Blogs

We're very excited about our next exhibit, Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present! The show, which features 166 prints by over 100 photographers, was originally shown and created by the Brooklyn Museum. The summer exhibit will include an original documentary Annenberg Space for Photography film (as we always do) with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of photographers Ed Colver, Henry Diltz, Jill Furmanovsky, Lynn Goldsmith, Bob Gruen, Norman Seeff, Mark Seliger and Guy Webster. There'll also be appearances by rock stars Alice Cooper and Henry Rollins. Click here for more information. Mark June 23 down on your calendar!

We're very excited to announce that the original 30-minute film by the Annenberg Space for Photography which ran during the BEAUTY CULTURE exhibition will be part of the Tribeca Film Festival next month! The 30-minute short film is part of the festival's documentary program named Triptych which focuses on art, music and physical beauty.

The documentary, directed by Lauren Greenfield, was shown last year in the venue's sweeping, unprecedented photographic exploration of how feminine beauty is defined, challenged and revered in modern society. The documentary presents interviews with selected photographers and subjects included in the exhibition.

Watch a trailer for BEAUTY CULTURE here.

By Maggie Taylor

A little note about the Digital Darkroom film at the Annenberg Space for Photography:

When Jerry Uelsmann and I were in Los Angeles in December for the opening of the exhibition “Digital Darkroom” we were amazed by the wonderful documentary film that was produced for the show.  It was fascinating to see all the other participants in their own environments making their images.  (Of course:  we also really loved meeting all of these special artists in person!)  This is the first time that either of us has been included in an exhibition that was accompanied by a film about the artists.

It is hard to believe that it has already been six months since the production team working on the film visited us at our studios and darkroom in Gainesville, Florida.  Jerry and I spent several days with director Steve Kochones and the folks from Arclight Productions, showing them how we work and talking about our images.  I don’t think they fully realized in advance just how hot and humid it can be in Florida in August.....but they managed to make the best of it. They even shot several outdoor scenes in what must have been 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity!  They also were able to film Jerry creating one of his images in the darkroom using only his normal safelights.  In that past, he had to have additional lights, which either fogged the paper or necessitated a bit of staging and did not capture the "real" printing process.  So he was very excited that they were able to figure out a way to work in near darkness with him.  

The combination of the film and the print installation at the Annenberg Space is really great to see--not to mention the second exceptional film on the 3D artists in the show.  We were really honored to be included and look forward to seeing future shows in the Space!

Maggie Taylor became a towering figure in photography in the 1990s when she learned Photoshop and began creating her unmistakable artistic fingerprint. Utilizing scanned images, tintypes of 19th-century subjects and pure imagination, she creates a world that is simultaneously of the past and of the future, and a photographic grammar that is both provocative and embracing. See her work in "Digital Darkroom" which runs from December 17, 2011 - May 28, 2012.

By now many of you have seen Ted Grudowski's incredible 3D photography in "Digital Darkroom." His exhibited work includes images that feature Bruce Springstreen and U2's The Edge. Watch this short video (it's less than 2 minutes) and learn more about how Grudowski goes about creating his photographs. Also, don't forget that you can look through all of the 3D images in the print show here.

It was the 45th IRIS Nights Lecture and the very last lecture during our "Water" exhibition. Annenberg Foundation Executive Director Leonard Aube and Director of Operations Sylia Obagi were there to welcome our lecturer, the former elected district attorney of Los Angeles, Gil Garcetti.

Garcetti wasn't making another routine stop made by politicians every election year, that is, he isn't running for office. In fact, the purpose for his visit was to deliver one of many portfolio presentations by Gil Garcetti, the critically acclaimed (by the New York Times!) photographer.

Although he's given up his role prosecuting criminals, Garcetti has taken up a new advocacy defending our world most crucial resource, water.

Just prior to the lecture, Aube took an informal poll of the crowd to see how many people were regulars - and he found a large number of hands in the air when he asked how many people had been to more than 10 of our lectures!

...and there was one gentleman who had attended 43 of the 45 lectures!
Now that's dedication.

Garcetti has documented water and the empowerment of women in West Africa, hoping to bring global attention to issues of safe water and economic stabilization.

He helped inspire the creation of Wells Bring Hope - a nonprofit org that helps dig wells for underserved communities in Africa.

Who would have ever believed that after years as a high profile D.A., Garcetti would transition into a career as a highly regarded photographer?

Garcetti told of how his first published images of the Walt Disney Music Hall earned him praise from photographic greats (and previous exhibitor/lecturers) like Julius Schulman and David Hume Kennerly.

Early work showed the steel workers on the project

- and he described how his chosen form of expression became his passion and his post-political career.

Eager to start a new trend here in America, Garcetti also shared some stories from his current work Women in Bikes,

a collection of images of fashionable women who bicycle in Paris as an everyday means of transportation.

His presentation at the Space secured a whole new audience of followers.

At the book signing following the lecture, Garcetti helped raised over $1,275 from book sales to go to Wells Bring Hope.

and received a donation of over $6,000 from a foundation in attendance!

What a great way to close an incredible exhibit...and what a nice surprise for our final lecturer for Water: Our Thirsty World!

Thank you Mr. Garcetti for helping us demonstrate the many ways in which philanthropy can take shape!

(All images © Unique for the Space)

Beauty Culture Public Service Announcement from Annenberg Space for Photography.

