Juror's Statement: Andy Adams

As expected, the submissions for this inaugural juried exhibition were ripe with complex visual ideas from a wide variety of image-makers working throughout the United States. Narrowing my selections wasn’t easy, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to play a small part in exposing the work of this year’s Steenbock Gallery photographers with the Madison public.

The hope in a call-for-entries exhibition like this is that the photo community responds with a diversity of images that present a wide range of photographic perspectives. I’m pleased to report that this show delivers in spades. There are photographs from many regional artists, but also from image-makers based in Florida, Arizona, New York and Tennessee. Despite their differences, these photographers are inspired by a curiosity that transcends subject matter to present an enlightened way of seeing our modern culture.  

These eighteen artists explore a diversity of themes, styles and genres in their respective projects and each of them is driven by a passion to explore the world ­by considering it through their camera’s lens. Not bound by a formal theme, I approached this assemblage with a free-form attitude — each image representative of its maker, a taste of what's available, should the viewer wish to pursue the work further.  

If you like what you see here, I hope that you’ll make time to learn about these artists; many of them maintain personal websites where you can follow their ongoing series work. And the Steenbock Gallery team has published a succession of stories about each of these photographers in their gallery blog at SteenbockCPM.blogspot.com that supplements this physical exhibition. I welcome you to consider these images not as an end result, but rather, a starting point for further discovery. Enjoy! 

Andy Adams

FlakPhoto.com

February 2011

NJE photographer: Carsten Meier

Our final photographer is also our photographer with the most pieces (three!!) accepted into the exhibit by Andy Adams. An Assistant Professor of Photography at the University of Miami, German-born photographer Carsten Meier travels the globe in search of the natural and the manmade, the quiet and the stunning.  His photography is stark, while his images are lush, and his large prints lure you in close to study and absorb the details.

Claustra No.4, Okertalsperre, Germany 2010, 

archival inkjet print from 8x10 color negative scan,  44" x 53 [$980]

 

Habitat No. 1, Vorre Ridge 2009, 

archival inkjet print from 5x7 color negative stitch,  44" x 87" [$1800]

Claustra No.3, Walters Dam, North Carolina 2010

archival inkjet print from 8x10 color negative scan,  44" x 53 [$980]

Please be sure to visit Carsten's website at CarstenMeier.com and see what his students are creating here.

Carsten gets a late evening post because we've been busy at the gallery today accepting and opening all of the GORGEOUS work. We hope you're as excited as we are about this show, and that seeing the pieces selected and meeting the artists who created them has whetted your appetite for the exhibit.  After opening all of the pieces at the Gallery today, we're so proud to have this amazing group of photographers become a part of our history at the Steenbock.

The National Juried Exhibition opens (at long last!!) on Monday, February 28 and will run until April 8. We're having a party on March 4 from 6-9pm, and would love to see you there!

NJE photographer: Elizabeth W. Parker

While we've met photographers with a variety of other interests and careers, today's profiled photographer Elizabeth W. Parker has got to be one of the most versatile we've met.  Currently President of Isla Catalog and IslaOnline.com, Elizabeth has experience in marketing, education and finance. A former vice-chair at the Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Elizabeth now lives and works in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Old Man, digital inkjet print, 12" x 16" [$150]

Connect with Elizabeth on her LinkedIn profile, and come back tomorrow to meet our final photographer.  The exhibit opens Monday, February 28 and runs until April 8 with an opening reception scheduled for March 4 from 6-9pm.

NJE photographer: David Schalliol

Our double feature today is courtesy of Chicago photographer David Schalliol.  David is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago and his photographic work seem to revolve tightly around his research in that department.  Neighborhoods, buildings, inhabitants and structure are all at the core of David's work, as he studies neighborhoods around Chicago and the rest of the country, and how government agencies are gentrifying areas and how residents of those areas are adapting to the changes that inevitably follow. The two pieces selected for the National Juried Exhibition are not from projects featured on David's website, but his aesthetic stay strong and consistent regardless of whether he's shooting in his city or on a larger national scope.

