Hey, Hot Shot! Entries for Exhibitions

Spring '07 Hot Shot Nina Berman's Homeland exhibition at Jen Bekman Gallery has been extended until November 29th.

Jen Bekman Gallery is pleased to present Homeland, an exhibition of fourteen color photographs by award winning photojournalist, Nina Berman. The exhibition features a selection of images from her new monograph, Homeland, published by Trolley Press, 2008. Berman's first solo show with Jen Bekman Gallery, Purple Hearts, received international attention and acclaim. In a review for The New York Times, critic Holland Cotter proclaimed, "the images add up to a complex and desolating anti-war statement." Berman's powerful, often chilling images, culled over the last seven years as she photographed across the United States, give us insight into the bizarre manifestations of homeland security and the ideologies that have reshaped post 9-11 America. Her portraits of American military wounded in the Iraq War, Purple Hearts, and her award- winning, iconic and devastating Marine Wedding, laid bare the war's toll on its young veterans. With Homeland, she once again pushes us to look at American power and myth as it plays out in the heartland.

Berman has received much attention and many accolades (including awards from the World Press Photo Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Open Society Institute documentary photography fund) for her photographs of the American political and social landscape. She is on the faculty of the International Center of Photography in her hometown of New York City.

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
New York City 10012

Nina's website
Buy Nina's 20×200 editions: 9-11-02 and and G.I. Goat
Nina's portfolio on JenBekman.com
Homeland reviewed in Le Monde.

SPINE
2006

Mickey Smith's star is rising rapidly, and it is fair to say that Hey, Hot Shot! has opened a door or two. Since her christening as a Winter 2007 Hot Shot, Miss Smith has shown internationally, and is opening her first solo exhibition in NYC this very evening!

MICKEY SMITH | YOU PEOPLE
November 14 - December 21, 2008
Invisible-Exports
14A Orchard Street
Wednesday through Sunday, 11-6:30pm

Mickey's 20x200 edition prints:
WORD STUDY
MORE BOOKS
A 20x200 interview with Mickey
Mickey's site

I trust that you are spending some time this weekend completing your Hey, Hot Shot! entry. When you are done with it, though, I urge you to consider submitting something to Postcards From the Edge: a benefit for Visual AIDS.

Visual AIDS is a great group. In college I was sort of in awe to learn that a favorite photography professor had worked with them in 1990-91 and the result was the creation of the red AIDS awareness ribbon. Such a simple symbol. And their annual benefit -- Postcards From the Edge -- is such a simple and spectacular idea.

A $5 donation gains you entry into Metro Pictures, where the gallery walls will be filled from floor to ceiling with postcard-sized works of art. Postcards From the Edge is a benefit show and sale of original postcard-sized work. No artist names are displayed; all works are signed only on the back of the card. They distribute a list of all participating artists, but give no indication of which piece is which. Luckily the list is long, and provides for some good imagining during the usually long wait to get in.

Every piece in the show is for sale for $75. You walk around, have a volunteer write down the number next to the piece you want, someone takes it off the wall, and you go home with a piece you love. And, as a bonus, you either take home the work of a master (past contributors have included Marcel Dzama, Nina Katchadourian, Renee Cox, Mitch Epstein, Brian Finke, Miranda July, Milton Glaser, Yoko Ono, Vik Muniz, Julie Mehretu, and so many more) or of a great "unknown" or emerging artist.

So, you're an artist, you're done with your HHS entry, and you want to donate a piece to the show?

To participate in Postcards From the Edge click here for details and forms. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Wednesday, December 10, 2008.

Visual AIDS is also looking for volunteers to process postcards, to help install the show, to work at the preview party and benefit show, and to de-install the show -- if any work is left!

The 11th Annual Postcards From the Edge: A Benefit for Visual AIDS
Hosted by Metro Pictures | 519 West 24th Street, NYC | January 9-10, 2009

Benefit Sale -- ONE DAY ONLY! Saturday, January 10, 2009 from 11:00 - 6:00 $5, suggested admission Over 1,500 original postcard-sized works of art. $75 EACH. Buy 4 cards and get 1 free! First-come, first served.

Preview Party
Friday, January 9, 2009 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Your only chance to get a sneak peek at the entire show. No sales but one lucky winner will select any postcard! $75 admission includes one raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets $20. Participating artists attend free.

All proceeds support the work of Visual AIDS, utilizing contemporary art for AIDS advocacy and historicizing the work of HIV-positive artists while offering career support.

Congratulations to Birthe Piontek! Birthe will be opening a solo show at Gallery Kominek in Berlin today. The romantic series, Sub Rosa will remain on view through December 13th.

From the press release:

Sub Rosa reminds us of a time, a stage in one's life which could not have been more intimate, and nevertheless exists as a romanticized blur in our mind today. No period in life is so comprehensively enriched with emotions, frustration and high expectations as the stage between our youth and adulthood. Adolescence, the loss of prolonged innocence and the desire to belong and to be different at the same time, seems to be an unconquerable obstacle in the journey of discovering our identity...

Gallery Kominek has also published a book of the exhibition available here.

Birthe's gallery images on JenBekman.com
Birthe's edition print on 20x200
Birthe's website

Documentary photographer Nina Berman (and former Hot Shot! and Ultra) has work up in the gallery as we speak. Nina was generous enough to answer a few questions for the 20x200 blog.

Here's a sneak preview:

How has participating in Hey, Hot Shot! furthered your art career? I had shown my Purple Hearts and Marine Wedding pictures at many venues in the U.S. and Europe, but hadn't had the opportunity to show in a gallery space in New York. Hey, Hot Shot! allowed me to do that very quickly.

Read the full interview here.

I might also add that since becoming a Hot Shot, Miss Berman has received domestic as well as international accolades for her Purple Hearts series.

