flurry of Activity

Hi everyone:

It's been quite a while…in fact, I didn't realize how long until I looked at the date of my last post.  Sorry for the long delay - lots going on and life has been preventing me from creating new work.  But, things have finally begun to calm down and today was one of my most prolific in a very, very long time.

First on the list is a brand new print.  And when I say brand new, I mean only a few hours hold.   I've been planning this one for quite some time…months actually.  It's an image I took while I was in Iceland last year, and as soon as I got the film back, I knew that it would be next in the queue for this series.   It turned into a bit of a struggle, but thankfully the image ended up looking much better dry than wet, and overall, I'm pretty pleased.

I still don't have a title for it…and honestly, I'm kinda open to suggestions on this one.  I've never done this before, but feel free to make some suggestions in the comments below.  As an added incentive, if I decide to take anyone's suggestion, that person will receive a free artist's proof of this image.  However, "if" is the operative word…I still reserve the right to come up with one on my own, but I feel like if someone ends up helping out, the least I can do is repay the favor.

Besides a new print, I also managed to do some shooting today - both plastic camera for the painterly series, and some digital images for the vintage toy series.  More to come on those soon, but sufficed to say, there's lots of new work in the pipeline.

Finally, I'll be showing at Gallery Plan B in Washington, DC again - this time for an end of year/holiday show.   Opening reception will be on December 7th, so all you local peeps, mark your calendars.  I'll post the official digital invite as soon as it's available.

So, start suggesting those titles.  One small piece of advice…I would take a look at my website at www.sirinsky.com to get a sense of how I typically title my work.  Just go into the FOTO portfolio, click on an image and roll over the "image info" tab on the lower right.

More to come soon, and in the meantime, good luck!

-Marc

Shaping Up Quite Nicely

Hi everyone:

Well, it has definitely been a while!  Nice to talk to y'all again.  In honor of how things have been lately, the blogging music today is The Chaos by the Futureheads.  Pretty much sums it all up.  But, lots to report and lots to show you.

The exhibition at Gallery Plan B went quite well…as I mentioned in my last post, there were some nice reviews and the work was very well-received overall.  The work being featured was a select group from my ongoing "Foto" (A.K.A "Painterly) series, and a couple of works sold, including one of the earliest pieces I created.  Positive feedback + sales = a very good first outing at this space.  I look forward to working with them more in the future.

In the meantime, I've been working on this vintage toy series.  It was going really smoothly for a while, but then I hit a bit of a speed bump…a play on words that I shall explain.  The issue I've run into is that most of the toys that have made for compelling imagery are vehicles.  There are a couple of images I've done outside of that which look outstanding on their own, but don't really work well with the rest of the series.  I may need to hold those out for either the next series, or show them as singles. But, a working title for the others popped into my head a few days ago, and I can't seem to shake it…which likely means it will stick.  So, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the initial group of images from the "Vehicular Manslaughter" series.

There will definitely be more, but I'm feeling like this is a good start and will give y'all a feel for where things are headed.  This is my first ever all digital photo series, so the workflow is taking some getting used to.  Instant gratification is not something my work has ever lent itself to…at a minimum, it's been a both a film and digital process, but oftentimes, there is a printmaking component thrown in as well.  But, I'm still agonizing over each and every image, which in my opinion, is the way it should be.

I must admit it has been nice to not have to wait a month for a final image, but have no fear, the other processes and styles of work I've spent years cultivating aren't going anywhere.  This is just a fun little break from the norm.  It's been a blast so far, and I look forward to sharing more of it with you as it becomes available.

Summer is officially over, but the weather here is still nice and toasty.  Go enjoy the last remnants before it's all gone!

-Marc

Review...

Hi everyone:

Just wanted to drop everyone a quick note and let you know that my new show was reviewed in the Washington City Paper.  Check it out here:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2013/06/21/reviewed-photography-process-and-perspective-at-gallery-plan-b/

More news and some new images in the next couple of days...stay tuned!

-Marc

News x 2

Hi everyone:

Got a couple updates to give y'all during a rare mid-week post.  First, and most importantly, I have a last-minute show coming up here in Washington, DC.  I'm pretty psyched...it's my first show in DC since moving here and I love the space and the other artists in the show.  It's a great little spot called Gallery Plan B; and Paula, David and crew are awesome.   The show is called Photography:  Process and Perspective, and as the title indicates, all of the artists in it use non-traditional photography processes to create their work.

So, those of you around the DC area on Thursday, June 20th, stop by the opening to give some love, and receive some back in the form of drinks, refreshments and undying gratitude from yours truly.  Here's the details:

If you can't make it, don't worry - the show is up for over a month and the gallery plans to carry this body of work on an ongoing basis.  So, now you Washingtonians have no excuse.

