Holly Andres

Winter '07 Hot Shot Holly Andres has her first solo show in New York, Sparrow Lane, opening tonight, Thursday, October 23, 2008 at Robert Mann Gallery:

Holly Andres's first solo exhibition in New York will feature photographs from the series Sparrow Lane, including the debut of new works in the series. Displaying a rich understanding of color and composition, Andres's tableaux depict young women on the threshold of adulthood, propelled by their curiosity and sense of discovery. Sparrow Lane is a strange yet familiar world filled with floral wallpapers, satin dresses, vanity mirrors, and family photos in gilded frames -- the trappings of adolescence in a bygone age.

Drawing equally upon Hitchcockian cinematic tropes and Nancy Drew dust jackets, Andres's stunning photographs plumb psychological depths that are as quixotic as they are visually seductive. Her protagonists seem caught in states of hyper-self-consciousness: suspicious of watching eyes out of frame, their stiff gestures betray their vulnerability. On the brink of discovery -- at that awkward age when one is no longer a child, but not yet fully an adult -- these heroines appear as much posed as poised. Their snooping is comprised of small transgressions borne of a strong dose of curiosity, incidents along the way to some personal revelation.

Watch Holly on TV: Outlook Portland too.

Read a Hey, Hot Shot blog interview with Holly.

More Books by Hot Shot Mickey Smith


I guess I don't talk much about what art I buy, but I am happy to report that I recently snagged a great print from Winter '07 Hot Shot Mickey Smith's 20x200 edition -- More Books. The subject! That color! I love so much about it.

More Books is from Smith's series Volume, which she describes as "an ongoing project documenting bound periodicals and professional journals in public libraries. Most of these publications are being replaced by their online counterparts." 

I love books about art and art about books.  I'm moving soon, and I am really looking forward to hanging up a bunch of prints from Nina Katchadourian's Sorted Books series and some shots I took at an installation of Martha Rosler's Library about as much as I am to setting up my real library.  And now I'll have Smith's book print to add to that collection too.

Speaking of Smith:  even if you didn't purchase one of her flying-off-the-shelves prints yet, you have plenty of opportunity to see her work in the near future.  You should also head over to the 20x200 blog to read Kara's great interview with her and you should definitely visit one of Smith's upcoming shows too.

In the interview, Mickey even talks about collecting:

KC: Do you collect art?

MS: Yes, primarily through trade and auction. I have two sizeable Urban Beasts and a few of Robert Marbury's prints. An enormous Ghost Walrus presides over our living room. The passion for his work likely stems from a treasured stuffed animal collection my dad threw out when I was ten. They're coming back - with a vengeance.

My passion is for collecting is for contemporary jewelry by living artists. The most fashionable people I know who wear junk - when small sculptural, original wonders are available - consistently astound me. In the past, I have invited jewelers like Karen Gilbert and Heinz Brummel to show in my studio.

Smith's work can currently be seen in these shows:

Collocations
The Center for Photography at Woodstock
Woodstock, NY
August 30 - October 26, 2008

Volume
Contemporary Art in Traditional Museums Festival
Pushkin Dom
PRO ARTE Institute
St. Petersburg, Russia
September 27 - October 19, 2008

Soon, you can see Smith's work in these shows:

Pharmakon Library
Created + Curated by Christina McPhee
New York Art Book Fair
New York, NY
October 24 - 26, 2008

Volume
Alvar Alto Library
Vyborg, Russia
October 23 - November 11, 2008

YOU PEOPLE
Invisible-Exports
New York, NY
November 14 - December 21, 2008
Reception: Friday, November 14

SCOPE Miami
Invisible-Exports
Miami, FL
Decemeber 3 - 7, 2008

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."

The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between by Colin Blakely, a hot edition from 20x200.

When I started to write this post there were nine 8x10s of Colin Blakely's The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between left for sale on 20x200. Now there are three. By the time you read this, who knows? I think you should buy it now. Buy it big; for city dwellers, here is a chance for you to surround yourself with art from the heartland. That field!

Blakely quotes Charles Baxter in his statement, "I live quietly in this midwestern city of ghosts and mutterers." Look for them, they're definitely in this print.

Ms. Bekman writes, in the 20x200 newsletter,

"This particular photo is one of my favorites from Somewhere in Middle America, wherein Colin manages to evoke the everywhere of our center, while never straying more than a block or two from his own home. Colin first got on my radar with this project last year, when he was selected for the Winter Edition of Hey, Hot Shot!. Since then, fellow HHS! panelist Lesley Martin and I have frequently commiserated about the lyrical qualities of both the images and titles of the series. (There was, in fact, some back room lobbying from Ms. Martin to be sure to include a piece from Colin on 20x200.) While it's wonderful to have a woman of such impeccable credentials as a champion of his work, hers is just one voice in a chorus of admirers. His skills, both photographic and titular, are held in high esteem by other photographers, and yours truly too, but of course!"

Read a Hey, Hot Shot! blog interview with Colin too.

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

Last but not least Hot Shot Kirby Pilcher offers up his interview, what a round! As for the gallery, Benjamin Donaldson is up next. His show Summerland opens Friday. Stay tuned!

When + where were you born?
Sioux Falls, South Dakota on April 12, 1977

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
The University of South Dakota, and Visual Studies Workshop

What do you do to pay the bills?
Designer for Afterimage, Teaching, and Student Loans!