Fall '06 Hot Shot Shen Wei has a solo show of his series Almost Naked at Kunst.Licht Gallery, September 13 - November 30, 2008 in Shanghai, China.

Wei writes:

"Growing up in Mainland China, I was brought up strictly and conservatively, any untraditional and unconventional ideas of life-style can sometimes lead to misconceptions. I was numbed about the ideas of intimacy, sexuality, and love. Since I moved to the United States, my needs for self-expression has grown. However, my curiosity about how others deal with their identity in what is a fairly open society like America has increased. As a result I started to photograph people and life in America.

The goal of my projects is to raise the question about human nature, about emotions, feelings, desire, instinct and identity, to reveal things that you can feel it, that are unexplainable but yet still solid. I am fascinated with exploring the complexity of emotional nakedness and psychological connection/disconnection, as it is often expressed not specifically but explicitly. Certainly my photography is my perspective and how I look at people and life in America. But most importantly, I want viewers of my work to make their own discoveries and judgments of my photographs."

Born and raised in Shanghai, China. Shen Wei is a fine art photographer currently based in New York City. Shen’s photographs have been widely exhibited, including Griffin Museum of Photography, Seattle Center on Contemporary Art, Zone: Chelsea Center for the Arts, Australia Center for Photography, Lincoln Center and Saatchi Gallery at the Zoo Art Fair. His photographs have been featured in various publications such as American Photo, Chinese Photography, PDN, Vision and La Tempestad.

Shen Wei holds an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from School of Visual Arts (NYC), a BFA in Photography from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a BA in Decorative Arts and Design from Shanghai Light Industry College.

Wei has a blog too.

A New Understanding (Rock), 2007, c-print by Hot Shot Curtis Mann

And not just any show. The phenomenal Dawoud Bey curated Are We There Yet?, a group exhibition of photo and video based work that features Fall '05 Hot Shot Curtis Mann. The show will be up at the Hyde Park Art Center (5020 South Cornell Avenue, Chicago, IL) until September 28.

Be sure, also, to check out Mann's blog.

Critique + Curator, 2007 by Hot Shot Mickey Smith

Winter '07 Hot Shot Mickey Smith has a one-woman show of her series, Volume, from August 30 until October 26 at The Center for Photography at Woodstock, in Woodstock, New York. There will be a benefit auction for the center on Saturday, October 11.

Volume is an ongoing project documenting bound periodicals and professional journals in public and private libraries. Mickey recently moved from Minnesota to New York and she's started a blog too.

Jen Bekman had this to say about Mickey in PDNedu's "One 2 Watch, 2008:"

"Everything about her—how she approaches her work, makes it and presents it—is meticulous. There’s lots of attention to detail, but it’s also not mechanical. And above all, her work is really stunning."

Fall '05 Hot Shot Megan Cump has work featured in Working Space 08, currently on view at the Cuchifritos gallery inside the Essex Market. Go see Megan's work and stop in at Shopsin's and Saxelby Cheesemongers too.

Hey, Hot Shot! opening at Jen Bekman Gallery on August 8, 2008

On Friday night the gallery was packed. The rain stopped shortly before start time so the crowd was, luckily, able to spill over onto the sidewalk and into the street for a lovely evening near the great work of our newest Hot Shots.

Head to PhotoShelter's Shoot! The Blog to read a one-question interview with Ms. Bekman, and check back here for talks with the Hot Shots soon.

It's time for you to stop by the gallery too. Hey, Hot Shot! Volume IV, Edition I is open at Jen Bekman Gallery until August 23.

Installation view, literally, of the HHS show that opens tomorrow at Jen Bekman Gallery. Also, the first photo I've ever shot with a camera phone.

Opening Tomorrow: Hey, Hot Shot! (volume IV, edition I)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Hey, Hot Shot! (volume IV, edition I) | five photographers to watch

Our first Hey, Hot Shot! showcase for 2008 opens tomorrow (Friday) at Jen Bekman Gallery on Friday August 8th.

The exhibition features photographs from:

Juliane Eirich | Derek Henderson | Kate Orne | Roc Herms Pont | Colleen Plumb

Please join us for the opening reception.

Opening Reception: Friday August 8th | 6pm-8pm
On view through Saturday, August 23rd.

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
New York City 10012

Fairgoose by HHS! winner Colleen Plumb

We are excited to announce the five photographers selected for the first edition of Hey, Hot Shot! 2008:

Juliane Eirich
Derek Henderson
Roc Herms Pont
Kate Orne
Colleen Plumb

Please join us for the opening reception for their exhibition on Friday, August 8. The show will be on view at Jen Bekman Gallery (6 Spring Street) through August 23.

We are enormously grateful to our fabulous and hard-working panelists — Michael Bierut, Jen Bekman, Christine Collins, Dana Faconti, Caterina Fake, Stephen Frailey, Raul Gutierrez, Darius Himes, Jenni Holder, Julia Leach, Nion McEvoy, Lesley A. Martin, and Kent Rogowski — and to all of the Hey, Hot Shot! entrants.

With so many of you making standout work, it was hard to narrow down the selection to just five talented photographers. The competition was tough, so we'd like to recognize several artists with well-deserved Honorable Mentions:

Ben Alper, Zack Bent, Kotama Bouabane, Aurelien Chhauvaud, Richard Colburn, Ingvar Kenne, Virgílio Ferreira, Pao Her, Martina Geccelli, Erik Hagen, Nicole Hatanaka, Myriam Lutz, Alia Malley, Stefanie Pluta, Travis Roozee, Andy Sewell, Yisook Sohn, Debora Mittelstaedt, Corinne Vionnet, Sarah Wilmer, and Geordie Wood .

Keep reading the Hey, Hot Shot! blog for more info about the competition, the winners, the panelists, and tips for future entries.