In other news, I'm still working on this vintage toy series and shot a new one over the holiday weekend. This one is a little different than the others, but when put next to them, it kinda works.  Tentative title is:  Girl With Her Blaster:

For this one, I wanted the ray gun to be prominent, since the series is about toys and all.  But, I also wanted a constructed scene that showcases playtime...but with an edge.  I'm sure that some folks might feel this was solely meant as an anti-gun statement, but in context with the other images from the group, that really does fade away quite a bit.  I can tell you that my oldest daughter Mia had a great time playing with that ray gun...she's normally not allowed to even touch the collection, much less play with it.

More to come as it happens...

-Marc




     

Still goin'!

Hi everyone:

As I sit here listening to my Futureheads channel on Pandora, I'm thinking how nice it is to share news with you on a more regular basis. Despite having a killer cold and sinus issues, I managed to add another image to my new photo series today.  It definitely took a little more experimentation and trial and error compared to the first two, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

I'm sure people thought I was nuts.  I went out to a field by my house with 2 toys - this one and my Hungarian Holdraketa Rocket.  The rocket is actually a really cool toy - it has this nifty piece of engineering that is activated when the nose of the rocket hits something.  At that moment, it has wheels that come down, pushing the rocket to a vertical position…and then a little ramp with an astronaut opens up.  But after a bunch of images with it, it became clear that object wasn't going to work.   As I'm switching to the Apollo 12 toy you see in the final image, a guy comes up to me asking for directions.  Then a guy comes by and gives me a weird look while walking his dog.  I see cars slow down near the entrance, the drivers looking over and then pulling away with mystified looks on their faces.  Move along people, nothing to see here!

The main issue with this shot was getting the perspective right.  I did a whole bunch very, very close-up…basically macro.  But, they just didn't feel right.  I had some showing sky, but those didn't have the eerie factor I was looking for.  Most of the shoot I was laying in the dirt on my stomach trying to get the light and angle exactly just so.  But soon it became clear that the way to accomplish this was to shoot slightly down on it - getting that rocky moonscape feel all around it.  The horizon line was eliminated on purpose so it gets yanked from its original context and feels like it's somewhere else.  This also allowed me to play with scale a little bit, which is quickly becoming a recurring element in this series.   From there, it was a question of composition, saturation/color, and very minor retouching.

Anyway, I hope you like it.  I have plans for more very soon, so stay tuned!

-Marc

Lots of New, Comin' Thru...

Hi everyone:

Well, so much for my stated goal of providing an update every week or two.  I guess that didn't last long.  But, I wanted to wait until I had something worthy of relaying to everyone, and, well, that time has finally come.

Blogging music today is Superchunk...a band I really only got into recently, but wow am I enjoying them.  Scored a hand-numbered 7 inch single on Record Store Day by these guys.

Anyway, I said I had news, and I do.  I've alluded to the fact on Facebook that I was on the cusp of a new photo project.  Well, things have officially begun, and I even have a couple of images to share with you.  Many of you likely saw these on Facebook and came here to find out more, and for that, I thank you.  First, some background:

As most of you know, much of my work centers around themes of childhood, memory and how we construct, contextualize and use those memories.  I've been working on these themes in one way or another for the past 13 years, and the two portfolios on my website address these issues in unique ways.  Each of those series' is a multi-layered, labor intensive process that takes a long time (sometimes months) to arrive at a final print.  And while I plan to continue developing those bodies of work, I started to yearn for a new project.  Several months ago, my iPhoneography started being represented in stock and honestly, part of me felt relieved.  I could just shoot with abandon, do my editing and send the image directly to the agency.  This is the way that most photographers work - and I know this first-hand in my career as a Photo Editor.  But, this method was completely different from the way I've always done my personal work.  Digital imaging for me has always been one of many, many steps in a very complicated process.  I needed a break, and my iPhoneography was providing that - but I decided I needed to develop a cohesive body of work above and beyond a single iPhone photograph here and there. And I knew I wanted these to be traditional photographs...iPhoneography wasn't the answer.

At the same time all of this was going on, I started rediscovering work by a lot of modernist influences - the Bauhaus, William Eggleston and contemporary screen printing to name a few.  And I realized that we all had one thing in common - the idea of "constructing" something that taps into something wider.  Up until now, my constructivism had been subtle...mostly bound up in layers and processes used to create the work.  I decided my next series would have that element right up front for the viewer.

