Christine Nguyen

Check out these amazing photo/drawings by Christine Nguyen. They are basically like photograms (putting objects on a page and exposing it to light - making a negative or transparent image of the object.) But instead of an object she uses her drawings and then compiles them into large scale works.

If you didn’t understand that - don’t worry - I don’t really either.

Christine Nguyen

Christine Nguyen

Sebastiao Salgado

ART ALERT! The absolutely coolest photojournalism work to ever exist (which could in no way be considered a hyperbole) - will be exhibited at the Austin Museum of Art beginning tomorrow!

Now, normally I spend most of my free time concocting metaphors to explain how much I hate the AMoA (watching an episode of Rosanne next to someone with bad gas). However, the work of Sebastiao Salgado merits the trip. He is a master of combining photojournalism and art. And he traveled around the globe to document the plight of the less privledged. He’s basically the David Hasselhoff of photography.

Speaking of which, why doesn’t anyone hire to me to do this photography?

Yum-o!

Workers: Sebastiao Salgado. Austin Museum of Art - Downtown: November 15, 2008 - February 8, 2009

Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastiao Salgado

   

Alfred Stieglitz

Almost every great photographer experiences some period of absolute insanity in her or his lifetime. During this time, the photographer chooses to isolate themselves in some way - whilst constantly photographing something obscure and of very little (apparent) importance.

Probably my favorite is the great Alfred Stieglitz’s cloud series, where from 1922 - 1935, you guessed it, he just photographed clouds. One critic phrased it better than I can, “In his cloud photographs, which he termed Equivalents, Stieglitz emphasized pure abstraction, adhering to the modern ideas of equivalence, holding that abstract forms, lines, and colors could represent corresponding inner states, emotions and ideas.”

Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred Stieglitz

The reason I thought of Stieglitz’s crazy phase is two fold: 1) I’ve always wondered what I’ll go crazy and photograph (probably trees or vaginas); 2) While at Fun Fun Fun Fest this weekend, I just couldn’t make myself photograph bands like all the other 100,000 photogs there because it honestly just makes me really bored. So i just took stupid/weird photos of pretty clouds.

Veronica Hansen

Last week, this dude I picked up and I went to Marfa, Texas, which is exactly in the middle of nowhere West Texas. Marfa is reknown for its art transformation in the 80s thanks to this other dude Donald Judd(who just so happens to be a bit of a hottie).

Donald Judd

The town is bare bones except for about 10 art galleries and the fabulous Chinati Foundation (Judd’s baby), which houses 12 artists’ installations in former military-base bunkers. I highly recommend going, if only for the beautiful West Texas scenery.

Moonrise over the Antelope Lodge, Veronica Hansen

Rocks rock, Veronica Hansen

Veronica Hansen

Here are the rest of my photos from the creepy Mueller housing development/old scary airport. On a related note, I’m thinking of going as a ghost for Halloween, but a ghost in the sense of a white sheet with two eye holes cut out.

Veronica Hansen

Veronica Hansen

Veronica Hansen

Veronica Hansen

Veronica Hansen

Here are just a few more from the trip. More to come tomorrow, but I’ve got to finish carving my Sarah Palin Pumpkin!

Veronica Hansen

Reader’s poll: what would be a good ironic name for the above photo??? Make sure it says something about feeling alone in a crowd of people!

My apologies to all my insatiable fans. First the blog site was down. Then my internet was down. Luckily, a mute Time Warner employee just came over and made it like 1997 again. The blogosphere may now return to normal.

Here are two portraits of the amazing poet/artist/musician Saul Williams. To read my same-sex domestic partner Chelsey’s fabulous interview, click me!

Saul Williams, Veronica Hansen.

Saul Williams, Veronica Hansen

 Cacti, Veronica Hansen

I’ve come to enjoy photojournalism classes only as avenues to inject my feminist-art agenda.

These photos are for an assignment called “portrait of a place.” They are a portrait of my house via the images and shapes I see. But they are also a portrait of space in the element of two-dimensions; flat space; portrait of a single-plane.

 What’s interesting about these three images is that they actually do tell a story of my house. The cacti was here when we moved in and remains. The Wandering Jew was a house addendum purchased in honor of my chosen-friend Stephen. And the carpet tacks serve as vindication of a newly installed floor.

Carpet Tacks, Veronica Hansen

Veronica Hansen

I’ve noticed a lot of people are opposed to using Photoshop, especially in the photojournalism world. I’m not sure if it’s a moral objection or a fear of the unknown. I’ll save a more thought-out debate on this for when I’m not on Vicodin. In the meantime, post your thoughts!

When the blog editor of the Daily Texan (who just happens to be my lil’ wifey) approached me to write this blog - I knew exactly whose blog I wanted to model my style around. Graeme Mitchell.

He’s a New York fashion/portrait photographer who shoots mainly black and white film. In addition to his professional work, he also keeps a blog upon which he discusses other photographers, trends in his business, tips for young photogs, and his amazing NYC street series. I saw this photo the other day and it blew me away; just the way he harmonized the street elements into a dynamic shape and captured this man perfectly in his morning routine.

Coming Out of Subway, Graeme Mitchell. 2008

What I really like about reading Graeme’s blog is that I feel it relates to me. While I am by no means on “his level,” he is a young photographer breaking into the business. Someone to learn from. Not to mention someone that still loves film.

Graeme Mitchell.

Graeme Mitchell.