Mouse With Fly by HHS! winner Colleen Plumb

Colleen Plumb
Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois

Website: www.colleenplumb.com

Work statement
My photographs examine the increasing disconnection that exists between humans and the natural world. My work explores simulation, consumption, destruction, and reconstruction. It addresses the essence of our connection, as well as our fragmentation from the natural. The series looks at points of intersection with wild in the human-made world — our coexistence — and explores notions of endurance and the reality of loss.

For over ten years my work has examined how and where the natural world — in real or artificial form — appears in an urban environment. Growing up in Chicago gave me an urban childhood: running through gangways and exploring alleys with my friends. Something more and more kids today don’t experience. Early on, seeds for my interest in nature were planted through lots of outside play, camping trips, and odd pets (our duck named Sir Francis Drake, for example). I am sure these beginnings influence and inspire my work.

I began this project looking at ‘fake nature’, wondering what substitutions for nature can satisfy in people. Looking deeper I began photographing live/real animals and how they can be a link for us to a world far from the reality and pace of contemporary life, as well as provide an intangible link to a deeper world of instinct and rawness. With this series I hope to incite contemplation about the lives of animals and and generate a dialog about resource usage.

Bio
Born in 1970, Colleen Plumb grew up on the north side of Chicago and went to school at the University of Illinois in Urbana; graduating in 1992 with a BFA from Northern Illinois University in Visual Communication. In 1999 Plumb received an MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago where she is currently an adjunct faculty member. Before earning her MFA, Plumb had a job at a design firm and one day, while driving home, she saw some amazing light on the side of a brick building in Chicago and decided to follow her heart and start making pictures. Plumb lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters and, of course, Jack the dog, and exhibits her photographs nationally.

Porsche by HHS! winner Juliane Eirich

Juliane Eirich
Currently residing in Munich, Germany and Seoul, South Korea

Website: www.julianeeirich.com

Work Statement
When I was 14 my father gave me his old video camera. I made dozens of films with friends, mostly shooting at an abandoned airport in my hometown. It was a great time and I think that’s where my love for places evolves from. It might sound trivial, but when this camera broke I switched to photography.

The main subjects of my work are physical places. I am interested in the relation between man-made environment and nature. This relation can be of very different types within the topics I choose: harmonic, complex, funny, surprising, or shy.

Most of my work is photographed at night. Night photography is slow and calm, but at the same time the very precise process that suits me and my way of working. I like the way I can focus at night, since there is less distraction — both visually and acoustically — than during the day. The artificial, rendering-like aesthetic, the light and color atmosphere that can be found during night, appeals to me and matches my understanding of beauty.

The series "Snow Night" is a personal project that emerged from the half happy, half sentimental feeling of being home after a long stay abroad. While away I missed my homeland. I was looking forward to re-exploring it, since before I left I never realized how much I actually appreciated it.

Through photography I feel I have the "license to be curious." There is always a reason to wander around and look for new places and topics. This curiosity is what inspires me and makes me enthusiastic about photography.

Bio
I was born in Munich, Germany in 1979. After finishing high school in 1999 I got an offer to do an internship at a fashion photographer in Miami. At the end of the internship I knew I didn’t want to be a fashion photographer but I was sure I wanted to become a photographer. I successfully applied at the Academy of Photographic Design in Munich and graduated in 2003.

Like many young photographers I went to New York City right after graduation to work and pursue my own projects. Also, like many young photographers, I did not have an easy time there and after about one year I decided to leave New York, since I felt I was not moving forward.

I started working at a vacation rental in Hawaii. I was working during the day and taking photographs at night. Later on, I received a scholarship to show my work at the reviews of Fotofest 2006 in Houston.

Since then, my work has been exhibited in the USA, Canada, Syria, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, and was featured in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Stern Magazine, and European Photography. My work has been awarded in several competitions like the Flash Forward 2007 & 2008 and the Voiglaender New Talent Award 2007.

In 2007, I received a scholarship of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) to live and work in Seoul, South Korea for one year. This is where I am now, working on a project about a German village in South Korea.

Reids Farm by HHS! winner Derek Hendersen

Derek Hendersen
Currently residing in Auckland, New Zealand

Website: www.derekhenderson.net

Work Statement
My photography is about what people don't see even when it's right in front of them. Making the mundane sublime. Having empathy with others and the environment. I am fascinated by thepursuit of happiness and how people live their lives. I believe happiness in life is about balance, moderation, and living in harmony with the environment.

Bio
I was born in a rural town called Napier, in New Zealand. Where I'm from you couldn't really study photography at the time. So I became an assistant for an advertising photographer in Auckland, New Zealand. I then worked in London for magazines like ID, Arena Homme Plus, The Observer Magazine, Exit, and a few more. I wanted to work on more personal projects so I moved back to New Zealand and I'm currently working on my second book which will be published by www.michaellett.comm in November.

Okay, so you like what you see here, and you've done some further investigating at the 20x200 and Jen Bekman sites. Hopefully you've visited the gallery and other galleries too. Now it is time to start shopping.

Join Jen Bekman, Michelle Dunn Marsh, and Amy Stein, and moderator Michael Foley for In Focus: Collecting Photography, a panel discussion, tonight, Thursday, June 12, at 7:00 p.m. at The Affordable Art Fair (135 W 18th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues).

The Affordable Art Fair is, "the place for new and established collectors to discover and buy paintings, drawings, sculptures, video, photography and limited edition prints from distinguished galleries, all priced from $100 - $10,000. This year the Fair will host more than 70 galleries from the US, Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America.”

Kent Rogowski, from Love = Love

Hot Shots and would-be Hot Shots and regular people alike: go see Kent Rogowski's show, Love = Love, at Jen Bekman Gallery.

