Taking Pictures - DRAFT 13may2014

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NICHOLAS KNIGHT TAKING PICTURES 2007 - 2009 3

EponAnonyPress, 2014

Contents Camera Crush: A Double Dialogue with Phil Taylor

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Taking Pictures (2007 - 2009) + Data Extractions (2013 - 2014)

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Camera Crush: A Double Dialogue with Phil Taylor Nicholas Knight in Dialogue with Phil Taylor, by Nicholas Knight On April 28, 2014, art historian Phil Taylor and Nicholas Knight connected over Skype for a 30-minute conversation. The conversation was not recorded.

Instead, immediately following their meeting, each of them separately reconstructed their talk, from memory and notes.

What follows are both accounts of the conversation.

Phil Taylor: I saw the Taking Pictures work early on, beginning in 2008 I think. Looking at this book reminded me of the evolution of the series and of my own sense of what the work was about. Seeing the images first as jpegs, then as inkjet prints, and now here six years later, I can follow the evolution from a series of individual images into the highly embedded structure of this book. And a narrative element emerges, which is a surprise.

Nicholas Knight: Really, Taking Pictures is the only work I’ve done that so closely follows the conventions of photographic series. You know, a bunch of pictures of a similar subject presented in a similar way, that typological approach that is so common. Those same conventions demand that the final stage for the images is to be presented in book form. I was really suspicious of that, and resistant to it. When I did finally decide to do it, five years after making the images, the book had to transform the work in some way, rather than simply say “here are the pictures”.

I searched a long time for the structure that would make sense of what was still interesting in these pictures. It felt like a revelation when I settled on these four columns of information. Then once the structure was in place, and the content flowed into it, the narrative emerged on its own, and surprised me too.

PT: The content goes in so many unexpected directions. I’m struggling for the right word to characterize the nature of the texts. In a way it’s like metadata – well, of course there is actual metadata there too! – but it’s also paratexts, with the inclusion of press releases, statements, reviews – a whole layer of information circulating around the works. And then there are parts that feel like hyperlinks. The blue texts in particular are practically an unbroken string of non sequiturs that add a new dimension.

NK: The structural definition of the blue column – an internet article published the same day the photo was taken, on a topic related to the image – seemed logical to me but I didn’t expect it to turn out so funny. The camera reviews in the red column are so disruptive to the series of transformations that they seem to free up the blue column to be about anything at all that may be lingering in the image.

PT: Yeah, the humor in it is terrific, I was laughing out loud at times. The Donald Judd image, with an internet chat room discussion about aluminum boxes – NK: – and the language that takes place in a chat room like that! “Like to git it from ya.” Judd was so particular about language, he’d be rolling over...or laughing along, who knows. [Laughter]

Phil Taylor in Dialogue with Nicholas Knight, by Phil Taylor Phil Taylor: Looking at Taking Pictures now, some years after initially seeing the photos around 2008, I find it very interesting to track the evolution of the series.

I mean this both in the sense that the work itself seems to have evolved, and my own response to it has changed. From seeing the early images as jpegs and subsequently as inkjet prints, I had one angle on the project. But seeing it now it takes on all of these layers – it is expansive. And I start thinking about all of these other issues that weren’t originally present for me, like gesture. To some degree this evolution is embedded in the book: the way in which the texts present a changing set of ideas and intentions that frame the series. Confronting the book, I found this narrative element of the project to be a surprise.

Nicholas Knight: You know, this is the one set of photographic works I’ve done that follows the conventional rules of a photo series. The images are tied together typologically. The next logical step once you have all the images is that you assemble it into a book. I was initially very suspicious of this impulse – I wanted to resist it. It only made sense if the book itself could be transformative and really add something to work.

The coup was stumbling upon – and really finding the thing – that would enable that transformation, which ended up being the columns of information and text that appear opposite the photographs. Once that structural idea fell into place, the content flowed right in. And then that sort of narrative aspect you described built its way into the project as well.

PT: The manner in which each of those sets of information augments and offsets what is offered by the images themselves is really compelling. You have all of these paratexts – press releases, statements, more conventional art historical essays, the sort of title and medium information that accompanies a traditional museum presentation, etc. – that create the temporal or narrative development. But then there are also other genres that function almost like hyperlinks; they are diversions, detours… or non-sequiturs that lead in a completely different direction than one expects. This is especially true of the blue text.

NK: Yes, each of the RGB columns does something rather different. The red text is composed of camera reviews. The green type identifies prose regarding, for lack of a better term, the “original” artwork that is in part the subject of the photograph. I felt like the green column was somewhat conventional – it has a place within an art publication of this sort. But then the red column, it throws you so far off the track that you think you are headed on. It’s really disruptive. So then the blue text could be almost anything.

The original idea was that the series be about the alienation that this sort of practice of picture-making seems to represent. The distancing that is taking place in the act of mediating the experience of the artwork through the screen. But I let go surprisingly quickly of this sense of alienation. Instead it became about a bizarre sense of intimacy that I came to associate with these acts of photography. The idea of ownership is important: the way in which taking ownership of the thing is at stake in snapping a picture on one’s camera or phone.

PT: Which is surprising – it makes the project so much more of an affirmative response to this cultural phenomenon than one would expect!

NK: I want my work to be affirmative. It shouldn’t just be critical. It should be a welcome mat for the audience. And the work itself is funny.

PT: I know! Man, reading along, and coming to the spread with the Donald Judd box, and it’s accompanied by the blue column with the headline, “Aluminum dog box for sale.” I was just LOLing so hard… It’s so great. [Laughing]

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PT: The narrative that emerges through the images and in the gray column of your writings is really interesting. You write about alienation from the beginning, but quickly the language becomes affirmative instead, and alienation falls by the wayside.

NK: My own awakening about that shift from alienation towards intimacy introduced another concept that was kind of joined at the hip with intimacy, and that was ownership. It really seemed like the people taking these pictures were asserting ownership over the artwork on their own terms. And if that was the case, then the range of possible personal meanings was limitless. I wanted the blue column texts to suggest that enormous field of possible readings.

Crowds in front of the Mona Lisa, July 12, 2012.

Photo from http://melissabethk. wordpress.com/

PT: Alienation was my initial reading also, at the time. But looking again, I can see that your picture taking already is touched by intimacy. There’s issues of pleasure in there, and privacy, in a way like a diary.

NK: Part of that shift is that I’m not cynical enough to sustain the work if it’s only about criticizing other people’s alienation. In retrospect, I think I misdiagnosed the theme of the work at the beginning, and it was only by continuing to make the pictures that I discovered what they were about. I mean, the pictures are not polemical at all, so that opens a question about what kinds of content fill the space where the polemic would have been.

PT: I see that, because there’s an excitement turning each page of the book, and getting that rush of recognition of the artworks that are shown. As an art lover, that pleasure exceeds any cynicism.

NK: I’m a bit mystified by the thematic transformation, because from the beginning the structure of the photos is in place and that never really changes.

PT: You mean the structure in terms of composition?

NK: Yes, but more broadly, that I’m close to the person, the shallow depth of field, the hands and camera are in focus, and so on. That didn’t change all the way through and yet this whole set of ideas took years to emerge.

PT: Maybe that’s history working its way in. I would need to slow down to properly theorize it. You say the image didn’t change, yet it did accrue information and significance. This is one of the points the book manifests. There’s all this accumulation. The design is so structural and diagrammatic, but to excess! And the design presents a mimesis of the photograph, which is already structured around a mise-en-abyme. For one thing, the columns all have the floating boxes over them, so you can never fully see the text that’s there.

There’s never any unencumbered access. You’re always looking through frames, and those frames are partial or incomplete.

NK: [Also laughing] Yeah I love that. And like, what would Judd think of that? I mean, his use of language and his theorization of his own work – it’s so deliberate… And in this text, there’s this guy who’s responding to the inquiry who’s asking “you run coon dogs?” And another who says he’d “like to git it from ya.”

[Both laughing now] PT: So good…Yeah… that’s really what I was referring to at the beginning of our conversation in terms of the evolution of the work and how that is manifested in the book as narrative: the fact that alienation drops by the wayside. As I was perusing the book I started focusing on other, more affective responses to the pictures: on pleasure, and the way in which connections were happening between the images and the other aspects of the design. And as a lover of art, with every flip of the page there is that moment of recognition, of identification and familiarity in being presented with another masterpiece that one already knows, which is very pleasurable and exciting.

But I should also say, I think that sense of intimacy that you speak of is already embedded in the images when seen in isolation. The very nature of the composition, this over the shoulder view, the shallow depth of field, the focused attention on the LED screen and the artwork presented on it, and, of course, the hands holding the camera device, all already conspire to create a phenomenological sense of closeness – against the very distancing of the putative artwork.

NK: I don’t think I can sustain cynicism in my work. I was compelled by the images I was taking. But at the beginning I think I misdiagnosed what it was that motivated my interest. The book presents a comparatively small fraction of the nearly 3000 photographs that I took related to the project. So I was obviously very committed to what was happening with the pictures themselves. They weren’t meant to be polemical. So the question is then, what fills that space?

PT: It’s significant in this regard that the book begins with Mona Lisa. I mean, it almost had to begin there, I imagine. It’s like, we’ve all been there and experienced that crush of cameras. It’s almost a cliché. In starting the book there it sort of feels like you begin with that trope of alienation, and it’s like, ok here we go – and you throw out Duchamp, Benjamin and all of that – it’s all there on the table to begin with.

NK: Yeah… I know. When I first presented the work, I hid the Mona Lisa image for the exact reasons you are diagnosing. It is a cliché. But I didn’t want that to derail the rest of the series. Especially as this phenomenon of digital screens capturing artworks in museums was taking off, I was worried that that one image might sum things up too tidily. In early 2007, at the inception of the series, this phenomenon was just emerging. But in front of the Mona Lisa you couldn’t escape it. And the book proceeds chronologically. So it had to go first.

PT: It’s also an origin story in a certain way.

NK: In doing the book now, what I want to return to in 2014 is the fact that we’ve lost track of the fact that a hand holding a screen in front of a work of art wasn’t always self-evident – and it wasn’t so long ago that it didn’t exist at all. The smart-phone thing really started in 2008. The first picture in the book that includes one shows up in March 2008, I think. Around that time these sorts of images started appearing in advertising. In order to show, say, what an iPhone is and does, it had to be presented in close-up so one could see the content on its screen, with a hand-holding it – PT: Very interesting.

NK: –Initially I perceived this as a threat to my project, the way in which the compositional device I was using was totally present in this mass media advertising.

But I came to see that as a productive parallel.

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NK: Showing hands as a frame already has a rich artistic history, even if you only list Bruce Nauman and John Baldessari. But their hands make an empty frame, and in these pictures, the hands are very full, so to speak.

PT: The series begins, as it must, with the Mona Lisa. It’s like throwing down a gauntlet, to begin there. It’s a cliché, and Benjamin and Duchamp are on the table right away, and you just think, OK, here we go.

NK: In the book the photos are chronological, and Mona Lisa was first. When I first started showing the pictures to people in 2007, I never showed anyone that image. I’m certain that I wasn’t the first person swallowed by the crowd in the Louvre to take a picture of someone’s camera instead of that painting. It seemed too obvious, so I left that one out when I’d show the work around. But when it came time for the book, I had to start there.

PT: It’s an appropriate origin story, with the way that painting is always slipping away, becoming invisible the more it’s seen.

NK: One other thing I want to accomplish with the book is to re-assert that this kind of image wasn’t common in 2007, a pair of hands holding a digital device with a picture on the LED screen. I never got busted shooting these because people didn’t ever think that the back of their own camera might itself be a photographic subject. They just figured I was doing what they were doing. The first iPhone shows up in the book in March 2008 at the Art Institute of Chicago.

After that time, all these manufacturers started marketing their devices by showing a hand holding the phone, with a big image on its screen.

PT: The images on those screens occupy a strange place, because of the gesture that’s required to use the device. The image is always already semi-public, the way it’s being held up there and people all around can see the screen. That’s a very different relation than with a dSLR or film camera, where the camera is held up to the eye and one’s field of vision is occluded by the instrument.

NK: That’s a great observation, and the phenomenological consequences are severe.

PT: In your writings in the gray column, you make the point about photography shifting it’s relationship to temporality, away from a Sontagian meditation on the

Sort of amazingly, I was never “busted” for taking these images. No one would suspect that I’d be taking photos of them taking photos. It’s just not something that was ever on the radar, even though I was doing it fairly surreptitiously.

PT: Yes, I think this is an important aspect of what is striking about the project and the phenomena it is latching on to: With the rise of digital consumer cameras and smartphone cameras, the photographic image is in a sense always already public. It is immediately on display and exhibited, right there on the LED screen – ready for your taking.

I think that this is a very interesting phenomenological – and historical – distinction that your pictures point up with regards to the making of photographs. The fact that these images appear on the screen, as video in real time, offers quite a different experience than composing on a ground plate, or through a viewfinder, with your eye pressed against this box or otherwise in a state of bracketing off the rest of the world.

I also imagine that the act of your “taking” the pictures necessitated that at the level of pose you had to somewhat mimic the subjects of your photographs – in that you were arranged before this artwork, with your camera in front of you…

NK: Yes, except that I was shooting with a digital SLR, and not a small digital camera, with which the image being framed is necessarily visible on the screen.

PT: There are all of these pictures being taken, but it raises the question of why. Are they ever looked at? A number of the texts and statements in the book, mostly in the gray column, address this temporal change in the practice of photography. You describe a shift from an ontological sense of the photograph linked to the past by its indexicality – a Sontagian conception you call it – towards a notion or practice of photography devoted to presence – excuse me, I mean the present, or maybe presence in the present.

NK: Yes there is sort of assertion of the present that I think is operative in this phenomenon of photographing the artworks that one visits. It’s not just that the camera prevents the viewer from actually experiencing the artwork. Rather, the taking of the picture becomes a means of securing that event in the present.

PT: It seems almost as if, in this performative conception of photography as a cultural phenomenon, that representation gives way as the primary bearer of a photograph’s significance. Perhaps the image itself is less important than the ritual of taking the photo.

NK: That’s interesting. In a sense taking a photo confirms that the person was there. It establishes that place in the present. This actually connects with some of my other language pieces, in which verification is a central concern. The photograph historically has been so closely tied to conceptions of verification already, but maybe this is different. I suppose deep inside there is a part of me that very much is a positivist, and committed to things like empirical facts. At the same time, I’m divided because there is another side of me that is a theorist with an arsenal of weapons for tearing down the validity of all that. In spite of all that, I think within my work there is a desire for verification.

Here, with this practice of photography, perhaps we see representation giving way for verification. There’s this quote from Émile Zola – I’m not going to get it exactly right – about the notion that we only know or can say we’ve seen something when we’ve seen it photographed. There’s this transactional thing there.

PT: Knotty stuff. [Laughing] NK: [Also laughing] This project really was an accident. It came to me, I wasn’t looking for it. Actually it is kind of mystifying, but the structure of the pictures stays intact from the beginning.

PT: You mean compositionally? The mise en abyme of pictures within pictures?

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top: John Baldessari, Hands Framing New York Harbor, 1971, gelatin silver print, 10 x 7 1/16 inches bottom: Bruce Nauman, from Fifteen Pairs of Hands, 1996, white bronze with painted steel base, 15 parts each: approx. 52 x 12 x 12 inches, Collection The Glenstone Foundation

past, as you call it. Now it’s about the present, so much so that maybe the person will never even look at their own photograph again. Instead it’s about presence in the present.

NK: Right, it’s an assertion of the present, like a stamp of approval that you’ve had an experience real enough to photograph. It reminds me of the Emile Zola quote, “You cannot claim to have seen something until you have photographed it.”

PT: You could say that representation itself drops out as the bearer of significance. Photography as an act becomes a kind of performance, and it’s in that performance that the meaning is vested, rather than a representing image.

NK: I think it comes back to verification, at least for me. I have this inner positivist who really wants to believe in verification, despite the full arsenal of theoretical weapons that would kill it off. Verification is rooted at the level of desire and becomes immune to theory. So I keep feeling like we hold the picture up against the world, in real time, in a desperate attempt to prove the world.

PT: This is naughty stuff! [laughter] NK: You know, all those digital cameras were a pain to research. So many cameras with minute variations. Sony must have made 30 W-series cameras alone.

PT: Yeah, once I got what the red column was about, I never really read those.

NK: Of course not! Once you figure out the role it plays, there’s not much reason to linger on the camera reviews, although there are a few choice phrases in there.

PT: The fact that most of the columns in the book just cut off the text mid-sentence contributes to the sense of a collection of hyperlinks.

NK: It’s a very internet-specific mode of reading. Like, OK, I’ve got it, that’s enough, time to move on.

PT: Another layer within the design, pertinent to the cameras, is what we might call a materialist critique of the commodity culture these cameras circulate in. They constantly give way to newer models, and you chart the release dates and technical specifications for each one. Yet seven years later, that arms race among the camera companies is obsolete.

NK: It’s crazy how quickly that era came and went.

NK: Yes. They’re all focused on the hands and camera screen, with a limited depth of field. Obviously there is variation in the actual framing and composition, the relation of different elements in the picture. That sort of pictorial concept was in place from the beginning and never really had to change. Again I’m mystified that, in taking these photographs over the course of three years, that so much could be excavated from the images. And that’s what makes up the book, all of these other layers that are folded into the pictures. You couldn’t have gotten all this just from the one photograph of the Mona Lisa. And then there is also the intervening years between the shooting of the pictures and the considerable research that came after the fact to compose the publication.

PT: Perhaps that’s where the role of history comes in.

NK: History as a process, perhaps?

PT: That seems about right. Or the porosity of the pictures to history… Though I’m not sure I can properly theorize it on the fly…

All of this other information comes to impact the pictures in the form of the book. So much data, but also signification, accrues in these texts. They are metadata – both literally and otherwise.

NK: Yes, there is actual metadata.

PT: Accumulation is a key strategy to the design of the book and the layers it assembles – to excess even. Indeed it comes to make things illegible at times… The metadata boxes, with traditional title information as well as exposure and consumer production details, overlay the main text columns, prohibiting a complete reading of the prose. These frames echo the hands and LED screens framing the “original” artwork in the photographs on the opposing spread. In both instances, there is no unencumbered visual access to the nominal content.

NK: I like that notion of a denial of unencumbered visual access. Taking the hands as a point of focus is such a loaded art historical citation – just think of Nauman and Baldessari in terms of conceptual art precedents. For each of them the hands frame a void. But in these pictures the space is filled.

There are all these obstacles to a complete access to the material. In the majority of the RGB columns, the text just ends abruptly, without rolling over to the next spread. It’s sort of stream of consciousness, or the way you read content on the web. You skim along, get the gist, and then move along.

PT: Yes, exactly, I think that’s part of what I wanted to suggest when I described it before as almost a logic of hyperlinking. There is a sort of associative logic to the blue column in particular, that just takes off but doesn’t have to really lead anywhere (although it might). I almost felt like I was reading your browser history.

NK: [Laughs] Yes, they can be obscure, these non-sequiturs and consumer reviews. It’s not totally clear what the connection is. But you, the reader/viewer, are clever. You can figure it out.

PT: In fact once I had figured out or solved the logic of the red column, I just wouldn’t read it. It serves a particular function, but I wasn’t so concerned with the particularity of each camera review.

NK: It was a bear to identify all of those cameras.

PT: Oh, I’m sure.

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PT: To push the critique farther, those floating metadata boxes in your design document another kind of movement, for example seeing a French 19th century painting in a museum in San Francisco. There are several different economies pressed together in the capture of the photo gesture.

NK: The gesture has insinuated itself into our consciousness with incredible success. It’s so recognizable now, after such a short period, and we can hardly remember that it’s a new thing.

PT: I was down by the Seaport the other day, on Fulton Street. I saw these two guys who had pulled over their awful blue Citi Bikes, and they were standing next to each other striking identical poses. It was iPhone camera pose, in duplicate. I went for my camera to snap a shot of them, but was too late. It took me a while to even think to look at what they were photographing, which turned out to be a perfectly picturesque vignette of the new World Trade Center. It was a fully realized moment of branded behavior. from Flickr user ALT TERRAIN:

NK: Wow, yikes.

“Outdoor Experiential Event Step and Repeat Example - Citi Bike ‘Learn & Ride’ Example

PT: I’m reminded of a text Benjamin wrote on Baudelaire, about the invention of the match, and how the gesture of striking a match led to a whole set of choreographed actions. You light the match, shield its flame, light the cigarette, shake out the match, smoke the cigarette, and so on.

One gesture begets a whole sequence of chemical and physical reactions, which together are kind of an shorthand enactment of modernity.

Those linked gestures even seem evocative of photograph acts, though Benjamin doesn’t state it

ALT TERRAIN helps advertising, PR and outdoor media planning agencies execute creative outdoor event marketing initiatives in NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and many other cities.

June 2, 2013”

NK: I found a number of websites with databases of all of the different digital cameras that would be produced, and would archive all of the pertinent data including technical specs and release dates. But it was still a matter of finding ways of matching the model in each picture. If even just a single graphic was obscured by the operator’s hand, it could make it nearly impossible to differentiate. For instance, Sony would make like 30 WC-series cameras, each with minimal design differences. It became a sort of obsession having to identify each of them. But again it serves an important purpose in the book. It becomes another kind of history book.

PT: It’s also a sort of diary and travelogue.

NK: The whole task of identifying the cameras was incredibly difficult. But then finding the camera reviews was very easy.

PT: And then you could just drop it into the layout.

NK: Usually it was the first link that came up when I would google the camera model. I could quickly read the review and immediately decide, yup, that works, without further searching.

PT: Even though I’ve already confessed to not actually reading those reviews once I had established their genre, I’m convinced they play an important role in opening up another dimension to the project.

Alongside the perhaps phenomenological or more affective concerns we’ve been discussing, the product reviews establish a materialist history at work in the project by reminding of us of the status of these cameras as commodities. Commodities which have a certain lifespan, an obsolescence (I found myself saying, why don’t these people have iPhones – as if they’ve been around forever), a marketing strategy, and which also help to produce certain types of activities.

The devices have a history. But that history then is somehow connected to the objects that they are being used here to reproduce. The columns of “metadata” and contextual information produce a sort of parallelism. We have cameras with a production date presented alongside artworks with production date. And despite the sort of transmission and dispersion that is suggested by all of the reproductive pictures-within-pictures, this sort of movement is not merely virtual. We’re presented with these works of art, paintings, sculptures, that were produced in France or wherever, and end up in San Francisco or Seattle. Each of these poles of the project, media archaeology and art history, converge. Each of the objects has a material history as these commodities as that circulate and enter into a variety of economies, so that the objects have a number of simultaneous symbolic- and use- and exchange-values.

NK: But don’t you also think that their entry into or status within these other economies has unintended consequences? It would have been simple enough for me to have shot pictures of other types of objects being photographed on people’s camera screens. I think shooting in the museum makes the gesture more poignant.

PT: Absolutely. The mention of gesture reminds me: the project touches quite effectively on something that I’ve been very cognizant of in my own behavior and of that in the broader culture, which is the very gesture and poses which are imposed on us by the smartphone device. We have this entirely new vocabulary of bodily dispositions that are being articulated – ones which, as you say, weren’t around so long ago.

A brief anecdote: a couple of weekends ago I was downtown, near the Seaport, walking down Fulton to go see a little show at someone’s studio. As I was walking along I saw two dudes, around my age, on those garishly branded blue CitiBikes, but pulled over to the sidewalk. Each had their iPhone out and was holding it out in front of them, at face level, aimed in the direction I was coming from. It was this really amazing rhymed synchronicity of gesture, paired with the finance-branded bikes, and in nice evening light, and as I kept walking I of course immediately regretted not pulling out my own iPhone to snap a picture of them snapping their pictures. It was only down the block that I turned around, curious what it was they were in fact photographing, to see the new World Trade

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explicitly. There are hints in there though, in the sense that a match is a little flash, for example, and that the sound of the match is described as “snapping”.

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Double iPhone / Skype Portraits Nicholas Knight & Phil Taylor April 28, 2014

NK: That’s super. In contrast, though, the choreography of the contemporary photo gesture unleashes a cascade that the photographer cannot hope to contain. The picture and its potential readings go spiraling out of control right away.

PT: It suggests an epistemological shift, occasioned by the digital but not limited to it. Our relation to the world first, and to its depiction second, gets all convoluted by digital media.

NK: But I would say that the digital tools simply enable a desire that is already latent in us. The device effects our behavior in a physical way, but is not fully responsible for the shift in behavior. There’s a feedback loop, really. At a certain point you can take away the electronics and we’d still enact these new habits. It ultimately effects how we position ourselves in regard to what interests us.

PT: And so it’s still a great thing that these photos show people standing in front of paintings!

NK: Right! What could be better than that, really?

PT: Nothing. May it never end.

Center rising up, framed by the buildings lining Fulton Street.

This whole vocabulary of gesture produced by these devices always reminds me of an amazing moment in one of Walter Benjamin’s essays on Baudelaire, in which he describes the invention of the match as producing one of these signature gestures that mark the experience of metropolitan modernity.

The striking of the match sets off a whole sequence of actions. The cupping of the lit match. The lighting of the cigarette. Inhaling. Exhaling. Discarding the match on the ground.

NK: I was concerned with finding ways to extend this photographic gesture.

PT: I think that in Benjamin’s telling there is actually a photographic metaphorics to the gesture of the match. I can’t recall the word he uses for the “striking” of the match, but I believe it has some resonance with the “snapping” of a photograph. At the very least that would be the Benjaminian language that would accompany it.

NK: But with the book design, in contrast to the determinism of the match that you just recounted, I wanted to provide strategies for visualizing the ways in which the gesture of the camera phone is not so containable. There is this whole cascade of reactions that emerge from the initial action.

PT: In fact representation never completely falls by the wayside in this photographic activity. From the first, there’s that picture on the LED screen.

NK: And what happens with the picture is unpredictable. It can go in many different directions.

PT: I think we are (or for quite some times have been) seeing a new epistemology of the digital. I wish I had the language for it. It’s not just about this sort of reproduction and coding of reality into bits. But about the flow of information and thoughts; there is a certainly a multivalence, against linear progression. And to an extent those forms of thought and of experience are conditioned by these apparatuses – like smartphones.

NK: The consequences towards physical behavior are real. But I also believe that these digital media manifest desires that precede them, that are already there.

They don’t just produce the desires or activities.

PT: Yes. NK: The success of theses devices and products is phenomenal. We can barely remember or fathom what was like to live without them.

PT: And yet we are still standing in front of these paintings and works of art in museums and galleries – even if we have our cameras out.

NK: I hope it never ends.

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This portrait was doubtless painted in Florence between 1503 and 1506. It is thought to be of Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine cloth merchant named Francesco del Giocondo - hence the alternative title, La Gioconda. However, Leonardo seems to have taken the completed portrait to France rather than giving it to the person who commissioned it.

The 6-megapixel Nikon Coolpix L1 is a bare-bones, pocket-size camera that delivers slow performance but very good photos for snapshooters who don’t mind the slightly high price. More advanced users looking for manual settings such as ISO sensitivity and exposure parameters should consider other cameras. The same goes for parents who want to snap toddlers or sports matches.