Residential Building (Camden, New Jersey),
digital chromogenic print, 20" x 30" [$750]

Perlman Place (Baltimore, Maryland),
digital chromogenic print, 20" x 30" [$750]

In addition to school and shooting, David is the Founder and Editor of metroblossom and Managing Editor of Gapers Block.  Make some time to visit David's website at www.DavidSchalliol.com - you'll learn a lot and see some stunning research.

See all of the work in person at the Steenbock Gallery; the National Juried Exhibition opens Monday, February 28 and runs until April 8 with an opening reception scheduled for March 4 from 6-9pm.  We want to see you there!!

NJE photographer: Samantha VanDeman

Illinois photographer Samantha VanDeman is a frequent Steenbock contributor.  We first met Sam when we accepted her for a solo exhibition of her work FRAGMENTS FROM THE PAST in 2009.  Her new work, LOST SCHOOLS, was accepted again for a solo exhibition coming up in August of this year, and was selected by Russell Joslin for the Seven State Exhibition as part of PhotoMidwest last year.  Keep in mind, that these are only the CPM exhibits; this work is also making its way around the country!  Her work from LOST SCHOOLS is also what Andy Adams selected for the National Juried Exhibition, running from February 28 until April 8.

Music Room, digital c-print, 20" x 26" [$500]

Samantha's newest accomplishment is her new job teaching at the Illinois Institute of Art!  Check out her website at www.SamanthaVanDemanPhotography.com, and maybe meet her at the opening March 4 from 6-9pm, and you'll see why.

NJE photographer: Claire Warden

It can be tricky finding information on the web about photographers, especially when they don't have websites, but Claire Warden is an exception to that rule.  A photographer from Phoenix, Arizona, when you Google her name and her city, you find Claire's work all over Arizona.  While a student at Arizona State University, Claire won the Tucson 2009 College Scholarship, has work featured on HelloPhoenix.com and the Phoenix New Times art blog, Jackalope Ranch.  Claire has curated exhibits with Phoenix photographers, and has been featured in interviews at AZCentral.com. and has donated proceeds from her work to charities in towns she's photographed.  A young photographer advocating for change, we're thrilled to exhibit her work in the National Juried Exhibition.

Untitled #7, archival digital print, 44" x 36" [$975]

Join us at the opening reception to celebrate photographers like Claire on March 4 from 6-9pm, and see the exhibit anytime from February 28 until April 8.

NJE photographer: Elizabeth M. Claffey

Elizabeth M. Claffey is a Texas photographer currently pursuing her MFA in Photography and a Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies at Texas Women's University, home of the prestigious Joyce Elaine Grant Annual Juried Exhibition.  Elizabeth's work has been featured in PDN Magazine, USA Today, the Kinsey Institute and the Dallas Morning News, among others.  The work selected for our National Juried Exhibition is from her current series Blood Work. 

Carey's Allowance, archival inkjet print, 20" x 35" [$800]

Blood Work began in December 2010 as the most recent manifestation of an ongoing body of work that explores the relationship between medical science and life experience. In October 2009, Suzan was diagnosed with stage 3B inflammatory breast cancer. Her doctors told her that the tumor, which engorged her left breast and caused her nipple to invert, was growing at a rate of 40%, as opposed to the normal 5% growth rate of breast cancer cells. We met the week after her diagnosis, just before she began chemotherapy. Suzan's desire to record and explore her journey through images reflects one of my primary interests, which developed in 2008 after my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My mother is now living with cancer, but no one prepared her for that possibility. There was no dialogue in place to explore the emotional and physical transitions that became a part of her everyday life, as well as the new shape of her body and its missing pieces. The difficulty of being visibly sick in a society focused on physical perfection furthered feelings of isolation and guilt that accompanied her sickness. The most recent work from this series is a transition, both visually and conceptually, from a documentary project about one woman's experience with cancer, to a deeper investigation of the cyclical nature of illness. The series also investigates the isolation that can be self or society-induced, the difficulty of balancing everyday responsibilities with treatment, and the effects of a medically sterile environment on one's perception of her/his body as a foreign or feared object.
Visit Elizabeth's website at www.ElizabethClaffey.com for a look at her photography, book arts and installation pieces.