Jen Bekman Gallery is pleased to present Love = Love, an exhibition by Kent Rogowski, comprised of six large-scale photographic prints based on altered puzzles, as well as a selection of the original objects. Love = Love will be on view until Saturday, June 14, 2008.

Rogowski’s collages are created with pieces of puzzles which are cut from the same die but depict different, unrelated images. Using these photographic fragments as his palette, Rogowski creates entirely new compositions by his careful mapping of their collisions. The intermixing of these glossy idealizations of flowers, bucolic scenery, and man-made wonders results in disorienting and wholly unique fractured fantastical landscapes. In photographing his completed objects, Rogowski transforms them yet again. Shifting the scale of the photographic image modulates the grid-like uniformity produced by the borders of the puzzle pieces, diminishing or increasing the order they exert over the chaos of the constructed image.

James Danziger, of Danziger Projects, thoughtfully wrote,

"Mixing flowers, blues skies, puffy clouds, and idyllic scenery, Rogowski creates his own alternate fractured universe, one that undergoes yet another transformation when he photographs the finished object. Humorous and cheery, they are not without their own sly commentary on the commodification of happiness and idealism.

Whether they’re photography or re-photography or collage (or a combination of all three) is beside the point. Kent Rogowski’s work demonstrates yet again that although it may be increasingly hard to come up with new ideas, where there’s a will there’s a way."

Winter '07 Hot Shot Mickey Smith

Why visit one gallery, when you can visit 75+ all at once? The AIPAD Photography Show runs today through Sunday at the Park Avenue Armory. "More than 75 of the world's leading fine art photography galleries will present a wide range of museum quality work by contemporary, modern and 19th century masters at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City," says AIPAD.

"AIPAD is dedicated to creating and maintaining high standards in the business of exhibiting, buying and selling photographs as art. Acting as the collective voice of the art photography dealers that make up its membership, AIPAD maintains ethical standards, promotes communication within the photographic community, encourages public appreciation of photography as art, concerns itself with the rights of photographers and collectors, and works to enhance the confidence of the public in responsible photography. AIPAD members provide a wide range of services to the public, such as exhibitions, appraisals, expert opinions and consultations."

And while an armory full of exhibitors can feel like overload, it's also a great chance to quickly visit with some people you might not usually have the time (or the access) to see.

From The Town and the City, by Spring '07 Hot Shot Mark Marchesi

Spring 2007 Hot Shot Mark Marchesi has a solo show at Nelson Hancock Gallery, in DUMBO. In The Town and the City, Marchesi travels between New York City and his home in southern Maine. He compares and contrasts, but also proves some similarities that might not be noticable at first glance.

"The Town and the City" is up through April 26.

Stay tuned for more from Mark and interview updates with other Hot Shots too.

Painted Palms, California City, by Ian Baguskas, 2007 30x37.5" C-print

Ian Baguskas was a Spring '06 Hot Shot, a 2007 Ultra, and his "Kamping Kabins" is available now at 20x200.

Sweet Water, Baguskas' debut solo exhibition in New York City, is comprised of thirteen color photographs of failed oases of the American West. Please join us for the show's opening tomorrow, Friday, March 21, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sweet Water will remain on view at Jen Bekman Gallery through Saturday, April 26, 2008.

Baguskas is skilled at juxtaposing the refuse of habitats of modern aspirations with the vast land and otherwise open skies that those constructs interrupt. His images are quiet and still, non-snarky meditations on man's remaking of nature. In Sweet Water, he captures development (and attempts at development) of the land, and also the subsequent decay of much of that development.

He says, "...This lifestyle was only temporary, ending when the aquifers were depleted and the water ran out." He explores a dyed lake in Antelope Valley, 80,000 acres of desert known as the would-be Los Angeles of California City, Rincon Artificial Island and Pipeline in Ventura, and a tiny green driving range at the Silver Saddle River "resort."

Ian Baguskas was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1977 and moved to New York to attend The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, where he received his BFA in 2000. Recently named a PDN 30, Baguskas was a nominee for the 2008 KLM Paul Huf Award. His Search for the American Landscape series was shown earlier this year in a three-person show at The Ice Box in Philadelphia, PA.

Sweet Water at Jen Bekman Gallery, 6 Spring Street.
March 21 - April 26, 2008
Hours: Wednesday — Saturday, Noon – 6pm or by private appointment.

Please join me in congratulating the 2007 Hey, Hot Shot! Ultras:

Nina Berman
Karolina Karlic
Brad Moore
Birthe Piontek

Browse the links below and you'll get an idea of how hard it is to choose just four people from the forty talented photographers who have exhibited in this year's editions of Hey, Hot Shot!:

Fall 2007
Jennifer Boomer * Scott Eiden * Todd Forsgren * Shauna Frischkorn * Georg Parthen * Birthe Piontek * Marie Sauvaitre * Ross Sawyers * Ian van Coller * Carlo Van de Roer

Summer 2007
Dan Boardman * Afshin Dehkordi * Rachael Dunville * Jonathan Gitelson * Shuli Hallak * Beth Herzhaft * Gregory Krum * Kalpesh Lathigra * Ari Salomon * Willamain Somma

Spring 2007
Clint Baclawski * Nina Berman * Michael Julius * Karolina Karlic * Mark Marchesi * Casey Orr * Justin James Reed * Pavel Romaniko * Kelly Shimoda * Daniel Traub

Winter 2007
Holly Andres * Colin Blakely * Jeffrey Krolick * Juho Kuva * Molly Landreth * Brad Moore * Kirby Pilcher * Ben Roberts * Mickey Smith * Ka-Man Tse

Nina, Karolina, Brad and Birthe are now represented by Jen Bekman Gallery and will all participate in the upcoming exhibition Ne Plus Ultra, the Hey, Hot Shot! Annual, which opens on Friday February 8th, 2008.

