Mickey Smith holding up the August 2008 issue of DETAILS magazine. Images from her Volume series illustrate a piece by author Michael Chabon.

20x200 photographer Mickey Smith (like the majority of our artists) is a busy bee. She recently moved from Minnesota to New York, joined a gallery, started a blog, and her first East Coast solo show, Collocations, opened this past Saturday, at The Center for Photography at Woodstock.

From the press release:

The exhibition entitled Collocations features works from Smith’s ongoing series, Volume in which the artist, since 2004 has documented bound periodicals and professional journals found in the archives of such public libraries as Columbia University, Library of Congress, Minneapolis Public Library, New York University, Seattle Public Library, Time, Inc.Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, and the University of Missouri Kansas City Libraries. For this ongoing project, Smith searches though public libraries inspired by stacks of these aging texts. She photographs the books and titles as she finds them, stacked in the library or left by the last reader. Her graphic compositions offer a topographic landscape that is enhanced by the ironic quality ofrepeating publication titles which range from the known to the obscure.

Collocation No. 3 (Life)

On Saturday, September 13 there will be an opening celebration and lecture. The work will remain on view through October 26.

The Center for Photography at Woodstock
59 Tinker Street
Woodstock NY 12498

Mickey's 20x200 edition print: Word Study
Mickey's site
Mickey's blog

Back to school Tuesday greetings, collector friends! Last night I shared a toast with a six year old (fruit juice, of course) to the last day of summer and the first day of school. I'll end the week on Friday, September 5th, with a toast (bubbly, of the alcoholic variety, of course, preferably pink because it's so festive) to 20x200's one year anniversary. These two toasts will bookend feverish fall season preparations and the announcement of several outstanding editions, the first of which is today's offering from the talented Carrie Marill.

Space and Illusion is one of the many jewel-like paintings that will soon be hanging on the walls of Jen Bekman Gallery as part of Carrie's NYC solo debut exhibition, Doing a Lot with Very Little. Enthusiasm for new exhibitions is pretty much a prerequisite for doing my job well, but in this instance I am especially enthusiastically enthused about the thematic substance of the work in the show.

Being a long time internet nerd, and having dabbled in virtual worlds, issues of representation of physical objects (not to mention our physical selves) on screen have always been of interest to me. My nerd credentials, combined with the necessity borne of the gallery's cramped quarters, meant that I was perfectly comfortable evaluating work via .jpg long before it became an accepted practice in the art world. I know very well that what you see on screen is not exactly what you get, but being well versed in the anomalies and limitations of the digital realm has turned me into an expert extrapolator.

20x200 has taken my extrapolatory practice up to warp speed, and its acceleration has generated a lot of thought and conversation about art, reproduction and technology. When Carrie was preparing for this exhibition she told me that it's gotten to the point that she needs to be able to look at a painting as a .jpg before she can even know for sure what it looks like, and I was like, "Totally!" I was so relieved to hear someone who made art say something that I was somewhat secretly ashamed of experiencing myself.

Why ashamed though, really? There's an inherent practicality to the concept, as Carrie pointed out, because while many people see exhibitions in person, many more will only ever see the work on view in the virtual realm. (Aside from that, many people who see it in person will have seen it online before doing so. Whoa.)

One of the things that I love about 20x200 is how it expands the impact of an image and its underlying ideas. We've gotten to the point that our limited editions can sell out at lightning speed, as many 20x200 fans can attest. Nonetheless, all of you collectors who get these newsletters experience the art we show, and its attendant ideas, as something that you quite literally have access to. The work is affordable to most people, and so if your timing is right, you can own it. It's not in a museum, and it's not in a gallery with prices well beyond the means of most mere mortals.

I think that evaluating art with that knowledge in mind fundamentally changes how you experience it. In fact, judging from the emails I've received from collectors, I'm certain of it. I'm equally as certain that there is incredible variation in these individual experiences, which is part of the fun of it.

All of these ideas shake things up quite a bit, in the best possible way. (Although it does make it harder to get a good night's sleep, prone as I am to trying to untangle these things in the wee hours of the morning.) I like Carrie's shake up too — the paintings in the show are so lovely, and while they are very much in her style, they're also very different from the work of hers I've shown so far, both here on 20x200 and in the gallery. That it's different , at least in part, because of 20x200 means that sharing it here is bringing us full circle.

And with the circle unbroken, I am taking my leave for the day. I'm back tomorrow with a double dose of photo goodness that I cannot wait to release into the atmosphere. See you then!

Wednesday (that feels like Tuesday, in a week where I could really use an extra day to begin with) greetings, my fine collector friends! Kids are back to school, we are back to work and things are positively thrumming in NYC. Industriousness aside, there are about a million openings, benefits and confabs I want to, or simply must, attend. Many of them seem to be happening at precisely the same time, in the most geographically disparate locales possible on the small isle of Manhattan.

Even Brooklyn has made it on to my agenda; there's a Very Important Party this evening for a certain jeune fille's birthday. Seeing as she came all the way from Lyon for cupcakes in Williamsburg, I'm going to do my very best to get myself to the festivities. (Although obliging myself to a belated celebration in Lyon is not entirely lacking in appeal.)

Today's duo of photography editions, Untitled (Max) and Untitled (Arika), by Fall '05 Hot Shot Dorthe Alstrup, is so very perfect for this festive week. I was positively giddy (seriously, I think I squealed) when Dorthe agreed to do an edition with Max. That particular photo was used as a placeholder while we were putting together the prototype of the site, so it's a long-standing favorite at JBP HQ. Paired with the equally lovely Arika, the narrative is expanded while providing another perspective on Dorthe's truly inspired staging.