Works are arriving for the exhibition from far and wide, and Gallery staff is preparing to install.  Join us at an opening reception son March 4 from 6-9pm, and see the work anytime between February 28 through April 8 at the Steenbock Gallery in Madison, Wisconsin.

NJE photographer: Lucy Helton

British photographer Lucy Helton is based in Brooklyn, New York and began her photographic career in freelance fashion assisting for Elaine Constantine.  She worked her way through the industry, and eventually worked as a production manager for Head of Production for Ridley Scott's RSA Films. Moving back to photography, Lucy worked for portrait photographers Greg Miller and Grant Delin, and eventually decided to return to school to study photography.  This history is strongly evidenced in Lucy's work about where she came from where she is, and where she's going.  Both of her pieces that Andy Adams selected are from her series Where I Was Conceived.

Callahan's Bedroom, inkjet print from b/w 4x5 film, 14" x 11"  [$250]

Grace, digital 35 inkjet print, 11" x 14"  [$250]

I grew up in London hearing stories of a remote farm my parents lived on before I was born.  Where I Was Conceived is a photogrphic journey which took me back in time exploring this starnge and surreal place, Rockne, Bastrop County, Texas.

Standing on the land my father once owned I felt an overwhelming sense of depth as I watched all the surrounding mammals and insects aggressively try to survive the heat and drought, the wild-fires, and poverty they brought, the ever continuing drug and alcohol abusiveness, the reactive religion and finally the flash floods.  Within that moment I also witnessed a strange harmony and peacefulness occur, I recognized a strong belief in family and after a time an evidence in the roles men and women perform when living in this climate.

My decision to make this work black & white is based on a return to my family's past.  I wanted to be open to all I found and demonstrated this by using all formats.  Large format for still-life and landscape as I could spend time examining detail and really enjoy the slow process.  Digital for action and low light and medium format for portraits.  It's also extremely important for me to try to understand and form a relationship with the people I shoot.  I spent lots of time talking, sitting, watching and perhaps living with my subjects - and in time they got used to having me and my camera in their lives.

See more from this series, and Lucy's other work at her website www.LucyHelton.com. The National Juried Exhibition will be at the Steenbock from February 28 until April 8 with an opening reception scheduled for March 4 from 6-9pm.

NJE photographer: Nate Mathews

Today, we're looking at the work of Nate Mathews, a photographer from Bartlett, Illinois. A finalist in last year's Photolucida's Critical Mass and a part of Catherine Edelman's The Chicago Project, Nate is an adjunct professor of photography at Northeastern Illinois University and Waubonsee Community College.

Sunset, Tree Shadow, and Benches, archival inkjet print, 17" x 21" [$500]

Ten Hexagons, archival inkjet print, 17" x 21" [$500]

All of Mathews work is based on investigating design. In his initial body of work titled Ersatz he was investigating the design of public institutions focusing on how the inhabitants of a space would alter it in an attempt to humanize it. The bench project is a topographic survey of benches with the intention of showing the sheer quantity and variety of one simple thing. In more recent projects he has continued that focus on examining design and started manipulating the design with his own hand through the creation of referential sculptures and by breaking down and simplifying his images. 

See more at Nate's website, www.NateMathews.com and click the NEWS link there for his blog. See the National Juried Exhibition, on view at the Steenbock from February 28 until April 8, and make your plans now to attend the opening reception scheduled for March 4 from 6-9pm.

DAY IN DANE: A COMMUNITY PHOTO ALBUM

Celebrate the 175th Anniversary of Dane County by participating in 

Day In Dane: A Community Photo Album. 

Residents of Dane County are invited to take photos during four designated 24-hour periods during 2011 and submit one photo from each period. An online Flickr photo album will be created for viewing throughout the year.

How to participate:

Take photos during the designated 24-hour periods identified below. Subject matter is open, but the

purpose is to produce photos that show what makes Dane County a special place to live and work.

Possible subjects might include landscapes, cityscapes, urban life, rural life, and people at work and

play. Inappropriate or offensive images will not be accepted.

