2431 by Todd Hido

A few weeks ago, we at JBP had the distinct pleasure of releasing a luscious new edition on 20x200 by photographer Todd Hido: #4124 from the series House Hunting. If you're any kind of photography aficionado, there's a very good chance you knew of Todd's work far before this edition release, which is part of the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, Guggenheim, SF MoMA and LACMA. Todd has also published four stunning and hard-to-come-by books: House Hunting, Outskirts, Roaming and Between the Two, with a fifth book, A Road Divided, forthcoming this year from Nazraeli Press. All of this—and of course working with Todd and his images themselves—made us ineffably excited to share this photograph with all of our collectors.

As Jen wrote about Todd and his photographs:

He was one of the first people who showed me the path of "art for everyone." In part, because my first experience with his work was meeting him at a book signing. The signed copy of Roaming that I got that day was my first experience of an "art book" that had deep resonance for me. It is personal and universal and democratic all at once. But it was the interaction with him at the gallery that opened the door for me--the universality of the experience and emotion that the work depicted, combined with the democracy of having access to such an evolved body of art work because it was presented in the form of a book.

Like a lot of great artists, like, say, Raymond Carver, Todd's making something beautiful, deep and moving out of the mundane--taking our every day and creating moments that feel so nostalgic and familiar, but are uniquely his own.

#4124 from the series House Hunting by Todd Hido

So, it is with great pleasure that I announce the addition of Todd to our already-outstanding panel, lending his astute eye as both artist and educator to reviewing the work submitted by all of you contenders. Join us in welcoming him, and take some time this long weekend to send us your best work!

Dresses 1, by Elizabeth Ribuffo

Of all the student photography shows in New York, SVA's annual Mentors exhibition — which opens tonight in New York — ranks among the most interesting in concept. Curated by Stephen Frailey, HHS! panelist and head of the school's BFA photo program, the show features work by over 80 students inspired by mentorships with some of NYC's best known art figures. "Our mentors are from every corner of the photography community - they help to inspire our students to take their work to a new level and to grow as professional photographers," writes Frailey.

This year's diverse group of mentors included several of our esteemed Hey, Hot Shot! panelists: Jen Bekman, Darius Himes, and Lesley A. Martin; photographers Taryn Simon, Gregory Crewdson, Ryan McGinley, and Brian Ulrich; gallerists Yossi Milo, Julie Saul, and Yancey Richardson; and photographer/blogger Joerg Colberg. The list goes on and on, and it's star-studded enough to make any photo-buff jealous.

Pictured in this post is work being exhibited by Jen's mentee Elizabeth Ribuffo, who stopped by JBP HQ on Friday to catch up with Jen and talk about the exhibition. The images are from her series Production Stills, taken while Elizabeth works on film sets.

"I was really struck by Liz's resourcefulness," says Jen, "I love that she's showing work that she made while on film sets, because it's the sort of thing I've seen evolve with other photographers who are trying to figure out how to make a living." The work of 20x200 edition maker — and HHS! honorable mention — Lacey Terrell comes to mind, for obvious reasons!.

Jen continues:

I'm impressed that Liz had the maturity to figure out how to work on parallel paths in an interesting way. It reminds me that great work is often made while working on other stuff. William Carlos Williams was a freaking DOCTOR and one of the greatest American poets ever. Once you enter the real world it's a huge struggle to not give up, I see it all the time. So I am really heartened by Liz's approach. I really love that wedding dress photo because it's kind of a perfect metaphor on a lot of levels."

"I think working on other things can make work more interesting. Not always, but often," says Jen. For the young photographers who were given the opportunity to work alongside these established mentors, the years of experience and second opinions are sure to have made the work more interesting. Mentors is only up through April 3rd, so make sure to get over to SVA and catch the show before it closes.

Mentors
March 19 - April 3, 2010
Reception: Tuesday, March 23, 6-8pm

School of Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26 Street, 15th floor
New York, NY 10001

Installation shot of work by Elizabeth Ribuffo

This Tuesday, January 12th, you're invited to a conversation between Hey, Hot Shot! panelist and publisher of the Aperture Foundation's book program, Lesley A. Martin and photographer Joel Meyerowitz. The two will be discussing Meyerowitz's book Legacy, a result of the first government commission to document public parks in New York City since the 1930's. As any New Yorker will tell you, our beloved parks—all nine-thousand acres of them—are thriving some eighty years since the documentation first began. Here are some more details about the event:

Ms. Martin, who edited the book, will talk with Meyerowitz about how this ambitious project evolved from conception to completion, what surprises he encountered in the course of discovering these corners of nature hidden within the concrete world of the city, and how Legacy connects with his first New York project documenting Ground Zero for nine months following 9/11, which resulted in the publication of Aftermath: The World Trade Center Archive.

This discussion is part of the "Architectural Explorations in Books" series at the New York Public Library, a program of events which seeks to "delve into the critical role that architecture books play in the understanding of contemporary urban developments and structures." Not only is Tuesday's discussion a great opportunity to learn about photo books and the evolution of parks and green spaces in New York City, but it is totally free and open to the public.

The Urban Sublime at The New York Public Library
Joel Meyerowitz in conversation with Lesley A. Martin
Tuesday January 12, 2010
6:00 p.m.

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Margaret Liebman Berger Forum
Room 227 (2nd Floor)
476 Fifth Avenue (5th Avenue & 42nd Street)
New York, NY 10018

We are thrilled to announce the addition of The New Yorker picture editor Whitney Johnson to our panel! Whitney's joined us just in time to review all the contenders in the Hey, Hot Shot! 2009 Second Edition competition. This preeminent group of arts professionals just got better—and you want this group to see your work! (hint hint!)

Of Whitney joining the review team, Hey, Hot Shot! founder Jen Bekman says,

I'm delighted that the talented Ms. Johnson is joining the team. Whitney and I got to know each other as reviewers at various top-tier photography events across the country. Plus, she works at my favorite magazine. When she came to Hosang Park's opening a few weeks ago, I suggested to her—as I always do with people whom I enjoy and admire—that she be a panelist. She said, All you have to do is ask—and I did!

As the newest member of team Hey, Hot Shot!, Whitney will help review and select the Second Edition Hot Shots of 2009. Here's a touch more about her:

Whitney Johnson is the picture editor at The New Yorker where she is responsible for producing shoots and researching visual material for political, cultural, and social stories. Prior to joining the magazine, Whitney worked at the Open Society Institute & Soros Foundations Network for over five years, where she worked closely with photographers, commissioning work for publications and coordinating a documentary photography exhibition and international grant competition. She holds a BA from Barnard College, and is pursuing a MA in American Studies, with a focus on photography and social change, at Columbia University.

Welcome Whitney! We can't wait for your exacting eye to help sift through all these talented contenders as we seek out the newest Hot Shots!

I know, it's hard to pry your eyes away from the screen and do some offline reading every once in awhile, but do it, and your eyes and your head will thank you. If you're not sure where to begin (often a problem online too...) start here, on HHS panelist Darius Himes' blog (I know! I know! I just suggested going offline, but here first, then to your couch! And then, back to the interwebs for some follow-up reading.)

Among other things, Mr. Himes manages to squeeze in some time to teach at the College of Santa Fe and has been posting his class' reading assignments on his blog. So, if you'd like, follow along and brush up your knowledge. Unfortunately, we've missed the reading aloud of The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore (in entirety) but next on the list is Charlotte Cotton's The Photograph as Contemporary Art. Cotton's book concisely but not too cleanly, divides contemporary photography into seven categories, leaving room for the overlap and blurring of definitions that are bound to happen.