When I say to you that I find these photos utterly captivating, I mean it.* They provoke emotional responses in me so strong that I can only describe them in bodily terms which border on the corny: a sort of elation that puts me somewhere above ground like the balloons, a joyfulness that makes my heart feel full, a nostalgia that makes the scents, sounds and textures of childhood nearly tangible. I like being reminded that physical euphemisms for emotional responses are grounded in actual experience, and these photos do exactly that. Results of a straw poll, conducted largely over IM, indicate that I am not alone in my enthusiasm for the photos. To wit, here's a conversation I had this very morning with my new favorite person, let's call him Deardorff, who happens to be a photographer himself:

Deardorff: I love when photographer fills space with objects.
Jen: I think they're really beautiful and they remind me of a lot of things.
Deardorff: They are
Jen: The balloons look like champagne to me, and you know how I love champagne.
Deardorff: They remind me of overwhelming childhood memories. Like looking at your past but with filters.
Jen: Yes, like being a kid at grownup parties, even though balloons are kid partyish. i was thinking about falling asleep in someone's guest room on top of a pile of coats.
Deardorff: fur coats, mmmmmmmm

I was certain that the images would appeal to another friend of mine, let's call her Rococo. I knew she'd be entranced by the luxurious tableau and the old world feel, but I had no idea just how entranced! Her response:

Jen: Tell me what you like about them.
Ms. Rococo: The juxtaposition of the celebration and the luxe, calme et volupté... It is like decadence without the darkness, it is sunny and light. Baudelaire minus his shadow.
Jen: Perfection!
Ms. Rococo: You know that poem by Baudelaire? Invitation to the Voyage?

I wasn't familiar with the poem, but it turns out that Ms. Rococo was spot on:
Gleaming furniture,
Polished by the years,
Will ornament our bedroom;
The rarest flowers
Mingling their fragrance
With the faint scent of amber,
The ornate ceilings,
The limpid mirrors,
The oriental splendor,
All would whisper there
Secretly to the soul
In its soft, native language.

There all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.

And with that bit of lyricism, I'll bring today's newsletter to a close. I'm not quite done for the week yet, however. I've got some anniversary related surprises up my sleeve, so you'll be hearing from me again very soon. Be on the lookout!

*Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with the appropriate superlatives to use when talking about our editions. I try my best not to be repetitive, and I never want to seem insincere. (Insincerity is not my bag, for better or for worse, I'm a heart on my sleeve kind of girl.)

Postcard from Curtis Mann's upcoming solo show

20x200 photographer Curtis Mann has a show opening tomorrow at Kusseneers Gallery in Belgium. The show is the first solo exhibition of his Modifications series.

From the press release:

For the series Modifications Curtis Mann appropriates and refashions anonymous snapshots that were taken in countries like Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq—places where violent conflicts are deeply rooted and often seem impossible to resolve. Mann states, "I question what I've learned about these places and I realize I usually have to erase most of that knowledge and begin again—more open-minded, more curious, and more hopeful than before." As he submits the found images to substantial physical alterations Mann effectively filters them through a new visual vocabulary, opening them up for himself—and for viewers—to engage in a new search for meaning.

Also of (timely) note, Curtis was interviewed by Jörg M. Colberg, aka Conscientious, on his blog.

Allow me to tempt you with this snippet:

JC: Into what direction do you see photography evolve?

CM: Photography itself seems to grow smarter, more sophisticated, more intelligent at a pretty constant rate. I'm just hoping that we keep up with it, that we stay educated and keep exposing its tricks to the rest of the world. Photographs are fascinating to me because they are amazingly ubiquitous, and usually benign, but also have the potential to be extremely subversive, even dangerous.

Read the interview in in its entirety here.

connection, attempt (somewhere, israel)

If you can, pack your bags for Belgium and you just might make it to Curtis' opening tomorrow night, or, if a last minute flight isn't in the stars, fear not, the work will be on view through October 11th. And if you really cannot make it, Curtis promises to post images from the show to his blog as soon as he returns.

Kusseneers Gallery
De Burburestraat 11
Antwerp Belgium
info@kusseneers.com

Curtis' 20x200 edition print: Tree Tops, from the series Somewhere in Israel
Curtis' site
Curtis' blog

20x200 and Carie Marill were selected for the Hot List in Louisiana Homes & Gardens September issue.

Look for Carrie Marill's solo show, Doing a Lot with Very Little, opening at Jen Bekman Gallery September 12th.

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
New York, NY

Opening Reception: Friday September 12th 6pm-8pm

Very Special Day* greetings, 20x200 collectors! One year ago today I announced the first six 20x200 editions and we haven't had a chance to catch our breath since. What a year it has been! We've released 120 editions by 84 artists and we've shipped over 20,000 prints to thousands of collectors all over the world. Those are some impressive numbers, but what's most important to me about 20x200 is the quality of the experience, and continued commitment to our core values as we grow.

In honor of our anniversary date, I present to you Bonaparte 9 and Ziggurat 5 from Karin Spraggs and Adrienne Wong, the ultra-talented duo behind Superdeluxe.

We've been trying to figure out a cool project to do with these talented women for awhile, since getting to know each other in the hallways of the building that houses their studio and JBP HQ. I could often be found craning my neck to get a peek into the crafty, cheery clutter of their studio, attracted by the din of animated conversation and clack, clack, clack of small machinery. Then I saw Karin in the hall one day and complimented her on her awesome gold shoes and they finally (hehe) invited me in! One look at their typography-obsessed work, I was a goner. (Their laid back but stylish style sure doesn't hurt either.)

I've long been obsessed with both these numbers, since this date also happens to be my birthday. (How I can be obsessed with numbers and yet so bad at arithmetic is a mystery to me.) The number 5 is especially important to me, having popped up in street addresses current and past and in the birthdays of people beloved to me. Another obsession of mine: typography. And you know how much I love bright colors. And um, letterpress? Current obsession #1. (Just ask dozens of Etsy letterpress vendors, they'll tell you.) In other words, I am in love with these editions!

Aside from the special significance of these numbers, I have really enjoyed how Adrienne and Karin have adapted our process to fit in with their practice, which centers on hand-crafted, tactile silkscreen and letterpress. They've included those elements in their 20x200 editions by using letterpress for the medium prints and silkscreen for the 2 large pieces. It's a perfect marriage of art and technology, just like 20x200!

I've got a bottle of champagne on ice and a party frock to put on, so I'm going to wish you a most bon of weekends and take my leave for now. Once I'm done with the champagne and celebration, I'll be putting the finishing touches on a special thank you we've been cooking up for all you fine collector folks. Details for that will be announced on Monday, so look for me then.

* Special for 30 some-odd years prior because it happens to also be my birthday.