Participants may submit one photo per designated 24-hour period. Photos must be taken during this

designated period of time and must be taken in Dane County. Submissions will be accepted for one

week following the close of each 24-hour period.

Photos should be sized at 72 ppi with the longest dimension not to exceed 960 pixels, and emailed to

dc175@hushmail.com. Include the photographer's name, contact information (email and phone

number), photo title and a brief description of where and when the photo was taken. Photos will be

previewed by a group of local professional photographers and uploaded to an online album.

The four photo dates are:

1. Noon, Friday, Feb. 25, to noon, Saturday, Feb. 26 (submit photos through March 6)

2. Noon, Friday, May 13, to noon, Saturday, May 14 (submit photos through May 22)

3. Noon, Saturday, July 2, to noon, Sunday, July 3 (submit photos through July 11)

4. Noon, Friday, Oct. 7, to noon, Saturday, Oct. 8 (submit photos through Oct. 16)

The photographer must retain a high resolution version of the photo (at least 15" by 9" at 300 ppi). All photos will be considered for use on the 2012 art poster produced by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission and also for inclusion in a photo album to be placed in a time capsule for a future generation. This version SHOULD NOT be emailed with the initial submission. You will be contacted if

your photo is chosen for one of these projects. Copyright remains with the photographer at all times, however Dane County reserves the right to use submitted photos in conjunction with 175th Anniversary Events.

For further information visit the Dane County website.

Sponsored by Dane County, 210 Martin Luther King Blvd., Madison, WI 53703

NJE photographer: Kate Wichlinski

Over the last two weeks you've met artists from all over Wisconsin, our remaining two weeks of profiles will introduce us to artists from around the country, who will be shipping their works to the Steenbock from near and from far. Our first non-native artist, from Memphis, Tennessee is Kate Wichlinski.

Self-Portrait, inkjet print on bamboo paper 16" x 20" [$200]  

My photographs, using the stylistic conventions of the documentary, work to subvert the format and complicate it with my own vision, my own story. For my work, photography is the ideal medium because of its powerful claim to reality. I create images working in documentary style; I do not usually have preconceived images in my head, but conceptual outlines only.

See more of Kate's stunning work at KateWichlinski.com and check out her photo book Confluence, available at Blurb. The Nation Juried Exhibit is running from February 28 until April 8, with an opening reception scheduled on March 4 from 6-9pm.  See you then!!

NJE photographer: James Meldrum

Today we profile our final Wisconsin photographer selected for the National Juried Exhibition, James Meldrum.  James is another photographer absent from the Internet, but busy in exhibits around the state like the CoPA 4th Annual Juried Exhibit, the Monroe Art Center and the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator.

Contours, silver gelatin print, 14" x 11"  [NFS]

Come back on Monday to see what photographers from the rest of the nation are up to, and join us at the exhibit opening March 4 from 6-9pm!  Happy weekend, everybody!!

NJE photographer: Vicki Reed

Vicki Reed is an explorer of land, of home and of process.  This Wisconsin photographer surveys the land of her birthplace in Maine as well as the Wisconsin landscape to create images with alternative processes that capture a nostalgic tone that is hard to come by in most contemporary photography.

Ghost Marsh, lith silver gelatin print, 12" x12"   [$300]

Lith printing is a time intensive, sometimes frustrating but potentially addictive alternative printing process. This technique that involves greatly overexposing a photographic print and then only partially developing it in Lith developer is widely known in Europe and is gaining popularity in the US. It results in prints that often have soft warm highlights adjacent to cool, dark, gritty tones. Photographs can range from soft, smooth, warm-toned images to very cool, textured images. The varied results (color and texture) are determined by the initial exposure, the temperature, dilution and maturity of the chemicals, and the characteristics of the paper used. The process is known for creating images that are very difficult to duplicate. However, with practice and meticulous note taking it is possible to produce similar but not identical prints.

Begin your own exploration at www.VickiReed.com and see the work at the Steenbock Gallery. The National Juried Exhibition runs from February 28 until April 8, with an opening reception scheduled for March 4, from 6-9pm. 

