Table of Contents
SEPTEMBER ISSUE
4 dynamic duo
Aux Armes window displays
6 3 best spots to learn something
Learn something new at one of these beginner classes
9 art within reach
NYC’s affordable art fair
10 7 on the rise
THE TAPPAN COLLECTIVE
Young Photographers worth watching
NATION WIDE ARTIST COLLECTIVE
16 gallery for you
Find the gallery that suits you best
25 all together now
ART WITHIN REACH
The Tappan Collective
NEW YORK CITY’S AFFORDABLE ART FAIR
WORTH WATCHING
“Popsicles” by Evan Roberts
YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS
EDUCATION
EVENTS
BEST SPOTS TO LEARN something Try something new to impress your friends yourself. By May Springs
Art Within Reach 195 Morgan Ave | 718.715.4961 The Beginner: Adam Occupation: Founder and Creative Director
480 2nd Ave | 917.280.2611 The Beginner: Alison
32 Cooper Square | 212.529.1559
Occupation: Freelance Desginer
With endless options around the city for ways to squeeze in a workout, beyond just going to the gym, this class not only challenges your whole body, but requires much more grace than any spinning session. Aerial dance asks to students to not only call upon their physical strength but test their ability to do it all while suspended from silk ribbons, secured to the ceiling. The Beginner: Miguelina Occupation: Founder and designer at Miguelina
With a focus on learning the basics of spinning and mixing, this class acts as the launching pad to eventually work and practice your music-mixing skill. Miguelina’s Verdict: Overall, the classes were lots of fun, however it was still challenging. Scratching and mixing were definitely the most difficult and I’m still working on the 9 o’clock position. After the first week, I took private classes with Ellison Robinson. He continued to teach me the fundamentals of scratch techniques. Ellison had a lot of patience with me, and he helped me finally pick up the technique by making me practice over and over again. But, overall, I liked his teaching style.
Alison’s Verdict: I consider myself a cautionary risk-taker, so I immediately imagined myself flipping through the air with ease in an impossibly chic unitard. Reality set in before my first silks class at Hype Gym, as the blood from my toes rushed to my head during our strengthening mat warmup. Silks hung from the ceiling of the studio space, ready for my classmates.
This ain’t your summer-camp, friendship-bracelet-making jewelry course. From the basic skills, such as cutting metal, using the hand saw, drilling holes, hammering, soldering, as well as an understanding of how metals are manipulated, this course walks their students through the process of creating a bona-fide, wearable piece of jewelry.
The Affordable Art Fair is a four day event offering visitors a wide range of art, featuring over 60 galleries By Bruce McDonald
Our concept is simple, yet unique: an inspiring and friendly atmosphere in which you can find thousands of original paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs all under one roof, ranging from $100-$10,000, with more than half priced under $5,000. The work of young, emerging artists hangs alongside some of the biggest household names, while our Recent Graduates Exhibition provides a chance to snap up work by a future art world star.
FEATURES 1 RECENT GRADUATE EXHIBIT FUN NEW TRIBE Curated by Jordana Zeldin, Fun New Tribe features artists united by their penchant for play. Material excess, primitive shapes, and rebellious color choices energize their works as they challenge compositional rigor in favor of the delightful and unpredictable. One artist featured in the exhibition will be selected to win the Recent Graduate Award sponsored by NESPRESSO and awarded a $1,000 prize!
Rose Garden by Graham Lott, archival pigment print
2 INSTALLATION : LANA GARCIA STORY PILES 2012
Adams Verdict: I arrived to class ready with a few designs of a cuff. Settling on a lighting bolt design, I made a goal for myself to see how precise I could keep the lines of the piece. All of the detailed steps were thoroughly explained by an incredibly knowledgable instructor who made the class fun but focused. The tools and materials were supplied to do anything the class wanted to do with their pieces, and we were even taught some techniques that I considered more advanced than a beginners’ class. I’ll be exploring some of their other classes this fall and would definitely recommend 3rd Ward to anyone.
