Pong Field, 2006 by Jessica Eaton

Jessica Eaton

Website: www.jessicaeaton.com

Artist Statement:
My photographic practice is experimental. I draw inspiration for projects from many places, but more common than not there is a referent to photography itself within the works or the processes. I spend a good deal of time thinking about what photography is and let that dialogue lead me to ideas of what it could be. Light, contingency, relativity, time and spatial relations have come to the forefront as subjects in much of my work. I plan my projects extensively, but treat them as experiments, a neverending series of tests. Each time I shoot, the results influence the next step. I often like to leave a lot of space for accidents to happen and am most satisfied with the work when it takes on a life of its own. I want to make photographs that surprise myself, that teach me something, that seem a little like I didn't even make them despite the effort. I want to make photographs that compel one to keep looking. This work was constructed in camera onto one piece of film. Pong Field is an outtake from a series where I dropped 512 ping pong balls from a ledge in studio—each sheet of film received additional exposures exponentially, double and half.

Bio:
Jessica Eaton is an artist currently living in Toronto. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1977, she spent her childhood engrossed in competitive gymnastics, followed by trouble-making.

After giving up on high school, she eventually moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she first picked up a camera. It was love-at-first-developer-bath, and she was taken on by Spotty Dog, a B&W professional lab, where she did custom printing in exchange for after-hours darkroom experimentation and lessons by the lab's technician, Mark. In 2000, she was accepted into the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. In 2002, she took a one-year break to work in post-production for film and television, after which she returned to Emily Carr to earn a BFA in photography in 2006.

Her work has been exhibited in galleries and artist-run centers across Canada, including the LES Gallery, Helen Pitt Gallery, Access Gallery, Blanket Gallery, Paul Petro Projects and Hunter and Cook HQ, as well as featured on numerous photography blogs. Her photography can also been seen in a number of art publications, including Pyramid Power, Patti, The Vancouver Review and Hunter and Cook.

Fragmented Cities, Santa Catarina, 2007, from the Suburbia Mexicana Project, by Alejandro Cartagena

Alejandro Cartagena

Website:www.alejandrocartagena.com

Artist statement:
These images are part of a series that tells the complex story of urban development and its layers of growth and decay. Through my research in contemporary urban theory and by freely connecting multiple routes of explanation, like in a psychological free-association, my photographs represent the causes and effects of new suburban sprawl in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. While I do not overtly condemn these development projects, I openly engage a critically dense examination of the complicated balance existing between economically driven states, and the yearning of a society for a fairer world in which to live.

Bio:
b. 1977, Dominican Republic. Alejandro lives and works in Monterrey, Mexico. He is an artist, teacher, lecturer, writer and promoter of photography. His projects are primarily documentary-based, exploring landscape as well as portraiture as a way to examine social, urban and environmental issues of Latin America. His work has been exhibited and published internationally and is in several public and private collections in Mexico, USA and Italy. He is recipient of several major national grants, numerous honorable mentions and acquisition prizes in Mexico and abroad. He is currently seeking his Masters in visual arts as he continues his photographic projects about the Mexican landscape.

Marisa Aragona

Website: www.marisaaragona.com

Artist statement:
My photographs intend to question themes around beauty and belonging as they relate to identity, the body and personal\domestic space. I work with richly textured fabrics, color and clutter to fill the photographic frame in order to emphasize excess. Within this excess I wish to express one's search for a sense of belonging. I photograph both myself and others in their homes during periods of isolation and transition. In doing this, I wish to reveal a character in the midst of confusion, transition, chaos or even adventure. In these photos, I choose to obscure and dramatize the figure's action or gesture. By withholding identity as defined by the face, I intend to create a psychological space or imagined identity. I wish to express an ambiguous and gendered figure in order to look at desire and the search for one's identity buried deep within excess.

Bio:
Marisa Aragona's photo-based work and installations have been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, Oakland, Washington DC and Seattle, among other cities nationally. Recent venues include Steven Wolf Fine Arts, Mission 17, Photographic Center Northwest, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Her photographs will be published in The Photo Review this year and as a Photo Review Place Winner will participate in the exhibition "Best of Show" at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Marisa received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2005 and her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2000. Currently she is teaching photography courses at the University of California at Berkeley. Marisa lives and works in San Francisco.

And Still We Gather With Infinite Momentum 2, 2009 by Justin James King

Justin James King

Website:www.justinjamesking.com

Artist statement:
One's relationship to place, context and meaning are always in flux and fleeting. The American landscape as a whole has been created through history, mythology and metaphor. Perhaps all we see when we stand in front of the landscape are archetypes: preconceived notions and pre-experienced views. Landscape is a manifestation of culture. Our perception grows out of how we have seen the landscape represented historically and in popular culture.

