Amanda Means and the forthcoming John Coplans Study Center

A pair of works by John Coplans lean against the wall.
Simultaneous to the party being held by the Starns, Amanda Means held an open house in her space adjacent to the Big Bambu site.
Three of Amanda's color polaroid light bulbs.
Amanda's photograms and works by her late husband John Coplans were on display throughout the space where she's in the process of establishing a study center focusing on his work.

Amanda Means, Ostrich Fern, 2004

Panel talk on the Floating Foundation of Photography at Dorsky Museum, March 12, 7pm

A view of the Taking a Different Track.....exhibit from Feb 13, 2009
The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art in New Paltz will be hosting a panel discussion on March 12 at 7pm. The discussion is titled Taking a Different Track: Maggie Sherwood and the Floating Foundation of Photography and accompanies an exhibit of the same name curated by Beth E. Wilson on view through April 8.
The panel will be moderated by Wilson and will include critic A.D. Coleman, photographers Bob D'alessandro and Eva Rubenstein and Stephen C. Shoen, former education director for the FFP.

Gone are the days..

Image from Fish Kill Flea, via 2007.sxsw.com

The holiday season just finished was festooned with news of economic lamentation and foreboding financial ruin forced by the media into our beings from both ends. Though the Grinchy tenor of current events had little effect on the squishy joys of spending time with beloved fam and friends it might have made some nostalgic for Christmases of yesteryear when they indulged, with unworried ease, the season's sweetest joy; shopping.
Brooklyn based photographer Jennifer Loeber captures the wonderous commercial exchange of yore, in a series of portraits from the now defunct Flea Market which inhabited the Dutchess Mall at Rte. 9 and I 84 in Fishkill. Loeber along with Aaron Hillis and Brian Cassidy produced a documentary film on the subject called Fish Kill Flea.
I came across the project earlier in the year via a post on Loeber's work on Lisa Hunter's Intrepid Art Collector blog. Lisa posted an image by Loeber of a female nude draped acrooss the arm of a sofa. The image is part of a series of portraits of Brooklynites in the buff called Zeig Mal (Show Me). Such are the ways of the internet that noteworthy projects of local relevance are discovered through investigations prompted by pictures of naked ladies (at least that's my method). Unfortunately, the Fishkill Flea portfolio is no longer on Loeber's site, so you don't have anything to look at....but at least you know it exists. I emailed the filmakers about the possibility of a local sceening or photo exhibit, but I've not received a response.

A good flea market is like a carnival rolling into town on a weekly basis. The Fishkill Flea Market had a very particular character and it embodied the spirit of a citizenry living among the ruins of previous prosperity. This spirit of inhabiting forgotten spaces, reclaiming them is becoming ever more relevant with the prospective failure of retailers, potentially leaving vacant buildings and shopping malls dormant. If only the Fishkill Flea could have avoided being ousted by Home Depot just a wee bit longer, it could have garnered new currency.

Related Items: This slideshow Slate.com features the reuse of big box stores which are also featured in the book Big Box Reuse by Julia Christensen

Beacon's cache of pre-big box boxes ripe for some form of reuse will undoubtedly sit untouched, locked up even longer in these recessive times.

Behind Bars, work by Andrew Lichtenstein opens at Fovea Exhibitions, Oct 25

Fovea Exhibitions opens its newest exhibit on Oct 25 with a reception from 4-8pm. "Behind Bars" is a selection of works taken in prison facilities around the country by Andrew Lichtenstein. The exhibit will be on view through Jan 4, 2009.

400 square - brings more photography to Beacon's Main St.

I stopped into 400 square, the day after its grand opening earlier in the month. Photographer and recent Beacon transplant, Rob Penner opened the photography gallery located at 149 Main St on Second Saturday, September 13. As manner of introducing himself, and his work to the community, the gallery's first exhibit "Remains of the Day", a selection of Penner's own photographs of discarded packaging will be on exhibit until early November.
Rob will be offering digital printing and retouching services as well as possibly holding photography workshops in the space. Rob said he expects exhibits to run for about six weeks, with November's exhibit featuring Beacon photographer Ronnie Farley.

Angelika Rinnhofer on the move

Beacon photographer, Angelika Rinnhofer is currently included in two group exhibitions in Woodstock NY.
On exhibit through October 23 at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Inaugural Regional Triennial of Photographic Arts features three images from Rinnhofer's most recent Martyr series.

Also in Woodstock, Rinnhofer is featured in "Portrait," a group show curated by Beacon artist, Carol March. "Portrait is on exhibit until October 30 at the Kleinart/James Art Center.

Angelika is also being represented by KBP at Photo New York on Oct 6-9, at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St in Manhattan.

Angelika will be curating an exhibit of 3 photographers from Light Work in Syracuse NY at bau in Oct.

Para/site presents Photographs by Charles Eshelman

ParaSite @ The Iron Fish Trading Company Presents:





"Life: In Black & White"
Photographs by Charles Eshelman



September 10th - September 25th, 2005
Opening Reception : Saturday, September 17th, 2 - 6pm
***BBQ Tailgate opening.


"Life: In Black & White" is a celebration, tribute, and remembrance of the extreme complexities of daily life captured through the lens of photographer Charles Eshelman. Having been self-taught, Eshelman's work has been shaped by the grittiness and stark realities of Chicago, Paris, and New York. The work on view documents the many aspects that make up our lives from fans enjoying a baseball game and children playing on the beach, to the horror witnessed on September 11th. Eshelmans work is a reminder of the volatile nature of life and the brief joyful moments we all cherish and value in our daily lives.

Charles Eshelman is based in New York City and has exhibited his work nationally in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. His photography is in many private collections including Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. "Life: In Black & White" will be on view at ParaSite Art Space, located inside the Iron Fish Trading Company, 167 Main Street, Beacon, New York. For further information concerning the exhibition please contact gallery director Karlos Carcamo at (347) 531-6111. ParaSite gallery hours: Thurs - Sun, 12:00 to 6:00pm.