At the Fair We have so much for you to get involved in that we can’t even number the amount of fun to be had on two hands! Not only can you satisfy all your art-viewing and art-buying needs, you can tickle those taste buds, satiate a thirst, educate yourself with expert advice, or even get your hands dirty in an arty demonstration. We have a full schedule of free and informal talks and tours on everything from finding really affordable art, creative techniques and insider info. The best way to listen and learn! The fair will feature a dedicated children’s lounge, courtesy of our friends at LittleCollector.com. Children’s activities will take place throughout the weekend, but in between these scheduled tours and workshops, feel free to visit the lounge for a bit of fun. Recharge and refresh at the on-site ’wichcraft cafe! Sandwiches and salads will be freshly made daily, plan for a delicious lunch or dinner without having to leave the fair. Sweets, kid’s meals, and a full selection of drinks and coffees will be available, in case you need a boost between browsing the aisles. The event takes place October 4th-7th 2012, At the Tunnel in Chelsea
Iliana Emilia García was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and abroad, including the permanent collection of El Museo del Barrio in NYC. Story Piles uses the chair motif, common in her work, to bring attention to the history of immigrants transported to NYC via ocean liners. Though coming from different places, all travelers were alike in their pursuit of adventure, aglow with the fire of excitement and anticipation. This installation is made possible by The West Harlem Arts Fund, Inc.
Ice by Bruce McDonald, print
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YOUNG ARTIST
Dynamic Duo The “Affordable Art Fair” A four-day event hosting over 60 galleries By Bruce McDonald
Aux Armes provides visual solutions for the high end luxury retail industry; creating window and interior displays that define and expand the scope of product. Photographed by Tim Hines
Sam Wheeler and Constantino (Dino) Siampos met working on window displays for Barneys, toured together as part of the band Soft for a few years, and then “we had to grow up,” says Wheeler. They founded Aux Armes, their company that creates imaginative window and interior displays, and soon they had a roster of high-end clients: Hermès, Rosa Cha, DVF, Jill Stuart, Steven Alan, Vince, Valentino, Rachel Antonoff, Madewell, and, of course, Barneys New York. (Remember those Men’s Vogue and orange string sculptures?) The duo does a lot in the Brooklyn workshop they share with Square Design and Chavez Design, but they spend a good amount of time tweaking as they install their work behind that shiny street-front glass. “Each window can’t offer the same thing,” says Siampos. “We often run across the street to look at the larger perspective and make sure that our story has been carried through properly.” Do they have a signature? “There isn’t a look, but there is a sense of complexity in the idea,” says Wheeler. “There have to be multiple layers of reference.” Next up: This summer Wheeler and Siampos, along with Portable TV, will launch a men’s lifestyle service called Svbscription. (The kinks aren’t all worked out yet, but the general idea is that for $100/month, the crew will mail you packages full of hand-selected products.) Stay tuned.
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Jill Stuart Display
By Julia Bainbridge
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FEATURE
ALL TOGETHER NOW
WWW.THETAPPANCOLLECTIVE.COM Have art, will decorate? Not when a single print costs an arm and a leg. That’s why we love The Tappan Collective, an online platform where you can discover and collect limited edition prints and original artwork by some of the best emerging talent, all at an affordable price.
By Norman Shake
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Seeking to unite up-and-coming artists with aspiring art collectors, Jordan Klein and Chelsea Neman decided to launch The Tappan Collective. Easy to navigate and remarkably affordable, the new online platform allows shoppers to delve into local art scenes from around the world – all from the convenience of their computer. Los Angeles natives Chelsea Neman (L) and Jordan Klein (R) met at the University of Michigan. The artist and art historian studied together in
Michigan’s Tappan Fine Arts Library and within those walls, the two developed their understanding and love for art. After graduating in 2010, Chelsea followed her passion as an artist and Jordan pursued a career at an art gallery. They quickly realized the lack of opportunity for emerging artists. Many of their talented friends fresh out of art school were struggling to exhibit and sell their artwork. Jordan and Chelsea saw great opportunity for
an online platform that would connect emerging artists to the many aspiring art collectors seeking exciting artwork at affordable prices. They’ve tapped into local art scenes across the world to curate a collection of cutting-edge work by the next generation of artists. Join The Tappan Collective to Tap into the Art Scene. Discover and follow emerging artists and collect original artwork and exclusive limited edition prints. It is Chelsea and Jordan’s mission to rid the world of bare walls.