So, a couple of weeks ago I was mulling this over and I started thinking about this vintage toy collection I've been amassing over the last few years.  It isn't a huge collection, but each piece in my mind has a very unique design aesthetic, use, or visual power that gives it an added element besides a fun toy.  And as I thought about those objects, I realized those were the key.  Those items represent something beyond themselves, and using them as a launching pad was where I was headed.

So, with that back story, here are the first two images, hot off the presses.  First off, we have what I am calling "Building Block Runway" - at least for now.

The items you see in the foreground are original blocks, designed by Kurt Naef of the Bauhaus in the 1940's.  Every side of each block has a different design, and the idea was that kids could use these to increase their fine motor skills and creativity by turning them to create different designs.  I always liked this concept, and for some reason, the idea of building a road or runway from these stuck out to me since the day I brought them home.

The second image I just shot today.  I'm calling it "Parked" (again, the title is tentative).

Who doesn't love a toy car?  I mean, really?  Exactly - everyone does! This one is obviously an oldie - a 1950's wind-up tin toy car by Marx.   I was playing with a lot of themes here: coming of age, feeling overwhelmed by your surroundings, and how an object functions very differently when separated from its normal context.  I'm pretty happy with this one...and hope you are too.

I'll keep everyone posted on how this work develops.  I'm excited about it and look forward to sharing it with you.

-Marc

See S.I.

Hi all:

I realized it had been a few weeks, so I thought I'd send a long a couple of recent images.  I have an image in my studio yet to print, but these two were shot on my most recent trip to NYC.  I hadn't been on the Staten Island Ferry in years - the whole dock area has been updated and is way nicer than the dump I remember from my visits during college.  But, the boat still has its old school charm, and I snapped a couple of pics on my way to Manhattan.  I'm particularly fond of this Statue of Liberty image that I shot out the window...

This portrait turned out ok too... I kinda like the contrast of the warmth of the image with his outfit and the technology he's holding.  Interesting that the guy is holding his cell phone but still looking directly forward....maybe he knew I was taking his picture, even though I tried the whole "I'm shooting out the window" fake-out.   Regardless, most of you know that I don't take portraits too often, so this is definitely an anomaly.

So, a couple of images to tide you over until I finish this next print.    In the meantime, enjoy what I'm hoping is the start of spring!

-Marc

The Other Side

Hi everyone:

I feel like every time I write a blog update, I'm apologizing for being away for so long.  I suppose there are 2 ways to fix this:  1) stop apologizing, or 2) write more often.  I'm going to try the second option - I know I've said this before, but as a New Year's resolution (albeit in February), I'm going to make a more concerted effort.  I reconnected with a friend this week that I haven't seen in 13 years, and it was during our chat that I realized I hadn't blogged since December!  To that friend:  thanks for the kick-in-the-ass.  You were always good at that, even if you didn't realize you were doing it.

I'm getting ready to make a new print in the next few days, but until then I thought I'd let everyone know that large chunk of my commercial work is now on Aurora Photos.  Until now, I've never though of my work as appropriate for stock photography.  Truth be told, most of my work still isn't - but I've known the folks at Aurora for over a decade and trust them implicitly. So, when they opened up their "myPhone" collection for submissions, I decided it was a great opportunity.  All of the images in the collection are shot with mobile devices and this freed me up to not only shoot with semi-reckless abandon, but also gave me the ability to submit images directly from my phone to the agency.  The work is very different from my regular portfolios, but there are some similarities in terms of subject matter and style.  Rather than describe it any further, how about I let you see for yourself?

http://www.auroraphotos.com/SwishSearch?xtrasql=&Keywords=sirinsky&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=submit

(or simply go to www.auroraphotos.com and type "sirinsky" in the search field).

For a taste, I've attached an image below that they recently sent out to as part of a promo to all of their clients to highlight the collection.  A shot of my two wonderful girls reading a bedtime story:

Some of the other images you'll recognize from previous posts, and some will be completely new to you.  But, it's been a fun, even if not yet profitable endeavor.  


I hope to have a new print for you very soon.  In the meantime, check out the images I have posted on Aurora, and as always, feedback is appreciated.  Unless it's negative, and then I'll likely ignore it...

-Marc

New New, and Old New

Hi all:

Well, I hope everyone had a good holiday.  I figured I'd try and catch everyone in that sweet spot between Christmas and New Years.  You know, that week where everyone is still happy, full of food, and excited for the new year, but before the long countdown starts until the next major holiday?