Bio:
Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, Justin studied at The School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He has always been interested in the landscape and his work continues to focus on its stories and meaning. His work has shown nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of the 2009 Arthur Griffin Legacy Award and winner at the 2009 New York Photography Awards for Best Fine Art Series. Justin currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

A photograph tells a story. But contender Deron Bauman goes a step further, by taking something overheard on the shoot and making it the title caption. The results are inviting, strange, and sometimes comical. By tightly binding words and images together, the narrative aspect of the picture is reinforced. While not as extreme as a jeering episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, this approach suggests some in-built viewer commentary as well.

Words supplement the image to create a second reading, an alternative documentation for the same story, activating the invisible. We become interested in what he isn't showing us, a world beyond the edges of the photograph. Deron points, shoots, and laughs at the limits of photography, while at the same time expanding its boundaries a little further into our imagination.

We're excitedly getting ready to announce our 2009 Second Edition Hot Shots on Friday, but first wanted to let you know about some exciting things happening over at 20x200.

Right now we're offering: 20% off orders of $200 or more until 6:50 p.m. (EST)! Enter code Festivus20 at checkout to redeem your discount.

This discount is only good today, December 16th, so hop to it!

We've also got our brand new gift guide up to help you find art for the sportsman, foodie, shutterbug, wanderer, New Yorker, geek, maximalist, beautiful soul, frienemy, nighthawk, bookworm, nature-lover, colorblind, do-gooder or kid in your life. And, we've also got gorgeous notated guides drawn by our own 20x200 artists. See what Ky Anderson, Jorge Colombo, Dustin Hostetler, Clare Grill, Jane Mount and Mike Monteiro picked out!

The JBP team also made their staff picks -- even though we look at this art every single day, there's lots and lots of it we covet. Take a look at what Sara, Jason, Kika, Raul, John, Jonathan, Jeffrey, David and I picked out to gift to friends and family.

Our drop dead shipping dates to ensure arrival before the 25th is tomorrow, December 17th at 11:00 p.m..

Last, but most definitely not least: we're releasing a gorgeous new edition by world-renowned and 20x200-beloved Starn Twins tomorrow to our mailing list at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. Their last two editions sold out in minutes! Want to get your hands on a print? Sign up for the 20x200 mailing list!

My mom said I could be anything I wanted. Except a cheerleader. I wonder if Rebecca Greenfield's mom told her the same. These photos document the tryouts for NFL cheerleading teams and showcase Rebecca's obsession with artifice and beauty.

At fifteen, when I first began to photograph, I made pictures of friends emulating what I saw in the glossy magazines that I studied and devoured. Later, I became less concerned with fashion but ever more interested in gender and its construct. As a result, I have been repeatedly drawn to photographing all stripes of young women as they begin to define themselves and who they are in the world.

Rebecca's obsession with the social constructs of feminity have lead her to this arena of overt sexual exploitation. Though her photos peer behind-the-scenes into a bizarre world of constructed femininity, they remain impressively unbiased. The innocent moments of worried facial expressions, captured in-between the poised glitter and sex, give life to what was solely a mindless body. Rebecca's camera obliterates the fantasy.

There's also something unexpectedly appropriate about the American flag hanging in the background of this photo. Together the cheerleader and the flag have connected as icons. In this identifiable role, these women are no longer human, but objects to be celebrated and upheld as a common dream by our society. Looking at these photos, I can't help wondering if all girls aspire to dance provocatively on the sidelines. However, this series is ultimately not about cheerleading at all, but questioning today's culture of American femininity. It connotes the imagery and stories behind photographer Lauren Greenfield's series Girl Culture, which investigates and interprets self-esteem in American women today in order to break down the media's illusion. Rebecca leaves it to the viewer to determine what part of this American dream is real and what is a construct of imaginary and traditionally justified stereotypes.

Untitled by Kelli Anderson

You're probably used to seeing Hot Shots pop up on some of your favorite blogs and in galleries across the globe but it's not every day that you see Hot Shots on TV. Later this month, Summer 2005 Hot Shot Kelli Anderson will be featured on the Brooklyn Community Access TV show "Caught in the Act," which despite its saucy title, she promises "is not as risqué as it sounds!" The episode, which was filmed last week, includes an interview with Kelli about her work and life and then follows her on a shoot for her latest project.