“Diesel Truck Stop” by Zoe Freilich
Photograph By Leanne Pricey
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“Nathalie” by Gia Coppola
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Though the art business was remarkably slow in venturing onto the Internet, art-buying sites have proliferated in the past few years, with Paddle8, Art.sy, Artspace, the VIP Art Fair and others competing in an untested playing field. Now another one has joined that battle, the Tappan Collective, which offers to connect aspiring collectors with a selection of emerging young artists at low prices in an online-shopping format. Tappan Collective’s founders, Jordan Klein and Chelsea Neman, were born in Los Angeles and met at the University of Michigan (the site takes its name from Tappan Street, which runs by the art school, where the two met). As 24-yearold art and art history majors, Ms. Klein and Ms. Neman are familiar with the lack of opportunities for most young artists and collectors. Their company aims to target what Ms. Klein described as “the gap in the art market for high art at low prices” by making young talent available online.
rather than unique works. “We don’t see ourselves as competing with higherpriced galleries or websites.” Ms. Klein told The Observer. An unframed 16-by-24-inch print by Isaac Brest, founder of the New York– based Still House group is listed for a relatively affordable $200. The 30-by45-inch version (in an edition of 20 rather than 50) goes for $400 more. In contrast, at the Still House show at art adviser Mark Fletcher’s new gallery in Washington Square Park, prices for unique works range well above Tappan’s modest $1,000 cap. (The gallery declined to release exact prices.) But the project is about more than simple commerce, Ms. Klein emphasized, and the site comes along with a hefty editorial component. “We’re really focused on showing behind-the-scenes images of the art-making process,” Ms. Klein referring to the company’s blog, which offers artist interviews and studio visits with artists they represent.
“We are trying to build a new way to find and discover art, to create a young space that seems fun, where you can be educated about art and discover young talent” “We are trying to build a new way to find and discover art, to create a young space that seems fun, where you can be educated about art and discover young talent,” Ms. Klein said. They’re mostly showing their friends and friends of friends, as dealers tend to do. That’s in sharp contrast to some of their online colleagues like Art.sy and the VIP Art Fair, which aim to facilitate sales from galleries across the international art world. So far they sell work by 21 artists, who live in New York, Paris, Chicago and London. Tappan Collective’s prices are more in line with extremely young Lower East Side galleries than Chelsea standbys, and it often presents limited-edition prints
“Bad Leak” by I saac Breast
Through that blog, Tappan offers potential customers an enticing glimpse at the world from which the work comes. Whether these online businesses endure remains an open question. For now, though, Ms. Klein said, “Business is booming. I think we’re doing really well.”
“Popsicles” by Evan Roberts “Chateau” by Gia Coppala
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INTERVIEW
On-The-Rise
Inspired and inspiring work from sevens young photographers, we asked these shutterbugs to turn their cameras on themselves by submitting a self-portrait that exemplifies their artistic vision.
With the advent of Instagram, it seems everyone and their mother is a photographer (that is, if their mother owns an iPhone, too). Indeed, we’d be hard-pressed to walk by some witty graffiti, a well-frosted cupcake, or an aww-worthy pooch without bumping into a gram-happy passerby standing in the middle of the street trying to find the right filter. What does this mean for those who
call photography not only a passion, but also a j-o-b? Well, according to the inspired and inspiring work of these eight on-the-rise artists and photojournalists, the snap-o-sphere can easily coexist with the two-billion-dollar app. Smart phones aside, our visionaries thrive easily, producing vivid images for magazines, ad campaigns, newspapers, dot-coms, and more. And, their subjects are as diverse as their aesthetics,
spanning from the music biz to street style, taxidermy fairytales to women at war in Bosnia. To get in on all this creativity, we asked the shutterbugs to turn their cameras on themselves by submitting a self-portrait that exemplifies their artistic vision. And being ever the honor students, we’ve also made a digital gallery of some of their most inspired works — no filter, of course.