NJE photographer: Ted Hamm

Sheboygan photographer Ted Hamm, though curiously absent from the world wide web, is an active exhibitor in the Coalition of Photographic Arts  and Sheboygan Visual Arts events. Most recently a part of the 4th Annual CoPa Juried Show, Ted's calming landscape work belies his work day as Administrator at the 'Etude High School for the Arts and Academics in Sheboygan.

Ferns, James Homestead Trail, silver gelatin print, 17" x 21" [$290]

We are pleased to welcome Ted to the Steenbock!!

Come see Ted's work in person at the exhibit from February 28 until April 8.  Who knows, maybe you'll even MEET Ted at the opening reception, scheduled March 4 from 6-9pm.  Sheboygan's not that far....

NJE photographer: William F. Lemke

Andy Adams selected twenty-four pieces for our National Juried Exhibition, from eighteen photographers.  Wisconsin landscape photographer Bill Lemke is one of the artists who had multiple pieces chosen for exhibition.

Joshua Tree 2, silver gelatin print, 22" x 28"  [$425]

East of Ross Point Ontario, silver gelatin print, 22" x 28" [$425]

I choose to photograph in black and white because it encourages me and the viewer to concentrate on texture, tonality and the emotional qualities of light. My images are created using either a 4"x5" or 8"x10" film camera. This is followed by traditional however tedious photographic darkroom processes, making silver gelatin prints. Each print is individually exposed and hand processed following archival standards set forth by Ansel Adams.

My interest in landscapes began with the many trips I took with my family growing up in the 1960's; typically trips out west. Through these trips, I developed a great appreciation for the beauty offered in unique plants, water and rock formations. While in high school, I took my first graphic arts class which included a unit on photography. This class forever changed my life; I knew my career and my life would be spent making photographs. I went on to study photography first formally, then informally while I gained experience in both fine art and commercial photography.

Learn more about Bill at his website, www.BillLemke.com.

See Bill's work along with the work of seventeen other talented American photographers at the exhibit, opening February 28 and running until April 8.  Come to the opening on March 4 from 6-9pm and maybe meet a few too!!

NJE photographer: Paul Thoresen

Today's photographer is the inimitable Dr. Paul Thoresen. Paul does it all.  Paul is a Madison-area psychologist.  He is always off to meditation workshops and zen retreats, which help him, as Steenbock Committee chairman, to keep this committee on task and on key. He serves on the board of the Center for Photography at Madison.  Paul is also, aside from all of that, a stunning photographer.  To say that he creates photographs of cows sorely undermines the work that Paul actually creates, and his work has been part of a variety of group shows at the Steenbock and beyond.

Milk Vessels 2, digital print, pigmented ink on cotton rag, 20" x 26" [$250]

Paul has a website, but it's for his practice.

Please make your plans now to attend the opening reception for this exhibit March 9 from 6-9pm.  Can't make it to the reception?  The exhibit is up from February 28 until April 8.

NJE photographer: Justin Nolan

Our final photographer profiled this week is Justin Nolan.  Justin is a Wisconsin photographer, who has a list of corporate clients including Lands End, Trek, Motorola and American Girl. The piece selected for our the National Juried Exhibit is from Justin's Environment series, images of the interactions of landscape and manmade forms.

Prison, color photograph, 18" x24" [$500]

See more of Justin's personal and professional portfolios at JustinNolan.com, and be sure to come back next week to meet more artists.  

The exhibit opens February 28 and runs until April 8, with an opening reception scheduled for March 4 from 6-9pm.  We hope to see you there!!

NJE Photographer: Nick Wilkes

Nick Wilkes is the third Wisconsin photographer featured this week. Primarily a portrait photographer, Nick often focuses on architecture and landscape, always with the same magnetism.  We're proud to feature one of his landscapes in our National Juried Exhibition.

White Dome, digital inkjet print, 12" x 42" [$1250]

I started taking photos when I was a kid. I've stopped a bunch of times over the years due to hopelessness, weariness, and/or lack of funds, but I always seem to get back on the horse. Depressing a shutter button is a visceral feeling for me, maybe like landing an uppercut or slicing a tomato is for somebody else. I think we all have something that makes us feel sharp and vivid and alive; photography is one of those somethings for me.