All of the photos in the series in question are taken in extremely organized places—library stacks, the supermarket, an office, museum storage, etc.—where you have these long aisles set up for targeted browsing. I take an object from these aisles and retrofit it like a simple marionette, styling it so that it looks alive. Through the analog magic of invisible fishing line, I can then tie up the object so that it looks like it is floating in the space, escaping order.

A previous look into the process of Fall 2005 Hot Shot Curtis Mann (who is also, as was just announced, an invited artist to the Whitney Biennial 2010!) only added to the intrigue of the work but Kelli writes, "I hope that by filming the process we didn't suck the mystery right out of those photos. I feel like it is a very sustainable series and want to carry on."

Make sure not to miss this program, which will air later this month and will then repeat for the month of January. The BCAT TV Network cablecasts on Time Warner, Cablevision, RCN and Verizon cable systems in Brooklyn, and the channel designations vary between the systems. On Time Warner, BCAT can be found on channels 34, 35, 56, 57. On Cablevision, BCAT can be found on channels 67-70. On RCN, BCAT can be found on channels 82–85. On Verizon, BCAT can be found on channels 41–44.

Robert Acosta by Nina Berman

Today is a very proud one for Jen Bekman Projects; Spring 2007 Hot Shot and Jen Bekman artist Nina Berman and Fall 2005 Hot Shot Curtis Mann have been invited to exhibit at the 2010 Whitney Biennial. Congratulations to both artists! As the New York Times notes, this is an even more estimable honor for the participating artists because the roster is considerably smaller this year.

Tree Tops, from the series Somewhere in Israel by Curtis Mann

Both Nina and Curtis have editions on 20x200 and made their New York gallery debuts at Jen Bekman Gallery. We are ecstatic for the artists and proud to have them as part of the JBP family. We look forward to seeing their amazing work in what looks to be a great Biennial!

In case you're braving the cold in Toronto for the holidays, be sure to check out Accumulations at B42 Gallery, featuring 2009 First Edition Hot Shot Parsley Steinweiss and local photographer and sculptor
Keith Bentley. The work displays both artists' love for microcosmic textures and patterns.

Accumulations is on view now through January 24th on Sundays from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. and by appointment.

Gallery Information:
b42GALLERY
461 North Service Rd W, unit B42
Oakville, Ontario L6M 2V5

Untitled, 2009 by Erica Allen

I find myself almost mesmerized by contender Erica Allen's image above, but I can't land on the central reason why. I thought that it might be the graphic composition, the shadows, or maybe the inharmonious shades of green. But I think that it's the way all of these visual elements come together to hold my attention, even without a clear rationale. When I encounter ambiguous work like this I often go to the wall text but the image is called Untitled, 2009.

Erica's portfolio shows rigorous editing, with just two bodies of work presented. Additionally, her statement is extremely brief, stating only that she is "interested in creating and capturing quiet moments of hope and solitude in the urban landscape." Sometimes to say this little is just enough. These images are not burdened by justifying concepts or theoretical explanation, they are mainly about seeing and feeling.

Untitled Gentleman #14 by Erica Allen

Also of note on Erica's website is the series Untitled Gentlemen, a very different kind of work than her urban moments. The images are composites of found studio portraits and barbershop hairstyle posters. When these two anonymous and mass-market forms of portraiture are fused, they create images that are surreal, personal, and emotive.

Erica's work has been featured in print and online at The Exposure Project Blog and Women in Photography who awarded her an Individual Project Grant Runner Up Prize for Untitled Gentlemen. Several more images can be found at Erica's portfolio.

Untitled from Ultraviolet Beauties, by Cara Phillips

Cara Phillips, 2008 Second Edition Hot Shot, is in Miami this weekend showing off work at SCOPE. Above is a piece from Ultraviolet Beauties, a series of portraits created with the same kind of UV photography used by cosmetic surgeons to show patients their normally invisible dermal "flaws." Auerus Contemporary, who will be showing her work, writes that, "[Cara's photography is] highly detailed and enigmatic . . . a fascinating insight into the emotional and technical aspects of the idea of beauty and the industry created to support it."

Cara herself will also be available today, Friday, the 4th and tomorrow the 5th of December to discuss her work and meet collectors. If you're lucky enough to find yourself in Miami this weekend, this is a great opportunity to see Cara's work in person and to meet the artist.

AUREUS Contemporary | Booth 333
SCOPE Miami, Soho Studios, 2136 NW 1st Avenue, Miami
Friday | Dec 4 | 11am–7 pm
Saturday | Dec 5 | 11am–7 pm
Sunday | Dec 6 | 11am–6 pm

The holiday gift season is off to a roaring start! First, don't miss all the amazing offers going on over at 20x200 during the 12 Days of Festivus, where we're featuring twelve consecutive days of new editions embedded with extra-special deals and steals.