“Leonardo da Vinci’s, Pictures Within Pictures”

by Michael W. Domoretsky www.lionardofromvinci.com August 1, 2007

Statement, September 2007

The title of this photographic series is Taking Pictures. The images depict visitors at major museums taking pictures of masterworks with their digital A new never before recognized cameras. When an artwork perspective hidden for five strikes someone, either because hundred years in plain sight, of its fame or something more Emerges! Leonardo’s message, private, a camera emerges, and “Pictures Within Pictures” outsuddenly the scene is all screen, side the box, inside the frame. fingers, buttons, and wrists.

The Mona Lisa is the earliest ItalAs the paintings re-appear as Five hundred years after Leonian portrait to focus so closely electronic apparitions, the difardo’s lifetime, his genius and on the sitter in a half-length ferent layers of representation A compact and attractive message come to light in mir_MG_0582.CR2 portrait. The painting isLeonardo gener- da Vinci camera, the Nikon Coolpix are captured as the subject of L1 rors and optical illusions.

His ” Nikon Coolpix L1 8/1/07 10:34:35 AM my images.

Mona Lisa Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, ous enough in its dimensions comes clad in black 6.2 plastic and secret code ” has been hidden megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px Photoshop CS3 file to include the arms andknown hands as the Mona Lisa fits in a pocket of a loose jacket in plain sight to be deciphered (2816 x 2112 px) 1/200 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Photography has always 3456imx 2304 pixels without them touching Oil theon wood, c. 1503–06 or pair of pants. At about 8 outside the original borders of 38 - 190 mm, ƒ2.9 - ƒ5.0 ISO 400 121.9 MB 30 x 21 inches frame. The portrait is painted posed a distance, but current ounces with two AA2.5 batteries the painting using a ” perpeninch TFT screen 100 mm 2007 to a realistic scale in theMusée highly du Louvre technology dramat and an SD card, it’s fairly lightdicular reverse mirror image released November 2005 Canon 350D structured space where Paris it has the izes this effect. The camera weight. In keeping with Nikon’s process.” Leonardo, (actually fullness of volume of a sculpture is now literally held “at arm’s simple design, it has only the Lionardo) was a man of forin the round. The figure is shown length”: an electronic device most basic buttons: power, midable intellect, talent, craft in half-length, from the head to occupies the space between, shutter, menu, playback, and and most importantly a man of the waist, sitting in a chair whose and pushes the object further delete. It also has a zoom rockcuriosity who observed “truth” arm is resting on balusters. She away. Disembodied pixels reer and a four-way directional in the world in all its forms… is resting her left arm on the frame, reproduce, and reduce. pad that doubles as a control Physical, Philosophical, and arm of the chair, which is placed And yet the snapshots provide for flash, timer, macro focus, Religious. He was hundreds of in front of a loggia, suggested evidence of one’s presence at and exposure compensation. years ahead of his time, conby the parapet behind her and the site. The camera becomes A three-way slider puts you strained by the religious tenets the two fragmentary columns a tool to focus one’s vision. in full-auto, scene, or movie and politics of his day. As a framing the figure and forming Brokered by a digital instrumode. Consistent with the result he was unable to express a “window” looking out over the ment, the encounter between rest of the camera, the menu reality, as he perceived it, and landscape. The perfection of this visitor and artwork becomes system offers a rather standard so devised a means by which new artistic formula explains its simultaneously intimate and palette of options in large text to conceal his truths from all immediate influence on Florenestranged. on a bright 2.5-inch LCD. those whom he did not want

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Renoir considered this masterNikon’s Coolpix S5 is a slim, Ribbed Lace Bolero piece, which entered the Louvre attractive 6-megapixel shirtAugust 1, 2007 in 1870, the most beautiful pocket camera that hits all the Posted by Kelly under finished painting in the world, along right design notes. Its 2.5-inch objects, lace, original patterns with Watteau’s Pilgrimage to the LCD screen, satin silver finish, [189] Comments Island of Cythera, also in the and internally zooming 3X Louvre. A young lacemaker, unoptical lens (35mm-to-105mm I’ve finished my ribbed lace bodoubtedly a member of the Delft equivalent) will be a hit with lero, with pattern as promised! bourgeoisie, is hunched intently style-conscious snapshootI decided not to give the sleeves over her work, deftly manipulaters, and its scrolling click ribbing, like most of you suging bobbins, pins and thread on wheel gives users an easy, gested. I liked how it was sort her sewing table. The theme of MP3 player-like interface. The of dainty, even with worsted the lacemaker, frequently depictquick-shooting camera boasts weight yarn, and I thought ed in Dutch literature and paintvery good build quality, color ribbing on the sleeves would ing (notably by Caspar Netscher) rendition, and sharpness, but be too heavy for it. The shape traditionally illustrated feminine some minor image flaws may of this is based on the Circular _MG_0609.CR2 Johannes domestic virtues. The small book Vermeer disappoint eagle-eyedNikon Coolpix S5 Shrug on Craftster. It’s a simple 8/1/07 The Lacemaker, c. 1669-70 in the foreground is probably photographers. A simple feabut ingenious design.

There is11:48:44 AM 6 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px Oil on the Bible, which reinforces thecanvas mountedture set and basic no complicated shaping (it’s (2816 x 2112 px) 1/80 and sec @ ƒ/2.8 on wood picture’s moral and religious shooting options will 35 serve really just a big rectangle) - 105 mm, ƒ3 - ƒ5.4 ISO 400 x 8.25 interpretation. But this 9.5 is also, as inches casual snapshooters, but it’s easily customized.

2.5 inch LCD screen 100 mm Musée du Louvre in Vermeer’s famous Milkmaid they probably won’t released March 2006 Canon Paris (circa 1658, Rijksmuseum, satisfy enthusiasts who like to I’m including directions for 350D a Amsterdam), one of the peeks tinker with settings. size small and easy calculations into domestic privacy that so fasfor a custom fit. cinated him. He loved to observe Snapshooters who don’t the everyday objects around him normally fiddle with those The first step is to measure and paint different combinations settings, however, should be your shoulder-span. Mine is of them in his works: he used happy with the Coolpix S5. about 17 inches. Then you the same piece of furniture and Nikon has incorporated a dediadd 4 inches for each sleeve (8 Dutch carpet with leaf motifs in cated Mode button for quick inches) and add that to your several of his pictures. access to scene modes, and shoulder measurement. I got another button selects a special 25 inches from that, so 25 The painting’s intense intimacy portrait mode that activates inches will be the width of my stems both from its small format Nikon’s face-priority autofocus, bolero. My ribbing gauge is 4 (this is the smallest painting Verin-camera red-eye removal, stitches per inch, so I multiply meer painted) and the central and D-lighting automatic 25 by 4 to get 100. I take that framing of the figure. The Delft exposure adjustment. number, 100, and round it

Statement, October 2007 Taking Pictures is an ongoing series begun in 2007. The photographs are shot digitally, in major museums. The people in these images do not know they are being photographed, and there is no manipulation of the digital files. In a sense they are action shots.

The title of the series, Taking Pictures, sets the course for multivalent interpretations: in vernacular speech, “taking pictures” is what most people Lacemaker do casually with their cameras, print mounted as opposed to the pigment professional, on aluminum who is “making photographs”.

20 x of 30ecoinches With the proliferation 2007 nomical digital cameras, the pastime of “taking pictures” is easier than ever before.

When the point-and-shoot is aimed at the masterworks hanging in the world’s great museums, a second reading of “taking pictures” opens up. According to Emile Zola, “You cannot claim to have seen anything until you have photographed it.” The canon of art history is being taken, evidence of one’s direct confrontation of that truly curious artifact, “the original”.

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Dans deux vastes salles ellipThe CyberShot DSC-T5 is U.S. Environmental Protection tiques, sur 2 mètres de hauteur one of a trio of diminutive Agency et près de 100 mètres linéaires, se 5-megapixel digicams SONY August 1, 2007 déploie un paysage d’eau jalonné has introduced in 2005, the de nymphéas, de branches de other two being the DSC-T7 The National Association of saules, de reflets d’arbres et de and the DSC-T33. Weighing Clean Air Agencies is pleased nuages, “ illusion d’un tout sans only 4.8 ounces including batto submit the following comfin, d’une onde sans horizon et tery, media and wrist strap, the ments on the EPA’s proposed sans rivage “ selon les termes T5 is a member of the growing rule (72 FR 28098). mêmes de Monet. Manifestaclass of 1-megapixel per ounce tion tardive et longtemps jugée digicams. Despite its small size, Emissions from the nonroad déroutante d’un impressionit packs a 3x optical zoom lens spark-ignition engines covered nisme auquel la monumenand a large 2.5-inch LCD into by this proposal are substantial. talité et l’absence de toute figure its stylish metal body. Its AutoUse of lawn and garden equiphumaine confèrent une caractère matic exposure mode will apment totals more than 3 billion abstrait, cette immense ensemble peal to beginners needing the hours a year. A gasoline_MG_0623.CR2 Claude mural est la somme de toute uneMonet ease of use of a point-n-shoot, powered push mower currently Sony DSC-T5 8/1/07 2:48:23 PM Les Nymphéas (Reflets vie d’artiste. while its Program and Scene emits as much hourly pollution 5 megapixel CCD 3456 as x 2304 px d’arbres), c. 1914 - 1926 modes provide features desired as 11 cars, a riding mower (2592 x 1944 px) 1/200 sec @ ƒ/2.8 on canvas Poursuivi pendant douzeOilans, by intermediate photographers. much as 34 cars. Recreational 38 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ4.4 ISO 400 79 x 335 inches de 1914 à 1926, il puise dans watercraft can emit as much 2.5 inch TFT screen 100 mm Musee l’univers familier de Monet : le “de l’OrangerieDespite its small size, the T5’sSeptember 2005 hourly as 348 cars. The resultreleased Canon Parisde jardin d’eau “ de sa propriété controls are well-placed on ing emissions contribute to 350D Giverny, entouré d’arbres et orné the body and have a positive unhealthful concentrations of de plantes aquatiques, devant feel. And although it seems PM2.5, ozone, CO and toxic air lequel, trente ans durant, le peincontradictory, the T5 has one pollutants, which translate into tre posa son chevalet pour en of the largest LCD viewfinders serious adverse health impacts, sonder les rythmes changeants. among consumer digicams, including premature death, Sans solution de continuité, il despite the camera itself being heart disease, aggravated évoque la marche des heures, one of the smallest. The LCD asthma and other respiratory depuis le Matin à l’est, jusqu’au is not only large, but very conditions, as well as a host of Soleil couchant à l’ouest. usable as well. It has a control environmental harms, such as for backlight brightness, but visibility impairment and acid Offerts par Claude Monet à la outdoors in bright sun you’ll rain.

France le lendemain même de find that it is unnecessary; l’armistice du 11 novembre 1918, ambient light from the sun is By 2020 these engines will les Nymphéas furent installés used to intensify the LCD’s contribute more than one selon ses plans à l’Orangerie image, allowing you to view quarter (1,352,000 tons) of

Finally, there I am, over the shoulder of the museum-goer, collapsing these grammatical distinctions. The “taking” assumes a more invasive meaning, and the “pictures” are no longer the jpegs or the masterworks, but the disembodied images momentarily alighting on the portable screens.

Water Lilies pigment print mounted on aluminum 20 x 30 inches 2007

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This picture was painted in 1653 The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 The simpliciter and the for the Sicilian nobleman Don takes the same features found secundum quid Antonio Ruffo and sent from on full-sized digital cameras

by James Chastek Amsterdam to his palace in Mesand squeezes them into a slim, thomism.wordpress.com sina during the summer of 1654. stylish and durable metal body August 24, 2007 at 6:11 am In 1660, Ruffo commissioned a no larger than a deck of cards. pendant for the Aristotle from The slim design of the T1 is Aristotle explains most of the Bolognese artist Guercino attributed to a new Carl Zeiss his predecessor’s opinions on (1591–1666), providing him Vario-Tessar optical lens that nature by saying that they fail to with the desired dimensions operates within the camera distinguish what is said simply and a sketch of the Rembrandt rather than extending out. and without qualification (simpainting. In a letter to Ruffo of pliciter) from what is said in a October 6, 1660, Guercino notes Slide the front lens cover down certain way, or with qualificathat “to accompany Rembrandt’s and in just over one second, tion (secundum quid). When which I judge to represent a the T1’s large 2.5-inch LCD we speak of a living thing, withPhysiognomist, I thought it most viewfinder comes to life. It out qualification, we are taling Rembrandt fitting to make a Cosmographer occupies roughly two-thirds of about some animal or_MG_0789.CR2 plant; Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 8/24/07 Aristotle Guercino’s painting is now lost, with a Bust of Homer the camera’s back-surface area, but we can also call a heart or 12:48:44 PM 5 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px 1653 but is known from a drawing giving more room to(2592 see and a lung a living thing, if we add x 1944 px) 1/80 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil onArt canvas in the Princeton University show off images at the moment the qualification that it is a part 38 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ4.4 ISO 400to 56.5 x 53.75 inches they are captured. Press the Museum. of an animal.

It is important 2.5 inch TFT screen 100 mm Metropolitan Museum shutter of Art release button and the released October 2003distinguish these senses because Canon New York Ruffo also ordered companion camera demonstrates why it both kinds of statements can350D paintings from Rembrandt. They is perhaps the fastest five megabe true, and even true always, are the Alexander the Great of pixel camera. Due in large part but the word does not have the 1661 (now lost) and the fragto Sony’s Real Imaging Processame meaning in these two mentary Homer (Mauritshuis, sor circuit, it shoots full-rescases, and so if we confound The Hague), dated 1663. Both olution images in one second the senses we will commit the are mentioned in an invoice intervals, and can capture four fallacy of equivocation. dated July 30, 1661. In a letter high-speed burst shots in less of November 1, 1662, Ruffo than two seconds.

Aristotle, following the lead of addressed a letter to the Dutch Plato’s Sophist, noted that it is consul in Messina, expressing But the camera offers more false to say that “what is not a dissatisfaction with the painting than just great still pictures, being is non being”. His reason of Alexander and noting that the T1 captures and plays back was that being simply speaking he paid more for it than for the high resolution 640x480-pixel referred to a substance, but it Aristotle; that the subject was in moving images in MPEG-VX does not follow that if somefact Aristotle had probably been Fine mode, good enough to thing fails to be a substance that

From: Robert Mann To: Nicholas Knight Date: April 21, 2008 Hi Nick, This past week we took advantage of curators and collectors that were in NYC for the photography auctions and art fair and I showed your work to a number of folks. The response has been universal... everyone likes the work but favors the images where the art work being documented is clearly visible in the piece. I thought you Aristotle and Homer might find this feedback useful.

Photoshop CS3 file x 2304 pixels The booth layout 3456 in Chicago 105.7 MB is not at all what we planned.

2007 We’ve been assigned something akin to a bowling alley, 40 feet long and 8 feet deep, so we had to do some serious editing of what we could bring and exhibit and unfortunately we’re not bringing your work as well as a few others we planned to exhibit.

With best wishes, Robert

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The cult of Hercules was very The design of the SGH-D880 Model T Forum: Hercules truck popular among the Romans, and offers a professional look that Friday, August 24, 2007 numerous shrines were devoted appeals to the business user. to the protective demigod in The compact slide-up design is By jack daron. 09:36 am: Rome and throughout the easy to carry and use, while the Spent most of yesterday trying Empire. This over-life-sized sleek and sophisticated surface to get Bill Cunningham’s origistatue, however, was probably adds professional polish to the nal Hercules truck running made to decorate a large public user’s style. better. I rebuilt carb,adjusted bath. Although much restored, clutch,changed worn timer Its stance and attributes are User Review by meteortjg: I out and got it running. The essentially correct and are varibought this phone (specifically coils are misfiring at high ants on long-established statue Samsung C810) to replace my speed. Runs pretty good at 25types that originated in images broken Samsung SGH T239 for 30MPH. Told him to send coils of the Greek hero Herakles datT-mobile. The product itself is to Coilman. ing to the fourth century BC. great, the dual slides are nice, Many of Vincenzo Giustiniani’s the sound is perfect both on

By Tom Lovejoy. 11:48 am: _MG_0813.CR2 antiquities were excavated in and off the speakers, Sorry I am so uninformed - is a Marble Statue of a Youthful Samsung Duos (D880) Hercules a model T?8/24/07 1:30:22 PM the remains of the public baths and the size is almost I just noHercules, ca. 69 - 96 AD 3 megapixel 3456 x 2304 px orinigally constructed under similar to my samsung sgh ticed, I would guess the name Marble 1/640 sec @ ƒ/2.8 the emperor Nero, which wereinches high T239. I got the at&t (2048 x 1536 px) of the body type is the Hercules 97.25 2.3it inch TFT screen part? Just curious, thanks ISO 400 built in AD 62 in the vicinity of unlocked version, and infor Metropolitan Museum of Art released November 2006 mm the Pantheon, and it is possible cluded windows media the info and pictures100 - I sure New York that this statue was found there, player along with other fealike the truck, Tom. Canon 350D along with the nearby statue of a tures that make it look a little bearded Hercules. like a mini laptop in a phone.

By jack daron. 12:12 pm: Hercules was a body manuRestorations made during the Aside from the phone’s abilfacturer, located in Evansville, early 17th century: head and ity to play music, the built-in Indiana. They made comercial neck, right arm below the shoulspeaker is not strong enough to bodies for T and TT chassis. der, left arm and shoulder, right play music or sound files well Originals are very scarce today. leg below the knee, left leg, tree to hear compared to an mp3 trunk, club, plinth. player with built-in speakers or

By Richard G.Goelz 1:15 pm: phones like samsung lg env2.

Jack,i grew up in Evansville, This statue was part of the colEither that or the program that not far from the Hercules lection of antiquities acquired in supports music play doesn’t plant, they continued to make Rome by the Marchese Vincenzo compare to the quality of the truck beds up into the early Giustiniani during the first third volume from when you place a 70s,Studebaker, International of the seventeenth century. It call on speaker with the phone. and several more,they were all

From: Robert Mann To: Nicholas Knight Date: August 19, 2008 Hi Nick, I’m sorry to have taken so long in providing you with feedback. I’m glad to hear that some of your Taking Pictures will be displayed in your Texas gallery. We have taken every opportunity to test the waters with this work, showing it to curators and private collectors and quite honestly the reaction has been only luke-warm. This Youthful being the case I don’t want Hercules print mounted to tie up the workpigment any longer on aluminum and prevent you from seeking x 30 inches exposure through20 another 2007 venue. I greatly appreciate having had the opportunity to give it a shot and I truly wish the response had been better.

At any time when you want to retrieve your prints and pursue a relationship elsewhere just say the word and we’ll make the necessary arrangements.

Again, despite the fact the experiment didn’t fly for us I’m glad you allowed us to take a stab at it!

With best wishes.

Robert

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This head of a youth wearing a fillet (band) must have belonged to a statue of a victorious athlete.

He probably rested one arm lightly on his head; the remains of a rectangular support can still be seen among his curls.

Roman copies often conformed to contemporary taste, and the contrast between polished flesh and deeply drilled hair on this head would have held special appeal for clients in the second century A.D.

This sleek and very thin Sony is good for on-the-go snapshots, but its photo quality is just OK. If you live by the philosophy that you can’t be too rich or too thin, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T1 belongs in the pocket of your Armani suit. This ultrachic, thin, high-resolution snapshot camera boasts a large 2.5-inch LCD, unusually good video capabilities, and a Carl Zeiss 3X zoom lens. But despite the T1’s cool factor, enthusiasts won’t be satisfied with its minimal advanced controls, and persnickety shooters Sony will DSC-T1 Marble Head of An Athlete look down their noses at its 5 megapixel CCD c. 138 - 192 AD image quality.

(2592 x 1944 px) Marble

Gay surpasses Powell to win gold in 100 meters August 24, 2007, 11:56 AM OSAKA, Japan -- Tyson Gay is the world champion.

From: Subject: Date: To:

Nicholas Knight Re: August 25, 2008 Frederic Paul

Reading the newspaper over the shoulder is a bad habit In a 100-meters final that delivof mine, also, as you might ered all it promised Sunday, Gay expect...and of course, in the was slower out of the blocks. case of these photographs, that Once his legs got pumping, he act becomes one of the more caught and surged past Asafa insidious layers of meaning to Powell to claim his first gold the word “Taking” in the title. medal at a major international In fact, I was almost knocked championship in 9.85 seconds. out of my chair when I noticed the small detail in the attached “After 60 meters I saw_MG_0817.CR2 that Seurat image. LookRoman closely at Copy of a 8/24/07 1:34:37 PM the camera viewfinder!

I could catch him -- and it Greek Head 3456 x 2304 px worked,” the former Arkansas Photoshop CS3 file 1/1600in sec @ ƒ/2.8 Interestingly, the photographs Razorback and thus believed 3456 x 2304 pixels 38 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ4.4 13.5 inches high ISO 400 8/10 of LCD screen my top speed even though I had have divided into two rough 101.2 MB inch Metropolitan Museum With of Arta depth of only2.5 100 mm an inch, the Sony Cyber Shot a bad start. ” groups: the most famous 2007 released January 2004 New York Canon 350D DSC-T1 is one of the slimpaintings (with Mona Lisa at mest digital cameras we’ve Powell, sensing defeat, was the top!), which people very seen. It’s roughly the size of a passed by Derrick Atkins of the dutifully, but uncritically, take credit card. Factor in the T1’s Bahamas at the tape in 9.91. their pictures of, and lesser weight--just 6.3 ounces with Powell was third in 9.96, and known works which tend to the battery and the media even admitted he ran scared. demonstrate a strong degree installed--and you have one of intimacy, rather than highly portable package. The “I panicked. I felt him comalienation. The photo-act stainless-steel body is finished ing on,” Powell said. “That is a bizarre one, but not in a pleasing brushed silver. slowed me down ... I made a big inauthentic...

Overall, the camera feels well mistake.” made, with crisp controls. But Best, the drawback of that slender Gay, unbeaten this year coming Nick profile is the omission of a into the championships, felt tripod socket. A docking his composure beginning to connector occupies that space slip Sunday morning. “I was

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While the style of “drip” paintThe LG VX8600 is an elegant Home Owners Hub.com ing has become synonymous and attractive phone. The wide posted by Senin with the name Jackson Pollock, and flat clamshell design of August 30, 2007 here the artist has autographed the LG VX8600 does not really the work even more directly, lend itself to the “Chocolate” I recently bought a new Price with several handprints found moniker, unlike that of the Pfister kitchen faucet (#53P-50at the composition’s upper original slider versions (the SS). The problem was, when right. Around this time Pollock VX8500 and the KG800) that I turned it off, it continued stopped giving his paintings resemble (albeit vaguely) the to drip for about 20 seconds, evocative titles and began size and shape of dark chocobefore stopping. Now that is instead to number them. His late candy bars. It measures kinda annoying since it is brand wife, artist Lee Krasner, later 3.89 by 1.93 by 0.58 inches, new. 20 seconds is a long time. explained, “Numbers are neutral. making it wider and fatter I would it expect it to stop They make people look at a than the VX8500 Chocolate. almost immediately. I contact painting for what it is—pure However, it still retains the Price Pfister and they sent me a painting.”

Chocolate’s trademark glossy new head. Installed, but same Jackson Pollock black finish, and it remains problem. I contacted_MG_0874.CR2 Price LG VX8600 Number 1A, 1948, 1948 Collectors did not immediately quite slim as flip phones go.

Pfister and they sent 8/30/07 me a new 12:37:24 PM 1.3 megapixel CCD cartridge. Same problem.

3456 Ix 2304 px Oil and appreciate Pollock’s radical newenamel paint We think it’s very elegant (1280 1/60 the sec @ ƒ/2.8 on canvas style, and when first exhibited, and sexy, rivaling that of thex 960 pixels) called again and explained inch 68 x 104 in 1949 (then titled Number 1, inches Motorola Krzr K1 in2.2 style andTFT screen problem and asked ifISO this400 was released 100 mm Museum of Modern Art 1948), this painting remained design. The one downside to November 2006 normal for this model.

Canon 350D York unsold. Later that year New the work such a glossy finish is that the was shown again in the artist’s phone is extremely prone to This time the customer service second solo exhibition (Pollock fingerprint smudges--it was rep said, “oh yeah they will drip added “A” to the title to avoid unavoidable. Opening the like that for about 2-4 weeks. confusion with more recent phone was pretty easy; just one Then they will stop. It has to work) and shortly thereafter was push of the thumb would do it, do with the pressure.” That purchased by MoMA. though closing it is more of a sounded very strange to me. two-handed operation.

Number 1A illustrates the gradHas anyone else had this kind of ual material shift in Pollock’s On the face of the phone is its experience? It just sounded career, from artist oil paints 65,000-color, 1.3-inch diagostrange. And if it were true, in his early work to industrial nal, external screen. It displays wouldn’t they note it in the house paints later. By the time he signal and battery strength, installation, operating instrucpainted the 1950 murals, house the date and time, photo caller tions? paint had replaced artist oils ID, and the current track if as Pollock’s preferred medium. the music player is on. The

Quartet of Artists Exhibit at Eugene Binder

by The Big Bend Sentinel October 9, 2008 MARFA - An exhibition of recent work by New York artists Katherine Alexander, Joianne Bittle, Nicholas Knight, and Robert Terry opened Friday at Eugene Binder on Highland Street.

The theme that unites the work of these four artists is the use of photography as a point of departure, from the purpose of Pollock documentation to the reinterpretation of objects,Photoshop situations,CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels and moments in time.

The 23.9 are MB works in this exhibition 2007 influence by the pre-scientific roots of image-making.

While not answering the question “What do people do with all the digital images they take in museums?”, Nicholas Knight’s photographs of people taking photographs are very revealing. For example, nothing more than the hand gesture of the “subject” holding the camera while taking the picture, and the juxtaposition of the subject in the context of the work of art they are photographing speaks volumes.

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When Johns made Flag, the Casio was the company that Most Americans see war as dominant American art was first gave the world a ‘conwinnable Abstract Expressionism, which sumer’ digital camera, way washingtontimes.com enthroned the bold, spontaneous back in 1995 (when most of the August 30, 2007 use of gesture and color to evoke big names were still convinced emotional response. Johns, film would live forever), and A majority of Americans say though, had begun to paint since the launch of the Exilim the United States can win the common, instantly recognizable range in 2002 the brand has war in Iraq, but the country symbols—flags, targets, numbecome synonymous with the is sharply divided along party bers, letters. Breaking with the kind of ultra-slim, ultra-stylish lines about every aspect of idea of the canvas as a field for cameras that marketeers like to the war, according to a United abstract personal expression, he call ‘lifestyle’ products. What Press International/Zogby poll painted “things the mind already a lot of people - including released yesterday. knows.” Using the flag, Johns those who think Casio should said, “took care of a great deal stick to making cheap digital The poll shows 54 percent for me because I didn’t Jasper have to Johns watches - forget is that these of Americans said the war design it.” That gave him “room ‘lifestyle products’ are often is not lost. However,_MG_0901.CR2 among Flag, 1954-55 Casio EX-Z1000 8/30/07 to work on other levels”—to foalso very good cameras with Democrats, 66 percent said 12:57:26 PM Encaustic, oil, and collage 10.1 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px cus his attention on theon making innovative features and classthe mission has failed already, fabric mounted on (3648 x 2736 px) 1/30ofsec @ ƒ/2.8 of the painting. leading performance. compared with 9 percent plywood 38 - 114mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.4 ISO 400 42 1/4 x 60 5/8 inches 2.8 inch LCD screen Republicans who shared that 100 mm The color, for example, Museum is appliedof Modern Art The EX-Z1000 was, Ireleased must June 2006 view.