Image: Top Ten Records group show postcard

I went to graduate school in Rochester, New York, and had my thesis show at the Visual Studies Workshop, so I'm feeling a little nostalgic writing this post. Rochester is a wonderland of large, inexpensive places to live and is the birthplace of Kodak and Wegmans. Sometimes I wonder why I ever left.

20x200's Luke Strosnider is a Rochester resident who will be part of a group show opening September 5th at the Visual Studies Workshop. The show, Top Ten Records, was curated by Robyn York and is an installation of Polaroid Top Ten lists from an international cast of photographers. The show will remain on view through September 30th.

Rochester is lovely this time of year, so if you're in the mood for a road trip, count me in.

Visual Studies Workshop
Print Loft Gallery
31 Prince Street
Rochester, NY

Luke's 20x200 edition print: Every Chair At the Visual Studies Workshop
Luke's site
Luke's blog
Luke's other blog
Luke's flickr
Luke's other flickr

This is the back of the painting that Jason Polan is showing at Jonathan LeVine

You don't need me to tell you that Jason Polan is hot shit because he is, by association, in the upcoming group show entitled Hot Shit. The Hot Shit show (that is fun to say out loud) will be opening Saturday September 6th at Jonathan LeVine Gallery.

Jason will be showing a painting that preserves hope and happiness:

The painting is of the moment before President Kennedy was assassinated. It is taken from frame 226 of the Zapruder film. I wanted to make my piece the last moment before things changed. I wanted everyone to still be happy. Jackie Kennedy is still waving at the people on the left of the car and President Kennedy is still smiling at the people on the right side of the car. It is sunny out and everyone is excited to see the President.

It's sunny out.

Jonathan LeVine Gallery
529 W. 20th Street, 9E
New York, NY

Jason Polan's 20x200 editions:
Hand Project
Every Person in New York

Jason Polan's sites:
Jason Polan
The Drawing Project
The 53rd Street Biological Society

Heaven Sent Brandy, 16" x 16", acrylic on birch panel, 2008 by Laura Levine

20x200 artist, Laura Levine, is part of a group show that opened this weekend at Copro-Nason Gallery in Los Angeles. Surely you remember Laura from our Ornithology summer group show at the gallery. This time around Laura switches her allegiance from things that fly to things that bark.

I cannot resist sharing another of her paintings with you:

Boo-Boo, 16" x 16", acrylic on birch panel, 2008 by Laura Levine

These are done so that the subject is rendered in life size, hence the title of the series Shown Actual Size. The show will be up through September 27th.

Two paws up!

The BLAB! Show
Copro-Nason Gallery
Bergamot Station, Bldg. # T-5
2525 Michigan Ave.
Santa Monica, CA

Laura's site
Laura's 20x200 edition prints:
Meadow Lark
Birds of the Pacific Northwest
Birds of the Rockies

With today's duo of editions, we continue our celebration of Carrie Marill's NYC solo debut Doing a Lot with Very Little. House Plant 2 and House Plant 3 are both based on original paintings which you'll be able to see live and in person on Friday evening at the gallery.

As Carrie said at dinner last night, the work that she's made for this exhibition is about seeing, which I interpret as remembering to look. The quiet, delicate presence of her humble house plants reminds me that the most mundane things can anchor a moment and define a memory. We all have an idea of a house plant, but Carrie is remembering specific plants, which she contemplated at specific moments, in a specific place. In detailing the intricate geometry of branches and leaves and noticing the way the plants in 2 seem to stretch together towards an unseen sun, she is creating a richer connection to the time and the place that she remembered to see them. She's taken some plants, and turned them into those plants, the ones that were there when she was, if you will, doing a lot with very little.

I fear that perhaps I am making no sense, so I'll try to give you another example. The other night, I was at a reading. There was a lot going on. On stage were two charismatic presences, the writer Augusten Burroughs and singer/songwriter Tegan (without Sara.) The room was full, of people and books and energy. The air held a lot too: sounds, smells, light. The floor boards creaked and maybe the chairs weren't so comfortable. It was a lot to take in, so much so that I felt myself in danger of taking in nothing at all. So I did this thing I do sometimes (I suggest you try it, it works!)

I decided to look, and to see. I fixed my eyes on the tall slim case of books situated on the wall, behind the stage, behind and between Tegan and Augusten, with two very large windows on either side of it. It was the Classical Music section. There was a Jazz book shelved wrongly, so it stood out. When I think about the book and its silver lettering along a blue spine, I can hear the burr of the grinder from the cafe behind me, and the click of the shutter from the photographer who sat next to me. And I remember the socks that my friend who was sitting beside me was wearing. And how narrow Tegan's jeans were, and how sinewy Augusten is and the strange timbre of his voice when he read.

I went back to that classical music shelf, and expanded my view to the windows flanking it which looked onto other windows, behind which were George Nelson lamps and sleek aluminum chairs. Their coldness, and the richness they implied, made me listen harder to Tegan's guitar playing, and look more closely at the faces of the audience. It made me appreciate that much more how great the Housing Works Bookstore is, with its dark wood, its unpredictable selection and its readings and performances. It reminded me of conversations I've been having with another friend of mine, one who grew up here in New York like I did, about the things that are disappearing and how we remember them and what they actually mean.

My point is this: in remembering to see something, I fired up every other sense as well. I made a memory of something that might have been forgotten, and the memory connects to a lot of things beyond that specific place and time. Carrie's way of seeing reminds me of this, which may or may not be her intention, but I have a feeling she'll enjoy the association regardless. And speaking of Carrie and seeing, I need to go see her right this very minute.

You? I'll see you tomorrow!

Good day to you, my collector pals, and welcome to the Wednesday edition of 20x200. I am not going to talk about the weather today except to say that it's most fine. And I'm not going to talk about my tiredness except to say that I went to bed at 3:30 a.m. and got up just a few hours later.

I am going to apologize for teasing you all last week with word of a 20x200 surprise that was due Monday. SO sorry! We're still putting the finishing touches on the details, but I promise it's coming soon. I will also mention that Carrie Marill's show is opening at the gallery the day after tomorrow, because we installed it yesterday and wow! It looks great, super fantastic in fact, and is quite a departure from the ordinary for both Ms. Marill and the gallery itself.