What led you to photography over other mediums?
Photography just seemed to work for me.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
I'm not sure if it counts as a "tech" pleasure but my 1989 volvo 240 wagon = best car ever!

Do you have any other creative talents?
Not really. I make a good veggie roast.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Andre Kertesz's book From my window. It is 50 or so Polaroid sx-70 images of the same glass sculpture in the window of the artist's apartment, which serve as a metaphor for his wife whom had recently passed away. All of the memories Kertesz has of the times they had together are presented to us in these images, it is almost unbearable.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Robert Frank, Sophie Calle, Masao Yamamoto

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
The future is frightening.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
Jamesrajotte.net
lensless.net
preachersbiscuitbooks.com

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
My friend and fellow VSW graduate student James Rajotte was a Hot Shot last year.

Anything about you, exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise, that we should know?
Probably none anyone should know of.

polaroid of a balloon inflating my head shot by hinius

When + where were you born?
Birmingham, United Kingdom in 1979

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Edinburgh College of Art and The Arts Institute, Bournemouth

What do you do to pay the bills?
Freelance Photographer

What led you to photography over other mediums?
The speed of the process; I approached photography from a drawing and painting background and was getting increasingly infuriated with my own inability and the slow creative process.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
buying cameras and film over food...

Do you have any other creative talents?
I used to sing in a pretty dreadful rock band. so i guess that's not exactly a talent...

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Two Joels!

New York, 1975 by Joel Meyerowitz

Exhausted Renegade Elephant, Woodland, Washington, June, 1979 by Joel Sternfeld

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Todd Hido
Larry Sultan
Christoph Büchel (swiss installation artist)

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Lots of retouching! Continuing personal projects on British youth culture. Helping to publish a book with photodebut.org - a young photographers guide to the industry in London.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
www.toddhido.com
www.glenerler.com
riverbendblog.blogspot.com

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
A recommendation on Alec Soth's blog.

Anything about you, exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise, that we should know?
Just signed up to PYMCA.com - the Photographic Youth and Music Culture Archive; Up until a year ago I worked as a bartender for ten years... I love a good whisky sours... anyone who can reccomend the best place in New York for a sours...please let me know!

When + where were you born?
I was born in 1951 and raised (mostly) in upstate New York (Buffalo & Rochester).

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
I studied sculpture and metalsmithing primarily at the State University of New York at Brockport. I picked up photography here and there, initally, to document my 3-D work.

What do you do to pay the bills?
I am an administrator for a community mental health program in Oregon.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
It was my true love through thick and thin only I did not recognize that until recently. Why do I love it? It is effortless intention and serendipitous discovery.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
I am a Luddite at heart so all tech pleasures are guilt ridden, however, telecommunitng and the batch processing in Photoshop give me great satisfaction.

Do you have any other creative talents?
Maybe.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

A self-portrait by Lee Friedlander taken at Canyon de Chelly, AZ

Friedlander self portrait. It always makes me laugh.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Annette Messager, Lee Friedlander, Wim Wenders

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
I will be going to a lot of high school baseball games and lugging around my view camera.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
Pictures from Mars
Tarot readings
Cosmic Baseball Association

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
Ambition.

Anything about you, exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise, that we should know?
No.

Winter Hot Shot Holly Andres comes to us from Portland, OR. The panel was drawn to the strange, almost off putting moments contrived in her work. Ultra-panelist Joe Holmes equates it with classical painting, panelist Eileen Gittens, the theatre. Her website is chock-full of things you need to see. Read her thoughts below, see more of her work here.

When + where were you born?
1977, Missoula MT

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Portland State University, MFA
University of Montana, BFA
Art Institute of Seattle
I've also learned a lot from my husband, who's worked as a commercial photographer and continues to collaborate with me on my projects.

What do you do to pay the bills?
I am a college professor, teaching video/film and foundation art classes at Portland State University and the Art Institute of Portland. My husband and I also have a wedding photo business that generates quite a bit of money during the summer and is an excellent opportunity to refine our craft and get a creative workout.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
My undergrad is in painting and drawing. I consider myself a conceptual artist who is now working in photography and video/film. I am specifically drawn to photography because it seems to be the best way to visually represent some of the concepts and themes in my work. I love the idea of capturing/creating a "decisive moment" and building a narrative with in a single image.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Most of my images have some digital enhancements/alterations such as cloning areas in or out or isolating a color and changing it. I guess it's the
painter in me.

Do you have any other creative talents?
film/video, drawing, painting

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

99 Cent by Andreas Gursky

Seeing Andreas Gursky's 99 Cent in person really elicited a powerful response in me and changed my perception of photography.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Joel Sternfeld, Gregory Crewdson, Anna Gaskell

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
I'm in the post-production phase of a collaborative short narrative film loosely influenced by the eminent shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho. Our rendition proves to be more empowering for the female protagonist, however.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
www.urbanhonking.com
www.tjnorris.net/blog
www.portlandart.net

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
www.portlandart.net a fabulous resource for Portland based artists.

Anything about you, exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise, that we should know?
Just a little fun fact... I have really bad travel anxiety and despite the fact that I projectile vomited the last time I was in an airport, I'm still coming to NYC for the Hey, Hot Shot! Show!!!