Some people are experts, but I am not. I am a dabbler, a gerrymanderer, a jack-of-some-trades. Though I have spent years photographing, I have not cut out an area of particular interest and expertise. I do have preferences: I prefer working with passionate, positive people. I prefer strong contrast, less focus on color and more on line, shape, and form. I prefer bright, clear eyes in a photograph than just about anything else... that, or maybe a desolate, abandoned doorway nobody has stepped though in years. When given the choice, I go for naked, traditional, and natural over garnished, modern, or contrived. Simple and raw moments are my favorites to capture.

Visit Nick's website at www.NickWilkesPhotography.com for more stunning work, and come back tomorrow for the final artist profile this week!

The exhibit opens on February 28 and runs until April 8.  Join us at the opening reception March 4 from 6-9pm at the Steenbock Gallery, 1922 University Avenue in Madison WI.

NJE photographer: Gregory Parker

Anyone familiar with the Center for Photography at Madison's Photo Midwest, is already familiar with the design work of Gregory Parker.

The look of Photo Midwest is largely attributed to Greg and when you look at the past PMW website, catalog, or posters, you're looking at Greg.  Like a lot of designers, Greg is also a photographer, and his photography exhibits a similar exploration of shape, light and texture that makes his design work instantly recognizable.

Sunday Morning, archival inkjet print, 15" x 14" [NFS]

See more of Greg's work at OneFourNineDesign.com, or more of his photography at his Flickr page.

The exhibit opens on February 28 and runs until April 8.  Join us at the opening reception March 4 from 6-9pm at the Steenbock Gallery, 1922 University Avenue in Madison WI.

National Juried Exhibition photographer: Tonya Tubbs

Today, we're starting our profiles of each photographer selected by our National Juried Exhibition juror, Andy Adams of FlakPhoto.  Andy selected twenty-four pieces from eighteen photographers; we received 282 entries from across the country.

Check back every weekday for an introduction to a different artist, links to their other work, and a digital preview of their selected piece(s).

Our first artist is Tonya Tubbs.

Foggy Creek, digital photograph, 22" x 28"   [$275]

I was born in Wisconsin and grew up there with a brother and a sister. We had a lot of family times outside, camping, playing sports, fishing, etc. So I have always had an appreciation of Nature. I have always been creative, however, not an artist before this time in my life. 
I am married now and have been blessed with five wonderful children that inspire and amaze me everyday. Yes, of course, they also make me crazy sometimes too! I am a normal Mom!  I owe this newfound love of photography to my children. After years of staying home with them, I found I needed something creative and challenging for myself, to preserve the "me" in the "Mom". So, seeing that I had five great subjects around me, I decided to ask Santa for a camera one year. From that moment on you can say it was "love at first sight". I was totally hooked and constantly had the camera in my hand.

I then began to study with a fine art photographer, Peter Thompson, whom had studied with many of the great photographers from the past. He patiently, but persistently guided me into learning the technical side of photography. Since that time, my passion has grown right along side my technical experience. The moments right before making a photograph and the actual "click" of the shutter, are incredible and almost like a time machine. I am momentarily transported to another world, a world of color, texture and immense feelings. It is a sensory overload!  All other distractions from Life, such as kids yelling, To Do Lists, laundry baskets, dishes, etc. are not existent at the moment of my "click". 

The way I find my "subjects" is easy. Whatever catches my eye and stimulates my heart and mind is deserving of a photograph. That is why my "style" is so diverse. I, myself, am very diverse and therefore the things in this world that interest me are diverse. For me, photography has really allowed me to fully "see" what is around me in this beautiful world we live in. Before photography, I didn't really see - I was just looking at things that passed me by.  

So please take a moment to "see" and enjoy my photographs.

See more of Tonya's work at TonyaTubbs.com.

The exhibit opens on February 28 and runs until April 8.  Join us at the opening reception March 4 from 6-9pm at the Steenbock Gallery, 1922 University Avenue in Madison WI.