Photo Curtosy of Instagram
By Annie Georgia Greenberg
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DAVID X PRUTTING
Tell us about your background as a photographer. “I was encouraged after graduating from Ithaca College to pursue photography as a career. Then, I worked in New York City as an assistant to talented fashion photographers. My interest for photography always has been reportage” Describe your self- portrait and how it conveys your style as an artist. “Self-portraits seem easier than having my photo taken. I never try to get concept heavy, so you could say straightforward is my style.”
What do you photograph and why? “I photograph people mostly happenings and hope to get a glimpse of their personalities as well as document moments worth remembering.” Who and what inspires you? “I’m mostly inspired by the talent and passions of my peers, love of family and my incredible wife Chau, as well as the cultures and beautiful nature.” What is your relationship like with NYC? How does it resonate with your work? “NYC is a rhythm and beat I love to step to. It always finds me wherever I go. How do you think Instagram has affected the field of photography? “Instagram is a force in social media both for personal and business purposes — more activations than twitter, recently. I enjoy using it as a visual diary. I also like having a connection to people and brands that I’m interested in. Friends tell me I follow too many people, but I’m genuinely interested and
hope to continue to be interested by new people and images. In the words of Andy Warhol, ‘I never read, I just look at pictures.’” What has been your favorite project so far and why? “The ongoing project that is BFA. Im having the time of my life with a great team that enjoys what they do and does a damn good job at it. I am so proud of what we have accomplished so far and what’s to come. I’m also looking forward to doing some more personal projects in my free time. I want to keep pursuing knowledge in my field as well as others.” What is one thing you remind yourself every day? “To work hard, think with creativity, surround myself with passionate people, and strive for my own balance of a happy life and career.”
Before the Show By David X Prutting
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First, give a brief description about your background as a photographer. “I got started with photography at age 19 thanks to my mentor, Eigo Todoroki, who saw something in me that I didn’t. Today I’m a photographer, art director, and filmmaker based in NYC.” Describe your self-portrait and how it conveys your perspective/style as an artist. “I like my photos grainy, a little mysterious, and a touch unexpected.” What do you photograph and why? “I shoot a lot of fashion, but what I care about most is always the person wearing the clothes. I really just enjoy photographing people, which I think is most apparent in my personal work.” What inspires you? “My grandmother. My crazy hometown. Being in love. Music. The changing seasons.” What is your relationship like with NYC? How does it affect your profession? “New York will most likely be my home-base for the rest of my life. Like the city, the fashion and art world is constantly moving and evolving — it’s really an industry that never sleeps. And, I love that.”
What effect do you think Instagram has had on the field of photography? Do you Instagram? “Instagram put photography in just about everyone’s hands. It made photography easy to digest, interactive, and of course, shareable (which is key). I love Instagram and I do it often!” What has been your favorite project so far and why? “Ugh, this is a tough one! Maybe photographing Lindsay Lohan and Sasha Grey for Richard Phillips. I was in L.A. for his film shoots, photographing the girls on set. Lindsay and Sasha were lovely to work with, and, of course, Richard is brilliant and always super fun to be around.” What can we look forward to from you in terms of future projects? “Currently I’m working with Norma Kamali on her campaign to stop the objectification of women. We’ll have a short video out soon to bring awareness to the issue. Other than that, I recently expanded my photo studio to establish a home for my new agency, Stoneman Creative. “ What is one thing you remind yourself every day? “Those bikram classes you bought on Groupon are going to expire, Christelle. (Womp!)”