Now on to what's most important for the 20x200 addicted, today's photography editions, Untitled 2 (raft) and Untitled 5 (wallpaper). These quiet and lovely photos are by Dan Boardman, another member of the JB family by way of his participation in the Summer '07 edition of Hey, Hot Shot!, where he also exhibited work from this series, Home. His statement, much like the work itself, is simple and charming and (dare I say it?) sweet:

To grow up in a small town is to always be looking for something bigger, to be looking out to the next chapter, waiting, daydreaming. To move away from a small town is to long for its innocence and its comfort.

As it has been amply evidenced here, I am a fan of the square format for photography. My enthusiasm about the opportunities for elegant composition within an equally sided image are apparently infectious. (Not to mention alliterative, I see.) A friend is newly fixated on getting himself a Hasselblad and has rented one for the upcoming weekend, just to be sure. I don't even need to see the results! I am sure already.

What could be better than a square photo? Why, two square photos, naturally, especially two that go together as well as these do. All of the images from Home bring out the tender-hearted sentimentalist in me*, but I love how these two are the same and different all at once.

The compositional similarities practically hit you over the head, so much so that I was slightly sheepish when suggesting the pairing to my JBP cohorts. The counterpoints are perhaps a little more subtle — the opposition of the expansive outdoors against the intimate interior, the bright, cool blues and greens vs. the creamy intimacy of the domestic tableau. It's divine, if you ask me, and the sum of them is better than either on its own.

And with that (and with the acknowledgment that I need to come up with some new segue phrasing) I will leave you on your own for the balance of this week. There's a good chance I'll be back sooner than Tuesday with word on our special project, but the aforementioned opening of Doing a Lot with Very Little may well leave me with little time to spare.

If you're in NYC come see us at Jen Bekman Gallery! You'll find us toasting Carrie and ogling her fabulous work at 6 Spring St. from 6 p.m. — 8 p.m. on Friday, September 12th. (Toasting isn't your thing? You can ogle independently anytime between noon and 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, from September 13th through October 18th.) If you're afar, tune in to the 20x200 blog where the capable Ms. Canal has things humming along quite nicely.

See you soon!

*As if she needed coaxing.

Image from Christina Muraczewski's Woodgrain series

VenusZine's Jamie Elizabeth Hall has a nice article on 20x200 artist Christina Muraczewski this month. Christina was also in our last group show, Ornithology, where she showed work from her Woodgrain series.

Christina will also appear in new a group show, Shipped Shapes, opening in LA on September 20th at fakespace.

fakespaceLA
2401 S. Santa Fe Ave #104
Los Angeles, CA

Christina's edition prints:
Polly
Daisy
Christine's site

Last Friday we brought you a super special double edition from Superdeluxe to commemorate our one year anniversary here at 20x200. We also had a very lively party here in New York filled with lovely faces and lots of yummy treats and drinks. You can check out the photos of the festivities here on our new 20x200 flickr!

Carrie Marill's 16 Cubes

Jen Bekman is pleased to present Doing a Lot With Very Little, an exhibition of new paintings by Carrie Marill. Her work has been exhibited across the United States and featured in publications such as New American Paintings, Wired Magazine, and The New York Times. This will be her first solo exhibition in New York City.

The exhibition will be on view Friday, September 12 through October 18, 2008 at Jen Bekman Gallery, located at 6 Spring Street, New York, NY, 10012. An opening reception for the artist will be held on the evening of Friday, September 12 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the gallery.

In Carrie's own words:

Doing a Lot with Very Little is the result of my endeavor to create a series of non-narrative work. I am using recognizable imagery and the language of systems to create a dialog; the mathematical and the organic cohabitate, creating a world of exploration and curiosity.

I chose to paint house plants after coming across some elegant images in a Japanese architecture book. I've painted them before and found myself returning to plants when I needed a break from the detailed birds I had been working on over the past year. I like the quiet and contemplative way drawings of ordinary house plants can say so much, through very little.

The abstract drawings are observations in color, value and composition, generating three-dimensional images in a two dimensional space. They act as pauses between the house plant paintings. It is an organic process, each color choice was in response to the previous color painted. Simple marks combine together to create an optical illusion, much like the subtle value changes and intricate lines that make up the images of house plants.

Read Carrie's full artist statement
Read the full press release

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring St
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
Gallery Hours:
Wednesday – Saturday | Noon – 6pm

Doing a Lot with Very Little will be on view view from September 12th - October 18th, 2008

Madonna, 1982 by Laura Levine

I was assigned to photograph Madonna for Interview Magazine. Her first single (Everybody) was about to be released and no one really knew what she looked like. She (like most of my subjects back then) arrived alone, sans any kind of entourage. She was incredibly professional and cooperative. Even when I asked her to do seemingly ridiculous things like wrap herself in my curtains. (All in the name of a good photo, of course).

Hi. Yes, I know I told you about Laura Levine in a post last week, but the lady is a busy one. She's in a group show at the Varga Gallery in Woodstock which opens today. Laura will be showing the above photo of Madonna, and many others from her 80's rockstar portfolio, in the retrospective show EV/LES.

EV/LES – A Retrospective
Varga Gallery
130 Tinker Street
Woodstock, New York
Saturday, September 13, 2008 – October 5, 2008

Laura's site
Laura's 20x200 edition prints:
Meadow Lark
Birds of the Pacific Northwest
Birds of the Rockies

Gazebo, Wakehurst Place Platinum Palladium 18.5x16"

Congratulations are in order for 20x200 photographer Beth Dow who was awarded the Grand Prize from Photography.Book.Now's competition for her book In the Garden.

From the press release:

"I'm both humbled and thrilled by this achievement, and to have my work recognized by such a prestigious group of judges," said Beth Dow, Grand Prize winner, Photography.Book.Now. "This award will allow me to finish a deeply meaningful project that I may not have otherwise had the chance to do, and I'm profoundly grateful. Congratulations to all the photographers who submitted their work to Photography.Book.Now."

For those of you in San Francisco, there will be an awards ceremony this Friday, September 19th. RSVP here.