[And that she did! The opening was a smash success. We were so happy to have all 10 Hot Shots in one space. Thanks to all who attended, see you next time!]

For your PM pleasure, some words from Hot Shot Brad Moore.

When + where were you born?
1958, La Jolla, California

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
I received a Bachelor of Science degree in art (I know that doesn't that make since) with an emphasis in photography from Loma Linda University in Riverside, California. Afterward I attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

What do you do to pay the bills?
In 1984, I started a company called Aperion, Inc. that manufactured and distributed color calibration systems for photo labs. I sold the company in 2005, now I'm focusing my attention on fine art photography full time (at least for now).

What led you to photography over other mediums?
I loved photography since I was 12, plus I can't draw worth a damn.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Getting good and lost then finding my way back with my GPS. (Better than bread crumbs).

Do you have any other creative talents?
Still dabble a little in art direction and graphic design. I also like wrapping presents.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

From Richard Avedon's The Sixties

Frozen Foods with String Beans by Irving Penn

There seems to be more images floating around in my head, than I can keep straight these days - confusing at times. A couple of images I think of are Avedon's napalm victim and Penn's frozen food still life. I like the emotional power of the one, and pure compositional beauty of the other.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
I have long admired Penn, Avedon, Witkin, and Gursky, as well as many more recent talents - I love seeing new ideas.

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
I was just in a APA show at the Pacific Design Center in L.A. last month, and I'll be in shows at the Los Angeles Center For Digital Art, downtown L.A. and The Barrett Art Center, NY and of course Jen Bekman this month. I just found out I'll be participating in The Art Of Photography Show next month in San Diego, and I'm heading to San Francisco this Friday for a portfolio review at the Photo Alliance. So, I hope for more of the same for the rest of the year, shooting, shooting, shooting, and a road trip.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
http://www.jeffkoegel.com/
http://alecsoth.com/blog/
http://www.sigalert.com/

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
I came across Jen Bekman on the web, which lead to Hey, Hot Shot. I liked the work I saw, so hoped they'd like mine.

Anything about you: exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise, that we should know?
I use an electric bike to run errands when I can. And soon to be outfitted to carry a tripod and some equipment.

If you're in Sweden this spring you will have many opportunities to see the work of Winter Hot Shot Juho Kuva. However, if Sweden is not in your forecast and you happen to be in New York today, tomorrow, or this weekend, the time is now!

When + where were you born?
06.06.1980 HongKong

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Högskolan för Fotografi, Gothenburg, Sweden

What do you do to pay the bills?
I'm a photographer : )

What led you to photography over other mediums?
The really unique connection to reality.

Do you have any other creative talents?
I love music.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

From Hiroshi Sugimoto's Seascapes

Sugimoto's seascapes...so extremely beautiful pictures.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
esko männikkö
isaac julien
hiroshi sugimoto

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Exhibitions. This is my last year at högskolan för fotografi (masters degree) so lot to do.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
http://www.ypu.org
http://www.lebook.com
http://www.featured.se
lot to see on those links...

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
Esa Rauhala, a good friend of mine from Finland.

Anything about you: exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise, that we should know?
noup. Just a potrait after I almost got killed after a fire in our apartment house.Life rocks!

A nice little portrait I found of Hot Shot Ka-Man as Creative Director of dirtypop magazine

I may have been advised to delete the word beautiful from my vocabulary when it comes to describing works of art, but HS Ka-Man Tse's work is insanely so. Take a look at her ingeniously named URL: www.TseWhat.com and brace yourself to lust after these shots. Panelist Eileen Gittens says, "This is my favorite work from the entire group. Rich, sophisticated, lots of depth. I could look at these every day and not tire." Agreed.

When + where were you born?
Kowloon, Hong Kong 1981.

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Bard College

What do you do to pay the bills?
I work in arts education by day, and as Service Manager of a restaurant at night.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
Hey I'm not hating on other mediums at all. I just can't paint.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
you tube. gadget? the snooze button on my multiple alarm clocks.

Do you have any other creative talents?
I draw and I cook

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?
Usually they are shots that I couldn't make. One time in 2001 I was walking with my friends and it was the summer and we were getting out of dinner just walking around and there was a gust of wind that blew all of these styrofoam packing peanuts all over the sidewalk through our feet dancing like popcorn and then it went away so quickly like we had all imagined it.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Kara Walker
Kiki Smith
Tsai Ming Liang

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Yo, it's the year of the pig, so it's a going to be a good year for me. Life changes, so way!

Share your favorite links with us.
www.chowhound.com
www.dirtypop.org

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
mad street creds

Anything about you: Exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise that we should know?
My name has a hyphen. I have 11 toes in the 7 and 4 combo. I was raised in the electric city.

What to say about Hot Shot Molly Landreth's work...see my original post here. An early submission spotlight this edition, her work, and I think all of the panelists would agree, is incredibly compelling. Shortly after appearing on HHS! she popped up on Panelist Joerg Colberg's Conscientious. And, starting tomorrow, you can see the work live at the gallery! A true west coaster, she was born in Northern California, educated in Southern, and now resides in Seattle. She complains of the rain and plans to hunt down some sun before the spring passes her by. She'll be happy to know that rather than rain, New York has some snow in store for her tomorrow.

