I am thrilled to share the book dummy for my latest project The Street Becomes, which is ready just in time for this week's New York Art Book Fair. The book was designed in collaboration with the very talented team at Studio Lin. I'll be at the fair throughout the weekend. Drop me a line if you'd like to take a closer look at the project and I'll be happy to find a time to meet.
Also, twelve images from the project are currently on view at El Museo del Barrio as part of the exhibition "nasty women / bad hombres", which closes in November. And finally, I'm honored to have one of the images from the series declared a Winner in the 2017 edition of AI AP's Latin American Fotografia, showcasing the best projects done in or about Latin America during the past year.
Wishing you Shana Tova, a Happy Jewish New Year 5778!
Jaime
Winner AI AP Latin American Fotografia 6
It gives me great pleasure to announce that an image from my latest series "The Street Becomes" is a winner in this year's edition of AI AP's Latin American Fotografia 6. This prestigious competition highlights the best photographic projects exploring the complex and multi-layered realities of Latin America.
Also, a selection of twelve images from the series is currently on view at El Museo del Barrio in New York City as part of the first Uptown Triennial organized by Columbia University, in an exhibition entitled "nasty women / bad hombres".
artnet: must-see Museum Exhibitions in New York City.
I have nothing but respect and admiration for Curator Rocío Aranda Alvarado and her talented staff at El Museo del Barrio who have gathered a remarkable group of artists in the exhibition "nasty women / bad hombres". It is a thoughtful and timely exhibition, which offers some deeply felt responses to a political/cultural moment fraught with anxiety.
Yesterday, as I moved through the galleries, I felt that each artist project amplified and extended the ones around it.
A case in point, Nari Ward's installation of a swing made from an automobile tire, but suspended from a noose and crusted with fragments of broken shoes is an inspired counterpart to my own work, which is installed directly adjacent to his. With its sense of rupture and transformation the sculpture moves from idyllic childhood pastime to personal trauma. As such, it overlaps with themes and concerns which are central to my work.
And so on, the exhibition flows beautifully from one artist to the next.
It came as no surprise to me that the exhibition made it to artnet's list of must-see Museum shows in New York City. And I am particularly gratified that one of my images from The Street Becomes illustrates the feature.
"The Street Becomes" get its debut exhibition in New York City
In the Summer of 2014, I spent two months in residence as a Smithsonian Artist Fellow. During my time in DC, I researched, gathered and secured permissions for all the source materials I required for creating a new book and exhibition project entitled The Street Becomes. The project is interested in the changing character of the urban street in times of war and peace.
The Street Becomes is entirely based on archival images by other photographers. One part of the images come from the private archives of local Washington DC photographers who documented the Latino Festival during the 70s and 80s. The second part comes from the US Marine Corps archives and documents the American military occupation of Central America and the Caribbean in the early 20th Century. My artistic intervention and repurposing of these source images suggests new meanings for the street and examines the kind of contests that are predicated on overtaking and controlling public spaces. The Street Becomes is a metaphorical construct whose extension maps the interrelation of war; displacement; immigration; assimilation and cultural resistance.
Twelve works from The Street Becomes are featured at El Museo del Barrio as part of an exhibition titled "nasty women / bad hombres", which opens June 13th at 7PM.
Opening Night at El Museo del Barrio
My latest project "The Street Becomes" gets its debut exhibition at El Museo del Barrio opening June 13th.
The project is a meditation on how the urban street is transformed in times of war and peace.
Twelve images from the series are featured in the exhibition "nasty women / bad hombres" curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
Would love to see you there!
Belonging and recognition
Sometimes when I walk in Seoul, I feel like i'm suddenly inhabiting one of Hye-Ryoung Min's photographs. The landscape turns intimate and I feel a sense of belonging and recognition slowly permeating my entire being.
The first photograph was taken yesterday in Seoul. The second is from HRM's series "In-Between Double" (2009).
http://hyeryoungmin.com/in-between-double/
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Opening Night at Center for Photography Woodstock
Here's a short video of my remarks last night at CPW to introduce the audience to my YONKEROS exhibition;
Pre-Opening YONKEROS at The Center for Photography Woodstock
It's a rainy day in Woodstock and still a couple hours before people come in for the Opening. The exhibition is impeccably hung.
Found some miniature Jack next door and the last of my good Cohibas from Havana in my jacket pocket. All's good in the world and I'm just watching it go by from CPW's porch.
Instagram Takeover!
This week I'm taking over The Center for Photography at Woodstock's Instagram feed @cpwwpc.
Follow along as I revisit my series YONKEROS, currently on view at CPW's galleries.
YONKEROS exhibition opens at the Center for Photography Woodstock
After a successful run at the New England School of Photography, my solo exhibition YONKEROS is now on view at the Center for Photography Woodstock. CPW is hosting a festive Artist Reception on Saturday, May 13th from 4PM to 6PM.