2007 was a great year for Hey, Hot Shot! We had an amazing array of international talent exhibiting at the gallery, and getting involved in all kinds of other gallery related programs: art fairs, jen@joe and 20x200 among them.

2008 is shaping up to be extra super great. We're making big changes to the competition as it enters it's fourth year: there's a site redesign in the works, there will be some significant (and awesome!) changes to the competition's format and we're cooking up an amazing array of opportunities for Hot Shots past, present and future.

We'll start accepting entries for the Spring edition in a few short weeks, and will be sharing all the juicy details with you then.

For now, be on the lookout for 20x200 editions from the Ultras, and from many of the other talented Hey, Hot Shot! alumni.

Ne Plus Ultra, the Hey, Hot Shot! Annual, opens @ Jen Bekman Gallery on Friday February 8th and will remain on view through Saturday March 15th, 2008.

Image Credit: Ahern Rentals, Westminster, California (2006) by Brad Moore

From the series Sub Rosa by Birthe Piontek

At last! This Fall's Hot Shots have arrived. Someone just got back from Paris Photo mere hours ago and was appropriately exhausted - hence the delay of a few hours before posting the winners. Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches. Or should I say roll wiz ze panshez. We learned that in Paris.

Without further adieu ado:

Jennifer Boomer
Scott Eiden
Todd Forsgren
Shauna Frischkorn
Georg Parthen
Birthe Piontek
Marie Sauvaitre
Ross Sawyers
Ian van Coller
Carlo Van de Roer

Congratulations! Pencil in the opening for the Fall HHS Showcase on Wednesday, December 12th from 6-8. The showcase will be up until Sunday the 16th - you have four days to check it out!

Extra special thanks to our shining panel stars: Joerg Colberg, Stephen Frailey, Darius Himes, Youngna Park, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Ian Baguskas, Christine Collins, and Joseph Holmes.
It wasn't easy to decide between all you talented hot shots, but here's a list of some very honorable mentions: David Balhuizen, Jason DeMarte, William Hannigan, May Heek, Mickey Kerr, Adam Krause, Mollie Murphy, Nandor Ordog, Toni Pepe, Corine Smith, Damian VanCamp and Jon Wasserman

A big merci to everyone who participated, and congrats again to the winners.

Jumper by aspiring HS John Wells

It's Halloween and November has arrived whether wanted or not. For the occasion, a slightly darker shot from HS hopeful John Wells. Black and white has become a novelty here on the Hey, Hot Shot! Blog, and just as I have said before, we're givin' you exactly what you're givin' us. I am still in a state of shock and awe over the teeny-tiny amount of b+w that comes our way each round. And sometimes you really do just want to ooze with excitement over some zone system action.

For some seductively superb black and white work [that is also a little creepy], come on down to the jb Friday evening for the opening of Beth Dow's solo-show Fiedwork. AND to really get ahead of the game, you can get your hands on one of Beth's prints over on 20x200. Take a peek.

Happy, happy. We're feeling festive for some photos and you have but just one week, enter before you're time is up!

An image I found here when I googled "Russia" as Dan Boardman suggested I do to get an idea of what he is working on.

Let's play a game of "Where's Waldo?". Or how about an HHS version of "Where Are They Now?" So, where are they now? ('They' being the infamously talented and lucky winners of the most recent edition of HHS.) Well, the answer is: all over the place. In fact, I recently heard from a few of our latest additions to the Hot Shot family and they really are showing there work all over the place.

Jonathan Gitelson is currently exhibiting his work in Germancy alongside another jB friend in a show entitled Chicagraphy: Jonathan Gitelson, Matt Siber and Brian Ulrich, which is at Galerie f5.6 in Munich. The show runs from September 15 - November 3, 2007.

And on this side of the Atlantic, a lady Hot Shot, Miss Ari Salomon, will be participating in the 3rd Annual IAPP Juried Panoramic Photography Contest and Exhibition which is presented by the International Association of Panoramic Photographers. The show will run from October 16 - November 2, 2007 at the Valley Photo Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Salomon will also be participating in "Landscape Revisited: Challenging the Traditional Approach to Landscape" held at the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, California from November 2 - November 21, 2007.

And as for the always humorous Dan Boardman, he writes, "Right now I've been eating a lot of candy and working my new project Russia, but that won't be done until the end of the winter for sure (I hope). If you want a preview just Google image search Russia or Tetris, or just play Tetris." Aside from all the candy, Boardman will be participating in a group show entitled "Multiples" held at Gallery 831 in Columbus, Ohio, which runs from October 13 - October 28, 2007.

From the entire jB team, we wish our winners the best of luck with all their shows this upcoming fall and we hope that those of you who happen to wander into Munich, Mendocino, Massachusetts, or Ohio (at the appropriate times, of course) will make your way to these galleries and support these awesome photographers!

As for me, I can be found on my boyfriend's couch, attempting to cram in a last-minute reading of Walt Whitman's Memoranda During the War. Tune back in for more from me later!

So, to re-cap: two major events collided on my calendar last week and created an eventful, pleasant evening out of a typical Wednesday night. That is to say, the Summer 2007 Showcase of Hey, Hot Shot! opened to a lively reception over at the gallery whilst simultaneously the Jewish world celebrated the incoming new year (shana tova!)

Having been all over the place last Wednesday (and all of last week, as well), the exhibition was as new to me as it was to all of the wonderful neighborhoodies who turned up for a glass of white wine and a look at the show. And what a pleasant surprise it was! Having sifted through the work consistently throughout the summer and have followed the process, it was incredible to see the prints in person, which were extraordinarily more beautiful seen face-to-face.