San Francisco Awards Ceremony and Meet-up
Bimbos 365 Club
1025 Columbus Avenue (at Chestnut Street)
San Francisco, CA 94133

Beth is represented by Jen Bekman Gallery.
Images from her last solo show, Fieldwork, can be seen here.
Beth's 20x200 edition prints:
Bags
Clearing, Wakehurst Place
Beth's website

Greetings! Yes indeedy, this is yet another announcement about Jason Polan. I think that I should consider dedicating a day each week to sharing with you what is up wth Jason, because clearly there is just so much.
Ok, as is the recent trend with Jason, we're in for a little history lesson mixed in with the art. Can you name the three branches of the United States government? I sincerely hope so, but if not, don't worry because I won't tell and Jason's made a video for the State Bar of Texas that will set you straight.

Want more? Jason's also illustrated videos on Jury Duty and Judicial Elections.

If only all educational videos in school were this smart, then maybe just maybe...well, never mind. This is not the right place for me to get on a soap box.

Happy Monday!

Jason Polan's 20x200 editions:
Hand Project
Every Person in New York
Jason Polan's sites:
Jason Polan
The Drawing Project
The 53rd Street Biological Society

Tumultuous Tuesday greetings, collectors! I'm sitting amidst a swirl of activity in JBP HQ, snacking on raspberries that taste like summertime. Autumn is in the air however, as evidenced by the jaunty miniature pumpkin that I brought into the office today. Now that we've finally cleared the queue resulting from a late season pile-up, Team 20x200 is fully future focused. The last of the orders which have been (uncharacteristically) delayed are on their merry way to collectors the world over, and we're stocking the shelves with all kinds of arty goodness for the coming season and beyond.

Today's eclectic editions from Jason Polan have a back-to-school vibe of their very own, in my mind at least. Back to school means field trips, and field trips mean visits to the Museum of Natural History, and regular readers know well how I feel about field trips! Combine my field trip fondness with my abiding affection for Jason and his endlessly inspiring projects, throw in a dash of birdy goodness and we get 132 Birds at The American Museum of Natural History.

As with other offerings from the mind of Mr. Polan, this edition is simultaneously dead simple and a little complicated. It's simple in the sense that he's doing that thing he does so well: cataloging something that captures his interest with his deft and charming drawings. It's complicated in the sense that he always forces us to mess with the 20x200 structure by doing things differently on every level. This particular project breaks down thusly:

The edition of 200 pieces at $20 each are booklets hand made by Jason, entitled 132 Birds at The American Museum of Natural History. Each photocopied booklet is signed in pencil with an original ink drawing of a bird on the cover. They are classic Jason lo-fi high art — humble materials assembled into something that's unique, hand made and individually signed.

The edition of 20 pieces at $200 each are original 16"x12" drawings of a single bird from the museum. (Each drawing will be of a different bird). The work will be hand drawn with a mixture of India ink, acrylic paint and other materials on archival paper. These are two examples of medium bird drawings: Barn Owl and Brandt Cormorant.

The edition of 2 pieces at $2000 each are original 29.5"x39.5" drawings of a bird from the museum. (Each drawing will be of a different bird). The work will be hand drawn with a mixture of India ink, acrylic paint and other materials on archival paper. A copy of the booklet 132 Birds at The American Museum of Natural History will be included with each large drawing.

You'd think that all this booklet making and bird drawing would keep Jason busy enough, but there's even more that he's up to! Kara's been trying to keep pace with his prolificacy, posting about his video projects, group shows and funny money over on the 20x200 blog. But wait, there's more, as detailed in a late night dispatch I received from the fella himself mere hours ago:

here are a couple of things that are
coming up. a solo show [ed. note: !!!] at glenn horowitz bookseller in east hampton. it is november 15. i am also doing the project November 2 with esopus for the editions/artists' book fair [ed note: very much looking forward to this] and the millard fillmore bills are still available too.
thanks jen. i am falling asleep right now.

As if he ever sleeps? I mean really, how could he with all that stuff to do? And speaking of stuff to do, it's time for my segue into farewell, as there's plenty to do around here too. So I'm going to hop to it, but as usual, I'll be back tomorrow with this week's photography offering. See you then!

Image from Birth Piontek's Sub Rosa series

Bom dia collectors, especially to all of you in Brazil. 20x200 photographer, Fall 2007 Hot Shot and Ultra, Birthe Piontek is currently showing work at São Paulo's Galeria Leme in a group show, Portrait II. Selected images from Birthe's Sub Rosa series are up now through October 4th. The entire series was previously on view at Jen Bekman Gallery, and can be seen here.

Galeria Leme
Rua Agostinho Cantu, 88
São Paulo, Brazil

Birthe's edition print:
Untitled (from Sub Rosa)
Birthe's artist page at Jen Bekman Gallery
Birthe's site

Image from Sköna Hem

Hello collectors!

This has been a long time coming. I've been researching for a bit, and then Jen sent me a fantastic link that made me buckle down and gather all of my notes to present you with this plentiful post.

As you know, 20x200 celebrated our one year anniversary two Fridays ago, and many of you have, or will soon have, amassed a fair amount of art. This post is here for you to bookmark. We all need a little help to get the art off of the table and onto our walls. I am guilty of this myself...I have many photographs and prints that need to find their way into frames and onto my walls. It is my hope that this post will serve to inspire us together, dear reader.

A million moons ago I worked as an assistant to a nutty creative director and he had me up all night most nights collecting "swipe". I'm not sure if this is a term used throughout the industry (I ran away and never looked back) so I will consider it a neologism, and give it this definition: a scrapbook of ideas that keeps one up all hours in order to please an overbearing creative director. Here I am happily providing you with the electronic equivalent, but without the slightest tinge of resentment.

First, let's have a peek at how Jen Bekman hangs art in her home:

Now let's check out two of Raul's approaches:

Both Jen and Raul are in favor of clustering their art. Here is a fool-proof link that will help you get the look just right.