Canon not to canvas but to strips of admit, something of a surprise The survey also showed the 350D New York newspaper—a material almost for me; fast and responsive, country split on the success of too ordinary to notice. Upon user-friendly and a real pleathe U.S. troop surge ordered closer inspection, though, those sure to use but also capable earlier this year by President scraps of newsprint are as hard of surprisingly good results Bush and on the wartime perto ignore as they are to read. though only if you stick to ISO formance of the Democrat-led Also, instead of working with oil 200 or below (and preferably Congress. paint, Johns chose encaustic, a leave it fixed on ISO 50 when mixture of pigment and molten the light allows).

“This is a portrait of a divided wax that has left a surface of nation that is not easily going lumps and smears; so that even Ultra compact ‘style’ cameras to be placated on this issue,” though one recognizes the image such as this inevitably present said John Zogby, president of in a second, close up it becomes potential buyers with some the polling firm. “It’s one thing textured and elaborate. It is at sort of compromise or another. to have a majority; it’s another once impersonal, or public, and In the case of the Z1000 the when you look at how diapersonal; abstract and reprerather uninspiring high ISO metrically opposed Democrats

Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 16:03:16 -0600 From: Art Lies Editor To: Nicholas Knight Subject: image for publication Nicholas, I edit a journal called Art Lies and Eugene Binder turned me on to your work. Initially he sent me “Taking Pictures (Flavin)” for publication, but he will not be able to make the print deadline; however, I am curious if you would let us use another image Johns from the same pigment print mounted on aluminum series with a different article: “Taking 20 x 30 inches Pictures (Seurat).”2007 Please let me know if this is a possibility. It would be absolutely perfect for the piece.

If you want to check out the journal before deciding, please look us up at www.artlies.org.

Best, Anjali Gupta Editor Art Lies

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Marilyn Monroe was a legend The next generation of Casio’s 10 Reasons To Own Gold when she committed suicide in Exilim “Z”oom series, the EXby Mike Mish Shedlock August of 1962, but in retrospect Z55 offers users many of the August 30, 2007 her life seems a gradual marfeatures found on past Exilim tyrdom to the media and to her cameras, but adds 5-megapixA fiat dollar is merely a claim public. After her death, Warhol els of resolution combined with on resources, and it is a liability based many works on the same a high-quality Pentax smc 3x of the Fed (while its governphotograph of her, a publicity optical zoom lens, and a larger ment bond holdings are its still for the 1953 movie Niagara.

2.5-inch color LCD. This credit assets). Gold is gold. It is not He would paint the canvas with card-size point-n-shoot camera anyone else’s liability. a single color—turquoise, green, is loaded with features that are blue, lemon yellow—then usually found only on larger 1) A Hedge Against a Sinking silkscreen Monroe’s face on top, and more expensive cameras.

Dollar sometimes alone, sometimes There are 23 pre-programmed doubled, sometimes multiplied “Best Shot” scenes modes that The following chart shows a in a grid. As the surround for optimize the camera’s settings general tendency (at least since Andy Warhol a face, the golden field in Gold for specific shootingCasio condi-EX-Z55 about 2000) for gold_MG_0910.CR2 to move 8/30/07 Goldone Marilyn Monroe, tions 1962and users also have the Marilyn Monroe (the only in the opposite direction of the1:01:13 PM 5 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px of Warhol’s Marilyns toSilkscreen use this ink on synthetic ability to create their(2560 own Best US dollar. x 1920 px) 1/50 sec @ ƒ/2.8 polymer color) recalls the religious icons paint on canvas Shot scenes using the35Register - 105mm, ƒ2.6 - ƒ4.8 ISO 400 83 xreso57 inches of Christian art history—a Favorites function. 2.5 inch LCD screen 2) Global Currency Debase100 mm nance, however, that theMuseum work of Modern Art released August 2004 ment Canon 350D suffuses with a morbid New allure.York Another “cool” feature on this Yes, the dollar has been sinkcamera (and the EX-S100 ) was ing. But because of inflation In reduplicating this photograph the Business card and White the value of all currencies has of a heroine shared by millions, board Best Shot scene modes. been sinking. In 1970 a loaf Warhol denied the sense of the These modes allow you to capof bread cost a quarter. What uniqueness of the artist’s personture images at an angle, then does it cost now? Gasoline was ality that had been implicit in the correct the images in- camera $.30 or so then. It is over $3.00 gestural painting of the 1950s. to make the perspective as if now. This is not unique to the He also used a commercial you had shot the picture dead dollar. The price of things has technique— silkscreening—that on to the subject. This may been rising nearly everywhere gives the picture a crisp, artificial not be used much for making in every currency. All fiat curlook; even as Warhol canonizes prints, but it is useful when rencies eventually go to zero: Monroe, he reveals her public you want to take a snap shot the only difference is the speed image as a carefully structured of someone’s business card or at which purchasing power illusion. Redolent of 1950s glamthe black board at school, then declines. Gold has never gone our, the face in Gold Marilyn later correct the image so you to zero and never will, either.

From: Nicholas Knight To: Steven Wolf Date: March 9, 2009 Subject: Taking Pictures...

Hi Steven, Have you given any thought to doing a show with the “Taking Pictures” images there in the gallery? I’d really love to, and I’m sure it would be terrific.

I wanted to follow up since you had mentioned it back in December.

From afar it seems like you’ve had Marilyn a couple of really pigment print mounted great shows lately,on aluminum Stephan Pascher 20 x 30 inches and so on. Good 2007 stuff.

Hope all else goes well, Best, Nick

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Van Gogh’s night sky is a field of roiling energy. Below the exploding stars, the village is a place of quiet order. Connecting earth and sky is the flamelike cypress, a tree traditionally associated with graveyards and mourning. But death was not ominous for van Gogh. “Looking at the stars always makes me dream,” he said, “Why, I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France?

Just as we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star.”

Vincent van Gogh

The new Sony DSC-T7 takes Daily Horoscope “thin” to a whole new level for Thursday, August 30, 2007 a sophisticated digital camera design. By far the thinnest CyHappy birthday, Virgo! Part ber-shot to date, the Sony T7 of your charm is that you are is noteworthy not only for its different and one of a kind. If amazingly thin profile, but for people can’t figure you out, it the range of features and image all adds to the mystery of the quality that the Sony engineers package. With changes in the managed to pack into its tiny offing, this next year will be frame. While there are always one to decide what you will compromises when making a and won’t do. Taking on too super-tiny digicam, the Sony much - at work or at home T7 does better than most. I can scatter your energy. Once was particularly impressed by this decision has been made, its lens, not so much for its it will be a year of balancing _MG_0937.CR2 absolute quality as for the exaction and consolidation.

Sony DSC-T7 8/30/07 1:32:46 PM tent to which it avoids some of 5 megapixel CCD The Starry Night, 1889 3456 19 x 2304 px The artist wrote of his experithe severe problems with soft Aries MARCH 21-APRIL (2592 x 1944 px) Oil on canvas 1/80 sec @ ƒ/2.8 ence to his brother Theo: 29 “This corners and high chromatic That famous Arian charm 38 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ4.4 x 36.25 inches ISOyou 400 morning I saw the country from of Modern aberration we’ve seen in inch so LCD screen should assist in getting 2.5 Museum Art 100 mm my window a long time before many subcompact cameras inMarch 2005 out of a sticky situation - and released New York Canon 350D sunrise, with nothing but the the past. Other image quality even help to turn a negative morning star, which looked parameters are good too, with into a positive. The indelible very big.” This morning star, or great color, solid resolution, impression you make on a Venus, may be the large white and good dynamic range. Decertain someone will cause an star just left of center in The spite its tiny size, the Sony T7 instant connection to be made, Starry Night. The hamlet, on the offers a strong feature set, great with future ties being possible. other hand, is invented, and the shooting speed, and excellent A cosmic windfall may finally church spire evokes van Gogh’s video capabilities. About its find its way to you; be careful native land, the Netherlands. only significant limitations are how it’s spent.

The painting, like its daytime somewhat limited low light companion, The Olive Trees, capability, and the short batCancer JUNE 21-JULY 22 is rooted in imagination and tery life and weak flash output An almost complete about-face memory. Leaving behind the that’s typical of subcompact in your beliefs or attitude is Impressionist doctrine of truth camera models. Bottom line, a highly possible over the next to nature in favor of restless fine little camera, good enough few weeks. It’s most probably feeling and intense color, as to be made a “Dave’s Pick.” If something you feel strongly

From: Nicholas Knight To: Apsara DiQuinzio Date: May 5, 2009 Subject: Sherrie Levine Photos Hi Apsara, Attached are two of the Sherrie Levine photos we took last week. They’re both good, and really funny, in their own ways.

Thanks for being such a sport.

So, remember to keep these images under wraps for the time being, especially since one Starry of them will be in my showNight at Photoshop CS3 file Steven Wolf this fall.

Still, 3456 x 2304 pixels even though our little 70.7 MB conspiracy is confidential, I did tell the story to2007 Steven, and his response was perfect: If there’s any shot that is going to be set-up, it has to be Levine... actually, it’s more appropriate for Levine to be set-up than to be candid! So it all works out in the end.

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing you last week, and look forward to crossing paths again this September.

All best, Nick

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Frustrated desires are a common theme in René Magritte’s work. Here, a barrier of fabric prevents the intimate embrace between two lovers, transforming an act of passion into one of isolation and frustration.

Some have interpreted this work as a depiction of the inability to fully unveil the true nature of even our most intimate companions.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 is the latest model from Research in Motion (RIM). Even though this is a smartphone, not one of RIM’s larger cellular-wireless handhelds, it still breaks new ground for this company, as it is its first model of any kind with support for playing music and displaying video.

World’s Leading Hair Restoration Physicians Gather to Present Latest Research

GENEVA, IL. - August 30, 2007. From new data of the first human clinical study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a robotic-assisted hair transplantation device to cutting-edge research examinCurrently it’s available only ing how donor hair from other from a few carriers, including people could be used successEnshrouded faces were a comT-Mobile USA, but I expect fully for future hair transmon motif in Magritte’s art. The it to be much more widely plants, the latest findings and artist was 14 when his mother distributed in short order. technological breakthroughs _MG_0977.CR2 committed suicide by drownBlackberry Pearl 8100 in hair restoration will be preRené Magritte 8/30/07 ing. He witnessed her body There’s no doubt about it, the sented by the world’s foremost 2:01:45 PM 1.3 megapixel CCD The Lovers, 1928 3456 x 2304 px being fished from the water, her Pearl is tiny.

It’s one of the hair restoration experts at the (1280 x 1024 px) Oil on canvas 1/50 sec @ ƒ/2.8 wet nightgown wrapped21.375 around x 28.875 inches smallest smartphones I’ve ever International Society of Hair 5X zoom ISO 400 her face. Some have specuused. It makes RIM’s2.25 typical inch TFT screen Restoration Surgery’s (ISHRS) Museum of Modern Art 100 mm lated that this trauma inspired devices look positively gargan15th Annual Scientific Meetreleased September 2006 New York Canon 350D a series of works in which tuan in comparison. If you love ing. More than 500 physicians Magritte obscured his subjects’ your BlackBerry but would like and surgical assistants from faces. Magritte disagreed with something smaller, this might around the world dedicated such interpretations, denying be the way to go. to advancing the art and sciany relation between his paintence of hair restoration are ings and his mother’s death.

However, there is a major expected to attend this premier “My painting is visible images trade-off. Instead of having a educational event, September which conceal nothing,” he regular QWERTY keyboard, 26-30, 2007, at The Venetian in wrote, “they evoke mystery and, the Pearl uses RIM’s SureType Las Vegas. indeed, when one sees one of system, in which each key my pictures, one asks oneself handles two letters.

“The demand for hair restorathis simple question, ‘What tion procedures that deliver does it mean?’ It does not mean That’s really the only drawback, natural-looking, permanent anything, because mystery though. This model offers all results that are virtually undemeans nothing either, it is kinds of features no BlackBerry tectable has never been stronunknowable.” ever has before. ger,” said Paul C. Cotterill, MD,

From: Nicholas Knight To: Steven Wolf Date: May 21, 2009 Subject: Print Specs Here are the specs for the finished Taking Pictures prints I’ve had made so far, which you can use as a reference point when talking to SF photo labs: Final print size: 20 x 30 inches Paper: Angelica Bright White Smooth 315gsm Printer: Epson Ink Jet Mounting: 1/16” aluminum with wood brace on back The Lovers Coating: Matte Lacquer spray pigment print mounted Having these made at Laumont on$550 aluminum in NYC costs about each.

20 x 30 inches Have you received2007 the disc of jpegs I sent last week? I look forward to seeing your selections. When I went through them, with floorplan in hand, I came up with a show of 16 prints. (A tight group that covers all the bases, but I decided not to indicate my selections on the disc...don’t want to taint the jury...) That included 6 prints that are already made, so we’d be looking at having 10 new ones done out there in SF. Best, Nick

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In his best-known and largest painting, Georges Seurat depicted people relaxing in a suburban park on an island in the Seine River called La Grande Jatte. The artist worked on the painting in several campaigns, beginning in 1884 with a layer of small horizontal brushstrokes of complementary colors. He later added small dots, also in complementary colors, that appear as solid and luminous forms when seen from a distance.

The PowerShot A550 is a very Obama to give rare race speech affordable 7.1 megapixel model

by Mike Dorning with a 4x optical zoom lens March 18, 2008 and a 2.0-inch LCD screen.

It features Canon’s DIGIC MONACA, Pa. — Sen. Barack II image processor for crisp, Obama, confronting ongoing vibrant images, responsive questions about inflammatory performance, and low power sermons delivered by his forconsumption. Replacing last mer pastor, announced Monyear’s popular PowerShot day he will deliver a “major A530, this new model offers address” on race and politics not only higher resolution and in Philadelphia on Tuesday in a bigger LCD screen, but also an attempt to move beyond the better battery life and compatcontroversy. ibility with SDHC memory cards. Operating this camera is Obama has been struggling to _MG_2690.CR2 Seurat’s use of this highly even easier than before with a Canon Powershot A550deal with the comments of Rev. Georges Seurat 3/18/08 systematic and “scientific” redesigned mode dial featuring Jeremiah Wright for several 4:10:43 PM 7.1 megapixel CCD A Sunday on La Grande 3456 xser2304 px technique, subsequentlyJatte, called1884 five of Canon’s most(2592 popular days, ever since videotaped x 1944 px) 1/50 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Pointillism, distinguished his Special Scene modes for easier mons surfaced in which Wright 35 - 140mm, ƒ2.6 - ƒ5.5 Oil on canvas ISO 400 art from the more intuitive ap-x 121.25 inches access, as well as standard said, among other things, that 2 inchfully LCD screen 81.75 100 mm proach to painting usedArt by the automatic settings.

The PowAfrican-Americans should sing released January 2007 Institute of Chicago Canon 350D Impressionists. Although SeurerShot A550 digital camera “God Damn America” instead at embraced the subject matter retains many hallmark A-series of “God Bless America.” of modern life preferred by features, including an optical artists such as Claude Monet viewfinder and a comfortable Obama pointedly ended a and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, he handgrip, making it ergonomispeech at a community college went beyond their concern for cally friendly for comfortable in Pennsylvania on Monday capturing the accidental and handling while providing yet morning with the words “God instantaneous qualities of light another option for viewing Bless America” -- an uncharacin nature. Seurat sought to the subject and saving battery teristic closing for him. evoke permanence by recalling power while shooting. the art of the past, especially At a news conference later, the Egyptian and Greek sculpture The PowerShot A550 delivers Illinois Democrat repeated and even Italian Renaissance high-resolution images without condemnations he made of frescoes. As he explained to requiring users to exert adWright’s remarks last week. the French poet Gustave Kahn, ditional effort. Using Canon’s But he also said “the caricature “The Panathenaeans of Phidias AiAF “Smart” autofocus systhat is being painted of him

Excerpt from an Interview with Jordan Tate I Like This Art.com July 19, 2009 Jordan: Taking Pictures is a little bit of an outlier when viewed with your other work, but can be viewed with the same lens of deconstruction.

Aside from the irony and photo-specific commentary, what was your motivation for choosing various masterworks to be the off-frame subject of this work?

Nicholas: At first Seurat there seems to be pigment print mounted aluminum a visual break, yes,onbut most of 20 x 30 inches my favorite themes are as present here2008 as elsewhere. I’m very interested in how the gestalt meaning of a thing changes when a new form is grafted on top of it. So the Sentence Diagrams are not merely grammatical analysis; they are a picture of the fact of being diagrammed. That is, the diagram exists as a method out there in the world, and there’s nothing the author can do to withhold her sentence once I choose to analyze it. Then, if the results modify its claims, some new thing is created.

And really, I think the same

41

During these years, Renoir Music cell phones have become Drive-by shooting kills 20th supported himself by executa hot commodity in 2006, with Chicago Public Schools student ing marketable works, such as almost every manufacturer

by Carlos Sadovi portraits and floral still lifes. getting into the game. Sony March 18, 2008 While some sitters disliked his Ericsson’s Walkman handsets “new” style, which they felt was in particular have emerged Over the years Salvador unflattering, the genre of still as favorites of mobile music “Chava” Contreras would sit life posed no such problems fans, but Nokia has countered down with his parents and his and thus facilitated experiwith its quality N-series smart older brothers and promise mentation. As Renoir later exphones that come packed with them that he would not be plained: “I just let my brain rest multimedia features. But let’s sucked into the gang life that when I paint flowers. I don’t face it, not everyone needs has claimed so many others in experience the same tension as a fancy smart phone such as their Gage Park neighborhood.

I do when confronted by the the Nokia N91 so we’re glad model. . . . I establish the tones, to welcome the new Nokia Contreras, 18, who was the I study the values carefully 5300 Xpress Music. Packed youngest of four children, _MG_2594.CR2 without worrying about Pierre-Auguste losing into a unique but user-friendly instead chose to focus on socNokia 5300 Renoir 3/18/08 the picture. I don’t dare do this design is an exceptional music cer, his beloved past time, his 12:45:08 PM 1.3 megapixel CCD Chrysanthemums 3456 x 2304 px with a figure piece for fear of player and a broad range of feafamily said.

He would often (1280 x 1024 px) 1882 1/60 sec @ ƒ/2.8 ruining it.” tures including a 1.3-megapixel spend hours watching games 8x zoom Oil on canvas ISO 400 2.1 an inch TFT screen on television and playing soc21.5 x 26 inches camera, Bluetooth, and 100 mm For Chrysanthemums Renoir expandable memoryreleased slot. AndSeptember 2006 cer at Gage Park High School, Art Institute of Chicago Canon 350D adopted a challenging, laboryes, it delivers on performance which he attended, and nearby intensive technique. First, takas well. The 5300 is available Marquette Park, said his ing a canvas with a white, comwith T-Mobile in black and brother Daniel, 21. mercially prepared ground, lilac for $99. You can also get he used a palette knife to lay an unlocked version in red for But early Saturday morning, down another ground of lead $300, but even at that price we Contreras was wounded in a white paint. This second layer reckon it’s worth it. drive-by shooting. He died the obscured the weave of the cannext day, making him the 20th vas and resulted in a smoother, At first glance you might think Chicago Public Schools student more reflective surface. While there’s nothing cutting edge to die this school year, the 18th it was still wet, Renoir quickly about the Nokia 5300’s design. by gunfire. brushed in thin layers of washYes, it’s a bit boxy and a little like paint, achieving a remarkbulky (3.6 by 1.9 by 0.8 inches), Although Contreras liked able transparency and fluidity, but it’s lighter than it looks (3.6 to dress in the hip-hop style particularly in the petals of the ounces), and ultimately it’s a popular among many teens, yellow-orange blossoms and form factor that deserves closer Contreras promised his family

thing is happening in Taking Pictures. This mode of interaction by museum-goers (not just photographing an artwork, but doing so with the particular atarm’s-length mode that these devices require) is creating a new thing. I’m documenting the phenomenon, but it’s very important which photos I choose to let into the world.

There is always some multivalent situation in the successful images: the photographers’ postures, or the details of their appearances, align in some revelatory way with the duplicated historiesChrysanthemums Photoshop CS3 file accompanying the artworks they’re3354 x 2236 pixels photographing. 66.7 MB 2008

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Beginning in 1851, the government of Napoleon III transformed the old streets of Paris into a new system of grand boulevards. This painting abounds with evidence of the city’s rebuilding. Gustave Caillebotte selected a complex intersection near the SaintLazare train station for his subject, distorting the size of the buildings and the distance between them to create a wide-angle view that reflects the sweeping modernity of this capital city.

FujiFilm’s F480 is the third “F” series Finepix model we have seen this year (2007). This is an entry-level digicam, with simple features. It offers an 8-megapixel image sensor, Fujinon 4x “wide” optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and QVGA (320x240) movie mode, all packed in a very compact and durable shell. Unlike most of Fuji’s new cameras, the F480 does not include features like Intelligent Face Detection technology, an AFassit lamp or their IR commudon’tFinePix F480 Fujifilm Gustave Caillebottenication tool. However, The artist’s family ownedParis Street; Rainy Day let that turn you away.

The 8.2 megapixel CCD property in the busy neighborF480 is very easy to use, with (3624 x 2448 px) 1877 hood depicted here, which was a total of 19 exposure modes, 28 - 112mm, ƒ2.7 Oil on canvas populated by wealthy Parisians including Picture Stabilization 2.7 inch LCD screen 83.5 x 108.75 inches and workers of various sorts. mode. This allows the camera July 2007 released Art Institute of Chicago In the foreground, a man and to be used by anyone in your woman wearing fashionable household or office. clothes stroll down the sidewalk. Behind them stand the At about the size of a deck of uniformly designed buildings playing cards, the F480 can be that were added to Paris during tucked away in a small pocket the renovations overseen by or handbag. The body offers a French administrator Baron nice well built feel, and thanks Haussmann. to the metal exterior, is sure to stand up to day to day life.

The highly crafted surface, The controls on the back are monumental size, geometric minimal, but positioned in a order, and elaborate perspeccomfortable manor. The F480 tive of Paris Street; Rainy features a 2.7-inch LCD with Day (the artist used a gaslight plenty of resolution at 230K to separate the foreground pixels. This display worked

CHICAGO WEATHER REPORT The chill just won’t let go, and snow could fly here by the end of the week

by Tom Skilling March 18, 2008 Only one in 10 Marches here fails to produce at least one 60degree-or higher reading. With just 13 days to go, this may be one of those months. A blocking pattern over the North Atlantic--the result of mild air aloft, around which the jet _MG_2601.CR2 stream buckles, is encourag3/18/08 ing steering winds high above 1:01:02 PM 3456 x 2304 px the U.S. to blow frequently 1/30 from the northwest--a flowsec @ ƒ/2.8 ƒ5.4 ISO 400 that keeps the cold air coming.

100 mm There are even signs that snow 350D could whiten parts ofCanon the area Friday night into Saturday. Historically, measurable snow has fallen after this date 86 percent of the timebut a 4-inch-orgreater snow has occurred only one year in three.

CORRECTION: February 2008 was warmer (+5.1-degrees), not colder than a year ago, as we erroneously reported here yesterday. That makes February 2008 the only month of the last five not cooler than its counterpart a year ago.

PRESS RELEASE Taking Pictures Nicholas Knight Steven Wolf Fine Arts September 11 - Oct 9, 2009 Opening September 11, 6-8 pm In Taking Pictures, Nicholas Knight haunts the galleries of art museums, photographing people in the act of taking pictures. Like an anthropologist in the bush, Knight captures the peculiar comportment of the museum-goer, and finds that directly looking at an artwork is often replaced by the need Caillebotte to see the thing through the camera’s screen. pigment print mounted on aluminum 20pictures x 30 inches His own pictures of 2008 of pictures create a breathless daisy chain of picture-taking that finds its endgame in a crepuscular video Gotterdammerung, in which the artist is seen hand-cranking a slide projector show of his own picture-taking. It’s picture-in-picture as a repeating decimal.

Like the painter of yore establishing his frame with outstretched thumb, Knight uses people’s hands-holding-cameras to organize the compositions in this series. Sometimes the back of the photographer’s

45

Pablo Picasso dominated the development of the visual arts during the first half of the 20th century. Along with Georges Braque, Picasso is best known as one of the creators of Cubism, though he utilized many styles during his career. In the paintings of his Blue Period (1901–1904), such as The Old Guitarist, Picasso worked with a monochromatic palette, flattened forms, and tragic, sorrowful themes.

The FinePix E550 Zoom is an Rough day of trading on Wall incredibly capable camera that Street ends on high note punches above its weight both March 18, 2008 in terms of features and image quality. The handling and NEW YORK — Wall Street speed of operation are superb, fluctuated in temperamental and the range of controls comtrading Monday as investors prehensive. The 32.5-130mm grappled with news of JPMorlens offers more versatility than gan Chase buying Bear Stearns the more common 38-115mm in a deal backed by the governequiv. found on many similar ment. The Dow Jones industricameras, and is very sharp als was at times down nearly across the frame. Resolution 200 points, but it finished the is excellent, noise very well day up about 21 points. controlled and the colors really The tragic themes and expresjump out at you. The ISO 800 A buyout of Bear Stearns _MG_2650.CR2 sive style of Picasso’s BluePablo Picasso mode is not only usable, but certainly was more appealing Fujifilm FinePix E550 Zoom 3/18/08 Period began after a closeThe Old Guitarist very useful too - the6.3 low megapixel noise than the alternative: letting the3:20:12 PM Super CCD 3456and x 2304 px friend committed suicide1904 in means you can often(4048 get away investment bank collapse x 3040 px) 1/30 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Paris. During this time, the without using flash in social causing huge losses for anyone 32.5-130mm, ƒ2.8 -ƒ5.6 Oil on panel ISO 400 artist was sympathetic to48.375 the situations.

2.7 inch LCD screen linked to it. x 32.5 inches 100 mm plight of the downtrodden released July 2004 Art Institute of Chicago and painted many canvases On the downside the 6MP The Federal Reserve Canon appears350D depicting the miseries of the mode is too compressed, the to be pledging to do everypoor, the ill, and those cast out default contrast too high and thing in its power to keep the of society. He knew what it was the default sharpening too credit crisis from destroying like to be impoverished, having aggressive (much less so at the financial industry and the been nearly penniless during 12MP). Most disappointing is economy. Policy makers at the all of 1902. the RAW mode, which - using central bank are expected to rethe supplied ‘RAW Converter duce the target Fed funds rate This bent and sightless man LE’ offers no control and no -- the rate banks charge each holds close to him a large, noticeable quality improveother for overnight loans -- by round guitar. Its brown body ment over JPEG. at least a half-point on Tuesday, represents the painting’s only and perhaps even a full point. shift in color. Both physically If you don’t mind doing a and symbolically, the instrulittle post-processing to your Still, the market remained ment fills the space around pictures and being careful with extremely volatile. The sale of the solitary figure, who seems exposure, this is a camera that Bear Stearns -- and the fact

head is seen. But it is the hands that grab your attention, as though they were trying to message something beyond the functionality of their gesture.