Plus, we had an awesome turn out of people who were dangerously spilling out into the street with their *ahem* glasses of water... And, it was nice to see the jB crew (whom I have been so far away from now that I am swamped with schoolwork). Also, the Summer '07 Hot Shots were well-represented at the event: Rachael Dunville, Gregory Krum, Willy Somma, Dan Boardman, and Kalpesh Lathigra (who came out all the way from Britain) were all spotted mingling with their eager audience.

Unfortunately the showcase is now over--I know, it's sad! but we had to make room for HHS alum Kate Bingaman-Burt's show, which opens tomorrow! If you didn't get to see it, don't fret! The Hot Shots are now popping up all over the place. If you haven't done so yet, check out their websites and roam the NYC gallery scene for more of there work. For example, Ms. Rachael Dunville is the star of her first solo show over at the Peer Gallery, which runs through October 20th and features images from her Springtown series.

Otherwise, I hope to see you all before sundown at tomorrow's opening over on Spring Street, and keep checking in with the blog where we will be posting continuous updates on our big, happy family of Hot Shot photographers.

Until then, adieu!

A Hot Shot, an Ultra, a 20x200 staple - Kate Bingaman-Burt is a bonafide bekman star. And tomorrow night her anxiously awaited solo-show opens here at the jb!

Yes, Kate Bingaman-Burt's Obsessive Consumption opens this Friday and quite a show it promises to be. Initially winning us over with her photographs in the Summer 2006 Edition of HHS! [perhaps you recall the rack of wedding dresses or the mountain of shopping carts] this time around she's taking over our humble abode, filling it to the brim with Obsessive Consumption goodies, a KBB wonder world.

And in the meantime [because by this point you're bound to be bursting with excitement] you can get your hands on a Bingaman-Burt print over on 20x200. Ms. Kate is part of our fantastic launch pad, her piece "I Bought All of These" is hand-colored and out of this world in its greatness.

So let's make it a date! Tomorrow night please join us at the jb and help us celebrate Obsessive Consumption with some smashing + schmoozing soiree fun.

Obsessive Consumption - Kate Bingaman-Burt
Opening Reception: Friday September 21 from 6-8PM
September 22 - October 27, 2007

jen bekman
6 Spring Street [between Elizabeth + Bowery]
gallery hours: Wednesday - Saturday 12-6PM

See you soon!

Wasim Khan by Spring '07 HS Nina Berman

I'm sitting here at the gallery with the frightening pieces from Nina Berman's solo exhibition Purple Hearts, which opened last night at the gallery.

Purple Hearts is series of portraits and interviews with U.S. soldiers who have been injured in Iraq. You can get a sneak preview of the images on view and the press release here. I'm absolutely terrified of the photos, I have to admit. When I told Nina last night that I was afraid to be alone with the photos, she nodded and said, "Yeah, they're like ghosts." She told me that I had to find one I could relate to and I've found a few, one of them being the sad portrait of Wasim Khan, pictured above.

Berman is actually a recent Hot Shot winner from last season's Spring edition. Marine Wedding, which is featured in the current exhibit, was also on view at the gallery during the Spring Hey, Hot Shot! showcase.

Come see the show at the gallery while it lasts and enter the competition, because being a Hot Shot sure pays off!

hello hot shots and friends! i'm marina--one of the newest additions to the intern crew here at jen bekman. you may have recognized my excellent art-handling skills on the walls of the gallery in this past week's Spring '07 Hey, Hot Shot! showcase, which i helped hang. so, if anything was crooked or not proportionally spaced, it was all thanks to my poor recollection of fractions.

unfortunately, it is now too late for you to judge me via the the presentation of the show, which came to an end this past sunday. so, hopefully you got a chance to come in and see it. if not, you can take a look at some of the work on our flickr page.

if you did come in, then you'll be able to agree with me that the work displayed was very diverse and the atmosphere in the gallery was vibrant. i thought the most dramatic work shown was nina berman's sole piece in the show: a harrowing portrait of a marine wedding.

you can read an interview with nina berman on salon, where she talks about the wedding portrait, the series it came from, and the couple it features.

on another wall (and in another world) was karolina karlic's colorful photograph we did this, from a series called "the dee" set in detroit.

in another corner were four ethereal casey orr pieces from a series called "by water" and across from them were pavel romaniko's images of simple, homely interiors he shot in russia. i can't stress enough how varied the images were! make sure to check out all the winning artists' sites. you can find a list of them here.

all in all, i found the show to be a great display of different visions in every corner encompassing an array of new talent.

now the walls of the jb are sad and empty, waiting for a fresh coat of paint and a new installation. stay tuned to the blog, all you future hot shots, because we'll begin accepting submissions for the summer competition very, very soon!

A selection of photos from the Spring '07 Hot Shots. More info here

Please join us tonight, Wednesday June 13, 2007 from 6pm-8pm, at an opening reception in honor of the Spring '07 edition Hot Shots:

jen bekman
6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012

Can't make it tonight? (Boo!) The exhibition will be on view Thursday through Sunday, June 14-17. Gallery hours are Noon-6pm.

Administrative side note: Ms. Wells finished college (Congrats to her!) and is now in Europe getting her art on before she moves to NYC permanently.

Regular posting to resume soon-ish.

We just installed a new edition of jen@joe, our ongoing exhibitions at Joe locations in NYC. The 13th St location is now chock full of Hey, Hot Shot! photography.

Read up on the details over on Personism, or even better, go have a look yourself! Joe serves the finest brew in NYC (in my opinion and all that) and the work looks awesome. Joe is located at 9 East 13th Street between Fifth Avenue and University Place.

Untitled (Hanoi no.2) by Spring HS Kelly Shimoda

The list is in! The time has come to announce the 10 artists selected for the Spring 2007 Edition of Hey, Hot Shot! And the winners are...