Girl 1 and Girl 2 By Christelle De Castro
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Self by Sebastian Madera
SEBASTIAN MADER How did you get started as a photographer? “After assisting a German photographer for one year, I moved to New York in order to work for Steven Klein and I was Steven’s lighting director for five years until I started my career as a photographer in March 2012.” Describe your self-portrait and how it conveys your perspective/style as an artist. “I feel a portrait should have a truthfully unveiling or explanatory element. So here it is: I am a German photographer, who you can look at from almost every possible angle, extremely enthusiastic about American culture, and very conceptual in my work.” What do you photograph and why? “I obviously photograph everything that is interesting to me. Strong concepts are very interesting to me.
You don’t need to be interested in animals to shoot dogs. In categories, I shoot fashion, portraits, beauty, and still life.” Who/what inspires you? “It could be anything, but mostly different media than photography. Very often film and art, but also just daily life. I love to look at people on the subway.” What is your relationship like with NYC? How does it affect your work/ working life? “NYC is a catalyzer — it just makes your life so fast. There is no better place to produce than NYC. Everything is available all the time. I couldn’t do what I do anywhere else at the moment.” How do you think Instagram has changed photography? “I don’t have instagram. I think Instagram is not too special, it is not like the invention of Facebook.
Instagram is Twitter for images and it was a necessary evolutionary part in the social network world, to share now not only thoughts, but also images. What has been your favorite project so far and why? “The ‘Flamingo Kids’ story for Interview , where I shot 16 girls in bathing suits on sun beds from above. I shot the whole thing in a studio and it was so precise and loose at the same time. I had a fantastic time.” What can we look forward to from you in terms of future projects? “I would love to shoot a music video.” What is one thing you remind yourself every day? “To be grateful for my wonderful life.”
Beach and Airport by Sebastian Madera
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ELIZABETH HERMAN
Self By Elizabeth Herman
Tell us about your background as a photograher. “I started photographing in high school, where I took darkroom photography all four years. My school had a brilliant photo teacher who really helped me find and develop my own photographic vision, rather than impose an already formed one on me or other students. While at Tufts, I didn’t continue photography as part of my studies – I majored in Political Science and Economics – but I became active in Exposure, a documentary studies, human rights, and photojournalism extracurricular program run by the Institute for Global Leadership. It was there that I began to learn more about documentary photography, about using photography as a storytelling tool. Describe your self-portrait and how it conveys your perspective and style as an artist. “Portraits fascinate me, and over the past couple of years I’ve tried to focus on them more and more. They’re tough, and any time you think you’ve got a process worked out, it becomes clear that you’ve fallen into a rut and need to force yourself to try something different, otherwise everything is going to start to look the same. I work mostly with natural light and, if I can, in a space that the person is comfortable with, preferably their home. It’s no
major revelation, but, you can tell a lot more about a person through an image when they’re in their own space. I also try and keep the room empty, so it’s just me and the person I’m photographing – so much of the image is about the relationship between the subject and photographer that I find that having other people, whether that be friends or assistants or passersby circulating, you lose a lot of that energy, and the portrait suffers from it. What inspires you? “Collaboration. Having the opportunity to work with others, to bounce ideas and see projects grow while being passed back and forth between people is a huge motivator behind a lot of my work. That may be colleagues – other writers and photographers – or the people that the project is focusing on – the individuals that tell the story. Photography is wonderful in that it forces you out into the world, and I think that the conversations and relationships that arise from the work are