More clustered art inspiration:

Image from Design Scouting

Image from Domino

Image from Design Scouting

Image from West Elm

For those of you who prefer more order in your art groupings:

Image from Jonathan Adler

Or the smart, singular approach:

Yes, this is Jen's home again

And for those of you that want to temporarily get your art up quickly try this:

Image from Apartment Therapy

More inspiration:
Abbey Goes Design Scouting
Domino Magazine
Apartment Therapy
More to come on how to frame and mat (or not) your art. Stay tuned.

Greetings collectors! Welcome to your Wednesday dispatch from 20x200 land. I'm a bit bleary-eyed today, having indulged in a night out on the town that kept me up past 2 a.m. One of my favorite things about NYC is that you can stay out till the wee hours on any night of the week; there's always something entertaining going on, usually lots of things, in fact. I might not do it all that often, but there's something comforting about knowing that it's there.

This need for 24 hour living is integral to my city girl identity, which means that all my country living fantasies are just that. I must confess, however, that today's photographs are gorgeous enough to make me consider turning in my night owl wings for a more bucolic life.

Hay Harvest, New Jersey and Cotton Field, Mississippi are from Farms, an evolving body of work by Shuli Hallak. Shuli is a Summer '07 Hot Shot, a recent SVA MFA Photo grad and someone who I happily run into out and about at various photography events in New York City and beyond.

Visually, this new body of work might seem like a dramatic departure from the hard-edged nighttime shots of her Cargo series, but it is gorgeous and monumental evidence of Shuli's ongoing investigation of what she describes as "nearly invisible networks that we depend on but of which we know very little."

The Farms series is particularly resonant for me right now since my literate lefty leanings having me thinking, reading and talking a lot about Slow Food, sustainable agriculture, CSAs and really getting to the bottom of where bacon comes from. Being a city girl makes all of this stuff that much more of a mystery, giving me a voracious appetite for words and images on such matters, not to mention its delicious results. (Although I'm not unquestioning about the inherent privilege of being able to preoccupy myself with such things.)

Many of the photographers that I work with are developing projects related to farms, sustainability and the environment. It's been interesting to see how each artist's individual style is manifested in the results. One of the things that I like so much about the images of Shuli's series is that they are hers, clearly kin to Cargo in spite of the very different subjects, colors, light and environment. To me, being able to establish a distinctive visual style and carry it across a diversity of subjects is one of the true indicators that a photographer is talented.

All this talk of farms and food has given me a hankering for some fresh air and fancy treats. With the editions explicated, that's my cue to take my leave and head out into the sunny afternoon to sniff out some sustenance. As always, you won't have to miss me for long; there's lots of good art in the hopper and I'll be back soon to share it with all of you.

Image from Karolina Karlic's Dear Diary series

20x200 photographer and Spring 2007 Hey, Hot Shot, Karolina Karlic, will be showing her Dear Diary series at Minnesota's Independent Feature Project. The show opens tonight and will remain on view through November 8th.

From the press release:

Intrigued by the motivations of those that post Internet classifieds through “Missed Connections” on Craig’s List, Karolina Karlic sought out the posters to create her images. Perhaps by helping to complete their need for connection she was able to draw them into collaboration to make photographs of vulnerability and longing in our contemporary world of impersonal Internet communication.

Independent Feature Project
2446 University Ave. West
Saint Paul, MN

Karolina's Edition Print:
Katerina
Karolina's site

Luke Stephenson wrote to me to let me know that he has recently completed a new project, The Clown Egg Register. The project documents the specific makeup and wig style that each clown in the Clowns International has registered. Now, this might seem a little strange, and frankly, that's because it is strange. Yet somehow, the disembodied clown head eggs feel familiar and earnest in a special way. In Luke's own words:

This is a selection of Eggs from the collection held by Clowns International which is the oldest clown society in the world. When you are a clown and you join the society you get the chance to have your painted face registered which then acts in a way like clown copyright. I was privileged enough to be allowed to photograph a selection of these wonderful things shown here. They are all real clown faces, some of them are legends in clown terms.

Yes, baby it's a wild world.

All of the Clown Egg Register photographs can be seen here.
Luke's 20x200 editions:
Yellow Canary #1
White and Grey Canary #1
Luke's site

Autumnal Tuesday greetings, collectors! The fickle weather has made my iced-or-hot coffee decision unpredictably variable, confusing the counter people at my morning haunt. After polishing off a piping hot cup today, I returned home for a costume change. My dog-walking chic ensemble discarded, I am now outfitted in my beloved motorcycle boots, an engineer-striped skirt (a more fashionable interpretation of the ubiquitous overalls of my early 20s) and a long sleeve tee.

Tights and boots season, at long last! Such bliss, especially after exceeding my (admittedly low) threshold for high heels yesterday, teetering about in them long after the Important Meeting I donned them for was through. In keeping with back-to-school vibe that such seasonality inspires, I have two bookish editions to introduce today.

The utterly charming Bookshelf 29 and Bookshelf 20 are print editions based on original watercolors by Renaissance woman Jane Mount. I discovered Jane's work via the very enjoyable art and design blog my love for you is a stampede of horses and snapped up one of the originals via Etsy. Having judged her by her bookshelves, which held much in common with my own, I wanted to know more. A cursory Google-stalking of Ms. Mount and suddenly I had myself the biggest friend-crush I've had in a long time. (Who wouldn't?)

I don't use the term Renaissance woman lightly in describing Jane. An artist at heart, she's enviably accomplished in a variety of disciplines, tackling web, print and interior design with equal aplomb. I'm especially appreciative of her talents since my own ability to produce anything visually appealing, by my own hand, is limited to my excellent penmanship. Then on top of it, she's got a way with words! And she's an experienced entrepreneur and a stylish dresser to boot. She even knows a thing or two about wine, knowledge that she's generously shared with me since we took our relationship from the virtual to the real. (I'm not one to let a crush languish for long.)

Jane came into JBP HQ for a meeting several weeks ago; we talked about working together on one small design related project. As if! Flash forward to now: she's involved with almost every project we've got going (and you know that's a lot) and I'm courting her to come work with us full time.

That she's talented makes her a great addition to our team, but her omnivorous curiosity is what brings her into the family fold so easily. We're all possessed of similarly voracious appetites for a wide variety of things: architecture, art, photography, dumplings, champagne, shoes, ferris wheels, letterpress, Coke in bottles, apple-picking, bridge-crossing and naturally, books — all these things inform our work in one way or another. We've all got bookshelves with an eclecticism on par with Jane's, which is part of why these editions are so appealing.