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Scripps College in SoCal...then School of Visual Arts in New York.

What do you do to pay the bills?
I'm an artist's assistant and I do freelance work...mainly for bands and local artists around Seattle.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
It just happened. I still love all that other stuff....but I'll leave it to other kids to do it right.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Can I see what other people put on this one first?

Do you have any other creative talents?
1. animal impressions—the running spider really gets a party started.
2. rhythmic gymnastics
3. crafty time things

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Sick of Goodbyes by Robert Frank

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Robert Frank, Gerhard Richter, Banksy

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Trying to finish this project. I've had a new, wonderful response from folks wanting to be a part of this and it's very exciting! And roaming through California with my girlfriend and her sister, trying to find some sun. So sick of all the rain.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
www.keavylandreth.com
www.landrethriffle.blogspot.com
www.douglandreth.com

plug. plug. plug.

Anything about you—exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise—that we should know?
I can't ever really eat enough toast with peanut butter and apricot jam. I'm messier than I should be....messier than anyone should be. But I'm really trying to be better. I swear. I'll be attending Review Santa Fe in May which I'm super excited about. I'll be wheeeeeezing my way through my second half marathon in April. ow! ow! ow! I can wiggle my ears. I get really red when agitated, embarrassed or intoxicated even a wee bit. You'll see.

Urged by a friend to enter Hey, Hot Shot!, Winter winner Colin Blakely submitted three solid black and white images. Believe it or not, you send very little of such work our way. And while we don't discriminate between the gray scale and the full spectrum, nor do we have a quota to fill when it comes to format, style, or genre, it's always nice to see b+w photography alive in all its glory. And Colin is more than just a superb photographer and, I'm sure, professor - he has a talent I am rather envious of. For the past two weeks I have been torturing myself over titles, it can be quite the difficult task to put a name to one's work, almost as difficult as a price tag. As for Colin, titles are his forté : The Anachronism of Basic Instinct, Confrontation with the Monster We've Collectively Created, or how about The Sound of Bad Blood Knocking Around? I might steal Ultra panelist Alison Grippo's idea and bribe Colin to take a shot at my work. Well done, Mr. Blakely.

When + where were you born?
New York, NY, 04/15/73

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
BA with dual major in Math and Studio Arts from Williams College (Williamstown, MA)
MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)

What do you do to pay the bills?
Associate Professor of Photography, Eastern Michigan University. I also occasionally shoot weddings.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
I came to photography because of the unique and pliable way that the camera sees the world. There is magic for me that happens when I get my first look at negatives I have made, and that magic is every bit as powerful for me now as when I first started taking pictures. I have also discovered over the years that I am much better at creating something interesting through the process of selecting from an infinite range of possibilities than by starting from nothing. As a photographer, I start with the entire world and everything in it, and that is the "canvas" from which I can isolate what is interesting to me. I am first and foremost an observer, and photography lends itself perfectly to this method of working.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Too many to name! I have to work hard not to drop into "deep geekdom" where the computer is concerned. Color management and programming with PHP are at the top of the list.

Do you have any other creative talents?
I wish I could say I was one of those "all-around-blur-art-and-life creative types." However, my creative endeavors tend to stay squarely focused on the photographic medium.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Sandra Bennett by Richard Avedon

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
There's so much amazing work out there, whittling it down to just three seems an impossible task, but here goes: Alec Soth, Paul Pfeiffer, Andreas Gursky

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
For starters, the end of the school year and a much needed break from academic life. More importantly, continued work on my Somewhere in Middle America project, as well as an attempt to start to pull together a related project of color work I have been photographing for some time.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
http://www.photoeye.com
http://marketingphotos.wordpress.com

Anything about yourself - exciting news, oddball facts - or otherwise, that we should know?
I have three kids under the age of 5. Does that qualify as an oddball fact, or just an indication of my insanity??

Winter Hot Shot Mickey Smith is a busy, busy lady. After joining us in New York for the showcase on Wednesday she's off to New Zealand, followed by a full plate of work + travel + more work in the spring—"these are exciting times in the land of Mickey Smith. "I'm so blown away by this work, and how serious Mickey is about presenting it. She really seems to have things together, is a McKnight Fellow and well, damn, I'm so pleased that she's chosen to participate in the competition," says Jen. And she has a great website to boot—enjoy.

When + where were you born?
1972 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
University of Minnesota, Moorhead (just across the Red River from Fargo)

What do you do to pay the bills?
A little bit of everything, but mainly I'm a recovering arts administrator.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
The Kodak Disc camera, circa 1980

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
I'm a tech weenie. My guiltiest pleasure is simply being able to see images instantly on a camera back. Before digital I was Polaroid. My undergraduate internship was with the Polaroid Collection in Cambridge, MA.

Do you have any other creative talents?
My man and I do a little design work on the side, I might have been a silversmith or jeweler in a former life, planning to get to it later.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?
The first image that comes to mind is by Duane Michals, a black and white image of a couple sitting on a bed, it begins "THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS MY PROOF".