invaluable. What is your relationship like with NYC? “Moving here has opened up an entirely new world; going back to collaboration, New York is the center of so many different industries, and draws people with such disparate backgrounds and interests, which all means that the possibility of mingling – even seemingly disparate – ideas and people just skyrocket. The work that I’ve seen emerge out of this environment is some of the most interesting I’ve seen anywhere, and it can be wonderfully overwhelming to see how many new projects or ideas or startups there are to contribute to where you can find yourself.” How do you think Instagram has affected the field of photography? “I use Instagram (@elizabethdherman), and love it as a way to keep tabs on friends who have scattered every which
way, but I have mixed feeling about its effect on photography as a whole. I think that rather than attributing this shift in, or democratization of photography to any one thing in particular – whether that be the iPhone, or Instagram, or cheap point-and shoot-cameras – I think it’s more that the culture of speaking through images that has been gaining momentum over the past decade. 10% of all photographs ever taken were taken last year. That stat blows my mind. I think that Instagram is an incredibly effective way of facilitating that conversation – of providing people with an easy way to talk to each other in images. What has been your favorite project so far and why? “A Woman’s War has really monopolized my time for the past two years, in a wonderful way. It’s been a phenomenal project to work on. Photographically, it’s been fascinating work to convey these women’s stories through images, whether that be through portraits of the women themselves, or images from within their lives and countries. Personally, it’s allowed me become a part of this global network of stellar women, and gotten me to engage with the issue of gender rights on a much larger scale than I ever imagined doing before I began working on it.” What can we look forward to from you in terms of future projects? “A Woman’s War is going to be shown for the first time in the US next month, in Brooklyn at United Photo Industries in DUMBO, with an opening reception on November 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. What is one thing you remind yourself every day? “That it’s good to have no idea what you’re doing. To keep on trying, and go with each opportunity and see what emerges out of it. To ask more questions than you get answers.”
Girls at War By Elizabeth Herman
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CHAD MOORE
Pool By Chad Moore
Give us a brief description about your background as a photographer. “My interest in photography came about as a teenager while living in my hometown of Chicago. While all the other kids were out playing sports and video games, I would spend most of my time perusing through my mother’s closet and dressing up my friends to photograph them. This early love for photography prompted me to move to New York after high school to pursue my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some amazing clients that include V, VMAN, Madame Figaro, Elle, The Block, Bullett, Blackbook, Peter Pilotto, Yigal Azrouël , Richard Chai, and Tim Coppens.” Describe your self-portrait and how it conveys your perspective/style as an artist. “It represents my minimalist and formalist sensibility in art and design. My work tends to focus mainly on composition and a harmonious balance between textures, colors, and light to simply create a beautiful image without all the unnecessary frills.” What do you photograph and why? “I photograph people who I believe are beautiful inside and out — individuals
photography more relevant in our daily lives. At a time when video is all the rage, it just proves that the personal snapshot is still timeless as ever in the digital world. I do Instagram but I find it difficult to keep up with. I photograph for a living so out of the work space, I don’t really take many snapshots as I tend to be more of a private person.” What has been your favorite project so far and why? “I can’t say I really have a favorite project as each one is a brand new and different experience for me, but I can say that working with young and promising designers like Peter Pilotto, Richard Chai, and Tim Coppens really excites me about what the future has in store.” What can we look forward to from you in terms of future projects? Or, what is something you hope to accomplish in the next year? “More celebrity work.”