They recall John Baldessari’s finger-pointing photos of the early 1970s and Wallace Berman’s mystical verifaxes of the 1960s, in which hands hold radios with mysterious images inside of them.

Michael Kimmelman’s recent lamentation in the New York Times that tourists speed through museums, stopping Old only to take pictures, is Guitarist rooted in the conventionalPhotoshop wisdom CS3 file 3456 x 2304 that the original is preferable to pixels 94.8 MB a the reproduction, and belies pastoral distinction2008 that a thing experienced through the five senses is more real than one mediated by technology.

Knight’s moral compass doesn’t point in that direction. His photos luxuriate in the details of the new world of appropriation: the twinkling lights of the camera’s viewfinder, the simultaneity of the image and its reproduction, and the digitization and miniaturization of the masterpiece.

For art historical purposes,

47

Although using the tradiThough it’s a stylish, easy-toPortrait may be of Mozart tional portrait bust format, use ultracompact with good From the Associated Press this intense, introspective movie-capture capabilities, meMarch 18, 2008 image conveys a thoroughly diocre photos limit the Casio modern spirit; it is van Gogh’s Exilim EX-S600’s appeal.

A British music scholar says most methodical application he has identified a previously of the Neo-Impressionist style; The Casio Exilim EX-S600, a unknown portrait of Wolfgang utilizing techniques practiced versatile 6-megapixel ultraAmadeus Mozart that could be

by Georges Seurat and Paul compact, puts the brains back worth millions.

Signac. Van Gogh’s use of color into no-brainer snapshooting. in this self-portrait reflects With 35 scene modes that The 19-by-14-inch oil painting his keen awareness of the cover every picture-taking shows the profile of a man in Neo-Impressionist practice of situation--including a few a bright red jacket. Cliff Eisen, juxtaposing complementary you probably never thought who teaches music at King’s colors in order to create a more of--plus the ability to add 999 College London, said that it is vibrant effect. Van Gogh, howuser-definable scenes of your only the fourth known _MG_2665.CR2 ever, rejected Seurat’s and Sigown, this camera is reasonCasio Exilim EX-S600 authentic portrait 3/18/08 3:53:20 PM nac’s uniform PointillistVincent style van Gogh ably prepared for just about of Mozart from his 6 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px 1887 anything you can throw at it. and applied the paint inSelf-Portrait, marks time, when the composer (2816 x 2112 px) 1/40 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil on board of varying size and direction That includes low-light scenes was at his professional 38 - 114mm, ƒ2.7 - ƒ5.2 ISO 400 16.125 depending on the object de- x 13.25 inches tamed by antishake technology height in Vienna.

2.2 inch LCD screen 100 mm Art Institute of Chicago picted. Here, smooth, layered and automatic ISO sensitivity released October 2005 directional strokes define the up to ISO 1,600, an instant picKing’s College said Canon 350D planes of his face and texture of ture mode for snapshots with the portrait was probably his hair and beard in a circular virtually no shutter lag, and painted by Joseph Hickel, who pattern while short, choppy stellar motion-picture-capture was a painter at Austria’s impestrokes unite the clothing and capabilities. Unfortunately, rial court. Hickel gave the porbackground. those assets are outweighed trait to Mozart in return for the by its limited 3X zoom range composition of a serenade for a The artist established red-green and mediocre photo quality. member of Hickel’s family, the as the dominant color contrast Still, it may be just the ticket college said. It now belongs to throughout the painting, seen for snapshooters looking for an American collector who was in his beard and hair (where a friendly, stylish camera. not identified. green and rust-colored strokes Although its 3.5-by-2.3-by-0 are laid down side by side), .6-inch stainless-steel body is his eyes (painted green, surscarcely larger than the stack rounded by reddish touches of credit cards in your wallet, delineating the eyelids), and Casio still manages to include a

Knight’s photos are the punctum in the story written by the Pictures Generation, in which artists like Sherrie Levine came to prominence by rephotographing original works by other people. Taking Pictures documents how the public has bought into the new authority those artists conveyed on the reproduction, personalizing the democratizing process.

What photographer Louise Lawler did for art in the back rooms of auction houses, the public is now doing for art in the public realm, and we can Van Gogh all watch it on Flickr.

Photoshop CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels The most compelling art in 70.1isMB these photos, however, not 2008screen the one on the camera’s but the tableau created by Knight. In staging this duel over representation of the object, Knight has created photos whose bipolar dynamic entertains to the extent that it destabilizes. And while these photos, just like the reproductions within them, are almost clones of each other, the compositions that emerge and the particularities of the subjects are distinctly original and, ironically, reward a close reading. One set of female hands with a Goth manicure

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The Salon de Oro, together So here’s how we’re picturing Motorola shake-up claims with the Salon Azul, displayed that this went down inside two more execs the most representative works Apple HQ: there’s like a couple

by Wailin Wong, Chicago of the Charles Deering collecmonths left before the iPhone’s Tribune tion. For a while, one of the release, and suddenly the March 18, 2008 walls of the Salon de Oro held team realizes that they haven’t the painting Sainy Romanus created the software for the Motorola Inc. has replaced of Antioch and Saint Barulas, camera. They then proceed two executives in the U.S. and executed in 1638 by Francisco to spend five weeks on cute overseas as part of its continude Zurbaran. In 1810, the animations and one week on ing effort to turn around the work was in the depository of actual functionality. Yes, yes, troubled company. the alcazar of Seville. Around we’re quite sure that’s a gross that time, the French army exaggeration, but we just can’t “The recent leadership changes general Jean de Dieu Soult remember the last time we’ve are part of an overall plan to Nicolas (1796 – 1851) came used a phone camera with this swiftly transform the senior to Andalusia, plundering a little functionality. Then again, executive team,” the _MG_2674.CR2 Francisco de Zurbarán large quantity of works from maybe that’s a good thing for company said.

Apple iPhone 3/18/08 4:02:32 PM St.the Romanus of Antioch southern Spain, including some.

2 megapixel CCD 3456 Greg x 2304 px painting by Zurbaran. and St. Barulas Motorola Chief Executive (1600 1/25highsec @ ƒ/2.8 1638 When the Camera app is x 1200 px) Brown has made several 3.5 viewinch LCD touch screen ISO 400 Oil on canvas Soult died in 1851, and his opened, you get a giant profile personnel changes since released June 2007 mm art collection was put on97 x 73 inches finder and two buttons along taking his position in100 Janu350D Art Institute of Chicago sale shortly after. Zurbaran’s the bottom. The large button ary. He hired a chief Canon financial painting figures in the Soult in the middle snaps the picture officer and head of human sales of 1852 and 1867. By and the smaller button to the resources, and also took direct 1910, it was in the collection left moves you to the camera control of the mobile devices of Ivan Stchoukine, a historoll, which is simply a special division, which is suffering rian and specialist in oriental photo album within the Photos from declining sales and marminiatures, who would sell it app. We understand that packket share. to Joachim Carvalla, a doctor ing a larger sensor or a decent in Don Benito (in Badajoz), flash would’ve sacrificed more Besides Strobel and Fenger, and his wife, Ann Coleman. thickness and battery life than other recent departures include From there is passed into the Apple was willing, but that’s Stu Reed, former head of hands of Charles Deering; it is still no excuse to leave us mobile devices, and chief marcurrently in the Art Institute of without even a single configuketing officer Kenneth “Casey” Chicago. Don Justino Matute, rable parameter for the camera.

Keller. Motorola is searching in his “Additions and CorrecNo scene selection, no digital for a permanent executive to tions to Volume IX of Travels zoom, no destination album, oversee the handset division.

snaps a jpeg of a monstrous de Kooning female. In another, a bald male head with biker jacket and silver skull ring hones in on Jean Baptise Carpeaux’s marble grouping Ugolino and His Sons. And in a miracle of metaphorical self-reference, the light from a Dan Flavin fluorescent tube sculpture illuminates Knight’s camera, as the Flavin itself alights on the subject’s screen, with a glow part Heaven, part Westinghouse.

Zurbarán Photoshop CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels 101 MB 2008

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Dante’s Divine Comedy has As the replacement for the Global Warming Will Cause always enjoyed favor in the Fujifilm F30/F31fd, a camera Mass Cannibalism plastic arts. Ugolino, the charthat has reached an almost legby Brent Baker acter that galvanized peoples’ endary status since its launch April 3, 2008 fantasies and fears during the back in 2006, the Fujifilm second half of the nineteenth F50fd has some big shoes to Interviewed Tuesday for Charlie century, appears in Canto 33 of fill. If anything deserves to Rose’s PBS show, CNN founder the Inferno. This intensely Robe called a ‘classic’ camera in Ted Turner argued that inaction mantic sculpture derives from the shortlived world of digital on global warming “will be the passage in which Dante compact cameras it would catastrophic” and those who describes the imprisonment in have to be the Fujifilm F30/ don’t die “will be cannibals.” He 1288 and subsequent death by F31fd. It wasn’t very pretty, it also applied moral equivalence starvation of the Pisan count wasn’t very feature packed and in describing Iraqi insurgents as Ugolino della Gherardesca and it wasn’t even very cheap. But “patriots” who simply “don’t like his offspring. Carpeaux depicts the F30/F31fd produced some us because we’ve invaded their the moment when Ugolino, of the best results we’ve ever country” and so “if the Iraqis _MG_2930.CR2 Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux condemned to die of starvaseen in a compact camera, and Fujifilm FinePix F50fd were in Washington, D.C., we’d 4/3/08 Ugolinotoand His Sonswas leaps and bounds ahead tion, yields to the temptation be doing the same thing. ” On 3:51:44 PM 12 megapixel CCD 3456 2304 px 1865-67 devour his children and grandof all its competitors(4000 when it not taking drastic action to xcorx 3000 px) 1/200 sec @ ƒ/2.8 children, who cry out Marble to him: came to low light / high ISO rect global warming: 35 - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.1 ISO 400 77.75 x 59 x 43.5 inches performance, proving just 2.7that inch LCD screen Metropolitan Museum because of Art a camera has a small Our suffering: thou didst our “Not doing it will be100 cata-mm released July 2007 Canon 350D New York being dress / In this sad flesh; sensor it doesn’t have to be strophic. We’ll be eight degrees now strip it all away. completely useless at anything hotter in ten, not ten but 30 or over ISO 400.

40 years and basically none of Carpeaux’s visionary composithe crops will grow. Most of the tion reflects his reverence for The F30/F31fd’s outstandpeople will have died and the Michelangelo, as well as his ing performance in low light rest of us will be cannibals.” own painstaking concern with was the result of some clever anatomical realism. Ugolino technology (Super CCD sensor Turner ridiculed the need for and His Sons was completed and Real Photo Processor) on a big U.S. military, insisting in plaster in 1861, the last year the one hand and Fujifilm’s ad“China just wants to sell us of his residence at the French mirable refusal to succumb to shoes. They’re not building Academy in Rome. A sensation the pressure to compete in the landing craft to attack the Unitin Rome, it brought Carpeaux ‘megapixel race’. In an almost ed States,” and “even with our many commissions. Upon his unique attempt to optimize $500 billion military budget, return to France, Ugolino was image quality (rather than we can’t win in Iraq. We’re becast in bronze at the order of marketing potential) they liming beaten by insurgents who

Nicholas Knight Hanson Digital.com

by Mark Hanson September 8, 2009 Photography is, simply put, the art of taking pictures. The art of taking pictures of other people taking pictures is a whole other hall of mirrors, and that’s the subject of Nicholas Knight’s new exhibition at the Steven Wolf Fine Arts gallery, “Taking Pictures.”

An artist and photographer who lives and works in New York City, KnightUgolino has a par-and His Sons pigment print mounted ticular eye for repeating pataluminum terns: his previousonexhibitions 20 x 30 inches have included photographs of photographic gray2008 scales, diagrams, and color registration dots for printing, and paintings and drawings evoking maps and charts. For this latest project, Knight stalked museumgoers like an anthropologist in the bush, and found patterns there as well.

As museums worldwide abandon old rules prohibiting photography in the face of miniature digital cameras, Knight found that the very method of viewing artwork has changed.

Through Knight’s photographs,

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Juan de Pareja was Velázquez’s ROKR W5 Dark Pearl Gray CBS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL slave and assistant. He was of is clearly yet another addiApril 3, 2008 Moorish descent and was born tion to Motorola’s huge range in Antequera, near Malaga. A of cookie-cutter clamshell RACE RELATIONS AND few months after his portrait phones. It’s around the twenPOLITICS IN AMERICA was exhibited, on November tieth incarnation of the RAZR 23, 1650, the painter signed as far as we can tell. It is very Nearly 40 years after the asthe official act of liberation of smart to look and dimensions sassination of the Reverend Juan, making him a free man. only 99 x 46 x 17.5 mm. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in In the document Pareja agreed total weight of 107g makes the Memphis, Americans take a to stay with his master for a phone very light. It has two more positive view of race further four years, but in fact display, the internal one is TFT relations than they have for he continued to live with him 256K colors and external one is nearly twenty years. Just over until Velázquez’s death, and CSTN 65K colors display. half of Americans think race subsequently was in the house relations in this country are of his son-in-law, the painter MUSIC: It has a good music generally good now, while 36% Juan Bautista Mazo. The close player that you can use even think they are bad. _MG_2962.CR2 Motorola ROKR W5 Diego Velázquez 4/3/08 4:53:24 PM relationship between Velázquez when the phone is folded, 1.3 megapixel CCD Juan de Pareja, 1650 3456 x 2304 px and Pareja is apparentOil in on canvas but its loud speaker (1280 isn’t that Views of race relations in this x 1024 px) 1/50 sec the canvas, painted with an ‘loud’ .

Using headphones is poll reached a low in 1992, just@ ƒ/2.8 8x zoom 32 x 27.5 inches ISO 400 extremely informal and lifelike more enjoyable.

Doesn’t have after riots erupted in Los Ange176 x 220 px display Metropolitan Museum of Art mm quality. radio. BATTERY: lasts 5 hoursSeptember 2007 les in reaction to the100 acquittal released New York Canon 350D on standby, and half an hour of police accused of beatA smaller copy, now at the playing music, games, surfing ing Rodney King. But there Hispanic Society, was previthe Internet or making calls. continues to be a racial divide, ously with the Earls of Carlisle CAMERA: As you zoom, the with African-Americans more at Castle Howard and has image size shrinks - in Nokia negative about the state of sometimes been thought to be phones such as 6300 it doesn’t. race relations than whites are.

Velázquez’s original. HowIf you fold the phone with the Just 42% of blacks think race ever, it is clearly a copy of the camera turned on, you can see relations are generally good Metropolitan’s picture, posyourself in the tiny screen to now, while a similar proporsibly by Pareja himself. Three take a picture. VIDEO: you tion, 46%, think they are bad. other copies of the portrait can play both 3GP and MP4 Whites are more likely to view are known. The first one was as long as they have a 176x220 race relations favorably. formerly in the collection of resolution. You can set the Captain J.B. Blackett in Arbigvideo camera to record as Black perceptions have land, Dumfries, Scotland, and much as your memory card improved since 2000, while was sold at Christie’s, London, can save. MEMORY CARD: the perceptions of whites are

we peer over people’s shoulders and through their view screens as they experience art not through their eyes directly, but through the lenses of their own cameras. Images of great artworks are in sharp focus on tiny digital displays while the actual artwork behind the camera is obscured, cropped, or blurred in the background.

Open space and the photographer’s own hands surround the onscreen image and encompassing camera, as if part of a wholly new installation: a modern, three-dimensional picture frame for Velázquez old-school, two-dimensional pigment pieces. print mounted on aluminum x 30oninches “Taking Pictures”20 opens 2008 Friday, September 11, at the Steven Wolf Final Arts Gallery in San Francisco, and runs through October 10, 2009.

Opening Reception: Friday, September 11, 6-8 pm Steven Wolf Fine Arts, 49 Geary Street Suite 411, San Francisco, CA 94108

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Cézanne once proclaimed, “With an apple I want to astonish Paris,” and he succeeded, even in his most deceptively simple still lifes, to dazzle and delight. Turning to the Provençal apples and Beurré Diel pears, grown locally not far from the family’s estate near Aix, he dispensed with traditional one-point perspective and examined the fruit, plates, and table from various viewpoints-straight on, above, and sideways.

Just when you thought the Apple Confirms #1 Music Remegapixel war was over, the tailer Status With Four Billion Casio EXILIM ZOOM EXSongs Sold Z1000 offers a whopping 10

by Jason Chen megapixel resolution from April 3, 2008 a 1/1.8”-type CCD sensor, coupled to Casio’s proprietary CUPERTINO, California— EXILIM Engine image procesApple® today announced that sor. Sensitivity ranges from ISO the iTunes® Store surpassed 100 to 400 equivalent by deWal-Mart to become the fault, with the ability to extend number one music retailer to ISO 800 in “Anti-Shake” in the US, based on the latest mode. Casio’s non-mechanical data from the NPD Group*.

Anti-Shake increases sensitivWith over 50 million customity, and hence shutter speed, ers, iTunes has sold over four at the expense of image noise billion songs and features the Paul Cézanne and/or reduced image detail. world’s largest music_MG_2981.CR2 catalog of Casio EX-Z1000 Still Life with Apples and 4/3/08 5:10:40 PM Finally, the camera’s10.1 sensitivity over six million songs. megapixel CCD Pears, 1891-92 3456 x 2304 px maxes out at ISO 3200 equiva(3648 x 2736 px) Oil on canvas 1/30 sec @ ƒ/2.8 lent in the “High Sensitivity” “We launched iTunes less than 38 - 114mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.4 17.625 x 23.125 inches ISO 400 Best Shot mode. Certainly, at five years ago, and it has now 2.8 inch LCD screen Metropolitan Museum 1/1.8” of Art the EX-Z1000’s sensor is 100 mm released June 2006 become the number one music New York 350D a bit larger than those in many retailer in the world,”Canon said Eddy digicams, but still significantly Cue, Apple’s vice president of smaller than any DSLR sensor. iTunes. “We are thrilled, and Still, it offers image resolution would like to thank all of our and a maximum sensitivity that customers for helping us reach not many DSLRs exceed. this incredible milestone.”

The Casio EX-Z1000 couples its sensor to an EXILIMbranded 3x optical zoom lens with a fairly standard equivalent focal length range of 38 to 114mm -- a moderate wide angle to a moderate telephoto.

There’s no optical viewfinder, so images are framed on the

*Based on data from market research firm the NPD Group’s MusicWatch survey that captures consumer reported past week unit purchases and counts one CD representing 12 tracks, excluding wireless transactions. The iTunes Store became the largest music

Second Thursday Artbusiness.com

by Alan Bamberger September 10, 2009 Steven Wolf Fine Arts: Taking Pictures - Nicholas Knight; Past Life Picturesque - Jo Babcock.

Comment by AB: Nicholas Knight takes pictures of people taking pictures of art; Jo Babcock makes pinhole cameras out of pretty much anything.

Not to be outdone, Steven Wolf ratchets the Apples and Pears dealie bob with a Photoshop CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels crackerjack expository laced with lingo 164.1 MB 2008 like “breathless daisy chain,” “the punctum in the story” and “visceral peepholes.”

(For those of you keeping track of my medical history, I once had a visceral peephole removed from my punctum. It was benign, fortunately.)

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Les Demoiselles d’Avignon There’s no doubt that 5-megaInfidelity and the Political Wife is one of the most imporpixel resolution currently election2012.usc.edu tant works in the genesis of defines the sweet spot of pointMay 2, 2008 modern art. The painting and-shoot digital cameras. depicts five naked prostitutes Samsung’s 5-megapixel ultraMany have questioned whether in a brothel; two of them push compact entry, the Digimax i5, Silda Spitzer, wife of former aside curtains around the space offers a competitive snapshot New York Governor Eliot where the other women strike feature set housed in a nonSpitzer, should have had to seductive and erotic poses— descript but slender metal stand next to him at the but their figures are composed body. Interesting features, a podium as he apologized for of flat, splintered planes rather bright 2.5-inch LCD, and a dallying with prostitutes. than rounded volumes, their VGA movie mode, however, eyes are lopsided or staring don’t compensate for listless That scenario may be a form or asymmetrical, and the performance and just so-so of stigma management for the two women at the right have image quality. husbands, Sternheimer says. threatening masks for heads.

It conveys the message: “My _MG_3082.CR2 The space, too, which Pablo shouldPicasso Available in silver, black, and Samsung Digimax i5 wife isn’t so mad at me that she 5/2/08 4:39:21 PM Demoiselles d’Avignon recede, comes forwardLes in jagred, the Samsung Digimax i5 won’t be in the same room with 5 megapixel CCD 3456 x be 2304 px 1907 ged shards, like broken glass. is solidly built, ultraportable, me, so maybe you shouldn’t (2595 x 1944 px) 1/125 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil on canvas In the still life at the bottom, and generally comfortable so upset either.”

39 - 117mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ4.5 ISO 400 92 inches a piece of melon slices96 thex air to hold. Until you power the 2.5 inch LCD screen mm The Museum of Modern Art like a scythe. camera on, a small metal doorMay 2005 “There’s definitely an100 element released Canon 350D New York protects the nonprotruding of gender in there too, ” SternThe faces of the figures at the 3X zoom lens and the flash. heimer adds. If the situation right are influenced by African When shooting, it’s easy to were reversed, and a female masks, which Picasso assumed block the lens with your fingers politician cheated on her had functioned as magical proif you’re not careful. Although husband publicly, we probably tectors against dangerous spirthe camera lacks room for an wouldn’t expect the husband to its: this work, he said later, was optical viewfinder, the 2.5-inch stand at her side, Sternheimer his “first exorcism painting.” A LCD is large, bright, and useful says. specific danger he had in mind under all but the most extreme was life-threatening sexual dislighting conditions.

When Los Angeles Mayor ease, a source of considerable Antonio Villaraigosa admitanxiety in Paris at the time; Buttons for shutter release, ted to having an affair with a earlier sketches for the painting power, and the Safety Flash journalist, his wife didn’t stand more clearly link sexual pleafeature sit along the camera’s by him, but instead filed for sure to mortality. In its brutal narrow top edge. The former divorce. While he managed to treatment of the body and its two caused us some initial keep his office, there was no

Perspective at Wolf San Francisco Chronicle

by Kenneth Baker September 19, 2009 [...] Nicholas Knight’s photographs complement Jo Babcock’s show. While Babcock looks back, Knight eyes the future of art reception.

He furtively captures people in museums photographing artworks, rather than looking at them, or maybe as their sole way of looking at them.

Knight’s “Seurat” (2009) shows Les Demoiselles a man’s hand in close-up, Photoshop framing on his camera’s LCD CS3 file 3456 x“Sun2304 pixels monitor Georges Seurat’s 97.9 day Afternoon on the IsleMB of La 2008 Grande Jatte” (1886), a painting that resides permanently at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Knight telescopes views of Seurat’s painting so that its immediacy appears receding in cultural space and time. The painting remains instantly recognizable even in Knight’s third-hand view, but by photographing someone photographing it, he makes us wonder whether we can ever backtrack through the vision tunnel that automatic media have constructed.

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“Modern art,” said Matisse, “spreads joy around it by its color, which calms us.” In this radiant painting he saturates a room—his own studio—with red. Art and decorative objects are painted solidly, but furniture and architecture are linear diagrams, silhouetted by “gaps” in the red surface. These gaps reveal earlier layers of yellow and blue paint beneath the red; Matisse changed the colors until they felt right to him. (The studio was actually white.)

The Nokia 6300 is a mobile telephone handset produced

by Nokia. The Nokia 6300 was assembled in several factories, but is currently assembled in Cluj Plant, Romania, and has been on sale since January 2007.

The 6300 was a more style driven replacement for the 6030 product.

Joy Division = Modern Art hooksandharmony.com May 2, 2008 I had a recent conversation with some friends who were trying to convince me that modern art was, indeed, art.

Instead of a realistic depiction of a material object, modern art represented emotions and themes, and it’s what you get from each piece – or what you bring to it while viewing it – that mattered.

The phone supports MicroSD cards up to 2 GB (4 GB with the 6300i variant), meaning _MG_3108.CR2 The studio is an important that the phone can be Nokia used 6300 I think I have the same apHenri Matisse 5/2/08 5:02:48 PM place for any artist, and this practically as an MP3 player. proach to my music.

I like 2 megapixel CCD The Red Studio, 1911 3456songs x 2304 px one Matisse had built Oil for on canvas Using the supplied and(1600 freelyx 1200 px) songs that you can hum, 1/60 sec @ ƒ/2.8 himself, encouraged by new x 86.25 inchesavailable Nokia PC Suite, one that by the very chord struc8x zoom 71.25 ISO 400 patronage in 1909. HeThe shows in can convert all the MP3 files in ture, voicing and instrumenta2 inch TFT screen Museum of Modern Art 100 mm it a carefully arrangedNew exhibia music library to e-AAC in or- January 2007 tion can elicit emotion whether released York tion of his own works. Angled der to fit more on the card. The happiness, sadness orCanon anger.350D lines suggest depth, and the 2.5 mm headphone jack means blue-green light of the window that few commercial headsets Which brings me to Joy Diviintensifies the sense of interior will fit the phone, however sion. space, but the expanse of red there are adapters available flattens the image. Matisse enabling the use of headphones Joy Division is one of those heightens this effect by, for with a standard jack. bands that I keep hearing example, omitting the vertical about – a band that changed line of the corner of the room.

Like most other new Nokia the face of music, one of the phones, the 6300 eschews their most important bands in the The entire composition is old Pop-Port connector for a past 30 years, etc. So why don’t clustered around the enigmatic standard mini-USB connector.

I like them? axis of the grandfather clock, At the launch many questioned a flat rectangle whose face has why to include the USB port The music is very somber; most no hands. Time is suspended for data, but not for charging. people suggest not listening to in this magical space. On the Nokia’s support for USB was a lot of Joy Division if you’re

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) famously wondered whether the loss of immediacy that occurs with art reproduction presages a wholesale degradation of the senses as anchors of value and confidence in private and collective experience.

Knight does not attempt to paraphrase Benjamin but his pictures reawaken the anxiety that got the philosopher going in the first place.

Nicholas Knight: Taking Pictures: Photographs. Jo Red Studio Babcock: Past Life Picturesque: Photoshop Pinhole cameras and installa- CS3 file x 2304 pixels tion; Through Oct. 3456 10. Steven 117.6 St., MB Wolf Fine Arts, 49 Geary 2008 San Francisco. (415) 263-3677, www.stevenwolffinearts.com.

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Mondrian arrived in New York in 1940, one of the many European artists who moved to the United States to escape World War II. He fell in love with the city immediately. He also fell in love with boogie-woogie music, to which he was introduced on his first evening in New York, and he soon began, as he said, to put a little boogiewoogie into his paintings.