Clint Baclawski
Nina Berman
Michael Julius
Karolina Karlic
Mark Marchesi
Casey Orr
Justin James Reed
Pavel Romaniko
Kelly Shimoda
Daniel Traub

Pencil it in, the showcase soiree in honor of our Hot Shots is Wednesday June 13 from 6–8PM. Get on down to the jb, see the work, and support the winners. The show will be up from June 14–17, 2007 and quite a show it promises to be!

Special thanks to our fabulous group of panelists––Anthony LaSala, Lesley Martin, Jörg Colberg, Raul Gutierrez, Jenni Holder, Youngna Park, Christine Collins, and the Ultras, to Jeff Kirsch and Jesse Chan-Norris for all their hard work and commitment to the jb, and, of course, a whoppin' thank you goes out to all of the participants for sharing their work with us.

And what work it is! Our panelists were posed with what seemed the impossible feat, narrowing it down to a mere ten proved just as difficult as expected. Some honorable mentions are in order:

Matias Aguilar, Rob Ball, Nelson Chan, Larissa Cleveland, Kate Copeland, Shane Lavalette, Maria Passarotti, Will Sanders, Michelle Sank, Deidre Schoo, Tamir Sher, Rylan Steele, Joseph Tripi, Ching Wah Lam, Greg Wasserstrom, Emily Winton

Congratulations to all! Stay tuned to the HHS! Blog for more news, fun facts, and other tidbits of information for your pleasure and entertainment.

Businessman, Jamaica Plain, MA, 2007 by Shane Lavalette

Today I offer up two aspiring Hot Shots, not just to make up for lost moments or because Spring HS's will be announced tomorrow, but because hopefuls Shane Lavalette and Greg Wasserstrom make a pretty perfect pair. Both are staple stop-offs in the web's wide world of photography, have great names, are young and talented, and they star in a show that opened earlier this month in our nation's capital.

You are probably familiar with Shane, I spotlighted his work last edition, and even then mentioned the fact that it would be an impossible task to ignore Mr. Lavalette––he's everywhere. He keeps a beyond read-worthy blog and he can often be found lurking in fellow friends' comments. Just like yesterday's Maria Passarotti, Shane is engaged with nature's role in the modern landscape. He says:

It’s not simply the untouched or, conversely, the artificial landscape that I look to address in my work but the subtle ways in which every-day modern life and nature come together. I recognize that I am largely disconnected from the natural environment, and struggling – in my recognition of man’s pervasive presence, a presence that is largely overlooked – to re-define my relationship with what is ultimately home.

Untitled (Star Maps) by Greg Wasserstrom

Greg too has quite the photosphere presence. If you're a fan of his work and want to be a friend, take a look at his Amazon Wish List––also good for a tempt towards a little splurge. This edition Greg submitted from his series La Brea, a body of work produced while on stay in LA. In his words:

I try to resist taking anything too seriously and attempt to make images that, while hopefully a tad bit provocative, avoid the trap of popular or predictable political narratives. Rather than make a distinct point, I want my pictures to stimulate free-association.

If you find yourself in D.C. this month, do check out Take Us Anywhere, But Take Us Now with Shane Lavalette, Greg Wasserstrom, and Bryan Schutmaat.

Take Us Anywhere, But Take Us Now
May 12 - 31 @ Warehouse Gallery, Washington, DC

Auditorium by James Rajotte

Summer 2006 Hot Shot James Rajotte is adding another notch to his belt. In addition to being a Hot Shot and featured in PDN's 2006 Photo Annual of Student Work, James has earned his Master's in Fine Arts in photography from the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY.

The culmination of his blood, sweat, and tears, (trust me, I am also an M.F.A. candidate and it's rougher than you think) will be on display at the Visual Studies Workshop Gallery, 31 Prince Street, Rochester, NY from April 7th - 27th. That's right, the opening is this Saturday (tomorrow!) at 7:00 p.m.

Scott, 2006 by James Rajotte

With blasted, James joins the ranks of photographers working as sociologists, including, but not limited to, Phillip Toledano, made famous by his portraits of video gamers, and Paul Graham who photographed people watching television in the late 80's and early 90's.

He's in good company but his photos stand out because they are slightly ambiguous. His subjects seem genuinely engaged but sometimes sad, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes alienated, and always alone, illuminated by the off-color glow of a monitor, and seated in surrounding darkness. The work gives rise to the questions he poses:

What, if any, are the visual opportunity costs of an electronic society? Why look at actual reality when we are able [to] fulfill our intellectual and emotional needs anonymously and vicariously via meta-realities?

The show proves to be worth the trip to Rochester. If you absolutely can't make it, do see the work on Rajotte's website.

Hey, Hot Shot! Winter Edition installation view shot by Joseph O. Holmes

We are currently accepting entries for the Spring Edition of Hey, Hot Shot!.

The deadline? Tuesday May 8, 2007.

Hey, Hot Shot! offers amazing visibility to emerging photographers - in person, online and, now with our new publishing program, in print.

Our panel keeps getting better and better too. In addition to the usual suspects, we'll be joined by Dana Faconti of Blindspot for this round.

Being a finalist puts you in fine, fine company: the HHS! Alumni are some of the very best photographers around.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet it's not just the finalists who benefit - contenders who are featured on our blog bask in the glow too - their web site traffic skyrockets and their work is seen, and remembered, by thousands.

The Spring Edition Showcase opens at jen bekman on Wednesday June 8, 2007. In the meanwhile, bookmark the Hey, Hot Shot! blog and stay up to date on the contenders and Hey, Hot Shot! news. There are some big announcements in the pipeline!