Click the video above to watch our PSA for Beauty Culture, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis!

by Claudia Kunin

I first visited the Annenberg Space for Photography during it's grand nighttime gala opening in March, 2009 and was truly wowed by its dedication to the exhibition of digital photography. Here was this eye-shaped gallery with gigantic digital displays in a darkened atmosphere. It was the first time I had ever seen a space like it. In fact, I don't think there is another like it in the world! For me, a dream was set in motion that night: I wanted to show my work in the Photography Space.

I didn't know how I would go about doing it.....as it seems that promoting one's own work is often times fruitless. It was in April of 2010 that I met Pat Lanza, the passionate genius, behind-the-scenes curator at the Annenberg Space for Photography, and she told me that my work would be perfect for an upcoming show she was putting together called "Digital Darkroom." Huzzah!

Now here I am, part of a fabulous group of 17 talented artists lighting up the walls at the Photography Space. Because I knew I was going to be part of the show, it inspired me to push myself further, beyond the technological boundaries I had previously been working in. I put my nose to the grindstone, learning how to animate my pieces so they could be projected at the Photography Space. I'm proud to say that my work will indeed be shown in that mysterious eye-shaped room - 3D animations and all. I am so very excited to have a long term goal come to fruition. Just another example of how the impossible can be made possible!

Claudia Kunin worked for years as a commercial photographer before experiencing a transformational moment and devoting her life to fine art photography. Her 3D photography is dedicated to exploring the past, making connections and expressing the inexpressible. See her work in "Digital Darkroom" which runs from December 17, 2011 - May 28, 2012.

For Grace Jones' 2009 "The Hurricane Tour," "Digital Darkroom" photographer Chris Levine designed an element of the show in which a laser shined at the lustrous Swarovski crystal-encrusted bowler hat the singer wore during her performance of "Love is the Drug." This created a surreal and magical effect on stage that mesmerized the audience. Levine recreated the moment for his stunning photograph of Jones, entitled Superstar, which is above,

Said Chris about the moment in the show: "I got the Royal Festival Hall (in London) to take all lights to black out when we did it first time. The laser coming directly down from above onto (her) crystal headpiece...the audience went wild. It was a magical moment-a kind of flash point. Grace was back! It has to be one of the best live shows I had ever seen by any artist. It was electrifying!"

Want to see for yourself how well Levine's design played out during the show? Then watch Jones' "electrifying" performance of the song in the clip below.

Juergen Nogai ( R) seen here with his wife, Jeannie ( C) and POYi/Water photographer and lecturer Gerd Ludwig ( L)

When we caught up with Juergen Nogai (Julius Shulman's shooting partner) at our last opening, he told us about an amazing retrospective of Julius' (and also Juergen's) work. It was planned well in advance to celebrate Julius' 100th birthday. Sadly, Julius passed away in July of 2009 at the age of 99 leaving us with an impressive life-time of amazing work (see our tribute to him here).

It was decided that 'the show must go on,' and the exhibit, which is the most complete collection of Shulman's work to be shown in one place, opened in October of last year (Julius' 100th birthday would have been 10/10/2010). It's called "Cool and Hot" and it will run until February 27, 2011 at the ZEPHYR Gallery in Mannheim, Germany.

While it might not be likely for you to see this exhibit before February, Juergen did mention that it is likely to hit the road for a mini-tour. We can hope that it makes its way across the pond to us, but so far it doesn't look like that's in the cards. We'll keep you posted.

Last night, Renee Byer took the stage at our IRIS Nights to discuss photos that ranged in topics from the economy to prostitution to serious illness. Renee had a refreshingly down-to-earth personality and a strong desire to enlighten as many people as possible about these subjects... subjects which she clearly feels very strongly about.

The first series of photos she presented focused on the difficulties faced by those affected by unemployment in California.

Included in this collection is a photo (above) of California Governor Arnold Schwazenegger, who found himself stuck in the middle of the state's job crisis. Renee has photographed him several times and found him to be someone who really wanted to make a difference in the state. She described how she loves this picture primarily due to the tension seen in his hands.

Renee shifted her talk to people in Ghana who, though they had jobs, were forced to work in a toxic environment at an e-waste recycling facility. She told us how she became fascinated with one girl there who suffered from malaria. The girl, no doubt sensing Renee's warmth and compassion, wanted to come back home with her.

One of the most heart-breaking moments of the night came when Renee discussed a series of photos devoted to a brothel in Bangladesh that employed young girls, many of whom had no other choice but to enter the oldest profession. Renee confessed that if she won the lottery tomorrow, she would return to the South Asian country and free all of them. After listening to her speak, there's no doubt in our minds that she would!

Renee explained that the visual presentation for her Pulitzer Prize-winning series "A Mother's Journey" typically runs an hour but she managed to squeeze in an abbreviated version for IRIS Nights. The edit didn't reduce the impact of the powerful images of a mother and her 11-year-old son as the two coped with his fight with terminal cancer.

Renee was obviously very moved by her year-long, intimate documentation of Cyndie and Derek. Cyndie told Renee that she can't imagine living without the above photograph that captured a very tender moment between her and her son.

She also showed a sweet picture where the two shared a rare smiling moment together which seemed to touch everyone in the audience.

During the Q & A, Renee was asked the requisite question about when she first sound herself interested in photography. Apparently, it all started when Renee, as child, shot "little teeny people" on the street from the top of the Statue of Liberty, with a brownie camera her parents had given her.

Through her wonderful photography, this warm, cheerful and talented woman now gets to tell stories about all kinds of people (not just the "teeny" ones) from around the world. Sounds to us like she's already won the lottery!

Click here to watch Renee's lecture online!

(All images by Unique for the Space)