Glass Memories

It’s funny how time works. A few months ago, I was pouring plates and contemplating what images I wanted toRockin' the "Glass Memories" T-shirt. Limited edition! make for my exhibit. And I was taking days to think about my work, or about one image. I was moving slowly and pensively. Time was a plentiful commodity. Today, I’m scrambling about checking lists, looking in boxes, talking to myself and running around here like a chicken with its head cut off. Time has become a scare commodity and there’s no way for me to buy anymore – we leave Sunday for Paris.

The good news is: I’m almost there. The big stuff is finished (thank G-d). I just completed framing the two big silver prints from Barcelona. I need to put the dust covers and wires on them, but that’s it. I ended up with 70 framed pieces and almost 100 images in this show. Unbelievable!

I got a brand new 8x10 camera from Steve (Rochester, New York) a couple of weeks ago. Much better than the first one I had! Paris will be its maiden voyage. I’ll use it for the demos, the work on portrait days, etc., and the students in the workshops will use 4x5 cameras. We’re taking one 4x5 and the gallery has three. I should’ve set my workshops up like this a long time ago. It’s easier to operate, less stressful and better for people learning the process. There should be some very interesting images coming out of Paris next week.

And yes, that is a bad-ass t-shirt! Notice the design? I illustrated a Wet Plate Collodion camera from the 1860s, with a big Jamin-Darlot (cone) lens and put it on contemporary tripod. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

28" x 32" - 16"x20" Silver Gelatin print from Collodion Negative/Positive - Barcelona, Spain

Exhibition In Paris, France

The website of Centre Iris Gallery for photographyI’ve had three photographic dreams my life. The first, to have a photographic exhibition of my work in Paris, France. The second, to have a book of my photographs published (a very nice 12” x 12” tri-tone, spot varnished images). And the third, to own and operate a (historical) photography school - the first three processes - Daguerreotypes, Calotypes and Wet Plate Collodion.

I’m happy to say that the first dream has come true! I’ve been invited to do a show in the center of Paris at a gallery called, “Centre Iris Pour La Photographie”. This is an incredible high for me. Paris is the birthplace of photography and the French, for the most part, really love and appreciate the art.

My exhibition will run from 9 March to 19 June, 2010. I will be doing a live demonstration of the process; I call them “performative lectures”, and a full-blown, two-day workshop during the exhibition, too.

This will be my second solo exhibition with my Wet Plate Collodion work. The show will consist of 50 – 60 pieces; Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Alumitypes, and Albumen prints (singles, diptychs, and triptychs). I’m going to exhibit both the, “Portraits from Madison Avenue” work and the, “Vergangenheitsbewältigung” work.

Wish me luck! I hope you can make the opening!