Aside from its 7-megapixel Out-Of-Towners Make Mark sensor, the Sony Cyber Shot on Broadway DSC-W70 is physically and

by Lawrence Van Gelder functionally identical to its seNew York Times ries brethren, the 6-megapixel May 2, 2008 DSC-W50 and the 8-megapixel DSC-W100. And just like its Broadway theater contributed siblings, the DSC-W70 deliv$5.1 billion to the economy of ers a pleasant snapshooting New York City in the 2006-7 experience--with the photos season, according to the Broadto match--making it a good way League, a trade association choice for many casual and for the theater industry. The vacation photographers. Howtotal included the spendMondrian’s aesthetic doctrine ever, photo artifacts will disaping by visitors, the costs to of Neo-Plasticism restricted point pickier shooters, and produce and run shows and the the painter’s means to the most the deft finger work needed expenses incurred to maintain _MG_3140.CR2 Pietis,Mondrian basic kinds of line—that to to manipulate its tiny controls and renovate theaters.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 5/2/08 5:31:15 PM Broadway straight horizontals and verti- Boogie Woogie may frustrate others.7.1 megapixel CCD 3456 1943 cals—and to a similarly limited Out-of-towners bought thex 2304 px (3072 x 2304 px) 1/125 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil triad on canvas color range, the primary Although it boasts a38 sleek, bulk of the 12.3 million tickets.

- 114mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.2 ISO 400 x 50 inches of red, yellow, and blue50plus ultracompact design,2.5 theinch 5.5-LCD screen Of all the tickets 65 percent 100 mm The Museum of Modern Art Sony Cyber Shot DSCwhite, black, and the grays ounce released February 2006went to tourists, and 18 percent New York between. But Broadway Boogie W70’s controls are just a bit too to surburbanites. Of Canon the 10.3350D Woogie omits black and breaks small and closely spaced for million tickets sold to out-ofMondrian’s once uniform bars easy operation, the mode dial towners, 4.69 million went of color into multicolored is too easy to turn accidentally, to 3.16 million people who segments. Bouncing against the buttons are too flush with said they came to New York each other, these tiny, blinking the surface, and the four-wayexpressly for Broadway. These blocks of color create a vital plus-center button lacks depth visitors contributed $2.23 biland pulsing rhythm, an optical when clicked. lion to the city’s economy, the vibration that jumps from report said. intersection to intersection It’s easy enough to access like the streets of New York. At the top-level adjustments-the same time, the picture is image quality, flash, exposure carefully calibrated, its colors compensation, macro, and interspersed with gray and self-timer--plus the Cyber Shot white blocks in an extraordiDSC-W70’s handful of scene nary balancing act. modes. As is typical of its class,

Click, Click, Click Ionarts.com

by Mark Barry September 26, 2009

Back in SF a photo exhibit that I truly identified with was Nicholas Knight’s very timely Taking Pictures, at Steven Wolf Fine Arts. Knight takes picttures of people taking pictures of -- what else -- pictures, in galleries and museums. Everywhere I go these days someone is taking a picture, with a camera or cell phone and I’m happily one of them and happen toBoogie Broadway think it’s a wonderful thing.

Woogie

Photoshop CS3 file My pocket always has a camera 3456 x 2304 pixels in it, which is important to 92.1 MB remember when doing laundry 2008 (yes, I have, twice). As an art blogger I take many pictures in galleries and museums. I prefer to try and capture the essence of an art installation, especially with people interacting with the work. There are some common sense manners and rules to follow -- such as no flash in the galleries, fools!

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“Flesh was the reason oil paint was invented,” Willem de Kooning once stated, and true to this proposition, with Woman, I he returned to the figure after painting abstractly for many years. Rendered with broad, expressive brushstrokes and densely layered color, de Kooning’s Woman, I is wildeyed and menacing. In this work, the artist’s medium and subject matter converge in a disturbing vision of aggressive femininity.

In a market where the trend is Customer Reviews towards ever-smaller compact Oil Painting For Dummies cameras Sony has, in the W series of cameras, provided Very good, but not enough an alternative for those who about water soluble oil paints, prefer something a little more

by RB substantial, and something a May 2, 2008 little more traditionally-styled.

By doing so they are obviously Excellent book; I’d give it 4 intending to cover all the bases stars for traditional oil paint- the W7 is internally virtually ing. I’m knocking one star identical to the ultra-compact off because there is very little P200, and shares that camera’s about water soluble oil paintease of use, speed of operation ing, which is an important and ability to produce pleasing topic these days. results in a wide variety of _MG_3157.CR2 Willem de Kooning shooting situations. The 2.5The group is influenced by imI wish they had included more Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7 5/2/08 5:46:27 PM Woman, I ages ranging from Paleolithic inch screen may not7.1 be very about water mixable oil paintmegapixel CCD 3456One x 2304 px 1950-52 fertility fetishes to American high resolution, but (3072 it’s bright ing facts and techniques. x 2304 px) Oil on canvas billboards, and the attributes of and clear, and the extra example would be to1/40 warn sec @ ƒ/2.8 38 -size 114mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.2 400 75.875 this particular figure seem to x 58 inches makes it a joy to use.2.5 inch LCD screen people that you haveISO to settle 100 mmnot The Museum of Modern Art range from the vengeful power on one brand since they are released February 2005 Canon New York of the goddess to the hollow Sony’s 7MP chip has impressed compatible as they are with 350D traseductiveness of the calendar us in every camera we’ve ditional oil paints. Also, what pinup. Reversing traditional tested, offering significantly about explaining about medifemale representations, which lower noise and better dynamic ums to use? It’s not the same as he summarized as “the idol, range than the 5MP chip that with traditional oil paints. So the Venus, the nude,” de preceded it (Sony didn’t make a I have to go through this book Kooning paints a woman with 6MP version), so image quality ignoring the talk about how to gigantic eyes, massive breasts, is, unsurprisingly, pretty good. mix with mediums and thus I and a toothy grin. Her body Purists will - as usual with have to find that information is outlined in thick and thin Cyber-shots - find the results a elsewhere, which interrupts the black lines, which continue in little ‘over-processed’, and there flow of working through this loops and streaks and drips, are some issues with highlight book. taking on an independent life clipping, but overall they are of their own. Abrupt, angular perfect for the target market, A couple of minor suggestions strokes of orange, blue, yellow, and print very well with little also: Include a checklist of the and green pile up in multiple or no post-processing. projects for readers to track

Nicholas Knight: Taking Pictures Art Practical.com

by Matt Stromberg October 4, 2009 Both artists currently on view at Steven Wolf Fine Arts address the way the medium of photography mediates our experience of that which is photographed. For “Taking Pictures” Nicholas Knight has photographed artworks in galleries and museums all over the world, as seen through the viewfinders de and Kooning of the digital cameras Photoshop CS3 file cell phones of visitors, often with 3456 x 2304 pixels the out-of-focus 74.1 MB 2008 original in the background.

Knight’s real subject is not the works of art, but the way technology has come to dominate our perception of art, and indeed the world around us.

Interaction with the screen has replaced direct interaction with works of art. Instead of the varied and grand array of museum-goers pictured in Thomas Struth’s Museum Photos series, Knight’s images reflect a contemporary standardization and leveling of

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In 1934, Henri CartierThe FinePix A700 is FujiFilm’s Drivers head into Mexico Bresson (1908-2004), who 2007 upgrade of their entryfor fill-ups was eighteen years younger level A500 from last year.

by Omar Millán González than Strand, signed up for a Updated features include a 7.3U-T San Diego.com French ethnographic mission megapixel imager, a larger 2.4June 14, 2008 which was supposed to take inch LCD, and the addition of him to Argentina. In the end, sound during movie recording.

TIJUANA – At the Pemex gas the mission was suspended Designed specifically for the station on Boulevard Bellas and the twenty-six-year-old beginner, this point-n-shoot Artes, just a few blocks from photographer spent a year in model offers fully automatic the Otay Mesa border crossing, Mexico, literally fascinated operation with the “Auto” and a gallon of Magna gasoline by the country. He worked pre-programmed scene modes. costs $2.54. Or slightly less, if for several newspapers there, you pay in pesos. moved in intellectual and Ergonomics were similar to its artistic circles together with predecessor. The body is comA comparable gallon of his sister and worried about pact enough to be tucked away unleaded regular gasoline is _MG_3291.CR2 Henri Cartier-Bressonin a small handbag, yet the his future.

Fujifilm FinePix A700 selling in San Diego County at 6/14/08 Santa Clara, Mexico, “thicker” handgrip on the right an average price of $4.61, ac- 1:21:16 PM 7.3 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px 1934-35 In March 1935, he exhibited side affords a nice comfortable cording to the Utility Consum(3072 x 2304 px) 1/40 sec @ ƒ/2.8 his work at the PalacioGelatin de silver print feel in your hands. There are ers’ Action Network.

36 - 108mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.2 ISO 400 6.625 x 9.875 inchesvery few controls on the back, Bellas Artes with Mexican 2.4 inch LCD screen 100 mm Metropolitan Museum of Art photographer Manuel Álvarez and I found most of released them wereFebruary 2007 Gasoline prices are lower in York Bravo. The local pressNew reacted well placed and functional, Mexico because of a Canon govern-350D favourably and the young with the exception of the zoom ment subsidy. Pemex, Mexico’s Frenchman contacted New controls. Although they are government-owned oil moYork art dealer Julien Levy located in the “normal” posinopoly, supplies all gasoline – who had already exhibited tion on the back of the camera, throughout the country to its him in 1933 – to suggest a the Up and Down motion is station franchises. show of his recent work. a bit awkward; I often found myself accidentally enabling Last month, President Felipe He left Mexico with the firm Macro or changing flash Calderón announced a $20 bilintention of becoming a modes. Usually these switches lion subsidy as an emergency filmmaker and thus headed rock left and right, which is measure intended to keep straight for the Nykino group. much more comfortable and inflationary forces in check.

Strand’s prints come from intuitive. Because this is an various international collecentry-level model, there are Whether it is worthwhile for tions; those of Cartier-Bresson very few options in the menu San Diego County residents to belong to the Fondation HCB system, which made for very drive to Tijuana to buy lower-

sublime experience.

A video depicting Knight mechanically projecting a slide show of the series heightens this sensation. Thoughtfully, Knight has captured the hands and backs of the heads of many of the photographers, creating an intimate double portrait, and reflecting the access that technology grants, even if that access comes at the expense of unmediated experience.

“Nicholas Knight: Taking Pictures” and “Jo Babcock: Past Life Picturesque” are on view at Steven Wolf FineCartier-Bresson Arts in San Photoshop Francisco through October 10,CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels 2009.

92.8 MB 2008

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Madame Pierre Gautreau (the Louisiana-born Virginie Amélie Avegno; 1859–1915) was known in Paris for her artful appearance. Sargent hoped to enhance his reputation by painting and exhibiting her portrait. Working without a commission but with his sitter’s complicity, he emphasized her daring personal style, showing the right strap of her gown slipping from her shoulder.

I was very impressed with the P150 when we reviewed it last year, and the P200 - though by any measure a minor upgrade - builds on and adds to its appeal. The bigger screen and the inclusion of a manual white balance option are very welcome, and the price is even more appealing now the camera has been on the market for half a year or so.

Celebrity Gossip Gets Boring fashionaddictgirl.com June 14, 2008

First Thursday Catsynth.com October 5th, 2009

At first when I started blogging, I considered doing a celebrity gossip site that had posts generally about all the dirt that everyone wants to know about. It sounded very appealing to me and I figured that I’d probably get tons of hits a day.

It’s been a while since we have a reviewed a First Thursday Art Walk here at CatSynth. It is partly because I have been away the first Thursday of several months, and on the ones that I have been here I felt largely uninspired. However, fall is usually the best season for these events, and several exhibits at 49 Geary did catch my interest this time.

On the downside the built-in flash is nothing to write home For a while I loved reading At the Salon of 1884, the about, being a little underpowgossip and I visited lipstick. _MG_3297.CR2 Singer Sargent ered. Focus is not 100% reliable portrait received moreJohn ridicule com daily to find interestSony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 6/14/08 2:01:14 PM Madame X (Madame Pierre than praise. Sargent repainted either, but you only really ing stories about celebrities.

7.1 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px 1883-84 get problems with very close the shoulder strap andGautreau), kept I have to admit, it was fun to (2592 x 1944 px) 1/60 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil years. on canvas the work for over thirty subjects. Ultimately, 38 howread about celebrity scandals - 114mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.2 ISO 400 x 43.25 inches When, eventually, he 82.125 sold ever, this is a fantastic and mistakes, just like it was 2 pocket inch LCD screen 100 Metropolitan Museum of Art it to the Metropolitan, he camera that would equally wellJanuary 2005fun to hear that a popularmm kid released Canonor350D New York commented, “I suppose it is suit a beginner or a DSLR user at school got in detention the best thing I have done,” looking for a ‘carry everywhere’ something. but asked that the Museum second camera. A little gem, disguise the sitter’s name. and one I would be happy to But one day, while I was recommend to anyone looking surfing the internet, all of the for a stylish, easy to use camera sudden I got sick and tired of with some manual controls hearing bad news about all and compatability with a wide the celebs. Everyone on the range of add-on accessories. internet’s trashing some of my And it’s a bit of a bargain too. favorite stars and trying to make me believe that they did “bad” or “scandolous” things that really didn’t happen. I take real caution now when I hear that Jessica Simpson or Mariah Carey are real divas

The highlight of theMadame evening X Photoshop CS3 file was actually the combination 3456 x 2304 pixels of visual art, musical perfor92.1 MB mance and film at Steven Wolf 2008bass Fine Arts. As I entered, clarinetist Jeff Anderle was performing a solo piece. We last saw Anderle at the 2008 Switchboard Music Festival. I then noticed the main visual exhibition Taking Pictures

by Nicholas Knight. In these photos, Knight captures gallery viewers in the act of taking photographs of art, particularly with small digital cameras or iPhones. I of course needed to play along and take a photo of his photos of people taking photos of art.

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Writing to his brother, Theo, Fujifilm’s A-series of plasticWhole Wheat Crepes from the asylum in Saintbodied, AA-powered compacts

By Jennifer Iserloh Rémy on July 2, 1889, Van is quite possibly the longestPosted on June 14, 2008 Gogh described his latest running camera range of them 15 comments addition to the series he had all, with the first model in the launched that June: “I have a line, the 1.2-megapixel FinePix If you can make pancakes, you canvas of cypresses with a few A101, appearing as long ago can definitely make crepes! ears of wheat, poppies, a blue as 2001. Over the past seven sky, which is like a multiyears the A-series has had its I know that they might seem colored Scotch plaid [and] ups and downs, with some very fancy, but they are incredibly impasted like Monticellis.” good models and one or two versatile and can be served Van Gogh regarded this sunabsolute stinkers, but on the with both savory and sweet drenched landscape as one of whole it has always represented fillings and store extremely his “best” summer canvases good value for money. Today’s well. I recommend using a flat, and repeated the composition camera is the latest in this long lightweight griddle that fits three times: first in a reed-pen line, the FinePix A920. over top of gas burners. _MG_3311.CR2 Vincent van Gogh drawing (Van Gogh Museum, Fujifilm FinePix A920 6/14/08 Amsterdam) and thenWheat in twoField with Cypresses The A920 is a prime 9.1 example of I like to make two at a time and2:13:23 PM megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px 1889that oil variants he made later this low-cost, high-value ethos. cool them on a wire rack before (3488 x 2616 px) 1/125 sec @ ƒ/2.8 on canvas fall (National Gallery,Oil London; Currently priced at around wrapping them in plastic wrap 39 - 156mm, ƒ2.9 - ƒ7.1 ISO 400 private collection). 28.75 x 36.75 inches$150 it offers 9.0-megapixel and storing in the fridge.

2.7 inch LCD screen 100 mm Metropolitan Museum resolution of Art from a 1/1.6-inch released July 2007 New York Provenance: the artist’s SuperCCD HR sensor, a 4x Blend all ingredientsCanon in a 350D brother, Theo van Gogh, Paris optical zoom Fujinon lens and blender or food processor until (1889–d. 1891; sent to him by a 2.7-inch LCD monitor. Of smooth. Refrigerate 1 hour or the artist on September 28, course it does have its limits; up to 8 hours covered.

1889); his widow, Johanna van the monitor is only 115k pixel Heat a griddle or a crepe pan Gogh-Bonger, Amsterdam, resolution, and the maximum over medium heat. Coat with in trust for their son, Vincent ISO value is only 800, but it’s cooking spray. Transfer about Willem van Gogh (1891–1900; still a lot of camera for not very ¼ cup of the batter onto the sold with seven other works much money. griddle or pan and spread it for Fr 9,400 to Schuffenecker); out with a small spatula or Émile Schuffenecker (1900–at The A920 is a rather bigspoon. Cook 2 to 3 minutes least 1901); Louis-Alexandre boned camera, measuring a until the crepe begins to brown Berthier, prince de Wagram, pocket-stretching 97.5 × 61.9× around the edges, and starts Paris (about 1906–at least 31.8mm, and weighing over to dry out on the top. Flip and 1909); [Galerie Barbazanges, 200g when loaded up with a cook an additional 2 minutes Paris, until 1910; sold in couple of standard AA batteruntil the crepe is no longer wet

From: Sébastien Pluot To: Nicholas Knight Subject: Picture Date: November 22, 2009 Hello Nicolas, I hope your trip to africa went well.

I am still in San Francisco and our exhibition is going on very well.

Could you send me an image of Wheat Field with the photography Cypresses “Taking Pictures pigment print mounted (Levine Evans)” on aluminum in a good resolution.

20 x 30 inches 2008 I would like to propose to show it also in the exhibition.

Hope to have news from you soon. best Sébastien

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The subject is from Ovid’s While I was testing today’s Mended Wings Metamorphoses (completed camera, I kept getting a sense

by Leslie Kamm 8 A.D). Accidently pricked by of déjà vu. It’s happened before, Day 14 - June 14, 2008 one of Cupid’s arrows, Venus but the last time it was because fell in love with the handsome I was mistakenly testing a camIt has been 2 weeks today since hunter Adonis. Rubens shows era that I had already reviewed Kevin was attacked. To be their leave-taking—a Renaisseveral months previously. In honest, I can’t believe it’s only sance embellishment famously this case that is almost also true, been 2 weeks. I feel like I have depicted by Titian (see his but not quite. Back in March been living in hell for years canvas in the Gallery 607).

I reviewed the Nikon CoolPix already. I was in Kev’s room With manly indifference to L10 an ultra-low budget, ultrajust today thinking how odd it the goddess’s charms and her simple 5-megapixel snapshot is that this really is happening warnings of danger, Adonis camera. Today, seven months to us. It’s just surreal that I am hunted a wild boar and was later, I’m reviewing the Nikon in TX living on a military base, gored to death. Except for its Coolpix L11, an ultra-low when a couple of weeks ago I conclusion, the story was well budget, ultra-simple 6-megahad a good life in PA. It’s just _MG_3331.CR2 Peter Paul Rubens pixel snapshot camera. The two suited to decorate grand coununbelievable that things can Nikon Coolpix L11 6/14/08 try houses, where the Venus chase and Adonis models are so similar6that at change just like that with the 3:16:12 PM megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px late 1630s occupied noblemen indoors first glance they look(2816 completely snap of your fingers. x 2112 px) 1/250 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil on canvas and out. identical.

38 - 113mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.2 ISObeen 400a 77.75 x 95.625 inches So today has not really 2.4 inch LCD screen 100 Metropolitan Museum of Art The broad execution and vivid From the front at least there February 2007 good day. I am a little con-mm released Canon New color indicate a date in theYork are indeed no differences. The cerned because Kev is not 350D mid- or late 1630s. RadioL11 uses the same plastic body absorbing any of the fluids in graphs reveal the Rubens gave as the L10, but like the other his stomach anymore. I was asAdonis a somber expression, camera it is strong and solidly sured that this does not mean which was repainted at a later made, and finished in an athe is in system failure, but I date. tractive metallic silver. It has couldn’t bring myself to ask the same f/2.8 - 5.2, 3x zoom if this is the beginning of that This picture was influenced by lens, and even the flash, microprocess. I just kept cleaning but not modeled after Titian’s phone and self-timer LED are him off because he is coughing “Venus and Adonis” (Prado, in the same location. It runs on and swallowing a lot now.

Madrid), which Rubens coptwo AA batteries, so the body ied in Madrid in 1628–29. On is slightly thicker on the rightHis temp is also really high the whole, however, Rubens’s hand side to accommodate over 103. I stayed in his room design, in composition and them, however the L11 is still almost 2 hours straight today mood, is more like the ena very slim camera, measuring just putting cold compresses graving after a design by the 89.5 x 60.5 x 27 mm, a millimeon his forehead. I was soaking

Double Bind Catalog Entry

by Dean Inkster Taking Pictures (Levine (Evans)) • 2009 • Tirage lambda sur dibond • 51 × 76 cm • Édition de 6 exemplaires • Courtesy de l’artiste • Dans sa série photographique intitulée Taking Pictures, Nicholas Knight capture à la dérobée l’image de visiteurs de musées en train de photographier des oeuvres d’art. Par ce geste, Knight témoigne de la manière dont l’appareil numérique et le téléphone portable ont Rubens transformé le regard habituel pigment print mounted du spectateur. L’apparition on aluminum de l’écran numérique, qui a 20 x désuet 30 inches remplacé le désormais 2008 viseur, fonctionne comme une prothèse optique qui à la fois promet et souligne le désir d’un dépassement de l’éphémère de la perception visuelle d’une oeuvre d’art. La série de Knight fait écho à la thèse de Walter Benjamin, selon laquelle les oeuvres d’art à l’âge de la reproductibilité technique ne sont plus éprouvées dans un ici et maintenant, dans un hic et nunc, et par conséquent, se trouvent vidées de leur aura.

Ceci signifierait que, dans les musées où elle est exposée, une oeuvre d’art n’est jamais

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entièrement présente, sa présence étant à la fois compensée et différée par la reproduction visuelle et les commentaires grâce auxquels son impossible ancrage EUGENE, Ore. — Queen Qudans le monde est surmonté.

It’s hard to criticize a camera edith Earth Harrison did not Avec Taking Pictures (Levine that retails for less than $130. expect to jump an 11th bar(Evans)), Knight accentue iroYou simply can’t expect greatrier in the women’s 400-meter niquement la mise en abîme, ness at that price point, and hurdles at the Olympic track dont témoigne l’ensemble while a low-priced model will and field trials, especially one de la série, que crée l’écran likely excel at something, it’s that was human. numérique dans sa juxtaposiWhen the resulting retouched inevitably because other things tion avec l’original. L’oeuvre de picture of Occident in arrested were sacrificed. Such is the case Running outside in Lane 8, Sherrie Levine, accrochée sur motion was published in July with Sony’s 7-megapixel CyberHarrison had to sidestep a la cimaise et simultanément 1877, it was so different from J. Muybridge shot DSC-S750, which ponies fallen competitor between Eadweard _MG_3359.CR2 reproduite sur the traditional artist’sWoman impres-Jumping, Running up a stylish, ultracompact the 9th and 10th hurdles on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S750 6/30/08 2:25:54 PM l’écran lumineux Muybridge sion that it created a minor body and easy operation at the Sunday.

She avoided contact, 7.2 megapixel CCD Straight High Jump 3456 xand 2304 px pigment print mounted de l’appareil numérique, sensation . The next year Muyexpense of good picture quality maintained her composure (3072 x 2304 px) 1884-86 1/100 sec @ ƒ/2.8 est une reproduction on aluminum bridge embarked on an even and speedy performance. her speed, made a late charge 35 - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ9.7 Collotype ISO 400 20 x 30 inches photographique, more ambitious series7.25 of exand finished second in 54.60 2.5 inch LCD screen x 16.875 inches 100 mm elle-même tirée 2008 periments. In order toThe secure Measuring 3.6 inchesreleased wide by January 2008seconds.

Museum of Modern Art Canon 350D d’une reproduction a sequence of photographs 2.2 inches high by 1.1 inches New York d’une oeuvre photographique of horses in various stages of deep and weighing 5 ounces, Having just completed her de Walker Evans. • trotting, he set up a battery of the S750 fits easily in a pocket sophomore year at Virginia 12 cameras fitted with electroor small bag. Dressed in silver, Tech, the 19-year-old Harrison magnetic shutters. These were the body is a combination of became one of the youngest activated by strings stretched metal and plastic: it’s strong members of the United States across the track. Muybridge enough to resist damage from team for the Beijing Games. later repeated his experiments banging around in a bag, makAnd perhaps one of the most using 24 cameras. ing it a nice choice for keeping improbable. Just two weeks handy for surprise photo ago, Harrison was forced to The subsequent photographs opportunities. The only flaw withdraw from the N.C.A.A. were widely reproduced in is that the door on the bottom championships with a hampublications throughout concealing the rechargeable string injury.

America and Europe. The battery and Memory Stick Pro publicity led Muybridge to Duo slot slides open a little Her achievement also required design a projecting device too easily--even during use. a note of exotic explanation.

In 1877 Muybridge returned to the problem of the trotting horse and began the work which was to make him famous. He designed an improved shutter to work at the astonishing speed of onethousandth of a second and used all his experience to sensitize his plates for the shortest possible exposure.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSCS750 is a convenient, budgetfriendly pocket camera that takes pictures--just not very good ones.

A Hurdler Lives Up to Her Name New York Times

by Jere Longman June 30, 2008

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2011: In the mid-1950s Johns Announced in August 2006 Wal-Mart to refresh logo as it incorporated symbols such as the C875 is the new flagship redefines its public image numbers, flags, maps, and tarmodel in the entry-level Kodak From the Associated Press gets into his paintings. Here, EasyShare ‘C’ range, and the June 30, 2008 he transforms the familiar immost interesting yet. Where age of a target into a tangible most previous C series cameras Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Sunobject by building up the have offered basic, beginnnerday that this fall the company surface with wax encaustic. As friendly ‘point and shoot’ will begin replacing logos a result, the concentric circles operation at very low prices, on the front of its U.S. stores have become less precise and the C875 transplants the funcwith a new design. Wal-Mart more tactile. Above the target tionality of Kodak’s higher-end spokesman Kevin Gardner Johns has added four cropped Z and P series cameras into an said the decision would reflect and eyeless faces, plaster inexpensive, compact body. changes customers already casts taken from a single This - plus the 5x optical zoom have seen in some store signs model over a period of several and 8MP resolution - puts the and advertisements. months. Their sculptural presC875 in direct competition Jasper Johns _MG_3396.CR2 ence reinforces the objectness and some EasyShare C875“This logo update is simply Target with Four Faces,with 1955Canon’s A seriesKodak 6/30/08 3:21:25 PM of the painting, particularly as of the higher-end models in a reflection of the refreshed 8 megapixel CCD Encaustic on newspaper, 3456 the faces may be shut cloth away on in canvas, plaster, the Olympus FE range, yet the image of our stores and ourx 2304 px (3264 x 2448 px) 1/30 of sec @ ƒ/2.8 their niches behind a wood hinged price (well under $200 if you renewed sense of purpose 37 - 185mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.4 ISO 400 wooden door. shop around) is incredibly low helping people save money so 2.5 inch LCD screen 33.625 x 26 inches 100 mm for the features and specificathey can live better, ” Gardner released August 2006 The Museum of Modern Art Canon 350D 2009: For Johns the comtion on offer. So we decided to said in a written statement.

