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Still Life with Reality / Newsletter

Boursse, Esaias; Domestic Interior with Still Life; Barnsley Museum and Heritage Service; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/domestic-interior-with-still-life-68679

“Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.” -Ansel Adams

It is common to become so wrapped up in the minutia of life so as not to look around and appreciate the stunning beauty of reality. We do not routinely spend our days drifting slowly, allowing ourselves time to soak up the wonder that is this life we are given. It is only when we freeze a moment sometimes, that we become able to see with fresh vision. A beautiful photograph of someone we see every day can remind us to truly look at them more often. Images of the irreplaceable planet on which we live serve as reminders of the great responsibility of humanity.

Ansel Adams, Moonrise

Britt Salvesen is curator and head of the department of photography at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. There she works on exhibitions planning, collections building, programming, and patron groups. Salvesen explains that her work with patron groups and artists is often largely separate. Artists do not think of their work in terms of fitting into a museum department or patron collection, rather they work with what materials work for their vision. Conversely, some collectors are highly specialized in their desires while others collect across a broad spectrum of genres and media. In 2016, Artsy named Salvesen one of the most influential curators. That same year she received curator of the year from the Los Angeles Art Show. Salvesen has a long view of curation. She says, “when we are making an acquisition for the museum we want to ensure that artwork is going to be accessible generations in the future.” To this end, it is important to work with the artists in order to create digital files of all collections in order to propel LACMA into the 21st century and beyond. She says this digitizing of art is potentially a great career choice for those hoping to work in the art world.

Peter Alessandria’s main passion is his fine art photography. He photographs the New York City skyline using unique compositions. He works with the sun and the moon in order to create these conditions. Most recently he photographed what he and collaborators have coined Statue Henge, a vantage point in Brooklyn during mid-June when the sun perfectly aligns with the Statue of Liberty. Early in his career, Alessandria worked as an attorney in entertainment law specializing in intellectual property. During this time he was also learning filmmaking which led to still photography. Of the career change from law to photography Alessandria says, “I can’t explain it other than it just became my passion, I might even say my obsession.” He explains that he was at first resistant to treating his art as a business but quickly learned that being a great artist is only half the equation. “One of the essential functions of any business is sales and marketing,” Alessandria admits. These days he says he spends more time marketing than he does photographing. It is this change, he says, that has made the difference between photography being a “glorified hobby” rather than the true career it is now.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket

View life through a new lens. Make time to freeze time and witness the depth around us.

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a sharable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. User Ben has been sitting with The Present by Spencer Johnson and Kathleen Trestka recommends Rothko by Jacob Baal-Teshuva.

Opportunities / Open Calls

Poster for Tomorrow has a call for entries to its 2017 Communication Poster project. The theme for this year’s competition is Freedom of Movement. 100 Designs will be selected for inclusion in an exhibition. A book will be made about the exhibit and each selected artist receives a copy. Deadline for submission is July 10.

 

Deadlines

Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.

More Resources – For Artists Only – (weekly articles)

Make Your Popup Debut — Read more here

Ten Habits of Successful Artists — Read more here

Popular Writings –

Non-profit spaces to know –

London, UK Non-Profit Spaces – read about some of the best.

Los Angeles, CA Non-Profit Spaces- read about some of the best.

New York City Non-Profit Spaces – read about some of the best.

Self Illumination –

Conquering Fear – read about methods and Pema Chodron.

The Trap of Self-Esteem and How to Break Free- read more here.

F*ck the Art World, F*ck Consumerism! – read more here.

 

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