Please join us if you can!
More information here.
Studio Visit with Shawn Walker
Coffee, bagels and a whole stack of beautiful vintage prints from Cuba in 1968. So good to catch up with Shawn Walker, one of Harlem's great photographers.
Tel Aviv days
When I completed my studies at Hebrew University I decided to move to Tel Aviv for a year and make some money to help pay for an MFA at SVA in New York. Where Jerusalem was sublime, mystical and volatile, Tel Aviv was a laid back, open and fun-loving Mediterranean city.
Those days I worked three jobs: waiting on tables, translating and taking freelance photography gigs where I could find them. On a rare day off, I would grab a good book and find a table at one of the small sea-side cafes. I would order something simple and inexpensive, top things off with a sweet and aromatic Turkish coffee.
When we moved to Harlem a few years ago, we found Silvana's, a small Israeli cafe that reminds me so much of that casual Tel Aviv vibe. Easy to spend a Saturday afternoon here.
SVA's Emma Drew writes about our most recent trip to Cuba
This week, SVA's Emma Drew wrote a blog post with some thoughts on our most recent trip to Cuba.
"Confluencias" exhibition opens in Brazil
The exhibition "Confluencias" celebrating 10 years of Trasatlantica PhotoEspaña opened last night in São Paulo's SESC Vila Mariana. Proud to have images from my series YONKEROS included. Photos courtesy of my Guatemalan friend and colleague Luis Milian - whose work is also featured in the show.
Meeting Robert Frank
The day after coming back to NYC from Havana, I got a text from Jason Eskenazi. Although these days he calls Istanbul home, I was not entirely surprised to hear from Jason, knowing he was in town to promote the release of The Americans List II, for which I had contributed a short essay.
The text simply said: You're Jewish right?
I replied that indeed I was of that most exotic variety, the Guatemalan Jew.
He replied: we are taking a group shot with Robert Frank and other New York Jewish photographers at 7 Bleeker Street.
An hour and a half later I was standing in a tight huddle with some distinguished colleagues and friends for that portrait. It was shot by John Trotter, who with his usual wit referred to himself as our Shabbos Goy. After the portrait Robert asked his wife, June Leaf, for a camera and took a photo for himself. Clearly, the moment meant something to him as well.
And then we all had a chance to meet the great master and exchange a few words with him. Robert is now 93 years old. I have admired his work since I was in my teens. To grasp his hand in mine, look into his eyes and have a moment together was was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'll treasure the memory of it for many years to come.
Later, over drinks at a neighborhood watering hole I asked Jason about the portrait. He said, a couple days earlier Frank had spoken to a few friends about how proud he was of his Jewish heritage. The portrait was a spontaneous response to that conversation. It was shot on Saturday March 11th, which happened to be the festival of Purim.
Elin Spring's glowing review of YONKEROS at New England School of Photography
Elin Spring wrote a thoughtful and beautifully written review of my YONKEROS exhibition at the New England School of Photography.
Viewing Pieter Hugo's "1994"
Today I had a chance to view Pieter Hugo's "1994" exhibition at Yossi Milo Gallery. The title references the year of the Rwandan genocide. Hugo photographed children born after that year. In many cases they are posed directly seated or reclining on the ground. Overall, the portraits come across as tender and hopeful, and yet there is an ominous quality to them as well. The clothing worn by the children can have a jarring and surreal effect; the ground enshrouds them like an open grave.
As I viewed these incredible portraits I couldn't help superimposing them onto another set of images: Gilles Peress' iconic document of the tragic events of 1994, which I printed repeatedly for his exhibitions when I worked for him in 1996/7.
I hope the future has better things in store for these kids than the past did for the previous generation.
Upcoming YONKEROS show is a Top Pick for Boston exhibitions
My upcoming YONKEROS solo exhibition at the New England School of Photography's Garner Center is a Top Pick for February exhibitions in Boston.
More info here
One hundred two years later
One hundred and two years later...
Last Sunday, when I took the photograph on the left, I had an uncanny feeling. Later the realization hit me: I had wandered into the same vantage point as Paul Strand did in 1915 when he gazed out on a group of pedestrians raked by morning light.
First exhibition in Eastern Europe
I'm working on my first exhibition in Eastern Europe: recent images from Cuba at the Kaunas Photo Festival.
Vilnius and Kaunas were the two most important cities for Jewish life in Lithuania. Before the Holocaust there were more than a quarter million Jews living in the country. Vilnius alone had over 150 synagogues - of which only one was spared destruction. My own family came from Poland and Belarus, neighboring countries to the south.
So on one level, this is a photographic journey. On another, it is a personal and sentimental journey as well. Grateful for the opportunity.
If I can find cheap tix, I'm on a plane to Lithuania next week!