This Photograph is My Proof by Duane Michals

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Martin Parr, Ed Ruscha, On Kawara

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
This Friday I'm off to New Zealand for a few weeks at the beach with the in-laws... Once back in Minneapolis, I'll hit the ground running. Editing new work from Seattle and Kansas City in preparation for the McKnight Fellowship exhibition. Driving to Art Chicago in April. Flying to New York and Los Angeles to meet with with galleries in May. Pulling together a book proposal for the Volume work in June. Working on my new Unaccompanied Minor project in between.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
The man's band: Quarter Acre Lifestyle
These crack me up, especially Jack Black
South Park Create-A-Character

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
Swanny recommended I check out jen bekman last fall. My new intern-turned-studio manager pushed me to enter the Winter '07 Edition.

Anything about you—exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise—that we should know?
Exciting News: I'm waiting for a very important (possibly exciting) letter and last night my fortune cookie said, "A cheerful letter or message is on its way to you."
Oddball Fact: I have a brother older than my mother.
Otherwise: Considering a move back to New York, so thanks to HHS for the 24-hour dose of the city!

The one and only 4 Million Dollar Home by Crumpler

What do the hottest of hot photographers do to stay on top of style? Well, they don't wear vests and sling 5 straps around their shoulders. Hot Shots sport Crumpler.

That's right. Crumpler has signed on as a Hey, Hot Shot! sponsor for 2007. Cool? Very. In fact it is as cool as Crumpler giving our 10 Winter Edition winners their very own drool-worthy photo bags. These are not just any ol' photo bags, they are 4 Million Dollar Home photo bags. Jealous? Me too.

To tempt you: a fully padded, waterproof bag with all the necessary pockets to store your most treasured of equipment—the kicker, it's simply a good-looking bag that we can sufficiently geek-out over.

AND! We are proud to announce that each of the 10 Hot Shots will be at the showcase in full form. Juho's heading our way from Sweden, Ben from the UK, our new west coast pack is trekking east just for us. They are all Manhattan bound! So do come say hello, support the work, schmooze a little, and see some Hot Shots don Crumpler goodies.

PS: If you need some easy entertainment, Crumpler has a pretty amazing website that everyone should pay a little visit.

Untitled by Kirby Pilcher

My, how time does fly. You've had a week to become acquainted with our sizzling new set of Hot Shots. If you haven't checked out the HHS! work on flickr, I suggest you do so right now. Here at the jb we are pulling ourselves from the daze of excitement that usually follows the breaking news, and frantically beginning preparation for what I am positive will be yet another wild and crazy showcase. An unusual quirk of this bunch, they've managed to scatter themselves across the globe. Our Hot Shots hail from Oregon, Michigan, Sweden, Washington, California, London, Minnesota, and New York. And you can expect to see their sweet smiling faces when you come support their work opening night.

Be there: Wednesda,y March 7th from 6-8 PM.

As always, more fun to follow.

The Bute Street Goldfish, Kowloon, Hong Kong by Ka-Man Tse

Oh yes, it is here! The time has come to announce the 10 photographers selected for the Winter 2007 Edition of Hey, Hot Shot! Here we go, the winners are:

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

And now the fun begins! Pencil it in: the showcase soiree in honor of our new Hot Shots is Wednesday March 7 from 6-8pm. Make sure to see the work and support the winners. The show will be up from March 8-11, 2007 and what a show it promises to be!

Special thanks to our fantastic group of panelists—Anthony LaSala, Leslie Martin, Joerg Colberg, Amit Gupta, Eileen Gittens, 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 gigantic thank you goes out to all of the participants for sharing their work with us.

Our panelists were faced with what promised to be the impossible, narrowing it down to a final ten proved just as difficult as expected. With so many fantastic entries coming our way, some honorable mentions are necessary:

Sarah Claire Ahlers, Alejandro Cartagena, Hin Chua, Jill Frank, Nicole Hatanaka, Shane Lavalette, Seth Lower, Jason Reblando, Paula Rebsom, Beth Riemer, Caroline Shepard, Michael Simon, Mandy Sue Springer, Will Steacy, Monika Sziladi, Daniel Traub, Andrea Wallace, Keith Kin Yan, Christopher Young

What a round, congratulations to all! Stay tuned to the HHS! Blog for more news, fun facts, and other tidbits of info for your entertainment.

Fiona by Holly Andres

Holly Andres

Currently residing in Portland, OR

Website: http://hollyandres.com

Work Statement:
The re-occurring themes in my work explore the experiences in my life that have impacted and constructed my identity. I am interested in revisiting, recreating and preserving that history, but am especially fascinated with the interweaving of fact and fiction, and finding a place in which autobiography and fictitious narration come together.

The photographs that I'm submitting are from a series titled, Stories From a Short Street, which is an on-going project inspired by childhood experiences. For this series I have created a fictitious group of siblings that are loosely based on the archetypes of my own family. Each image is constructed to enact a specific moment, convey identity through space, and depict a psychological portrait.

My photo process has been informed and influenced by my early training in traditional painting, my interest in religious Renaissance art, and my nostalgia for childhood television programs such as the After School Specials and Little House on the Prairie.

Bio:
I was born in 1977, the youngest daughter of ten children in rural western Montana. My older siblings voted to name me Holly; born just two days before Christmas my mom told me I was the best Christmas gift ever received. Growing up in a large family, money was scarce and since we didn't have many toys, we entertained ourselves through imaginative storytelling and art making. Organizations like the community church and 4-H gave me my first outlets for creative projects such as photography.