New York mon shooting target is one of find out if this budget-priced the many “things the mind Kodak really is punching above Gardner said he had no other already knows.” Using familiar its weight or if it’s a lightweight information about the change. objects “gives me room to through and through.

However, the Wall Street work on other levels,” he has Journal reported Saturday that explained. Though the target I have to say that when I first the new look would include is closely linked with the acts started this review I had fairly eliminating the hyphen in the of looking and aiming, the low expectations; not because company’s name, now shown concentric circles of Johns’s I have any preconceptions as a star at its more than 3,600 version are obscured and the about Kodak’s ability to make a U.S. stores. surface made tactile with decent camera (they’ve proved encaustic—pigment mixed that they can many times), but The new logo would show the with beeswax—on collage. because the C875 appears to name in white letters on an orMounted above the target, offer too good a deal; 8MP, 5x ange background, followed by four plaster casts taken from a zoom, full photographic cona small starburst, the Journal

May 9, 2010 To: Sherin Najjar From: Nicholas Knight Re: Introduction […]

The current focus in my studio, across several diverse bodies of work, is to really try to embody the complex dynamics between experience, language, and meaning. Such a broad project demands different approaches at different moments. Taking Pictures is a group of photographs of visitors to museums photographing the artworks Target with on their digital cameras.

The Four Faces print mounted re-appearance ofpigment the (mostly) famous paintingsononaluminum the backs x 30 inches of their cameras,20 as fleet2008 ing digital ghosts, is a potent symbol of the power of the viewer to generate meanings: the tiny details of their personal appearance join together with the “official” histories of the artworks to create new narratives, that are neither inherently cynical nor fully consistent with the logic of art’s own mythologies. […]

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Monument 1 for V. Tatlin (1964) is the first of 39 “monuments” Flavin made in honor of Russian artist Vladimir Tatlin. The stepped arrangement of white fluorescent tubes evokes Tatlin’s Colossal Monument to the Third International (1920), shown below. Tatlin’s ambitious but unrealized project to unite art and technology was of particular interest to Flavin, who also worked with art and the technology of his time.

Building on the success of the My First CFL Bulb popular SD700 IS and SD800 inquirer.wordpress.com IS from last year, the Canon

by Lance PowerShot SD850 IS now holds June 30, 2008 the “top of the line” spot in the “stabilized” Digital ELPH I had to buy a set of comseries. While it shares very pact fluorescent bulbs for similar features to the SD700 the refridgerator at the office IS, like a 4x optical zoom lens, where I work, so I did it during optical IS (Image Stabilization), lunch time last week. I did not TTL AiAF 9-point autofocus know that I was going to be system, VGA (640x480, 30fps) sort of forced to buy CFL bulbs sized movie mode with sound, already–Walmart had no 40 as well as an almost identical watt bulbs that were of the old body (they actually share the incandescent type. I paid (not same dimensions), the SD850 with my money thankfully) Dan Flavin _MG_3412.CR2 Flavin did not consider is upgraded with more resoluCanon PowerShot SD850$6.99 IS for four bulbs that looked “monument” 1 for V. Tatlin 6/30/08 his works to be sculptures, tion at 8-megapixels, has a like something out of a sci-fi 3:28:13 PM 8 megapixel CCD 1964 3456 because they consist not only broader ISO range (80 1600), film.

After putting the bulbsx 2304 px (3264 x 2448 px) Fluorescent lights and 1/125 sec @ ƒ/2.8 of the physical object metal (the fixtures adds another scene mode, and into the refrigerator, I noticed 35 - 140mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.5 ISOabout 400 fluorescent tube) but also of several of other handy features. that the brightness was 2.5 inch LCD screen 96 x 23.125 x 4.5 inches mm the space illuminatedThe by the Like ELPH May 2007 a third of that of the 100 incandesMuseum of Modern Artall of the Digitalreleased Canon 350D light. When the light emitted models, the SD850 offers an excent bulbs that burned out.

New York touches people or objects or a posure mode to suit the needs reflecting plane, such as a wall, of almost anyone.

To make a long story short, I floor, or ceiling, it illumiam dissatisfied that the governnates and colors these as well.

As stated before the SD850 and ment has forced these CFLs on Flavin’s work unites color with SD700 share and almost identime. I will refuse to partake of light and space, bringing color cal body, measuring just 3.52 x them any longer and will be into three dimensions and 2.28 x 0.99 inches. This is what trying to find a black market transforming the surrounding I would consider and ultrafor incandescent bulbs for the space. compact, as it can fit in almost rest of my life. This is not even any size pocket or purse. Howgoing to be as a statement to The colors and lengths of the ever, despite being so small, the government that I disagree fluorescent tubes Flavin used it fit well in my large hands, with them, but because my for this piece were determined thanks to the enlarged/curved market choice is for incandesby what was commercially right hand side. Controls are cents, not for mercury-conavailable at the time. Fluowell placed and natural, and as taining dim lightbulbs.

From: Nicholas Knight To: Bill Gross Subject: January Show at 65GRAND Date: October 18, 2010 I’ve been thinking about it pretty closely, and I’ve decided that sticking with the Taking Pictures work for our show is the best thing to do, with some of the “peripheral” works.

A big part of my thought process for this has been the idea that the culture has noticeably shifted since I began making Flavin these photos in 2007.

At that time, the image ofpigment “hands print mounted holding a screen” on wasaluminum a new 20 x 30 and unexpected image.

In inches the 2008 short time since, this image has become very common, even sometimes with artwork as the subject on the digital screen.

With that in mind, I want to assert that these works were made before this image became so widespread.

Anyway, I’ll look forward to getting the floorplan of the new space, and then setting the gears in motion...

All best, Nick

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Bern(har)d Becher (b Siegen, The Canon PowerShot SD750 Way Out Water Towers!

20 Aug 1931) served an apis one of the most popular gretaigl.blogspot.com prenticeship as a decorative cameras on CNET, so how do

by Greta Igl painter in Siegen, then studied you top it? Well, with a couple June 30, 2008 painting and lithography at of the standard enhancements, the Staatliche Kunstakademie for one. For the PowerShot My daughter is obsessed with in Stuttgart (1953–6) and SD790 IS, Canon adds image water towers. There’s a big one typography at the Staatliche stabilization and ups the resoat the top of the hill on our Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf lution to 10 megapixels from regular walking route. Ever (1957–61). There in 1959 he 7, though it keeps the same since The Miss discovered it, met Hilla Wobeser (b Potsf/2.8-4.9 35-105mm-equivalent she’s been fascinated by every dam, 2 Sept 1934), who had lens. Oh, and it gets a complete water tower we encounter. trained as a photographer in redesign.

Plain ones. Fancy ones. Doesn’t Potsdam and, after a period matter. On our recent camping as an aerial photographer in Of late, Canon seems to be trip, she pointed out every Hamburg, had moved to Düsexperimenting a lot with the water tower between home and _MG_3430.CR2 and Hilla Becherdesign of its point-and-shoot seldorf in 1957. They Bernd married Two Canon PowerShot SD790 IS Rivers, Wisconsin. And 6/30/08 Water Towers in 1961. cameras. That seems10 tomegapixel have there are a lot more than you’d3:50:56 PM CCD 3456 x 2304 px 1963-93 worked out a little better in imagine.

We’ve become so ac(3648 x 2736 px) 1/100 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Thirty Together they developed a gelatin silver prints the case of the SD790 IS than customed to looking for water 35 - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.9 ISO 400 16.75 documentary approach to x 14.625 inches with its higher-end 3 sibling, the towers that I find myself calling inch LCD screen 100 mm The Museum of Modern Art IS. Though I can’t say photographing their industrial SD890 released March 2008 out, “Water tower!” when she Canon 350D New York surroundings that introduced I’m gaga over the new angular isn’t even in the car. (I recently new kinds of social, cultural look and incised buttons, at took a photo of the water tower and aesthetic questions about least the camera remains stylin Arena because Julia wasn’t the increasing destruction ish and functional. Not quite there to see it with me.) So it of many late 19th-century small enough to feel like an seemed natural to suggest we buildings. They systematically ultracompact, at 6.3 ounces go to the library and check out photographed half-timbered and 2.2-by-3.6-by-0.8 inches, some books on water towhouses, cooling towers, water the SD790 will still fit in a jeans ers. She jumped around the towers, blast furnaces and pocket, and it feels surprisingly kitchen, yelling “Wat-oo towderricks of the same or similar well made and sturdy. oos! Wat-oo tow-oos!” arms design, forcing the viewer to flapping like a baby condor. compare and judge the buildThe camera has a typical She was excited; I was excited ings from unfamiliar aesthetic control layout. On/off and for coming up with an idea standpoints. This photographzoom switches sit on top, while that made her so unabashedly ic documentation was not the display, menu, PictBridge, ecstatic. I could hardly drive based, however, on a system review buttons, along with a there fast enough.

Thoughts on “Declaimed”, November 2010 “Declaimed” is a photography show. But the picture it presents of photography has less to do with the photographic object as an endpoint than with imagining the action of “passing through” photography. The photographic device, now more than ever, acts as a kind of membrane that filters the world: the device focuses our vision, and the membrane is imprinted.

Becher and Becher The traditional pairing of the pigment camera and the print gives print way mounted on aluminum to the device and the screen.

20 x 30 inches Because both elements of this 2008 new pairing perform so many functions—some having nothing to do with photography, and some not traditionally recognizable as photography—the visual events that pass through their filters are dislodged from their usual perceptual relationship to the viewer. The screen may become the position of the subject, looking out; the device that bears an electronic image is already a photograph.

With so many fluctuating and iterating positions for the photograph to occupy, it is necessary that its membrane

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In his sixties, Degas did not abandon dancers and jockeys, but as his eyesight deteriorated he seemed to take solace in his pictures of bathers. With little clothing or accessories required, he could focus on the female figure, a preoccupation since his youth.

With cameras, you usually get what you pay for. If you’re willing to drop more cash, you’ll generally get more features, faster shooting, and better pictures. So naturally, when we saw the Samsung S1050--the beefed-up, higher-resolution version of the S850--we thought it would prove to be a superior camera. We were wrong.

Customer Reviews for Hotel Collection Bath Towels macys.com by buyologist BEST TOWELS EVER! August 2, 2008 I have had these towels for many years and they are the best towels I’ve ever had. They are super soft and luxurioius.

Here are my recommendations:

As with all of Degas’s pastels of this period, his approach to the medium is excitingly varied: he used his fingers, The S1050 shares almost the brushes, and sticks to smudge, same design as its little brother. * Be sure to wash them before scrape, and polish the pastel, Its lens juts significantly out you use them for the first time. _MG_3503.CR2 revealing layers of color that from its solid, chunky body, If you don’t they won’t be abSamsung S1050 Edgar Degas 8/2/08 4:03:12 PM rarely become muddyWoman thanks with a Towel, though not nearly as much sorbent the initial time you dry 10.1 megapixel CCD 1898 3456 x 2304 px to his careful planning. as the absurdly endowed off with them.

(3648 x 2736 px) Pastel on paper 1/50 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Although some writers have x 30 inches Samsung NV5 or NV7 Its ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.4 38 OPS. - 190mm, 37.75 ISO bleach 1600 interpreted the date he insmall buttons sit nearly flush * Never wash them with 3 inch LCD screen Metropolitan Museum of Art 100 mm scribed on the paper as 1894, against its back, but released the buttons January 2007or they will fade or the color New York Canon it is more likely 1898. aren’t spaced apart enough to will be removed where the 350D be easily manipulated by large bleach touched the towel. fingers. A dial on top of the camera offers access to all of its * For an extra treat, have somevarious shooting modes. The one in your household put dial feels a bit loose, though, your towel in the dryer for a and I often accidentally few of minutes while you are in bumped the camera out of the the shower, and then bring it to mode I was using while framyou when your ready to dry off. ing vertical shots.

It’s heaven to experience one of these towels when it’s warm!

Just like the S850, the S1050 offers several features for more *Roll up these towels in a experienced photographers, couple of different colors that with Program/Aperture/Shutmatch your bathroom and ter/Manual exposure controls place them in a basket. Now

be as permeable as possible.

What used to be described— and decried—as merely surface now demonstrates a remarkable elasticity with each successive instantiation.

Once the “position” of the photograph dissolves like this, its ability to directly register claims about the world becomes very tenuous. One key to our own ability to understand such claims, whether they come to us as images or language, is that we have a keen sense of how to read the Degas position of the claim within the context in which wePhotoshop encounter CS3 file 3456iteratx 2304 pixels it. But these relentlessly 73 MB ing positions of photographic phenomena render2008 their claims very slippery, to say the least.

Ironically, even when the photographic image bears actual language within its frame, its message and function is no more tethered to legibility. The photograph is effectively “declaimed.”

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Lehmann, after Chassériau, Ingres’s most accomplished student, executed several portraits, both painted and drawn, of his first cousin Faustine Léo. This portrait clearly emulates Ingres’s example, notably in its smooth, polished surface and the crisply delineated contours of the figure. Yet, its intensely saturated palette and intimate mood set Lehmann’s work apart from that of his master. The portrait bears its original frame.

The M1063 keeps things simple on the features front, with just the basics built-in. There’s no image stabilisation, for a start.

The 3x optical zoom lens has a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 32–96mm, which is slightly above average at the wide end.

It packs a 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor and an orientation sensor, that automatically flips pictures taken with the camera held sideways.

Manic Pixie Dream Girls jfpookworm.com August 2, 2008 There are a few articles out there on the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” - the sort of character from Garden State, Almost Famous or Sweet November that’s just a quirky cipher for the male protagonist to get infatuated with.

To me, the MPDG is just an Video is recorded at VGA especially egregious example 640x480-pixel resolution at of what I’ve taken to calling 15 frames per second, which the “Designated Hot_MG_3503.CR2 Girl” - a Kodak EasyShare M1063 Henri Lehmann 8/2/08 4:10:34 PM is fine for YouTube and other femow are attracted to her, and 10.3 megapixel CCD Faustine Léo, 1842 3456 xup 2304 px online sharing sites.

Sound is her attractiveness is played (3664 x 2748 px) Oil on canvas 1/50 sec @ ƒ/2.8 on-camfor the presumed-to-be-male - 96mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.1 39.375 x 32 inches monaural, and some 32 ISO era editing options are availaudience.

(Star Trek, the 400 origi2.7 inch LCD screen Metropolitan Museum of Art 100 mm able.

We’ve said this before, but nal series notwithstanding, is a released April 2008 New York Canon 350D we don’t know why manufacnotable offender in this regard turers bother with internal - Deanna Troi, Seven of Nine, memory so paltry: the M1063 and T’Pol are all Designated will save 16 seconds of video -Hot Girls.) Often, it’s rather or a whopping four pictures. inexplicable why one character gets the treatment and another Menus are easy and clear to doesn’t, since every female use. They’re based on horicharacter between 15 and 50 is zontal tabs so it’s simple to going to be some form of “Holmove around the menus, lywood pretty.” and you always know where you are. They’re transparent, (It occurs to me there’s a slight which means you can see your difference - the MPDG attracts image through the menu, but the attention of the hero, Kodak has missed a trick by because he’s a sensitive soul not previewing settings as you uniquely positioned to under-

Excerpt from a Statement on “Declaimed”, December 2010

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[…]

The earliest work is Taking Pictures. It was created from 2007—2009. At first, I considered the gesture of photographing artworks in museums to be an act that divorced the viewer from the art. But as I continued creating these images, I came to realize that the camera could also generate a unique form of intimacy: it has the effect of filtering out the entire world, focusing one’s Faustine vision on just this one thing, Léo Photoshop and declaring that this momentCS3 file x 2304 pixels with the artwork is 3456 mine alone.

93.1 MB The structure of the2008 Taking Pictures images was unexpected at first. To imagine that the flickering image on a camera or cell phone screen was a site to be photographed was a radical claim about what could count as a photo. But the intense proliferation of these devices—and especially the ubiquitous marketing of them—turned the image of a pair of hands holding a small screen into something that was suddenly all around us.

Taking Pictures were always

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This painting dates from about 1665–67, a period in which Vermeer painted two similar works: Girl with a Red Hat (National Gallery of Art, Washington) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (Mauritshuis, The Hague). The latter is on canvas and is nearly identical in size to the MMA picture.

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Canon’s newly-introduced Bennison Fabrics Powershot A650 IS becomes studiofreas.blogspot.com their self-described “new topAugust 2, 2008 of-the line” A-series camera offering, and anyone who Another fine fabric maker Benfollows Canon knows they nison tops my favorites. They view the A-series as providing are well know for their custom a lot of performance at a value dyed and hand silk screen price. For someone who wants/ printed linen and silk fabrics. needs to shoot at 12+ MP with a camera by Canon, there are I’m quite fond of this Bennison Until 2001, the MMA canvas only five choices in the current Pandaranda on beige linen. At was called Portrait of a Young lineup: 1Ds-Mk. III, 5D, G9, around $240/yard that would Woman. However, it is certain SD950 IS or the A650 IS. Opt be somewhere between $3500 that Vermeer’s bust-length for any of the Canons other and $4000 for two curtain pictures of young women were than the A650 IS and you can panels. _MG_3533.CR2 Johannes not intended as portraits, even Vermeer expect to pay anywhere from Canon Powershot A650 IS 8/2/08 Study of a Young Woman if a live model was employed. $90 to $7,635 more for the A rectangular boudoir pillow4:32:17 PM 12.1 megapixel CCD 3456and x 2304 px 1665-67 In contemporary inventories, privilege. The value part of the would be a mini-splurge (4000 x 3000 px) 1/80 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Oil on canvas including that of Vermeer’s equation is looking pretty good look great with my dark choco35 - 210mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.8 ISO 400 17.5 estate, paintings of this typex 15.75 inches so far.

2.5 inch LCD screen late painted bedroom (Ralph 100 mm Metropolitan Museum of Art were called tronies, a now released August 2007 Lauren Tortoise) and white Canon 350D New defunct term that could beYork The A650 IS features Digic III with flax stitching Restoration translated as heads, faces, or processing, Face Detection foHardware hotel bedding. expressions. cus/exposure technology, a 6X optical zoom with optical imI’ll have to settle for inexpenDepicting intriguing character age stabilization that provides sive yet pretty Oyster Tuscany types and exotic or imagia 35 to 210mm focal length linen for my curtains and ronary costumes, tronies were range (35mm film equivalent), man shades. made as collectors’ items; the a 2.5 inch variable angle LCD materials depicted—such as monitor to go along with that the blue silk draped around 12MP sensor, ISO to 1600 the model’s shoulders in this with a 3200 setting on tap as painting—were not secondary a “special scene” mode (albeit but essential motifs intended at reduced resolution), and a for the connoisseur’s eye, full set of manual controls to showing the artist’s powers of complement the typical pointinvention and execution. and-shoot automatic modes.

candid; the people were never aware that they were being photographed; the layering and duplications that occur inside the images were authentic. […]

Vermeer Photoshop CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels 86.6 MB 2008

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This picture bears an autograph signature and date of 1660. In the summer of that year, the artist turned fifty-four years old. The painting is in good condition, especially in the face, which reveals remarkable quality and candor. Originally, the bust and hat must have imparted a stronger sense of volume, consistent with that still found in the head.

There’s no arguing with it -Canon makes some of the most consistently appealing compact cameras around, mostly because they don’t skimp on image quality. With the new PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH, that steady attention to imaging detail continues with several new small but substantial improvements. The SD600 is the latest camera from Canon to tackle one of the hottest issues in digital cameras right now: low-light shooting.

Anti-Aging Treatment for a Younger You ezinearticles.com

by Chaves Angles August 2, 2008

There are many things in life that you wish you would rather not experience and one of them is aging. Many people do a lot of things to make themselves look younger such as having cosmetic surgery, using Of the approximately forty anti-aging creams and lotions, painted self-portraits by and so on. However, based Rembrandt known today, the on medical research, there is _MG_3538.CR2 three-quarter-length standing To allow flash-free photograonly one thing that can make Canon Powershot SD600 Rembrandt 8/2/08 self-portrait in Vienna,Self-Portrait, dating phy in low light, the Canon you look younger-and that is 4:41:22 PM 6 megapixel CCD 1660 3456Unx 2304 px from eight years earlier, could SD600 offers selectable ISO human growth hormone.

(2816 x 2112 px) Oil on canvas 1/100 sec @ ƒ/2.8 be considered the first31.625 in whichx 26.5 inchessettings up to 800, an35extraorfortunately, your body’s HGH - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.9 ISO 400 he presents himself inMetropolitan work dinarily high sensitivity rating, levels become lower when you 2.5 inch LCD screen Museum of Art 100 your mm clothes and, at the same time, previously available released only on February 2006 begin to age. To improve New York Canon 350D with a forthright and confident higher-end and professional body’s HGH production, you expression that evokes no other cameras. If you’re less inclined should take in Genf20 Plus. role than that of an artist in to be fiddling around with ISO his studio. Variations on this while taking pictures, there’s Genf20 Plus is a supplement theme followed during the also a new High ISO Auto that you can include to your 1650s, with the most analogous setting (along with regular ISO daily diet to trigger your body’s to this work being the so-called Auto) which automatically sets production of HGH. When Small Self-portrait of the midexposure using the higher (400 your body start’s to produce to late 1650s in the Kunsthisand 800) ISO levels. For quick adequate amount of HGH, you torisches Museum, Vienna, access to these settings there’s will soon experience its effects. which is probably cut down; a dedicated ISO button on the Aside from taking in Genf20 the self-portrait of 165[9?] in multi-controller on the back of Plus, you should also know the National Gallery of Scotthe camera. While improving how to take care of yourself. land, Edinburgh; the self-porlow-light performance has the trait dated 1659 in the National potential to be revolutionary For example, you should stop Gallery of Art, Washington; for consumers, in other areas, smoking or drinking alcohol

PRESS RELEASE NICHOLAS KNIGHT Declaimed January 14 - February 12, 2011 Opening reception: Friday, January 14 (7-10PM) 65GRAND is pleased to present Nicholas Knight in his second exhibition with the gallery. The show is comprised of three bodies of photographic work that present the picture as a screen, surface, or chimera, and examine framing and being framed.

Rembrandt Photoshop CS3 file Knight’s focus ranges from 3456 x 2304 pixels the digitizing and re-scaling MB of a museumgoer’s 120.6 experience 2008 with a work of art (Taking Pictures), to the beguiling language and unstable imagery appropriated from commercial advertising (Disclaimers), to self-referential works made by staging, photographing, and then painting over the elegant lines of a piece of wire (White Outs).

The show is tied together by his piercing scrutiny of originality and reproduction, which leads Knight to the very core of photography’s function, and helps him to underscore, and, in

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At the center of the Chinati A feature-packed little camera, Aluminum Dog box For sale Foundation’s permanent collecthe Canon SD750 offers seven or trade - October 11, 2008 tion are 100 untitled works in megapixels and a whopping 3 4:56 PM mill aluminum by Donald Judd inch LCD display which serves forum.highlifter.com installed in two former artilas the only option for image

by HaussCatGrizz lery sheds. The size and scale framing -- it forgoes any form of the buildings determined of optical viewfinder. The Ok guys i have here a alumithe nature of the installation, Canon SD750’s 3x zoom lens num dox box in great shape and Judd adapted the buildings covers a fairly average range new it was 1200 bucks askin specifically for this purpose. He from 35-105mm equivalent, 600 for it or trade for a set of replaced derelict garage doors a moderate wide-angle to a nice aluminum wheels and with long walls of continuous moderate telephoto.

26” tires that fit a straight axle squared and quartered winhonda. Located in owensboro, dows which flood the spaces Exposure is fully automatic, ky, can meet half way if drivwith light. Judd also added a but the user can bias it up or ing distance isnt extremely far. vaulted roof in galvanized iron down with 2.0 EV of exposure _MG_4027.CR2 Donald on top of the original flat roof,Judd compensation in 1/3Canon EV steps Powershot SD750 10/11/08 1:36:47 PM 100 untitled works in mill thus doubling the buildings’ to handle difficult lighting, and oilfieldtrash 7.1 megapixel CCD 3456 x 2304 px aluminum, height. The semi-circular ends 1982-86 there’s a reasonably generLocation: Quitman.

MS (3072 x 2304 px) 1/100 aluminum of the roof vaults weremill to be ous collection of ten35 scene man if had a set of rims andsec @ ƒ/2.8 - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.9 ISOwhere..

400 41 x 51 x 72 inches each made of glass. modes to make easy3work of tires id meet you some inch LCD screen 100 mm The Chinati Foundationtricky subjects like beach and free bump for a good looking released February 2007 Canon 350D Each of the 100 worksMarfa, has theTexas snow scenes, fireworks, even box same outer dimensions (41 x aquarium lighting. The Canon 51 x 72 inches), although the SD750 also sports a high-sensiKAJUN KANNON interior is unique in every tivity ISO 1,600 mode (new to Location: S. MISSISSIPPI piece. The Lippincott Company the PowerShot line this year), nice box 2 bad ya aint near of Connecticut fabricated the for better performance in dim south ms like to git it from ya works, which were installed lighting. over a four-year period from foreman fin 1982 through 1986. Funding Canon also manufactures an Location: Lobelville,Tenessee for the project was provided by excellent line of photo printRE: Aluminum Dog box For the Dia Art Foundation. ers that offer a high level of sale or trade - Monday, Octointegration with their cameras. ber 27, 2008 9:17 AM The Canon SD750 is PictBridge Whats the lowest you would capable, so is able to print take for the box? You run coon to any printer that supports dogs?

PictBridge directly, without

equal measure, undermine it.

By exposing both the concrete and speculative foundations of his work, Knight offers viewers a feast of materiality and meaning, inviting them to indulge in the technological mediations and aesthetic pleasures of this photographic smorgasbord - main course, desert course, discourse.

Judd Photoshop CS3 file 3456 x 2304 pixels 45.9 MB 2008

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In the fall of 1899 and the early months of 1900 and of 1901, Monet executed a series of views of the Thames River in London. From his room at the Savoy Hotel, he painted Waterloo Bridge to the east, and Charing Cross Bridge to the west; beginning in February 1900, he set up his easel on a terrace at Saint Thomas’s Hospital across the river, reserving time in the late afternoon to depict the Houses of Parliament.