The neat row of well-used notebooks was an instant favorite in the office. Moleskine fanatics one and all, each of us has a different favorite. Lately I'm a fan of the pocket-sized reporter, while a friend has been making some charming drawings in the storyboard version. We gave our Hey, Hot Shot! panelists craft-paper covered cahiers customized with 20x200 stickers at a recent panel review. The Moleskine dream? Custom embossed ones, with the 20x200 logo of course!

The Moleskines are in good company with the architecture-heavy shelf we chose to feature. I encourage you to check out any one of the titles depicted; they're bound to get the creative juices flowing. Thanks to the hard work of Ms. Distin, we've got a linked up reading list to share, listed left to right:

S,M,L,XL
John Pawson Works
(Un)fashion
A Mysterious Unmarked Slim White Book
McSweeney's Issue 13
Elysian Fields
Chemistry Book
Acme Novelty Datebook
1000 Extraordinary Objects
Moleskine Red Pocket Daily Planner
Mutations
Experience and Nature
Art As Experience

Having filled your day with art and books and art of books, I'm going to skedaddle. I'm back tomorrow with another double photography edition, one that I'm also quite excited to share with all of you.

GQ throws the spotlight on 20x200 and Dustin Amery Hostetler in their October issue.

1 Hund(red) sneaker for CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED by Dustin Amery Hostetler

Dustin also recently designed a sneaker for CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED. You can check out his design as well as offerings from other artists here.

Dustin's edition print:
Color Study #4
Dustin's site

Wednesday greetings to all you fine collector folks. Did you know that today is National Punctuation Day? I did not, but was thrilled to discover it. Grammatical goodness and elephant appreciation all in one week!? Mercy me, I'm overcome. Next thing you know, someone will email me a link about Frank O'Hara appreciation day being this Friday, or some such thing.

In other appreciation news, I proclaim it JB BFF Appreciation Week here on 20x200. Today's photography editions Needle-Needle-Nee and Close Call are by Coke Wisdom O'Neal, who went from being Facebook friend number eight-hundred-and-thirty-something to #1 favorite on my iPhone in record time. It's a fitting follow up to yesterday's bookish editions from #1 girl crush Ms. Jane Mount (who assured me via IM that the feelings are mutual. Phew.)

In spite of their very different approaches, these two artists actually have more in common than being objects of my unending affection. Both are creating portraits of people via their things, providing glimpses into what Coke describes as the "unguarded identity" of their owners.

Another BFF of mine, David Steward, once described New Yorkers' preoccupation with fashion and appearance as "carrying their houses around on their backs." With most of us living in cramped quarters, we tend to convene in bars and restaurants for our socializing. An invitation to someone's home for dinner is a rare thing indeed, making access to someone's medicine cabinets (or bookshelves) an unusual happenstance in and of itself. Who can blame us then, for seizing upon these infrequent opportunities to plumb the depths of our hosts' psyches?*

Coke's side job as an architectural photographer has given him ample opportunity to plumb these depths, and plumb them he has. I'm particularly taken with the narrative and cinematic potential contained within each portrait. As I've mentioned before, I love an image that tells a story, and these images are particularly ripe with potential plot lines.

The prints themselves are pretty amazing too. Coke chose to make digital c-prints, using a metallic paper that works perfectly with the surfaces of the cabinets and their contents. Even better, the image dimensions of the largest prints in each edition are the exact size of the original cabinets, giving a well-trimmed print a sort of tromp l'oeil presence.

As I mentioned, Coke and I met via Facebook. I added him since I was familiar with (and a fan of) his work, and he subsequently messaged me, suggesting that I should develop an iPhone app. I countered with a suggestion that he do a 20x200 edition. He ponied up with the editions right away, but the iPhone app is still in development (really!) Not wanting to appear app-less, I created a 20x200 application [note: you must be logged in to Fb for that link to work] which allows you to share 20x200 art with your Facebook friends.

That's 4 prints + 1 app so far this week, which is a whole lotta 20x200 love. But that's not all, I've got more love to give — there's a bonus edition coming from a 20x200 fave on Friday, so keep an eye on your inbox and look for me then.

*Naturally, I'd never crack open someone's medicine cabinet for any reason beyond needing an Advil or two to address a splitting headache, but I do confess that I've removed a prospect or two from the dating pool based on my evaluation of his library.

Nina Berman
Little Patriots, 16" x 20" pigment print, Homeland Series
July 4, Ridgefield PArk, New Jersey, 2003, Edition: 2/10
Value: $1200.00

Hello collectors. You're probably going to want to bookmark this link, and set your iCal to remind you to place a bid (or two or three) to Art For Obama on October 1st. A long list of A-list photographers have joined together to hold an auction to raise funds for Barack Obama with the help of these friendly folks. 20x200 and Jen Bekman Gallery's Nina Berman has a print up for auction, as does Alec Soth, Uta Barth, Larry Sultan, Tierney Gearon, and other equally distinguished names.

Be sure to be free at 5pm on Wednesday, October 1st; buying art in the name of Obama = genius.

Alec Soth
Advantage Inn, from the series Niagara, 8"x10" C-Print on 11"x14" paper
Photo taken 2005, Printed 2007
Artist's Proof 1/5
Value: $1,200.00

*UPDATE*
Bidding has been postponed until OCTOBER 3rd 5pm EST, and will continue through October 10th, 5pm EST

And a special footnote:
Proceeds from the auction will go to MoveOn.org, not directly to the Obama campaign.

Image: Linzie Hunter

Wow. Congratulations to 20x200 artist Linzie Hunter who is in a show with the most vivid title I've heard in recent memory. The show promises to deliver, and you can find out for yourself on Monday September 29th provided you are near to 30 Tottenham Street, London.

For those of you unable to skip across the pond, you can view some images of the show here, and on Linzie's flickr.

