Tonight is the eve of Review Santa Fe, the annual portfolio review event that takes place amongst the low-slung adobe structures of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photographers from far and wide apply to bring their portfolios, and 100 are selected to bring their projects, both complete and in-progress, to be reviewed by esteemed curators, editors, publishers galleries and their own peers.
Fire, Ise-Shima by Emily Shur
Emily Shur, who attended Review Santa Fe last year, writes about some questions and thoughts she faces with the new body of work, Shizenkan, that she's bringing to the event tomorrow:
As I finish up my preparations for Review Santa Fe and make sure all my ducks are in a row, I get that this is something that will probably come up in my reviews. Am I showing something new or am I just photographing the same interesting things that many before me have found interesting? And does it matter? I guess what matters to me and what matters to gallerists, book publishers, and the like might be two different things. I go into this year's review having the benefit of participating previously, and I am not as nervous as I was last year. I know how I feel about this work. Whether or not my explanations of the project are what my reviewers are hoping to hear, I can at least go there knowing that other photographers before me have made their own personal masterpieces out of work they felt strongly about.
These are amongst the challenges—and inquries—many of these photographers will face, who come from fine art, editorial, commercial and documentary backgrounds as they open themselves up to hearing sometimes-laudatory and sometimes-harsh criticism that can both inspire and sting (but on both fronts is always meant to challenge intent and grow the artist).
After Day 2 of last year's event, Emily wrote:
I can honestly say that after today's reviews, I am officially in need of improvement. The art review is not my normal scene. Stick me in an office with a photo editor or art director, and I'm fine. The work is what it is. They either respond favorably or negatively. The art world is that, and then some....what is the intent behind the work? Why do you take these pictures? The pressure for those answers to be good and meaningful is pretty intense. This is what I have been thinking about all of last night and today.
While the 100 photographers attending the event are entrenched in their own rigorous schedule involving twenty (yes, twenty!) 9-minute viewing sessions, there is also a Portfolio Viewing session free and open to the public, where you can go and view the works of this talented bunch.
Review Santa Fe Portfolio Viewing
When: Friday, June 4, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, 100 Sandoval St., Santa Fe, NM
Cost: Free and open to the public
Untitled from the series Custom Machinery by Joseph O. Holmes
There are quite a few JBP photographers bringing new and continuing bodies of work to Santa Fe, so while you're out there, be sure to keep a special eye out for these photographers and their projects:
Alejandro Cartagena: Fragmented Cities; Views of Suburbia Mexicana 2006-2009
Emily Shur: Shizenkan
Joseph O. Holmes: Custom Machinery
Lacey Terrell: The Passing Ring 1996-2010
If you're not lucky enough to be out in the Southwest, CENTER has released the names of the 100 selected photographers whose portfolios will be reviewed, which you can also view online. There's truly a trove of talent here, so take the time of these hot and humid days to click around.