Seven years since the EOS Starbucks Tea Party D30, the sixth incarnation of cavicibum.blogspot.com that camera displays all of the February 7, 2009 advantages of a progressive evolution in both features and A while ago, I mentioned that quality. With each step up the I was enjoying the new tea evolutionary ladder to the EOS drinks at Starbucks. What I 40D Canon has demonstrated didn’t mention, though, was improvements in image quality, that I was so enjoying the Lonperformance, usability and feadon Fog latte that I couldn’t tures. They also demonstrated convince myself to order any that as well as meeting the of the others, so I had no idea ‘requirements of the market’ what they tasted like. they also listened to owners and reviewers by implementing Luckily for me, not long after, the most commonly requested I was invited to a tea tasting _MG_0181.CR2 Claude Monet While in London, Monet feature changes. With the EOS at Starbucks, an event with Canon EOS 40D 2/7/09 2:04:57 PM The Houses of Parliament produced nearly a hundred 40D these include permanent the sole intention of getting 10.1 megapixel CCD 4973 xall 3315 px (Effect of Fog), 1903-04 canvases, reportedly moving display of ISO sensitivity on Boston-area bloggers to try (3888 x 2592 px) 1/80 sec @ ƒ/2.8 on canvas from one to another asOilthe both the top LCD and 24 view- 105mm, ƒ4.0 the new tea drink flavors. I was ISO 3200 32 x 36.375 inches finder status bar, the warning light changed. He continued to joined by many different local 3 inch LCD screen 100 mm Metropolitan Museum of Art work on these paintings in his message with the CF compartblogs The Boston Teacup, released August 2007 Canon 5D Mark II New1904, York studio at Giverny. In May ment is opened during a write Yogurt and Berries, Tri 2 Cook, thirty-seven were exhibited at process and the addition of the Carrots ‘N’ Cake, Healthy the Galerie Durand-Ruel in AF-ON button. and Sane, and The Boston Paris, including this view of the Foodie- and we all enjoyed the Houses of Parliament cloaked From an image quality point chance to taste lots of deliin dense fog. of view the combination of cious goodies and talk about the Canon CMOS sensor and blogging. We were also lucky to DIGIC III processor means be joined by Missy Franklin, a equally detailed images at all local Starbucks tea and coffee sensitivities (except maybe master, who walked us through ISO 3200), low noise and a our tasting. complete lack of unnatural artifacts. The new high ISO speed The London Fog Latte was noise reduction option has no first, and the only one I was effect on luminance detail but familiar with. The tea used in removes any lingering chroma this is slightly different than

Reviews: Nicholas Knight @ 65Grand Chicago Critical.com

by Paul Germanos January 17, 2011 Nicholas Knight is something of a globe-trotting museum aficionado. And, for four of the past five years, his attention has been equally divided between his fellow visitors and the objects on display. Knight has watched men and women, of various ages, races, and cultural backgrounds, assume the same position before works Parliament which pique theirHouses interest:of arm CS3 file raised, cellphone Photoshop camera extended, eyes 5616 x 3744 pixels focused upon the92.1 imageMB con2009 tained in the screen therein.

It’s at that moment when he photographs them.

While appreciative of the irony of the situation, Knight doesn’t seem to be upset by, or disdainful of, the screen-based perception of such patrons.

Considering the available light, laboring to frame the composition, picture-takers inevitably have a truly visual experience-bringing them closer to the “mind” of the original author, i.e., the artist.

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The goddess of love is shown as though surprised at her bath.

Originally, her arms reached forward to shield her breasts and pubis in a gesture that both concealed and accentuated her sexuality.

When Pentax dove into the When food enters the bedroom underwater point-and-shoot technicianonline.com camera market last year with

by Laney Tipton its nifty, but limited, Pentax February 7, 2009 OptioWP, I learned how much fun you could have taking Named after Aphrodite, the underwater photos and videos.

Greek goddess of sexual love The ultracompact Olympus and beauty, it has been said Statues of Aphrodite in the Stylus 720 SW builds on that certain foods, drinks, nude proliferated during the this notion and makes some herbs, activities, or medicines Hellenistic period. All were important improvements. For are aphrodisiacs -- or able to inspired to some degree by the example, the Stylus 720 SW turn people on sexually. With Aphrodite of Knidos, created is shock-resistant as well as Valentine’s Day just around the in the fourth century b.c. by being waterproof to a depth corner, more than a few people the famous Greek sculptor of 10 feet. (The Optio WP will be wondering if strawberPraxiteles. That statue, the first isn’t shockproof at all and is ries and champagne really amp _MG_0205.CR2 major Greek work to show the waterproof only down to about up sexual response. Here’s the Olympus Stylus 720 SW Marble Statue of Aphrodite 2/7/09 3:18:29 PM goddess without clothing, was 5 feet.)

Those improvements truth.

7.1 megapixel CCD 1st or 2nd century AD 5616 x 3744 px celebrated throughoutMarble antiquimake this the perfect(3072 camera x 2304 px) 1/80 sec @ ƒ/2.8 ty as one of the seven wonders for the backyard pool or even a The concept of aphrodisiacs 38 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ5.0 62.5 inches high ISO 160 of the world. This particular trip to the beach. has been around for years.

2.5 inch LCD screen Metropolitan Museum of Art 100 mm work has the same gesture released January 2006People have been consuming New of York Canon modesty as the Knidia and is The Stylus 720 SW is the best everything from oysters to 5D Mark II very similar to another Roman point-and-shoot underwater licorice in pursuit of increased copy, the so-called Medici digital camera I’ve tested so far, sexual desire or arousal. But Venus, which has stood in the accurately capturing my kids in 1989, the Food and Drug Tribuna of the Uffizi Gallery splashing and blowing bubbles Administration declared that in Florence since 1688. During underwater. It was also able to those beliefs were false, and the eighteenth and nineteenth capture my cannonball dives that there is no scientific proof centuries, it was considered off the diving board and even that any over-the-counter one of the finest ancient works my Nestea-style plunges. This aphrodisiac works to increase in existence. isn’t to say that the Stylus 720 libido or treat sexual dysfuncSW, which comes in three diftion. ferent color surfaces, is a slam dunk.

But even though no food has any physiological aphrodiThere’s nothing that excepsiac qualities, that doesn’t tional about the camera’s mean some foods can’t have

Having written that, the study of the screen’s distortion of *the idea* is increasingly relevant to Chicago’s so-called art community, wherein one is tempted to believe that the “experience” of art is ever more often vicarious.

Knight’s photography is currently on display at Bill Gross’ 65Grand gallery. The scale of the prints is in some cases maybe too ambitious; regardless, the concept is clear and strong.

Aphrodite Photoshop CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels 125.8 MB 2009

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Girl Before a Mirror shows This Dandy Gadget: NTT organizing bathroom vanity Picasso’s young mistress DoCoMo, Japan operator comsyddesigns.com Marie-Thérèse Walter, one pany will release new series at February 20, 2009 of his favorite subjects in the Smart family, one of them is early 1930s. Her white-haloed F-04A, its 12.8mm-thick slim I’ve been on a big organization profile, rendered in a smooth waterproof handset in Japan kick lately. It’s another way lavender pink, appears serene. market which is made in stylfor me to keep busy while not But it merges with a more ish flip design. spending money. I filled my roughly painted, frontal view bathroom vanity drawer the of her face—a crescent, like the Adopted and manufactured day it was installed and haven’t moon, yet intensely yellow, like

by Fujitsu, make this F-04A cleaned it since. Sadly I can’t the sun, and “made up” with a has unique design in keypad, believe the crap I had in it. gilding of rouge, lipstick, and searching button. Will help green eye-shadow. Perhaps the you much in searching. Main I cleaned the basket out underpainting suggests both Walter’s characteristic, F-04A features a neath too and now it’s storage day-self and her night-self, 3-inch main LCD display with for all the big items I use often. _MG_0377.CR2 both her tranquillity and her full wide VGA (480×854 resoNTT DoCoMo Smart F-04A Pablo Picasso 2/20/09 6:54:41 PM vitality, but also the transilution), Added by a 0.4-inch Entry filed under: cleaning, 2 megapixel CCD Girl Before a Mirror, 1932 5616 x 3744 px tion from an innocentOil girlontocanvas sub display. And providing organizing, things i do.

Tags: (1600 x 1200 px) 1/200 sec @ ƒ/2.8 a worldly woman aware of her you with 570 hours of standby bathroom, decorating, organizVGA video camera 64 x 51.25 inches ISO 1600 own sexuality. time and 200 hours of talking ing.

3 inch LCD screen The Museum of Modern Art 100 mm time. More, the F-04A sup- February 2009 released New York Canon 5D Mark II It is also a complex variant on ports a 2M camera, up to 8GB 3 Comments the traditional Vanity—the of microSDHC card, 1-Seg. 1. potagergardengirl | Februimage of a woman confrontMeasuring 108×49×12.8mm ary 20, 2009 ing her mortality in a mirror, at 117g. cute vanity-and I like that which reflects her as a death’s aveda mouse i use it! Good job head. On the right, the mirror NTT Docomo F-04A smartyou got skillz! reflection suggests a superphone will be released on natural x-ray of the girl’s soul, February 6 this year. Available 2. 1zoutiger | May 15, 2009 her future, her fate. Her face is in gold, red, black and blue Women amaze me! I bought darkened, her eyes are round color. The price sets at 53,130 a new Mounted-Bathroomand hollow, and her intensely yen and 58,170 yen for the blue Vanity just to give my wife feminine body is twisted and color. more room to put her plethora contorted. She seems older of personal products. I’m glad and more anxious. The girl I’m a man and only need Dereaches out to the reflection, as odorant, shaving cream, razor, if trying to unite her differtoothpaste, tooth brush, q-tips,

Letter to Francesco Stocchi February 8, 2011 In 2007 I began photographing the screens on other people’s digital cameras as those people were photographing artworks in museums. I was fascinated by the gesture, this splicing of the digital screen between one’s self and one’s object of apparent interest. What did people do with all these photos? At first, I figured that the act revealed an alienation from the material reality of the artwork.

But after a while, I began to Girl Before a Mirror think that it was photography Photoshop CS3 file itself that needed figuring, 5616 x 3744 pixels because photography itself MB was in the midst of129.1 a radical 2009 redefinition.

It used to be that, at its root, a photograph was a piece of paper. We can’t claim that anymore! Now, the very moment that electrons activate the digital sensor, a compressed packet of file data is already a photograph. It alights briefly on the device screen, probably never to be printed, perhaps never to be seen again. The Sontagian idea of a photodeath-mask insisted on the past as the pungent source of photography’s power. But now,

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Fulang-Chang and I depicts Casio may not be the most Mexico City Kahlo with one of her pet prolific digital camera manurunnerskitchen.com monkeys, interpreted by many facturer, with a current range February 20, 2009 as surrogates for the children of 21 models, but it is one of she and Diego Rivera were unthe oldest, launching its first I am back from Mexico City! able to conceive. The painting camera, the 0.3-megapixel was included in the first major QV-300 in 1996. Despite its Jess was an excellent tour exhibition of her work, held long pedigree Casio today has guide/translator/hostess at Julien Levy Gallery in New only a tiny share of the camera – I think she should conYork in 1938. In the essay that market, around three percent sider opening a B&B or travel accompanied the show, the in 2006, surpassed by relative agency. Eventhough our visit Surrealist leader André Breton latecomers such as Panasonic was short, we did so much! We described Kahlo’s work as “a and Samsung. The only reason explored hip neighborhoods, ribbon around a bomb” and I can think of for this is that soaked up some art history at hailed her as a self-created Surthe Casio brand name is assoFrida Kahlo’s house, visited realist painter. Although sheKahlo ciated in the public consciousthe National Anthropology Frida _MG_0372.CR2 appreciated his enthusiasm for ness with cheap calculators and Museum, roamed around the Casio EX-Z1080 Fulang-Chang and I, 1937 2/20/09 6:54:01 PM her work, Kahlo did not agree digital watches, and therefore city center, climbed the Aztec 10.1 megapixel CCD Oil on board with painted 4836 x 3224 px with his assessment: “They potential buyers tend to pyramids at Teotihuacan, (3648 x 2432 px) mirror frame;and mirror 1/400 thought I was a Surrealist I overlook its cameras38 in favour were treated like VIP’s whilesec @ ƒ/2.8 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ5.1 withbut painted mirror frame ISOCase 1600 wasn’t. I never painted22.25 dreams. of more expensive models watching “The Curious of 2.6 inch LCD screen x 17.375 inches 100 mm I painted my own reality. ” from Canon, Nikon or Sony.

Benjamin Button”, ate yummy released August 2007 The Museum of Modern Art Canon 5D Mark II Kahlo later gave this painting This too is strange, because food (guacamole! tacos!

New York to her close friend Mary Sklar, Casio watches and calculators Mexican beer!), and braved the attaching a mirror to it so that, are generally very good, to subways, busses, and taxis that if Sklar chose, the two friends say nothing of its professional travel through this bustling could be together. music keyboards, cash registers metropolis. and other electronic products.

I only ran twice (definitely felt The Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 the effects of pollution and alis a 10.1-megapixel compact titude), but we walked A TON camera with a 1/1.75-inch and as of yesterday I’m back on sensor, a 3x zoom f/2.8-f/5.1 the running wagon. Check out lens equivalent to 38-114mm this sampling of photos and and a 2.6-inch widescreen look for more updates to come monitor. It has a range of soon! advanced features, including friends and family face recog-

the photograph’s main function is to insist on the present, in the present.

How do we make sense of these developments within our cultural relationship to photographic images? Pictures are constantly proliferating, passing from screen to screen, plunging deeper into the epistemic breach that photography has opened. Each iteration pushes the picture a little farther from its origin: when Sherrie Levine put an invisible frame around a Walker Evans, Kahlo its position got “pushed back” a layer, conceptuallyPhotoshop speaking. CS3 file 4836 x of 3224 pixels The political repercussions 46.8 MB Levine’s framing were highly 2009 But focused, and announced. the general fact of that action is now loose in the world.

Who speaks on behalf of an image when its tether becomes so attenuated that it cannot be pulled back? Or more problematically, is there any distance actually short enough to pull the image back? From this perspective, Levine’s strategy appears almost quaint.

The language that mediates our relationship to the image is always at work, generating estrangement right from the start.

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Pignatelli, or Bevilacqua, was also posing in the autumn of 1900 for Matisse, who drew, painted, and modelled him over the next three years in well over a hundred sittings (sometimes he put the figure at three or five times as much).

Various female models would absorb him at intervals in the future to the exclusion of all else, but this was the only time he ever subjected a male body to the same brooding and possessive scrutiny.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 My Male Model ($299.99 direct) is a beauty. Its paintingtheword.com compact design, metallic feaby Sandi Hester tures, and touch screen make February 20, 2009 it feel like a luxury item. Aside from color fringing in the corI am my lover’s and my lover is ners of images, most users will mine…there is no flaw in you. find the shots they take dazSong of Songs 6:3; 4:7 zling. The camera’s 3-inch LCD touch screen is very responsive, I’m being very vulnerable here and the user interface is more and showing you paintings intuitive than those of competthat I normally would NEVER ing touch-screen models, such show you. I thought I would as the Nikon Coolpix S60 or show you what I do some the Kodak EasyShare v1073.

Sunday afternoons when we’re The less-expensive Canon at home relaxing. I don’t do Bevilacqua became a regular PowerShot SD790 IS ($249) much figure painting_MG_0388.CR2 because Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 Henri Matisse 2/20/09 at 19 quai St-Michel, even and Nikon Coolpix S610c I’m really bad at it, so Sunday 7:14:44 PM 10.1 megapixel CCD Male Model, 1900 5616 x 3744 px pushing the hand-cartOil loaded deliver images that are on a afternoons if Grady is posted (3648 x 2736 px) on canvas 1/250 sec @ ƒ/2.8 with Matisse’s and Marquet’s par with T77’s, but they don’t up on the couch flipping the 35 - 140mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ4.6 39.125 x 28.625 inches ISO 1600 canvases on fruitless forays have touch screens and fun tube or napping – he becomes 3 inch LCD screen The Museum of Modern Art 100 to and from the salon.New When in-camera retouching options.August 2008 my model. As you can seemm I released York 5D Mark II circumstances forced Matisse Beyond that, this Cyber-shot have a ways to go onCanon my figure to give up the studio and leave is just handsome. Of course, as painting :) – but how in the Paris, the first thing he did on with any camera that employs world am I ever going to get a brief return to town was fix a touch screen, battery life better if I don’t practice??? At up sessions with Bevilacqua. suffers. least that’s what I keep telling Among the group of Carrimyself when I butcher Grady’s ere’s ex-students who clubbed The T77 has very slim build, face in a painting – sorry together to share a model after measuring just 2.4 by 3.8 by baby. If I ever do get decent the class folded, it was Matisse 1.3 inches (HWD) but feels at it I’ll only be able to paint who insisted on hiring Bevirock solid. Two of these in your people with hair on their face lacqua, to Jean Puy’s disgust. pocket would probably feel like :) because Grady is my only Puy could never understand one Canon PowerShot A1000 model at this point – he’s the what either his friend or Rodin IS. The camera comes in silver, only one brave enough to saw in a worn and aged model, black, pink, green, or brown. undergo my slaughtering. Ok, more ape than man “with the My review unit had the hue of so I thought I would include a face of an orang-outang, halfa deep-brown leather couch real picture of Grady for those

This ability to move back and forth through layers of referentiality and reproduction has become the lingua franca of a telecommunal existence, and photography is the alphabet that constitutes it.

Negotiating the effects of these fluctuations replaces the ability to understand the content of the images. Wittgenstein’s dictum that the-meaning-isin-the-use takes on strange new consequences here: how a picture gets deployed in service of an agenda, and how those deployments accumulate into Model consensus, becomesMale our best Photoshop approximation of what an im- CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels age “means”.

152.4 MB 2009 What’s at stake, then, is to articulate the positions from which claims about our culture and our experiences can be evaluated. To enter a claim into culture, it must pass through many membranes: some that leave barely perceptible imprints; some that wish to co-opt or alter its meaning; and some that wish to deny it permission to exist altogether.

Art’s special liberty is that, by reporting on the world around us, it produces new facts in the process—facts that then

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Lichtenstein based many of The Cyber-shot DSC-W30 is Body Found In Parksville Lake his early paintings on imagery an affordable yet high-perIs Woman Missing 53 Years he found in comic books. The formance 6-megapixel digital chattanoogan.com source for this work is Run camera that offers a Carl Zeiss February 20, 2009 for Love! published by DC 3x optical zoom lens, large Comics in 1962, the cover of 2.0-inch color LCD, autoThe University of Tennessee which the artist significantly matic simplicity and advanced has determined that human altered to arrive at the finished features that you can “grow remains recovered in Parkscomposition. In the original into” later, housed in a very ville Lake are the remains of illustration, the drowning girl’s compact, stylish and durable Kathleen Anita Wrinkle, who boyfriend appears in the backmetal body about the size of a disappeared Feb. 22, 1956. ground, clinging to a capsized deck of playing cards. boat. Lichtenstein cropped the The medical examiner ruled image dramatically, showing Sony has re-engineered its death was due to accidental the girl alone and encircled W-series of top-performing drowning. by a threatening wave. He Cyber-shot digital still cameras _MG_0406.CR2 Roy Lichtenstein changed the caption from “I to embody the virtues of aCyber-shot DSC-W30 Ms. Wrinkle was 27 when she Sony 2/20/09 7:49:49 PM Drowning Girl, 1963 traditional camera style and don’t care if I have a cramp!” vanished.

6 megapixel CCD 5616 x 3744 px Oil and synthetic polymer to “I don’t care!” and the satisfy modern tastes(2816 for sleek, x 2112 px) 1/250 sec @ ƒ/2.8 boyfriend’s name frompaint Mal on to canvas compact design. In addition to Divers in 2007 began searching 38 - 114mm, ƒ3.5 - ƒ5.2 ISO 1600 67.625 x 66.75 inches Brad. In addition to approprisporting eye-level viewfinders Parksville Lake believing that 2 inch LCD screen 100 mm The Museum of Modern Art fashion of traditional ating comic books’ melodrain the Ms. Wrinkle may have driven released February 2006 Canonwere 5D Mark II New York matic content, Lichtenstein cameras, the new DSC-W50 into the lake. Her remains manually simulated the Benday and DSC-W30 models have found March 9, 2008. dots used in the mechanical large LCD screens and are sigreproduction of images. nificantly more compact than Investigators at the time said previous W-series models. they believed her vehicle may have slid off an icy road into Both new cameras offer sixthe lake. megapixel image resolution for high-quality prints, high-light A number of vehicles were sensitivity for fast-action located - all within a 150-foot shooting and more naturalarea which is about 200 yards looking pictures in low-light above the Ocoee #1 dam and conditions, precision Carl Zeiss powerhouse. The cars were sitVario-Tessar 3x optical zoom ting in about four feet of silt. lenses, and MPEG1 movie recording.

Sgt. Bill Coultry, who revived

become part of the cultural reckoning of our collective experience. Photography is the calculus of this reckoning: relentlessly approximating the area beneath the curve of official permission, it insists on producing its own permissions.

Drowning Girl Photoshop CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels 191.9 MB 2009

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In 1968 Mel Bochner was For anyone who’s taken a Study on the position and oriinvited to work as the artist in grainy, low-quality photo with entation measurement method residence at the laboratories an iPhone, the bad news is you with monocular vision system of the Singer Corporation in can expect more of the same.

by Peng Wang, Xu Xiao, ZimiDenville, New Jersey. There he The iPhone 3G has the same ao Zhang, and Changku Sun engaged in a series of philotwo-megapixel camera as the Chinese Optics Letters, Vol. 7, sophical and scientific discusoriginal phone, which is not Issue 3, pp. 55-58 sions with physicists, chemists, bad in brightly lit environFebruary 27, 2009 and engineers, all surrounding ments. Since there’s no built-in the question, “what differflash, the camera doesn’t entiates science from art?” If perform well without adequate Abstract science is something that can light. be measured objectively (i.e., In order to estimate the proved through replication), As for video, Apple has made position and orientation of an then how does the notion of no mention of such a feature, object with a single camera, a measurement manifest in an not even in the guided tour novel measurement Bochner artistic sphere? At firstMel Bochvideo we linked to earlier in method based on _MG_0474.CR2 Apple iPhone 3GS 2/27/09 1:30:47 AM Actual Size (Hand & Face) ner experimented by marking this article. While that doesn’t pinhole camera model 2 megapixel CCD 5616 x 3744 px 1968 arbitrary measurements all necessarily mean we’re not in with five reference (1600 x 1200 px) 1/250 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Two gelatin silver prints over the laboratory: twelve for a surprise on July3.5 11—upoints is presented. inch TFT touchscreen 22 xto14.25 inches each inches from this machine nannounced featuresreleased are dis- July 2008 Taking the specially ISO 1600 100 mm Glenstone the soda can left on the floor, covered all the time in Apple designed planar Maryland products—video capabilities thirty-six inches fromPotomac, this target with the monoCanon 5D Mark II bucket of paint to the door, with the built-in camera seem cular vision system, the projecand so on. He then asked the like something the company tion line of the reference points laboratory photographer to might have mentioned by this is built. According to the photograph these measuretime. We were skeptical in June projection model, the coordiments and print them, and about its chances to appear, nates of the reference points what Bochner received was a and we’re even more skeptical in the camera coordinate series of small, equally sized now. system are estimated with the images, though the measureleast-squares algorithm. Thus ments they depicted varied The iPhone’s GPS receiver will the position and orientation from ten to forty-eight inches allow for one added bonus, of the target are worked out. in length. The idea that a however—since the phone Experimental result shows that photograph could become knows exactly where you are, the measurement precision of an illusionistic and arbitrary it will be able to geotag photos, angle is less than 0.2°, and that representation of a concrete, embedding the location where of displacement is less than 0.1 objective fact—in other words, you took them in images’ mm.

Nicholas Knight: Declaimed @ 65GRAND Gapers Block.com

By Britt Julious February 10, 2011 In Nicholas Knight’s latest solo exhibition, Declaimed, at 65GRAND, the artist subtly re-purposes images or the idea of the image to create one unified whole. The image become something new and complete, even as it breaks down the context of and the relationship between the audience and the image itself. His works are reActual purposed both tangibly andSize Photoshop CS3 file symbolically.

5251 x 3587 pixels We live in a world 220.6 MB 2009 of “declaimed” images and as Knight reiterates in works such as Double Dramatization (2010) and Screen Images Simulated (Youthful Hercules) (2010), it is a matter of breaking down and rediscovering (perhaps even creating) the truth out of the inauthentic image. The questions of authenticity also play a main role in Knight’s images: What is true and not true? Are we as cognizant of the false images and ideas that stem from these images as we imagine?

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This brilliantly colored, richly Sony rounds out the 2006 WMAGI Super-Computer System decorated circular panel presseries line of digital still camnervarchives.com ents a splendid vision of the eras with two top-end models updated February 28, 2009 arrival of the Magi, accompapacked with powerful features nied by a courtly entourage.

-- the 8-megapixel Cyber-shot A biological super-computer A 1492 inventory of Lorenzo DSC-W100 and the 7-megadeveloped by Dr. Naoko Akagi. de’ Medici’s estate possibly pixel DSC-W70. Both cameras It is often regarded as NERV’s identifies this picture as the are equipped with an eye-level brain as it considers, examines, most valuable in the collecviewfinder and a large 2.5-inch and resolves numerous pendtion of the powerful Florentine LCD screen and are housed in ing problems and projects. The family, and attributes it to Fra a stylish compact metal body distinguishing characteristic Angelico. The Adoration of the and come in black or silver. of the MAGI system is that Magi actually appears to be human dilemma is recreated by the product of two artists; Fra They both incorporate preciimplanting human personalAngelico may only have started sion Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x ity traits into the operating the altarpiece, the greatest part optical zoom lenses; MPEG1 system.

Frataken Angelico _MG_0521.CR2 of the work having been movie recording; high-light Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 The Adoration of the Magi 2/28/09 10:32:23 PM up by Fra Filippo Lippi. sensitivity settings; and a mode A MAGI system is composed 7.1 megapixel CCD c. 1440/1460 5616 x 3744 px dial to quickly switch(3072 among of three distinct bio-computer x 2304 px) tempera on panel 1/200 sec @ ƒ/2.8 Fra Angelico was a Dominican photo, video, and preview.

The cores; Melchior-1, Balthasar-2, 38 - 114mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.2 54 inches diameter cameras’ high light-sensitivity ISO 1600 known for his great monastic and Casper-3.

These three 2.5 inch LCD screen National Gallery of Art 100 mm devotion; his saintly deportfacilitates shooting atreleased higher February 2006 cores are modeled after the Washington, D.C. Canon 5D Mark II ment is mirrored in the quiet shutter speeds to capture fastthree aspects of Dr. Naoko piety of his paintings. The repmoving subjects with reduced Akagi’s (the developer’s) resentation of the Virgin Mary blur. It also allows for shooting personality, her as a scientist, here characterizes his style in without a flash to capture more as a mother, and as a woman. the pure, simple form of her natural-looking images in lowAll major decisions require the head and the gentle refinement light settings. unanimous agreement of all of her features. Fra Filippo’s three cores. earthy style appeals to the The DSC-W70 model has a viewer in the portrayal of masmaximum ISO setting of 1000, There are six MAGI systems sive forms and well–articulated while the DSC-W100 model deployed around the world: figures. In the Adoration, the extends to IS0 1250 for even richly attired wise men and greater control. Sony’s Clear MAGI-01: New Tokyo-3, Japan their attendants, as well as the RAW imaging technology MAGI-02: Matsushiro, Japan broad–faced Joseph beside the helps increase the cameras’ ISO MAGI-03: Berlin, Germany Virgin, are usually attributed settings and, at the same time, MAGI-04: Massachusetts, USA to him. reduces the chances of blurry MAGI-05: Hamburg, Germany

In other, non-photographic works, Knight breaks down the idea of the image to its most singular of definitions: forms captured. Each new piece in the exhibition becomes more and more difficult to identify as just prints or as manipulated images from Knight’s psyche.

Knight responds to the idea of the manipulated image, in turn making something that is “untrue” but still tangible.

Declaimed closes this Saturday.

65GRAND is open Friday and Saturday from 12 pm to 5:30 Adoration pm, or by appointment.