A full-tuition scholarship moved me to the Art Institute of Seattle were I studied architecture and illustration. I received a BFA in painting from the University of Montana, but it was while pursuing my graduate work at Portland State University, that I discovered my love for film-making and photography.

Selected 2006 Exhibitions and Film Festivals include the following:

+ 2006 Oregon Biennial at the Portland Art Museum
+ Annual National Juried Exhibition at Newspace Center for Photography
+ Current Photography: New Directions, Clark College
+ POW! (Pictures of Women), Quality Pictures Contemporary Art
+ Private Contemplations/Private Conversations, Salem Art Association
+ 31st Annual NW Film + Video Festival (Honorable Mention)
+ Portland International Film Festival
+ Portland Experimental Film Festival (Gearhead Filmmaker's Grant)
+ Perpetual Art Machine in New York

Confrontation with the Monster We've Collectively Created by Colin Blakely

Colin Blakely

Currently residing in: Ann Arbor, MI

Website: http://www.colinblakely.com

Work Statement:
As I have gotten older, I have turned more and more towards the familiar for inspiration and subject matter in my photographs.

In the most basic sense, this project is about the 400 and 500 blocks of Keech Avenue, an examination of my immediate surroundings. Bordered on one side by Michigan Stadium and by Almendinger Park on the other, both entities play an important role in the identity of the neighborhood.

My photographs depict this street and the people that inhabit it—both the ones that live here and the ones that visit. Some I know quite well, others are complete strangers. Overall, the work tells the story of a community that is holding on to a vanishing way of life. It is about a group of people living quite literally in Middle America—geographically, economically, politically—at a time when our notions concerning what this means are quickly changing. Having shunned the constant call of the suburbs, we live in a small neighborhood close to downtown. Here, the passing of time is defined as much by the rituals we collectively participate in as by the months on a calendar. This work is a celebration of and possibly a eulogy to our way of life.

Bio:
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, but moved to Houston, TX earlier on in my childhood, and remained there until college. My earliest memories concerning my interest in photography center around my mother and her ongoing endeavors as a serious amateur photographer. My first real explorations in photography began as one of two yearbook photographers for my high school. I don't know when my interest turned into an obsession, as it snuck up on me over the years. Sometime towards the end of college I stopped being able to imagine doing anything with my life that did not involve photography. After receiving a BA from Williams College in Massachusetts I went on to teach middle school for several years before returning for an MFA from the University of New Mexico. Currently, I am a professor of photography at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI.

Oregon Caves 10-24-06 9 by Winter 2007 Hot Shot Jeffrey Krolick

Jeffrey Krolick

Currently residing in: Ashland, OR

Website: http://www.jeffkrolick.net

Work Statement:
I completed a State University of New York campus-wide MFA program in 1983. My career path at that time focused primarily on fine art jewelry and sculpture, but my most consistent (and passionately practiced) artistic endeavor over the past 20 years has been photography. Although my vocation since 1986 has been in community mental heath, I have continued to explore photography in a disciplined way, while compiling a substantial body of evolving work which is just beginning to be exhibited. Photography in particular holds that impossibly seductive promise of learning to see in a new way which is at one and the same time democratic (the "subject"? of each photograph is as worthy as the next) and highly individualized (the unique formal qualities of the picture such as color, framing, lighting and personal, cultural and historical referends which may be conscious choices made by the photographer or serendipitous). Walt Whitman's stance of treating all moments as of equal consequence (the democratic) and Garry Winogrand's stated purpose in taking photographs - to see what the subject looks like as a photograph (individualized seeing) are the essential dynamics behind much of my photography. Formally my work explores how composition can unify disparate materials and seeming contradictory conceptual themes and how my personal aesthetic changes or remains static over time and across content.

Bio:
Jeff Krolick earned an MFA in sculpture, studying with Albert Paley, and worked for many years as a craftsman, metalsmith and sculptor, exploring how composition can unify disparate materials and seemingly contradictory conceptual themes. Photography has been his preferred medium for the past 17 years to discover/uncover these relationships in the seemingly mundane scenes of everyday life and the natural world. He recently began exhibiting his work again after pursuing a career for many years as a counselor and administrator in the community mental health field. His work has been included in a number of shows this year including solo exhibitions at the Silver Eye Center for Photography in Pittsburgh, PA and Dayton University's Rike Center for the Arts as well as group shows in Kansas City, Boston, Philadelphia and New York City.

Jeff's work has been recognized with awards from the Silver Eye Center for Photography, the Society for Contemporary Photography and the International Photography Awards which selected him as Fine Art Photographer of the Year in 2005 and nominated him for a prestigious Lucie award.

Untitled (One) by Juho Kuva

Juho Kuva

Currently residing in: Gothenburg, Sweden

Website: http://www.juhokuva.com

Work Statement:
For me, the beauty of pictures has always been important. As a photographer the essential things like light, colour and composition are central elements in my own production. My own production, which focuses on landscape photography, has progressed towards more and more simplified photography. In addition to the traditional light, colours and composition that are basic components of my photography, the horizon, lines, silence, open spaces and large surfaces are important elements in my work. Beauty lies in simplicity, I feel. A simple landscape with plenty of open space is more appealing to me than a photo cluttered with detail and colour. In my photography I have always been interested in its linkages to reality. Apart from beauty, trying to evoke something real, tell of a moment that `really happened` and picture things that are personally important to me are important features in my work. As a summary I think that beautiful picture needs no explanation. It has earned its place with its presence.