While you're in the mode of gifting art, don't forget that photography books also make great gifts. Several of our esteemed Hey, Hot Shot! panelists are also photo book editors and publishers and their publishing houses are offering great deals at the moment.

1. Aperture, where panelist Lesley Martin is publisher, is currently offering 30% off books, 15% off limited-edition prints and 50% off magazine subscriptions through January 5, 2010. The special holiday prices are listed below the original prices, and you can start browsing their holiday offerings right now.

2. Chronicle Books (whose CEO Nion McEvoy is also a HHS! panelist) is offering a whopping 35% off and free ground shipping through midnight tomorrow! Start shopping and enter promo code FRIENDS at checkout.

3. If you happen to be out in Santa Fe, then Radius Books is having a holiday party tomorrow, Friday, December 4th where books and limited-editions will be 30% off. You can also take the opportunity to meet HHS! panelist and Radius co-founder Darius Himes.

Details:
Friday, December 4, 2009 5–8 p.m.
519 Cerrillos (in the old Luna building, across from Hotel Santa Fe)
Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Fortunately for the rest of us, Radius is offering the same great discount through their online store. Just use the code SALE09 when checking out, and get 30% off of ANYTHING through December 24!

4. And, last but not least, don't forget the Deep Discounts page at Photo-Eye. We've already got our eye on a few books there ourselves!

If you know of any other photo book specials happening during the holidays, please do let us know in the comments below.

Pong Field, 2006, by Jessica Eaton

The camera is a complex and somewhat mysterious tool that translates experience into two-dimensional imagery. For many photographers, it is simply the means to an end: photographs. For others, such as contender Jessica Eaton, the camera's unique properties and possibilities define her entire practice. Her works, which are each created in-camera onto a single piece of film, deal largely with the deconstruction of and experimentation with the medium of photography itself.

Jessica writes,

I plan my projects extensively but as experiments, a neverending series of tests. Each time I shoot the results influence the next step. I often like to leave a lot of space for accidents to happen and am most satisfied with the work when it takes on a life of it's own. I want to make photographs that surprise myself, that teach me something, that seem a little like I didn't even make them despite the effort. I want to make photographs that compel one to keep looking.

In an age where it's possible to snap thousands of digital photographs at a time with little to no cost, Jessica's intent to build up layers of slow experimentation is both heartening and visually arresting. Her dedication to the process is such that instead of filling out a bio she included extended notes on the recipe for each of her images.

Pinholes 12, 2009, by Jessica Eaton

She writes,

Pinholes 12 again uses in-camera masking, in this case the masks are made by hand, pin pricking sheets of paper into screens. Pinholes 12 is one of the first photographs where an image is visible, the previous attempts show only very abstract spots of colour in a sea of black. As I continue to shoot these works and make changes to the masks and exposures the indexical referent, the 'something' that I am photographing, resolves. Viewed as a series (they are meant to be large prints as they visually change with physical proximity) and with regard to the process of making these photographs they posture or dramatize colour photography itself. On the one hand the early colour efforts such as the Autochrome Lumière or likewise modern grain, on the other the mediums constant quest for an ever clearer or acurate image, applicable to both photography proper and digital sensors.

If the name Jessica Eaton sounds familiar to you, it may be because she is one of the thirty-six artists whose work currently graces the walls of the Mixtape exhibition at Jen Bekman Gallery. Or, perhaps you're a proud owner of her 20x200 edition Filter Samples.

You can check out more of Jessica's work at her website, or stop by the gallery to check it out in person.

Direct Object #03 by Jon Sheridan

Since we've postponed the announcement of the 2009 Second Edition Hot Shots to December 18th, that gives us ample opportunity to continue blogging about the impressive contenders that have entered this round. Keep checking back here, on Flickr and on Facebook to see their work over the next few weeks.

Today we take a look at contender Jon Sheridan. Jon makes a syntactic analogy with photography in his series Direct Objects: "In language, the verb acts upon the direct object. Here, the interventions of my photography act upon the direct objects in the picture," he says. Using a "forensic" approach, Jon seeks out quotidian items found at construction sites, loading docks and smoke-break corners. These Direct Objects are lit and grounded to emphasize that favorite quality of cultural theorists, their "thingness." Here, this impermanent coffee cup emerges as a uniquely sculptural object among the hard, angular wall and electricity boxes.

We wrote about Jon's series How to Fix a Campground here on the blog during the last round of competition, and you can also see more at his website.