The of the Magi CS3 file gallery is located Photoshop at 1369 West 5616 x 3744 pixels Grand.

423.9 MB 2009

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Gorky supported himself durDigital cameras get better Dollar Disappearing Act In ing the Great Depression by every 6 months. In 2002 I paid Armenia working as a mural painter for $5,000 for a Nikon D1H, which Radio Free Europe the Federal Art Project of the had fewer than half the pixels

by Anush Martirosian Works Progress Administraof this $135 point-and-shoot.

February 28, 2009 tion (FAP/WPA), a governThis $135 A550 takes much ment relief effort aimed at eassharper pictures!

In a further sign of growing ing the plight of unemployed strain on official exchange artists. He also pursued his The Canon A550 is photograrates for the Armenian dram, own work in his Union Square phy’s best buy as of July 2007. buying U.S. dollars was all but studio, using money he earned For about $135 you get a camimpossible the other day in the from the FAP to purchase oil era capable of making excellent capital, Yerevan. paint, canvases, and other photos. It’s got an excellent, supplies. During his free time, sharp 4x optical zoom and Critics accuse the Armenian Gorky created such important 7.1 Megapixels, far more than government and central bank paintings as Organization enough for making great prints of aggressively tapping hard_MG_0550.CR2 (1933-36), which represents the at least 12 x 18” (30 x 40 cm).

Arshile Gorky Canon Powershot A550currency reserves to prop up 2/28/09 high point of his engagement the dram, which has not eased12:37:25 PM Organization, 1933-36 7.1 megapixel CCD 5616 3744 px with Cubism in the mid-1930s.

You can pay more, but you against the dollar since the xonOil on canvas (2592 x 1944 px) 1/250 sec @ ƒ/2.8 In the studies for Organization, won’t get significantly better set of the global financial crisis 50 x 59.75 inches 35 - 140mm, ƒ2.6 - ƒ5.5 ISO 1600 Gorky found inspiration in theGallery of Artphotos unless you’re2looking late last year. The authorities National inch LCD screen 100 mmon work of Fernand Léger, Piet at science lab tests with a veryJanuary 2007deny any heavy intervention Washington, D.C. released Mondrian, Francis Picabia, and powerful microscope. If you the currency market.Canon 5D Mark II his close friend Stuart Davis, do use that microscope, the but as he worked and reworked A550 is sharper than many Many Armenians are unconthe painting’s thickly encrusted more expensive cameras that vinced. Dollar seekers were surface over a period of three compromise optical quality in queued up outside banks and years, Gorky assimilated these favor of more compact size! currency-exchange shops on artists’ disparate visions into February 27. And currency his own, highly original comOne caveat is if you use a lot dealers told RFE/RL that banks position. of flash. I don’t: I usually shoot had simply stopped selling the with available light. The flash U.S. currency and residents Gorky’s budding interest in takes five or ten seconds to were buying up dollars wherSurrealism, which began in the recycle after each shot, which ever they could. early 1930s, eventually encourmeans the A550 locks up aged him to move away from blinking at you while this hapA currency dealer at a superthe spatial effects of Cubism pens. it also sucks down your market in downtown Yerevan seen in Organization toward throw-away batteries fast. If said “everyone wants dollars,

Exhibition Proposal for The New Museum, February 2011 I propose to install a projection of my video Taking Pictures (Fore / At / Aft). It is submitted in response to the first prompt outlined in the submission guidelines, to “reconfigure a historically iconic work of art.”

When I started making the “Taking Pictures” photos in 2007, I was fascinated by the question of what people actually did with all those pictures they were taking in museums. I Gorky figured there must be a potent Photoshop kind of alienation enacted

by CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels the gesture--the screen literally 127.7 MB “coming between” the artwork 2009 and the viewer, the camera literally holding the artwork “at arm’s length.” But eventually I recognized that the future use of the photo was deeply secondary to the use of the device in the present moment: the new camera insists on the present, in the present. The idexical idea of a photo-deathmask depends on the past as the pungent source of its power, but when a photograph is nothing more than an electronic packet of compressed file data, a radical shift has taken place.

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Flawless chalk-white skin, In the brace of new Cyber-shot Juniper allergies: The bane of porcelain-fine features, and a W models that Sony unveiled our existance reserved, somewhat impenearlier in the year, the Sony Albuquerque Health News etrable expression reflect the Cyber-shot DSC-W150 falls

by Rachel Hillier refinement of the sixteen-yearsquarely in the middle in terms February 28, 2009 old Ginevra de’ Benci. Like of both price and features. most portrait subjects of the Given its “middle child” status, Juniper pollen in the wind Renaissance, she was from a the W150 also arguably proIn Albuquerque, a mild dry wealthy family, and educated. vides the most bang for your winter promises nasty, spring She was also known as a poet buck of any of the five new W winds. After living in the Jemez and learned conversationalcameras: you can get a bit more Mountains for six years, I noist. Young women of the time resolution by spending more, ticed the years when the wind were expected to comport but in terms of zoom range and was the worst, the juniper trees themselves with dignity and screen size, the W150’s 5x Carl piled up on yellow pollen. modesty. Virtue was prized Zeiss lens and 2.7-inch LCD and guarded, and a girl’s are top of the series.

This year, they’re loaded. If _MG_0600.CR2 beauty was thought toLeonardo be a you’ve lived in New Mexico for da Vinci Sony DSC-W150 2/28/09 2:47:40 PM sign of goodness. Portraitists All of this makes the automore than a year, you know Ginevra de’ Benci, 1474/78 8.1 megapixel CCD 5616 the x 3744 px were expected to enhance—as exposure W150 an attractive its trouble.

You also know, Oil on panel (3264 x 2448 px) needed—a woman’s attractiveoption for casual users winds have arrived. 1/80 sec @ ƒ/2.8 15 x 15 inches 30 looking - 150mm, ƒ3.3 - ƒ5.2 ISO 1600 ness according to the period’s for a bit more horsepower National Gallery of Art 2.7 inch LCD screen 100 mm standards of beauty. Washington, D.C. than a basic point-and-shoot released January 2008Spring winds in Albuquerque Canonone 5D Mark II provides. Heavy emphasis on are kind of like childbirth; Why was this young woman’s soft features – improved face must experience them in order likeness painted? One possibildetection, Sony’s Smile Shutto understand completely, ity is that the commission was ter system that snaps photos kum-ba-ya. Puffy eyed strangoccasioned by her betrothal. automatically when subjects ers come together in solidarity, Ginevra married Luigi Niccoliare smiling, and too many kum-ba-ya. Social lines blur, ni in 1474. Another likelihood playback tools and toys to list kum-ba-ya. Everyone has a reflects a cultural phenomenon – also seeks to appeal to trendheadache, running nose, and of the Italian Renaissance conscious gadget buyers intercracked lips, Lord, kum-ba-ya. period—platonic love affairs ested as much in the camera’s between well-mannered gentleflashy features and sleek looks Juniper, Juniperus commonis, men and ladies. Such affairs, as its outright performance. To or in Spanish, Sabino Macho, often conducted from afar, this end, think of the W150, (sneeze) has been used for focused on effusive literary with its relatively modest price centuries as a digestive aid and expressions that displayed the tag, as the über-gizmo on a a treatment for urinary infeccourtier’s and lady’s sophisticabudget. tions. Ten berries per pound

The conventional modes by which a photograph enters the world and projects its “meaning” are withering. What channels will take their place?

Who speaks for photos, makes claims on their behalf? By what agency do we accept the responsibility of making such claims? Who grants permission to do so?

The proposed video was created by rephotographing prints of my images as slides; projecting the slides on my studio wall; and shooting an HD vidVinci eo of the slideshow.da Three versions were made byPhotoshop shifting theCS3 file 5088 x 3392 pixels position of the camera relative 215.5 MB to the slideshow: one behind 2009 (showing my hands operating the carousel), one even with the projector, and one with the camera between the projector and the wall (which then causes the camera’s shadow to interrupt the slide images). I propose to install this video as a projection that occupies a large wall. There are multiple reconfigurations taking place.

Double-histories are created within each single image, as the museum-visitor rephotographs the artworks, and thus adds to the cumulative visual record of the object.

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Collection is distinctive for the Fujifilm’s website describes combine humor range and variety of materials it the Finepix F50fd as “the harvesting.com incorporates. In contrast to the pinnacle of technology in a Posted by PETE approach seen in his Red Paintcompact camera”, and there April 30, 2009 ings (1953–54) and his Black are some hi-tech features appaintings (1951–53), where pearing in a Fujifilm F-series Local news reports a little the collage papers and fabrics for the first time, notably me10-year-old girl yesterday was typically play second fiddle chanical image stabilization walking home, alone, from to the painted passages, here and automatic in-camera red school one day, when a farmer Rauschenberg gives everyday eye removal. Other manufacin a John Deere STS combine objects the same prominence turers have had optical and pulls up beside her. The farmer as conventional art materials. mechanical stabilization in turned to her and asks, “Hey Comic strips, squirts of oil paint, their products for some time, there little girl, do you want to art magazine illustrations, and and automatic red-eye removgo for a ride?” a host of textiles jostle for attenal has also been done before. tion, and gestural paint strokes Shooting at ISO 6400 is pretty “NO!” said the little girl as she Rauschenberg much breaking new ground _MG_0946.CR2 drawn directly from theRobert vocabuFujifilm FinePix F50fd keeps on walking.The farmer Collection, 1954-55 in the compact P&S ranks, 4/30/09 lary of Abstract Expressionism again pulled up beside her and3:56:34 PM 12 megapixel CCD Oil, paper, fabric, wood, 5616 x 3744 px carry the same compositional going where no compact asks, “Hey little girl, I will give (4000 x 3000 px) and metal 1/160 sec @ ƒ/2.8 weight as newspaper clippings of on canvas digital has gone before. you $10 if you climb in the cab 35 - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.1 80 store x 96 inches ISO 1600 car thefts and department with me. ” 2.7 inch LCD screen San Francisco Museum 100 mm advertisements. Rauschenberg TheofF50fd also sports a 1/1.6July 2007 released Modern Canon 5D Mark II creates a sense of equality acrossArt inch generation VII 12MP Su“NO!” said the little girl as she this diverse visual field in part per CCD HR sensor, 25MB of hurried on down the street. through the work’s structure. internal memory, a 2.7 inch The farmer pulled up beside The three vertical panels, in LCD monitor and a 3x optical the little girl again and said, addition to referencing the tradizoom lens with a 35-105mm “Okay kid, my last offer! I’ll tional triptych format, appear to focal length range (35mm give you 20 Bucks “and” a Big be horizontally subdivided into film equivalent).

Bag of Candy if you will just three regions: a relatively quiet climb in the cab of my combine area along the top, bordered by That 105mm telephoto won’t and we will go for a ride.” a long squeeze of red paint that get you “close” to distant crosses the surface from left to subjects, but those files from Finally, the little girl stopped, right; a densely layered strip the 12MP sensor will lend turned toward him and across the center, where the themselves to more aggresscreamed out...“Look Dad majority of the collaged elements sive cropping to help take You’re the one who bought are concentrated; and a band of up some of the telephoto’s the John Deere STS combine brightly colored stripes that fills shortcomings. instead of a GLEANER.....

Then the video reconfigures my own relationship to these images, which are themselves artworks. The shifting camera position and slow drift of images across the surface analogizes the shifting terrain of photography today. And finally, under the guise of artistic license, the presence of all these iconic artworks from museums around the world appearing in a different museum reconfigures the most dramatic kind of institutional transgression, as the museum implicitly lays claim to a historical heriRauschenberg tage it lacks the permission to Photoshop promote. The logistics for this CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels installation are quite simple.

69.1 The video is finished, andMB it 2009 requires only the conventional means for screening videos: a blacked out wall with a “screen” left white, a projector, and a sound system. Beyond these elements, there is no budget necessity.

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In the late 1970s and early Though it looks like just Jobless rates rise in all US 1980s, a group of artists includanother dime-a-dozen metro areas in March ing Cindy Sherman, Richard 6-megapixel/3X zoom digital April 30, 2009 Prince, and Sherrie Levine—at camera, the Panasonic Lumix Associated Press the time dubbed the “Pictures” DMC-FX3 has a handful of generation—began using pholow-light extras that set it Unemployment rates rose in all tography to examine the strateabove the sea of snapshooters. of the nation’s largest metgies and codes of representaWith Panasonic’s MEGA Optiropolitan areas for the third tion. In reshooting Marlboro cal Image Stabilization and ISO straight month in March, with advertisements, B-movie stills, 1,600 sensitivity, the FX3 has Indiana’s Elkhart-Goshen once and even classics of Modernist an edge over other point-andagain logging the biggest gain. photography, these artists adshooters in low-light and acopted dual roles as director and tion shots. These extra features The Labor Department spectator. In their manipulated pit the camera against the reported Wednesday that all appropriations, these artists image stabilization-equipped 372 metropolitan areas tracked were not only exposing and disCasio Exilim EX-Z600 and the saw jobless rates move higher _MG_0996.CR2 sembling mass-media fictions, ISO 1,000-capable Sony Cyber last month from a year earlier.

Sherrie Levine Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX3 4/30/09 7:11:16 PM but enacting more complicated Shot DSC-W50.

Like these and Elkhart-Goshen’s rate soared After Walker Evans, 1981 6 megapixel CCD 5616 x 3744 px scenarios of desire, identificaother low-end cameras, the to 18.8%, a 13-point increase.

Gelatin silver print (2816 x 2112 px) 1/250 sec @ ƒ/2.8 tion, and loss.

LCD That was the fourth-highest 9.375 x 7.5 inches DMC-FX3 has a 2.5-inch 35 - 105mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ5.0 ISO 1600 but no optical viewfinder. jobless rate in the country.

San Francisco Museum of 2.5 inch LCD screen 100 mm In 1981, Levine photographed Modern Art released July 2006 Canon reproductions of DepressionThe Panasonic Lumix The Indiana region has been5D Mark II era photographs by Walker DMC-FX3 ‘s predecessor, hammered by layoffs in the Evans. The series, entitled the DMC-FX7, impressed us recreational vehicle industry.

After Walker Evans, became a with solid optics and strong RV makers Monaco Coach landmark of postmodernism, image quality, though it lacked Corp., Keystone RV Co. and both praised and attacked as a a VGA movie mode, and its Pilgrim International have feminist hijacking of patriarsensor could reach only ISO sliced hundreds of jobs. chal authority, a critique of the 400 sensitivity. The FX3 keeps commodification of art, and an the good parts of the FX7 and The jobless rate jumped to elegy on the death of modernstrips away the bad, with a full 17% in Bend, Ore., a 9.2-point ism. Far from a high-concept 30fps VGA movie mode and rise and the second-biggest cheap shot, Levine’s works from high ISO sensitivity. It keeps monthly gainer. Bend for years this series tell the story of our the FX3’s 35mm-to-105mmhas been the center of the perpetually dashed hopes to equivalent Leica lens, which, central Oregon real estate and create meaning, the inability to while not especially wide construction boom, largely furecapture the past, and our own or fast, is well made. These eled by retirees from Califor-

Statement, February 2011 When I started making the “Taking Pictures” photos in 2007, I was fascinated by the question of what people actually did with all those pictures. There seemed to be a potent alienation enacted in the gesture, but eventually I recognized unusual forms of intimacy and ownership being brokered by the digital device.

What tethers any image to the conditions and histories from which it emerged? Every analLevine (Evans) ysis inflects its subject with a print mounted new reading, and pigment that analysis on aluminum becomes a thing-in-the-world, 20 x 30 inches itself subject to investigation.

2009 What’s at stake, then, is to articulate the positions from which claims about our culture and our experiences can be evaluated. Who speaks for photos, makes claims on their behalf? By what agency do we accept the responsibility for making such claims? Who grants permission to do so? Art makes claims about the world in its condition as reportage; its condition as analysis produces its own permissions.

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A third-generation American You have to be careful when The Man of Steel mystery: Was sculptor, Alexander Calder reviewing cameras that you George Reeves murdered 50 studied mechanical engineertake a realistic view of how the years ago today? ing before studying art. In the typical buyer will actually use herocomplex.com 1920s-1930s while in Paris, it, and what they can realistiby Geoff Boucher he developed two distinctive cally expect it to do. I say this June 17, 2009 genres of sculpture: mobiles, because the SP-550UZ gave us or sculptures that move, and one of the most time-consumGeorge Reeves dead 50 years stabiles, which are stationary. ing, frustrating lab tests we’ve ago today Eagle, created at a time when ever done. Why? Because it Calder was recognized as one doesn’t like focusing on charts, Look past the bright spotlights of the world’s greatest sculptors, its custom white balance has a and you’ll notice that reveals the artist’s distinctive somewhat laid-back approach Hollywood history is drenched combination of pragmatism to accuracy and the mild disin scandal and haunted by and poetry. Architectural in its tortion and curvature of field heartbreak. Take the case construction and scale, Eagle make shooting anything square of George Reeves, who died _MG_1423.CR2 displays its curving wings, asand flat difficult.

It also doesn’t Olympus SP-550 UZ of a gunshot to the head 50 Alexander Calder 6/7/09 sertive stance, and pointy beak show a full 100% preview on years ago today at his home in4:22:28 PM 7.1 megapixel CCD The Eagle, 1971 3861 x 2574 px in a form that is weightless, screen (which again, makes Benedict Canyon.

(3072 x 2304 px) Painted steel 1/1000 sec @ ƒ/2.8 colorful and abstract. 465 x 390 x 390 inches shooting charts a nightmare).

28 - 504mm, ƒ2.8 - ƒ4.5 ISO 400 It was reported and ruled a 2.5 inch LCD screen Olympic Sculpture Park 100end mm Alexander Calder was born Of course for 99.9% of ‘normal’ suicide, a heartbreaking released January 2007 Seattle Art Museum Canon 5D Mark II in Lawton, Pennsylvania and users none of this is going to in light of the children around moved to New York in 1923, make the slightest bit of differAmerica who had cheered attending the Art Students ence; they won’t be shooting Reeves as make-believe bullets League, and traveled repeatedly test charts or constantly rebounced off his chest on to Paris, where he first exhibited shooting because the custom “Adventures of Superman” his work in 1927. Calder retrowhite balance is 10% out or the from 1952 through 1958. The spectives have been presented framing a few pixels too wide. actor’s death, though, has taken at the Museum of Modern on more grim layers through Art in 1943, the Guggenheim But there is another danger the years amid persistant Museum, New York in 1964 when reviewing cameras, one arguments that the 45-yearand the Whitney Museum of that the average user might get old was actually a victim of American Art in 1976. Calder caught by; that of disappointmurder. was awarded the Gold Medal ment caused by having your for Sculpture by the American expectations raised too high in There has been much written Academy of Arts and Letters the first place. The excitement about this through the years and the National Institute of surrounding the SP-550UZ’s and it’s a compelling riddle.

Excerpt from a Letter to Francesco Stocchi March 19, 2011 Ciao Francesco, Thank you for your email and your comments on the images I sent. I think it will be helpful if I elaborate a little on my objectives. [...]

When I started making the “Taking Pictures” photos in 2007, I was fascinated by the Calder question of what people actuPhotoshop ally did with all those pictures CS3 file x 2574 they were taking in3861 museums.

I pixels 89.1 MB figured there must be a potent 2009 kind of alienation that was being enacted in the gesture--you know, the screen literally “coming between” the artwork and the viewer, the camera literally holding the artwork “at arm’s length.” But eventually I recognized that the future use of the photo was deeply secondary to the use of the device in the present moment: the new camera insists on the present, in the present. The Sontagian idea of a photo-death-mask depends on the past as the pungent source of its power, but when a photograph is nothing

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The Isenheim Altarpiece was executed for the hospital chapel of Saint Anthony’s Monastery in Isenheim in Alsace, which explains the presence of the plague saint, St Sebastian, and the patrons of the more austere and solitary forms of monasticism, St Anthony Abbot and St Paul the Hermit.

Fujifilm won a great many fans with its F30 and F31fd models, which combined slightly larger than average sensors containing fewer pixels than their competitors with some clever image processing, to produce some of the best high ISO images we’d ever seen from a compact camera. In fact, three years later, there are very few compacts we can think of that do a better job once the sun goes down.

Private insurance companies push for ‘individual mandate’

by Lisa Girion June 07, 2009 Some may find it hard to believe that the U.S. health insurance industry supports making major changes to the nation’s healthcare system.

The Isenheim Altar is a compliThe industry, after all, scuttled cated structure with four layers President Clinton’s healthcare of painted surfaces - that is, overhaul bid with ads featuring two sets of folding wings, like a “Harry and Louise” fretting double cupboard, enclosing theGrünewald While playing lip-service to the about change.

Matthias _MG_1283.CR2 final altarpiece, which The consists needs of low-light photography Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Crucifixion, from The 6/17/09 of three carved wood statues of (and continuing to produce But this time, it turns out, the 5:55:23 PM 12 megapixel CCD Isenheim Altarpiece 5372 has x 3582 px saints. There are also two side cameras whose processing health insurance industry (4000 x 3000 px) 1512-16 1/50 sec @ ƒ/2.8 panels and a predella. In form, give them a slight edge over good reason to support at least 28 - 140mm, ƒ3.3 - ƒ5.1 Oil on panel therefore, it harks back105.875 to the x 120.875 inches their contemporaries), Fujifilm some change: It needsISO it. 1600 3 inch LCD screen 100 mm type of Burgundian and Ger- Unterlinden, didn’t appear to make further February 2009 released Musée Canon 5D Mark II man carved altar of which the progress in the direction the Private health insurance faces Colmar, France Broederlam at Dijon is a classic F30 had pioneered. In a time a bleak future if the proposal example. when compact cameras are they champion most vigorously becoming increasingly com-- a requirement that everyone There are three views of the moditized, it’s interesting to see buy medical coverage -- is not altarpiece. The first, with the a company trying to use more adopted. wings closed, is a Crucifixion than just marketing to differenshowing a harrowingly detailed, tiate its products.

The customer base for private twisted, and bloody figure insurance has slipped since of Christ on the cross in the And, even without its EXR 2000, when soaring premiums center flanked, on the left, by cleverness, the F200 EXR is still began driving people out. the mourning Madonna being a fairly well specified camera.

The recession has accelerated comforted by John the Apostle, It has one of the largest sensors the problem. But even after and Mary Magdalene kneeling used in any compact camera the economy recovers, the with hands clasped in prayer, (it’s a 1/1.6” type, which means downward spiral is expected and, on the right, by a standing it has a surface area of around to continue for years as baby

more than an electronic packet of compressed file data, a radical shift has taken place.

The conventional modes by which a photograph enters the world and projects its “meaning” are withering. What channels will take their place?

Who speaks for photos, makes claims on their behalf? By what agency do we accept the responsibility of making such claims? Who grants permission to do so?

My photo projects have all Grünewald been attempts to deal with pigment these questions. I’ve been print mounted on aluminum picturing the devices, and the 36 which x 36 inches screens and surfaces present images to2009 us, and manipulating these pictures, as a kind of pre-emptive defense against the cultural agendas that always accompany them.

Other bodies of work take images I’ve produced myself and embed them in an expanded context of language and design (screenplays, essays, catalog information listings, imagined interviews), again as a preemptive way of seizing control of the distortions that effect the reception of images. Not, I point out, as a way of preventing the distortions, but simply

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After moving from Paris to New Pictures won’t tell 1000 words Mutt Mixer York in 1915, Marcel Duchamp San Diego Reader became a founding member of We said that improvements

By Josh Board the American Society of Indehave been made ‘almost September 12, 2009 pendent Artists, a group dedithroughout’ because this still cated to advancing the ideas of doesn’t have the camera that My girlfriend told a coworker new art. For its first exhibition, many desire. The included 2.0 that she’d watch her dog for in April 1917, Duchamp submegapixel job is only suitable her. As we were walking the mitted, under a fictitious name, for quick snaps, but the ability woman’s yellow Lab through a urinal he had purchased in to directly email your pictures downtown streets, we noticed the showroom of J. L. Mott Iron means that we used the origia dog party at a park. I figure, Works. He turned the object on nal iPhone for such diverse studies always say people start its side and placed it on a pedesthings as emailing snaps of to look like their pets. Maybe tal, undermining its utilitarian clothes in shops, to sending the my dog should start crashing associations. He then signed it image of a packing label to a parties.

“R. Mutt 1917” and named it courier company. _MG_2696.CR2 Fountain. The piece inspired Video software is allegedly imThere were various signs on Marcel Duchamp Apple iPhone 3G 9/12/09 3:30:57 PM heated argument among the minent, but we don’t anticipate trees.

One read, “Lacey — Fountain, 1917/1964 2 quality megapixel CCD 5616 x 3744 px society’s directors and Glazed was ceramic, blackusing it at this kind of Happy Birthday, ” another, paint (1600 x 1200 px) finally rejected an hour15 before level.

“Water,” and the last,1/200 “Puppysec @ ƒ/2.8 x 19.25 x 24.625 inches 3.5 inch TFT touchscreen ISO odd 1600 the exhibition opened.San Francisco Museum Butofthat’s the only real gripe.

Poo.” I thought that was released July 2008 100 Apple has improved the look and wondered if they hadmm some Modern Art Canon Fountain is one of a group of and feel of the actual hardwishful thinking as to where5D Mark II objects that Duchamp called ware. The footprint is much our dogs would decide to go. It “readymades,” works with the same, though it’s slightly wasn’t until later that I saw the which he challenged traditional thinner. The main change is its sign was wrapped around the notions of making and exhibitblack (or white) plastic back. tree in such a way that I hadn’t ing art. Anonymously defendnoticed the letter L, helping ing the work in the press, Duto spell “Puppy Pool.” I didn’t champ claimed he had “created notice the kiddie pool, either. a new thought for that object.”

A few dogs splashed around He rejected the assumption that in it. art must be linked to the craft of the hand and instead argued There were all kinds of dogs that a work of art should be here: French bulldogs, English primarily about the artist’s idea bulldogs, Labs, Yorkies, a pug, — a contention that became a Pomeranian–shih tzu mix, one of the most far-reaching and a few other mutts I wasn’t

to be on the right end of the stick.

Finally, the work is about entering claims into culture, and who controls the permission to do it. Ultimately, that permission is self-granted. But how does the legibility of that act itself enter the world?

Hope all goes well, Thanks, Best, Nick Duchamp Photoshop CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels 63.1 MB 2009

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Installation views: top left: Eugene Binder, Marfa, Texas, 2008 top right: Steven Wolf Fine Arts, San Francisco, 2009 bottom left: 65GRAND, Chicago, 2011 bottom right: La PanacĂŠe, Montpellier, France, 2014

images credits for Baldessari and Nauman?

Front cover, back cover, and frontis: Guardians of the Secret, 2009 Photoshop CS3 file 5616 x 3744 pixels 63.1 MB

Nicholas Knight Taking Pictures 2007 - 2009 Published by EponanonyPress All artworks copyright 2007 2014 Nicholas Knight Camera Crush is copyright Nicholas Knight & Phil Taylor, 2014 Thanks to: Joianne Bittle Phil Taylor SĂŠbastien Pluot Dean Inkster Franck Bouchard Francesco Stocchi Bill Gross Dahlia Tulett-Gross

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in XX ISBN:

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