"Beauty is based on perfection. It pierces the heart. What are we seeking for with our work if its not beauty?" - A Finnish cultural document

Bio:
I was born in Hong Kong on 6.6.1980. It is quite hard to say where or when this all started. In my childhood my father used to take a lot of photographs and these photographs my father took had a strong impact on me. Our family had a habit on getting together to watch slide shows of Finland whilst we were in Hong Kong, of Hong Kong whilst we were in Finland. Perhaps these familiar landscapes we looked at together, absent yet present, have had an important impact on my work. My fathers style is quite simple and traditional, and the photos he has taken are a beautiful documentation of the history of our family. The works of old masters of black-and-white photos such and from Sebastiao Salgado and Pentti Sammallahti made a lasting impression on me after moving back to Finland. The stunning beauty I felt to be present in their photos inspired my work. As a member of the local Photography club, I loved the traditional work with black-and-white photos in the darkrooms, fell in love and couldn`t turn back. After this it has been a wonderful journey...In fall 2005 I started my studies (MA) in School of Photography, Gothenburg University, Sweden. Our final exhibitions will be shown in the absolutely best places in Sweden like Konthallen in Gothenburg and Centrum A Fotografi in Stockholm.

Simon and West, 2006 by Molly Landreth

Molly Landreth

Currently residing in: Seattle, WA

Website: http://www.mollylandreth.blogspot.com

Work Statement:
Embodiment:This series of photographs is an archive and a journey through a rapidly changing community and the lives of people who offer new visions of what it means to be young and queer today. Coming of age witnessing rapid changes in how gender and sexual minorities are viewed, I began this project as an investigation into the ways this generation of young people is continuing to challenge traditional life narratives within both straight and mainstream gay and lesbian communities. Even with today’s increasingly progressive attitudes, to be visible is to become both empowered and vulnerable. As a result, these images depict subjects who meet my gaze with a rare combination of forthright self-awareness and total abandon, like they are standing in for something much larger than themselves. Paying attention to carefully considered identities and surroundings, I find in a moment suspended, that an overlap is revealed, exposing the subtle outlines of who people are and more importantly, who they wish to become.

As I look from one image to the next I see that although my original investigation is the heart of this project, its blood is more universal. Embodiment, is about love and the process of growing up into ones self. It is about the complexity of relationships found between a diverse group of young people who playfully reveal unique and subtle shades of gender expression and with a glance or a touch re-assemble the sometimes-delicate anatomy of a family.

Bio:
b. 1978, lives and works in Seattle, WA. where she continues to create and exhibit new work, as well as shoot as one half of landreth+riffle.

EDUCATION
School of Visual Arts,
MFA, Photography and Related Media, 2005. New York, NY
Glasgow School of Art
Study Abroad, Commercial Photography, 1 semester, 2001. Glasgow, Scotland
Scripps College
BA, Studio Art with focus in Art History, Photography and Digital Art, 2001. Claremont, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
In a New Direction, wall space, Seattle, WA, February, 2007
Give us Your Best Shot, Benham Gallery, Seattle, WA, February 2007
Group Show #7, Humble Media, New York, NY 2006
Group Show Box Set, Auctioned by Ladies Lotto for Planned Parenthood, The Foundry, LIC, NY 2006
Online Exhibition, Photomedia Center, Erie, PA 2006
See What I Mean?, School of Visual Arts Gallery, New York, NY. 2005
Ladyfest Los Angeles Art Exhibition, Los Angeles, CA 2002
Vera Project Multi-Media Exhibition, Vera Project, Seattle, WA 2001
Scripps College Thesis Exhibition, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Claremont, CA 2001
Scripps College Junior Exhibition, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Claremont, CA 2000
New Work, The Motley Coffee Shop, Claremont, CA 1999

AWARDS
Finalist, Critical Mass, 2007
American Photo Image of the Year Competition, Honorable Mention, 2006
Photographic Center Northwest, Printing Sponsorship, 2006

PUBLICATIONS
Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture, Oct. 2006

405 & Magnola, Fountain Valley, CA by Brad Moore

Brad Moore

Currently residing in: Laguna Beach, CA

Website: http://www.bradmoore.com

Work Statement:
These photographs were shot in modest, well-worn, suburban cities in central Orange County, California. Built in the 50s and 60s, these cities provided a new home and future to a post-war population. While southern Orange County's coastal cities flourish with affluence, central Orange County struggles. Future prosperity and civic health seem to come primarily from growing ethnic populations, which are reviving and recreating these cities for their communities.

I grew up in central Orange County. After 25 years I returned, and was fascinated by the simultaneous decline and growth. I stayed away from traditional, documentary-style photography, instead I have photographed only select buildings and the nearby shrubbery in primarily static, symmetrical compositions. Together, the buildings and foliage convey change, irony and evolution of place.