To aid in your festivities, I present two new prints...freshly made within the last two days:


#1.  Radio Tower

This one was done on gold metallic paper...the same paper as "Water Tower," which some of you may recall from a couple of posts ago.  The feedback on this one has been very positive.  I even received a couple of comments asking me about the process...which is interesting because it is exactly the same process I've been doing for almost 6 years...with the exception of the paper.  It's almost like people are seeing my work again for the first time, which is kinda cool.


#2.  Big Top



Now this one I had some issues with.  The first couple of prints simply didn't translate...too much texture in the main part of the image and it was almost impossible to tell what it was.  Two prints from the whole session came out to my liking, and while it is still a little abstract, I like the look and feel of it and think it has merit (though I debated quite a bit and had to walk away from it for a day or two before making a decision).  This one was done on the masa rice paper I normally use.  I did try both gold and silver tone metallic, but the image was just too subtle on that kind of surface.

This body of work has now reached 15 images.  For many of you, it probably seems odd that it would take almost 6 years to create 15 images.  But, the photo editor side of me doesn't believe in filling out a portfolio for quantity's sake alone.  I can now look all the way back to 2007 and be happy with each and every image in the group. And that, for me, is a first...being the critic that I am.

I'm hoping to have some other news for you shortly.  In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your holiday season, stay warm and let's all hope for a creative and inspirational 2013!

-Marc

Images, and nothing but the images...

Hi all:

It's been a while - so I thought I'd keep it simple today.  Here's some new work from my recent trip to Iceland.  Hope you enjoy it!

More to come soon - happy belated Turkey Day to all!

-Marc

I come in peace...with new art!

Hi all:

It has been so long since I've posted here, I feel like an alien entering some distant planet.  But fear not earthlings - I come in peace, and with a new print I just finished today.

I've had a few health issues of late, which, combined with a hectic office and home/family schedule, has made it a challenge to put out some new work.  So, I was determined that, when the time came, I'd try something a little different.

Since I last posted, I've been doing a lot of reading about art - particularly about the Bauhaus and other "Modern" movements from the 1920's-1950's.  I studied them extensively in art school of course, and have seen countless exhibitions with artists from these schools over the years.  But, it had been a while since I'd looked at them as a whole - and never really thought of them as inspiration for my work.  And, though drawing a direct line (pardon the pun) from that work to mine is quite a stretch, there are some things that we have in common. The way these artists separated and created definitive fields of color through shapes, line and form has always been interesting to me.  Also, the idea or stripping down an idea to its essence is something I am always looking to do in my work.  

Being inspired, I decided to try something a little different for this image I shot a few months back.  I wanted a new paper/surface to try.  I purchased samples of several choices - cardboard (which I used many years ago), cork and metallic paper.  This paper has a shimmery-looking metallic coating on it - and is about the weight of a light card stock.  This varies a lot from the masa rice paper I've been using for years - both in terms of finish and weight.  In fact, I had my doubts on whether it would work at all. The surface didn't appear absorbent enough upon first glance and I figured the ink would just sit on top, smudge and not take.  Turns out I was wrong:

The metallic feel isn't as obvious in the photo as it is in person - but you get the idea.  The sky and the foreground have almost two distinct color fields - one looking more subtle (one of my friends said like graphite) and the foreground looking almost like rust.  I'm loving this new paper - not sure it will work for everything, but it's nice to have another tool in the arsenal.  And, while not a huge departure from my previous work, it's enough to keep things interesting.

Hopefully there will be more work coming soon - I've got some new film at the lab that I have high hopes for.  In the meantime, consider this a step in the right direction.  I'm inspired, and I hope you are too - if not by me, than by something else.  It is fall soon after all - the season where I always find the most inspiration.

Until soon-

-Marc 

In Da Works...

Hi everyone:

Well, it appears summer has officially started.  Kinda wish we had a longer spring, but beggars can't be choosers!

The big piece of news to report is that I'm coming out with a VERY exclusive, limited edition portfolio of prints.  The envelope/case is being custom made (by hand) as we speak, and each portfolio will contain 6 of my signed, masa rice paper prints from 2008 - 2012.  I'm only making 4 of them, so it's very limited - and should look AWESOME when it's done.  I'm really excited about it, and promise to post pictures of the completed portfolio once it's finished (probably early/mid July).

In other news, I'm ramping up the marketing efforts with Ugallery, so hopefully that will gain some traction soon.  The folks over there are great, and I know both parties really want this to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Otherwise, I've got a new print that's been waiting to be made for a month or two - but I've been distracted with my other initiatives.  I've also got a new roll of film at the lab right now...so hopefully I'll have some great things to share in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

-Marc

PS:  Blogging music today is the album Iron Flowers by Repeater.  If you don't have it, run, don't walk and get it!