Girls in drab By Jason Kim
JASON KIM
who have real personalities and a depth to them beyond their outer appearance. Working with someone I actually admire as a human being is what ultimately satisfies me and makes me enjoy what I do.” What inspires you? “When it comes to aesthetics, I find the work of architects I.M. Pei and Frank Gehry to be really inspiring. Their use of form and function as well as their thoughtfulness to the context surrounding their work is incredible. I try to incorporate their perfectionist spirit into my own work. Conceptually, I love exploring the contrast between the beautiful and the grotesque and am inspired by cinema and different subcultures that exist in our society.” What is your relationship like with NYC? How does it affect your work/ working life? “Living in New York has afforded me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with an array of talented people.With all the diversity and culture in the city, never a dull moment, there is always something to be inspired by. The only drawback I find is that the industry here is significantly more monetized than other major cities such as London, which sometimes can limit creative freedom.” How do you think Instagram has affected the field of photography? Do you Instagram? “I think Instagram has only made
Can you give us a brief description about your background as a photographer? “I’ve never had any formal photography training really. I started making photographs through riding BMX bikes. One of my best friends, Ryan Bailey, would always take photos of us riding and I loved the idea of creating memories, just documenting the time and place. He used a bunch of lights and stuff and I’ve never been super into the technical aspects of photography so to speak, so I would just take snapshots of everyone hanging out. I really fell in love with it — it just became almost obsessive.” Who and what inspires you? “So many things… I could go on for days, but really I’m most inspired by the people in the photos, I’m obsessed with personalities and people’s energy. Also, I look at a lot of old photo books and I really like taking inspiration from classic paintings. There are some things that you can take from a painting and apply towards a photograph. The posses of the models in Egon Schiele’s paintings, for example, are so beautiful. I also find a lot of inspiration riding my bike around the city. I’ll take a photo of it so I can come back there and make a real photo.” What is your relationship like with NYC? How does it affect your work/ working life? “I love living in New York. I feel like all of my work from the past few years has a lot to do with New York, all of the relationships and friends that have been made over the past few years. It’s such
a crazy, magical place. can really do anything you want here — everything is there for you to take advantage of. There’s some people who definitely don’t do this and end up moving away or just getting burnt out, but if you work hard and really know what you want then you can have it. It’s nice to walk outside and be surrounded by people and energy.” How do you think instagram has affected the field of photography? Do you instagram? “I am guilty of instagraming…I held out for so long, but finally broke down and got one a few months ago. I mean, it definitely cheapens photography in a sense, but at the same time all of cell phone photos that people take have to live somewhere and its is pretty entertaining to look at what all of your friends are doing around the world. I don’t post that often, just when I got something realllllly good, or funny. And I don’t put any of my personal art on there.” What has been your favorite project so far and why? “My body of work, entitled Between Us. It’s just all photos of friends and nothing is staged or anything like that. I suppose you could say it’s almost documentary style work in a sense. A lot of the photos from this series were used for a ‘zine by the German publisher Pogo Books.”
What can we look forward to from you in terms of future projects? “Right now I’m finishing the proof to my new book entitled 13, that’s being published by Glassine Box. Its a lot of photos from the past two years. It should be out by the end of the year and I’m going to do a little solo show to coincide with the release. Also, I’m beginning to work on new series of studio nudes. Every great photographer has done it, but I have a few ideas to put my mark on the photos. I’ve really been enjoying exploring some of the themes of my work, things like youth and romance, but in the controlled environment of the studio.” What is one thing you remind yourself every day? “Life is fragile.”
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YOUNGJUN KOO
Self By Yungjun Koo
What do you photograph and why? “My purpose in coming to NY was to learn English, and I wanted to make fashion friends here. At that time I needed to make sort of some excuse to talk to them. Then I decided to make a blog for street fashion, and started shooting fashion people.” Who inspires you? “Every fashionable person... and Steve McCurry, who is one of my favorite photographers for photography.” What is your relationship like with NYC? How does it affect your working life? “Whatever you want, you can do it here. (But one thing that I hate is the expensive rents!).” How do you think Instagram has affected the field of photography? “Well, I had no idea when I first checked that app, but it is going to be a good social networking tool like Facebook and Twitter. (Honestly I hated the filters of instagram when I first using it. But now I’m also using it a lot.)” What has been your favorite project so far and why? “Recently, I am really interested in AMAZING moment shots from Fashion Week. At that time I didn’t expect those photos but I sometimes got really
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amazing in-the-moment shots.” What can we look forward to from you in terms of future projects? Or, what is something you hope to accomplish in the next year? “Actually, I’m not just focusing on fashion — I would love to take natural disaster and war photos as well. I mean, I want to find out how dangerous it is and how many people are going to die from war and natural disaster. And then I want to make people realize it from my photos. This is not for next year; I need to study... so, i think I need to keep doing my street style photography first.” What is one thing you remind yourself every day? “Don’t waste time. Don’t be lazy.”
Street #8 By Yungjun Koo
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“Thanksgiving” by Sebastian Mader