The opening reception for Benjamin Donaldson's exhibition, Summerland will commence in a mere matter of hours. The weather may be frightful, but oh how the night promises to be delightful.

jen bekman presents

benjamin donaldson | summerland
opening reception: friday march 16, 2007 | 6pm - 8pm
on view: march 17 - april 21, 2007

jen bekman
6 Spring St
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012

press release

That's right. Tonight is the night to head on over to the jb for some fun for art's sake. Come see the fantastic work, support our winners, meet and greet, refresh your palate, inspire yourself to attain Hot Shot status so you too can bask in such glory, whatever motivates you. If every single one of the winners can bring themselves from all over the globe to our homebase, well you can to! And as always, it promises to be quite the scene, everyone who is anyone will be there...except me :(

Hey, Hot Shot! Winter 2007 Edition
opening reception: wednesday march 7 | 6pm - 8pm
on view: thursday - sunday march 8 - 11 | noon - 6pm

jen bekman
6 Spring St (between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012

And if you simply cannot make it tonight, but do live in the 100-mile radius, make sure to schedule in a time to see the show. It's a good one!

Then and Now shots from Ultra Kate Bingaman-Burt

You have two days to get yourself into the jb to see the Hey, Hot Shot! ne plus ultra annual. The work of Ultras Ian Baguskas, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Alison Grippo, and Joseph O. Holmes is up and on the walls through Saturday for your viewing pleasure. It's a fantastic show, if I can say so myself, and if you are in NYC you absolutely do not have an excuse––see the show!

A little motivation in Ultra updates, facts, and fun:

Ian is busy, busy, busy––working on a book and getting his prime portfolio together. I take it as a good thing that he doesn't have time to respond to my emails full of silly requests. We are, of course, expecting nothing but ultra-goodness.

Kate, busy as ever, spends her days as Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Mississippi State University. If you're in the Milwaukee area, Kate's got a show up at the Paperboat Gallery through March 29. And she will be a presenter + panelist for Art For Consumption: the 36th Annual Pop Culture Conference in Atlanta on April 13.

Alison is applying for grants and waiting for warmer weather. Her work can be found in this month's edition of the UK magazine Digital Photographer, her boxing work is to be featured in a magazine based in the Ukraine later this Spring, and she has an article and photo essay on New Orleans heading to press. In her free time, Ms. Grippo has been donating her photography skills to Henry Buhl's Project Comeback. And we can expect to see some new and fabulous work, she shot her first pro-fight last week in Lancaster, PA and apparently L-O-V-E-D it.

Joe continues to consistently produce excellent work and plans to give over his spring to just that. To keep your interests piqued, some random facts from Joe's past: For twelve years Joe was a criminal appeals lawyer in the Legal Aid Society's offices on Park Row. As an aspiring screenwriter, Joe was represented for a time by a Los Angeles literary manager. For another bit of time, he built and maintained the site Space Age Bachelor Pad Music. And he was a Contributing Editor at MacAddict Magazine from the very first issue in 1996 until it turned into Mac|Life magazine last month. For fun, his high school band Ozone did an amazing cover of "All the Young Dudes."

I'll leave it at that. You have Friday and Saturday to see the work live––go!

From Joseph O. Holmes Workspace series

Tonight jen bekman presents the second annual Hey, Hot Shot! ne plus ultra, also known as the HHS! 2006 Annual, the crème de la crème of Hot Shots. That’s four fantastic artists in one show! We’ve got Ian Baguskas, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Alison Grippo, and Joseph O. Holmes—yes, that is quite hot. And the kicker… It's the top of the hill for the jb—the 40th exhibition!

Come and help us celebrate the big day.

Hey, Hot Shot! ne plus ultra
(2006 Annual)

Ian Baguskas | Kate Bingaman-Burt | Alison Grippo | Joseph O. Holmes

Opening Reception: Wednesday January 24 | 6pm - 8pm
Exhibition Dates: January 24 - March 3, 2007

jen bekman
6 Spring St (between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012 | +1.212.219.0166

From The Cloverfields series by Spring 06 HS Andrea Chu

Hot on the heels of the Hey, Hot Shot! Annual Exhibition and the release of the yearbook, before we get too buried in 2007, let's check in with some of our recent HHS! winners. It never ceases to amaze me, the endless array of possibilities and activities as an artist and a photographer––yes, life can in fact be grand. With 40 photographers in our 2006 Alumni pool, we have witnessed some pretty amazing achievements over the course of the year. Myself on the brink of graduation, it eases the pressure to see so many emerging photographers doing so many impressive things. Oh how easy they make it look...

For instance, since last hearing from Spring Hot Shot Andrea Chu she has lived out a photographer's dream and traveled to Japan to shoot for Getty Images. And 2007 holds many more international adventures for Andrea. We'll be sure to keep you posted, in the meantime read an interview with her here.

So get ready. In the days leading up to the Annual's opening and the initial days of the competition's Winter Edition, I'll be posting more juicy interviews and tidbits of information on past winners. Hear life stories, explore some links, and find out what it takes to win the heart of a jen bekman Hot Shot––all here on the one and only Hey, Hot Shot! Blog.

Wednesday night was a huge success! The show looks amazing, there was a great turnout, and all had a good time. If you were not able to make it out to the opening or you're just dying to see the show again, do stop by this weekend and take a peek.

Saturday, the tables will turn. Please join us for a joe@jen event. See the good looking show, have some hot, delicious coffee provided by Joe (I'd venture to say the best in the city), and nibble on some tasty treats. We will also be open on Sunday, leaving you very few excusses to not come in and support the Fall 2006 Hot Shots. We'll be seeing you soon.

Warm Your Toes Open House
Saturday December 16, 2006 | Noon - 3pm
Joe Coffee, tasty treats, and the work of 10 Hot artists––what more could you need?

Exhibition dates
Thursday - Sunday, December 14-17, 2006 from noon - 6pm.

jen bekman
6 Spring St (between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012

It's here! If you haven't already penciled us in, make a point to join us tonight for the Fall 2006 Winners' Showcase. See some amazing work, have a drink, meet cool artist-types and otherwise––it will be an event not to miss. Be there.

Hey, H