Bio
Born 1958, La Jolla, California

EDUCATION
1976-1980 BS Art/Photography, Loma Linda University, Riverside, California

1981 Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1978 - 1981 Photography and Darkroom Instructor,
Loma Linda University, Riverside, California

1981 - 1985 Photofinishing Instructor,
Noritsu America Corporation, Buena Park, California

1984 - 2005 President, Aperion, Inc.,
Irvine, California (manufacturer and distributor of photographic color calibration products)

Untitled by Winter 2007 Hot Shot Kirby Pilcher

Kirby Pilcher

Currently residing in: Rochester, NY

Website: http://www.kirbypilcher.com

Work Statement:
I began studying photography as an undergraduate, and dabbled with it for a few years before finally deciding in 2004 to pursue an MFA at the Visual Studies Workshop. Lately I have been interested in what images can be found when limiting the search area to the spaces that I inhabit on a daily basis. I am interested in finding images where human interaction has left evidence of events that occurred in these spaces. I try to give only fractured clues to the viewer so they must bring their own experiences to the image in order create a narrative.

Bio:
I was born in South Dakota in April of 1977, raised there, and attended the University of South Dakota earning a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in art. I am currently completing a MFA at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY. I was first introduced to photography by my aunt who was a photographer. Over the years she had given me several cheap point and shoot cameras, but it wasn't until she passed away and I inherited her Canon AE-1 that I began to seriously make photographs. I have owned many cameras since getting the Canon but it is the only one that has not been stolen or broken.

At Work by Winter 2007 Hot Shot Ben Roberts

Ben Roberts

Currently residing in: Hackney, London, UK

Website: http://www.benrobertsphotography.com

Work Statement:
I'm a documentary photographer at heart; I started taking photos as way of documenting research for drawing and painting, but before long the painting took a back seat; I'm interested in documenting stories about human behaviour and condition, but the images don't necessarily have to have people in them; I try to look for human traces in both landscapes and domestic spaces to help complete a story. I'm inspired by the work of (amongst others) Mitch Epstein for his quiet appreciation of interiors and objects, and Larry Sultan for the subtlety and variety of his portraiture.

With an emphasis on atmosphere and subtle suggestions of a narrative, I aim to create images that intrigue and provoke a response. My ambition in an image is to evoke a sense of deja vu for the viewer—a tangible sense of familiarity that can be either warm or uncomfortable. To convey these qualities through portraiture and documentary photography is my constant motivation.

Bio:
I grew up in Birmingham, UK, until the age of 18. I then took myself off to Scotland where I completed an MA in Fine Art at the University of Edinburgh. I followed this up with 2 years traveling and compiling an admittedly naive portfolio. Since then I have completed a 2 year photography diploma at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth, and haven't looked back since. I am a member of the respected young photographers collective Photodebut.org, and have had my work exhibited in The Museum of London and published in The Fader and The Sunday Herald. I am currently first assistant to the award winning UK documentary photographer Zed Nelson.

I'm 28yrs old now, and am constantly excited and inspired to be living and working in London's vibrant photographic industry.

Money by Winter 2007 Hot Shot Mickey Smith

Mickey Smith

Currently residing in: Minneapolis, MN

Website: http://www.mickeysmithart.com

Work Statement:
The three images submitted to Hot Shots are from my current project, called Volume. I seek out and photograph these titles as I find them on the shelves of public libraries. I do not manipulate, light, or touch the books, preferring to document them as created by the librarian and positioned by the last user.

Searching endless stacks, I am continually struck by physical mass of information and tenuousness of printed works as they fade from public consciousness. The irony and graphic quality of repeating titles fascinate and draw, no matter how mundane, from known to obscure, from Vogue to Blood. I photograph titles that are flirtatious, utilitarian, and personally or socially symbolic.

I am inspired by many artists, but particularly drawn to the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Barbara Kruger, and Edward Ruscha.

Bio:
Mickey Smith was born in 1972 in Duluth, Minnesota. She received a BA in Photography from University of Minnesota, Moorhead. Works from her most recent project, Volume, have shown at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in Saint Paul, Silver Eye Center for Photography in Pittsburgh and the Society for Contemporary Photography in Kansas City. Smith is the current recipient of the McKnight Artist Fellowship for Photography and a FORECAST Public Artworks Grant.

Untitled, Kowloon, Hong Kong by Winter 2007 Hot Shot Ka-Man Tse

Ka-Man Tse

Currently residing in: Brooklyn, NY

Website: http://www.tsewhat.com

Work Statement:
My photographs are about a desire to see, to touch without touching. I am a photographer because I am a hoarder. I am a cowardly collector of faces, sights seen without cameras, murmurs in the hallway, children's logic, things unsaid, lists and maths found on the pavement. Some of my favorite things are sights and not objects; sights seen for the low-fidelity breaking of a heart, a kind of could-have-been, something born to be a memory of loss. So I gaze without manners, turn my head once more, and squeeze my eyes lest the image fall out.

My work explores common themes of home, childhood, memory, desire, loss, and place. Growing up, I had wanted to see my birthplace, the Hong Kong in my parents' photographs. I began to photograph in Hong Kong in 2004, starting at the location of departure, the decommissioned Kai Tak Airport, and progressing into other spaces of wonder.

Bio:
Ka-Man Tse is the creative director of NYC-based dirtypop Magazine. Her work has been published in Hyphen Magazine, Time Out New York and by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She has exhibited at the Fifth Avenue Committee in Brooklyn and currently serves as the Assistant to the Director of Photography at the JCC in Manhattan and as a Teaching Assistant at the International Center for Photography. She lives in Brooklyn, and shoots in NYC and Hong Kong.