Coningsby Gallery
30 Tottenham Street
London W1T 4RJ

Linzie's edition prints:
Boundless
Say Goodbye to Love Failures
Linzie's site
Linzie's flickr

Rainy Friday greetings, collectors. All this gloom and doom, weather-wise and otherwise, is bringing out the escapist in me. I wish that I could run off to sunny California rightthisminute, for a bunch of reasons, sunshine being the least of them.

Fodder for my California dreaming is today's edition, Ivy, by LA denizen and 20x200 superstar Christina Muraczewski. Ivy layers wicker rattan atop the faux bois goodness we already know and love from her previous editions, Daisy and Polly.

The Los Angeles leg of my fantasy weekend getaway would surely include a visit to the Santa Fe Art Colony, where Chrissy has her studio. After art-ogling, gossip and tea with Ms. Muraczewski, I'd amble on over to fakespace LA to check out Shipped Shapes, a group show featuring work by Chrissy and eleven other talented artists. LA-based collectors: don't miss it!

As for me, I'm about to pull on my wellies and head out for a lunch date with one of Christina's New York collectors. Have yourselves a great weekend!

Happy Tuesday, collectors! Today I'm happy to tell you what is new with the wildly talented and delightful Fernanda Cohen.

First, Fernanda has released a line of books, Lilah Books, to be exact. I'll let the lady herself describe them for you:

There are three different designs to choose from: Lilah Green, Lilah Red & Lilah Blue. They're the perfect size (5 x 7 in.) to fit in your handbag. They feature a hard cover binding that contains 80 blank pages, and it's topped off with an elastic closure.

Fabulous. You can click on over to her site to see which one you'll buy.

Next, Fernanda was kind enough to share some of her recent illustration work for Argentina's Clarín:

Gentrified Neighborhoods Illustration for Clarín, Argentina 2008

How Technology Has Changed the Way We Live Illustration for Clarín, Argentina 2008

Urban Spas Illustration for Clarín, Argentina 2008

But wait! There's more!
Here are 2 illustrations Fer made for Pocko:

And lastly, here is an illustration made for Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine:

Are you reeling in the rainbowy goodness of Fernanda? How could you not be?! I'm going to break some 20x200 blog ground right now, and dedicate a song to Miss Fernanda Cohen, because, well, She's Like a Rainbow!

UPDATE!MORE NEWS! Today I just read that Fernanda is teaching a course at the 3rd Ward. The course, Illustration Portfolio, ‘helps students build a professional portfolio strong enough for them to feel confident to show it to art directors in the illustration field, including editorial and advertising’. Go Fernanda!

Fernanda's 20x200 edition: Hot Dog and I
Fernanda's website

Tuesday greetings, collectors! NYC is quiet today, as many people are ringing in the Jewish New Year (L'shana Tovah!) while the rest of us are collectively holding our breath, waiting to see whether the Wall St. roller coaster will dip or creak upwards today.

Today's edition Coney honors the home of that other legendary (and legendarily creaky) NYC roller coaster, The Cyclone. As per usual, our editions are archival pigment prints produced on 100% cotton rag paper and are available in three sizes:

11"x8.5"
Edition of 200
$20 each.

22"x17"
Edition of 20
$200 each

40"x30"
Edition of 2
$2000 each

The fate of Coney Island, along with that of its bedraggled and beloved amusement park, Astroland, has been hanging in the balance for a couple of years now. As of this writing, it appears that Astroland is closed for good as of the end of this season. (But really, who knows? We've heard this story before.) Breaking IM alert from across the room: Bloomie wants a reprieve! (See what I mean? Only in New York, kids.)

Opened, closed or under renovation, Coney Island holds a special place in the hearts of every person here at JBP HQ. Ms. Wendell very recently got engaged atop the Wonder Wheel. That's the very same Ferris wheel that I delighted in riding with my grandfather as my grandmother and brother watched from below. (Chickens, the both of them!) Raul goes there frequently with his brood.

That's just scratching the surface, of course, as each of us has had more than a few memorable adventures along those boardwalks. The truth is that almost every New Yorker has a soft spot for the place, and it also lives on in the memories and imaginations of people all over the world, including that of our artist, Scottish-born Londoner Linzie Hunter.

Linzie's previous 20x200 editions, Say Goodbye and Boundless documented an entirely different kind of carny freak show, namely the strange universe of spam. These two worlds are currently colliding in an exhibition evocatively entitled Hot Rods and Hairy Beasts, which is on view at London's Coningsby Gallery through this Saturday, October 4th. For more details check out Kara's post on the 20x200 blog. If you're going to be in London, it's closing soon, so get yourself over there!

As for Coney Island, with its fate clearly uncertain, I encourage everyone to make their pilgrimage now, while the weather is still fine and the Wonder Wheel is still turning. Also now going, going and sure to be gone in not too long is Ms. Hunter's edition. Buy one now, while you still can.

I'm back tomorrow with words and pictures. (And, in fact, pictures of words.) See you then!

Amy Ross
Legshroom With Bird
2008
collage on paper
10 x 8 inches

Amy Ross' collages offer us a delightful glimpse into another world, where we might retreat to when the world starts to go all topsy-turvy. Amy happens to be in a group show, Animus Botanica, thisverysecond in Chelsea. The show is closing Saturday, but you've still got some time to make it over, don't you? If you're like me and my closest friends, an indulgent walk around Chelsea just might be what the doctor ordered. Too much election news is just too much. Really.

From the press release:

Amy Ross’ watercolors and collages portray delicate, elegantly rendered botanicals morphed with animal and human forms. Ross notes these images subvert the traditional genre of botanical illustration by viewing the natural world through the lens of genetic engineering and mutation gone awry. Woodpeckers with mushroom caps for heads adorn fragile white birch branches; another mushroom sprouts into a headless writhing serpent. While these creatures are charming, Ross alludes to the dangers of meddling with nature.

Here is another peek:


Amy Ross
Woodpeckershrooms #3
2008
collage on paper, 9 x 12 inches

Boy, I wish I were one of those little birdies hanging out under the mushrooms...they probably don't have to worry about Thursday night's debate!

Denise Bibro Fine Art
529 West 20th Street 4W
New York, NY

Amy's 20x200 editions:
Manshroom
Duck Magnolia
Amy's works on paper: Jen Bekman Gallery
Amy's website