Aperture with The New School, the Photography Department at Parsons and the Vera List Center for Art and Politics presents a panel discussion as part of the Confounding Expectations: Photography in Context series. Kicking off this fall season’s series is Words Without Pictures, which explores pressing issues in contemporary photography and celebrates the launch of the LACMA book project by the same name. Charlotte Cotton, curator and Head of the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department, LACMA, will moderate a discussion with panelists Alex Klein, artist and Curatorial Fellow in the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department, LACMA; Matt Keegan, artist and editor of North Drive Press; David Reinfurt, graphic designer and co-founder of Dexter Sinister; and Denise Wolff, Aperture Editor. Other special guests include special guests Fia Backström, Johanna Burton, Melissa Catanese, Sarah Charlesworth, Moyra Davey, Darius Himes, John Lehr, Miranda Lichtenstein, Arthur Ou, Ed Panar and Laurel Ptak. Copies of the book will be available at a special price.

Words Without Pictures
Panel Discussion
Thursday, September 17, 2009  7:00 pm

FREE

The New School
Tishman Auditorium
66 West 12th Street
New York, New York

The newly opened exhibition titled In Real Life, a series of four-hour residencies by art critics, bloggers, and curators in now on view and taking place at Capricious Space gallery in Brooklyn. This conglomeration of performances, talks, and workshops are mainly aimed at meditation on the evolution of art and culture in cyberspace. Along the lines of the classic adage “what is art?” these web-based projects challenge how contemporary technology influences the ways in which people create, share, and discuss art and culture. Breaking the barrier, this exhibition exploits the concept of the solitary Internet experience by subjecting it to a public forum. Organized by Laurel Ptak, In Real Life will be at Capricious Space through March 28 and is most assuredly a unique and provocative experience.

To view the complete schedule of events visit: www.letsmeetinreallife.com

Capricious Space
Saturday, March 7–Saturday, March 28, 2009
103 Broadway
Brooklyn, New York
(718) 384-1208

Last night at the annual Aperture Holiday Party a polaroid camera was swung around to various photographers who attended to take a photo of whatever they pleased, creating a collective document of the experience.

Elena Dorfman

Martha Rosler

Cara Philips

Hank Willis Thomas

Robin Schwartz by Amelia Forman

Stefan Ruiz

Larry Ossei-Mensah

Michael Mazzeo

Andrew Hetherington with Stefan Ruiz

Robin Schwartz

Women in Photography

Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 6:30 PM

Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
New York, New York

Join Aperture’s Educational Programs Manager, Laurel Ptak, as she moderates a conversation about Women in Photography, a new online venue showcasing work by contemporary female photographers. Tuesday’s panel includes the site’s co-founders Cara Phillips and Amy Elkins, alongside noted contributing photographers Robin Schwartz and Elinor Carucci.

Robin Schwartz is one of the featured artists in the upcoming Aperture series Tinyvices. She is known for her imaginative photographs of her daughter, Amelia, interacting with exotic animals. Schwartz says, “photography gives us the opportunity to access our dreams, to discover the extraordinary…Amelia and I play out our eccentricities in worlds where she and animals not only co-exist, but also interact.” Learn more about Robin Schwartz here.

Elinor Carucci was featured in Aperture magazine issue 182. She was born in Israel but now resides in New York. Her autobiographical work has been exhibited internationally and she notes, “it was photography that allowed me to be able to step away, to see what was going on, even what is about to happen.” Learn more about Elinor Carucci here.

Bond Street Gallery, Brooklyn will have his first exhibition under the new directorship of Amani Olu, Humble Arts Foundation opening Wednesday. The exhibition Young Curators, New Ideas, examines different trends and perspectives in contemporary art photography through the bias of six emerging curators.  Alana Celii & Grant Willing (Fjord Photo), Michael Bühler-Rose, Jon Feinstein (Humble Arts Foundation), Amy Stein, Lumi Tan (Why Wherefore) and Aperture’s Educational Program Manager: Laurel Ptak (I Heart Photograph). Each curator using roughly ten feet of space, aims to engage viewers in a discussion on where he or she believes art photography is today.

Opening reception: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 | RSVP required: rsvp@bondstreetgallery.com
Public reception: 6 – 9 pm
On view: Wednesday, August 13 – Saturday, September 6, 2008

© Petra Cortright

© Jason Fulford

Images are courtesy artist/Bond Street Gallery

Laurel Ptak’s exhibition takes the show in a different direction by commissioning 26 photographers, designers, and new media artists to embrace the animated GIF. Appropriately titled Graphics Interchange Format, the show explores how a lo-fi digital image technology invented in 1987 fares in contemporary context. Ptak gave artists only 3 days to complete the commission and encouraged the use of photographic materials. A few of the artists had never made an animated GIF before, while others were notorious for it. “Some use the form epically,” says Ptak, “like a novelist or film director; others are self- reflective about the limits of technology and representation; many challenge photography’s usual atemporal disposition; and
then some just make me giggle.” The results are 67 artist-made animated GIFs shown on 44-inch flat screen in an infinite loop. Each are sold in an unlimited edition for $20, accompanied by a personalized note from the artist.

Graphics Interchange Format features works by Victor Boullet, Tyler Coburn, Petra Cortright, C. Coy, Daniel Everett, Thobias Fäldt & Per Englund, Martin Fengel, Jason Fulford, Nicholas Grider, Pierre Hourquet, Konst & Teknik, Eke Kriek, Emily Larned, Matt MacFarland, Katja Mater, Kelci McIntosh, Ilia Ovechkin, Robert Overweg, M. River, Noel Rodo- Vankeulen, Asha Schechter, Trevor Shimizu, Jo-ey Tang, Anne De Vries, Karly Wildenhaus and Damon Zuccon

Press inquiries to (Aperture’s former publicist) KATE GREENBERG: kate@bondstreetgallery.com

bond street gallery
297 Bond Street | Brooklyn, NY 11231 (Carroll Gardens)
718.858.2297 | Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or R to Union St.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday | 11 am – 6 pm

Look out this fall, Amani will be joining Aperture’s Collector’s Workshop: Introduction to Affordable Photography for a conversation on how to begin and build a photography collection without breaking the bank. Geared specifically towards first-time and young collectors.

September 16, 6:30 p.m., Aperture Gallery