20x200 Newsletter

Edition Announcement #88 - Luke Stephenson

2008-07-23T15:02:55Z

Wednesday Edition: Luke Stephenson

It's-Wednesday-and-we're-having-a-party greetings, collectors! I was at dinner with a friend last night and he said to me, "I like getting your newsletters and all, but you always say, 'Greetings collectors' and I'm not really a collector, am I? I mean I just bought one photo." To which I replied, "That's my whole point! You are a collector. I think of everyone who buys a print, whether it's a $20, $200 or $2000 one, is a collector and I want them to think of themselves that way too." And suddenly he sat up and felt all important. And it was good. Why? I'll get into that in a minute but first things first! Our Ornithology extravaganza continues today with White and Grey Canary #1, our second print from witty Brit Luke Stephenson. The largest sized version of this is hanging at the gallery alongside its cousin Yellow Canary #1, and as you see from the installation photos, they're quite a fetching pair. I've already gone on about how crazy I am about Luke's work, and collectors were in hearty agreement — his first canary sold out in the small and medium sizes in a flash. Scoot yourself off and try to get one, I'll be here when you're done. Where was I? Oh yes, collectors and why it's important to me that 20x200 collectors think of themselves that way. The idea that anyone can be a collector is at the core of this whole "art for everyone" idea I've been hustling over the past five years or so. Living with art is great, it's a comfort and it keeps your walls from being boring. Aside from that, making choices about what you like and don't like helps you know yourself better. (I've found that not liking something can be especially formative.) Considering yourself a collector, even if you've just bought a $20 print, gives some well-deserved gravitas to both your choosing and the work itself. I believe in all the work that I present here and in the artists making it. I believe it's important and it's good and that living with it will make your life better in one way or another. And you're supporting those artists, which is a big deal. So, yea, my pal Steve is a collector and you are too. Tonight's festivities at Crown Point Press are shaping up to be quite the to-do. Lots of people are coming and I'm really looking forward to rubbing elbows with a whole new breed of art patrons. If I don't see you later, I'll see you next week, when I return with more art for everyone.

Edition Announcement #87 - Amy Ross

2008-07-22T05:18:08Z

Tuesday Edition: Amy Ross

Tuesday greetings, collectors. My away-for-July plan is working out fantastically well. Reports from NYC tell me that it's sticky, hot and humid there, exactly what I was hoping to avoid. At the moment, I'm sitting at Ritual Roasters in SF with a steaming cup of coffee, wearing a woolly wrap over my long sleeved shirt. Brr. Today's edition Duck Magnolia, is the latest mad scientist creation to spring from from JB favorite Amy Ross's Boston ~~laboratory~~ studio. I showed several of these delicate compositions as part of Amy's solo exhibition last year, and they were also the stars of our booth at ScopeHamptons last Summer. I'm sure that many of her rabid fans will agree that it's about time that we offered a magnolia edition from Ms. Ross. Manshroom was one of our very first 20x200 editions, and popular as it was, Amy's collectors have been clamoring for a magnolia print for months now. Ask and ye shall receive, sez I! The painting that this print is based on is part of the Ornithology exhibition, which also includes one of her fantastic birdshrooms. You've still got a couple of weeks to catch the exhibition in person, but if you can't (or don't want to!) get yourself to NYC before then, the video tour of the exhibition, narrated by yours truly, is almost like being there. And speaking of being there... where will you be tomorrow night? If you happen to be in the Bay Area, I'm hoping you'll stop by Crown Point Press to say hello. I'm hosting a 20x200 party there from 6pm-8pm and it looks like quite a few collectors are going to be in attendance. If you'll be so kind as to RSVP on Facebook or Upcoming.org, I'll see to it that there's a nicely chilled glass of wine awaiting your arrival. With these festivities on the horizon, I've got wine stocking and frock shopping to do, but fear not: I'll also be squeezing in an announcement of another fantastic photography edition tomorrow morning. See you then!]]> detail:

This Wednesday: 20x200 Party in San Francisco!

2008-07-17T20:03:42Z

20x200 Party at Crown Point Press

I'm in San Francisco this week, and was hoping to meet up with Bay Area 20x200 collectors. It struck me as the perfect opportunity for an impromptu gathering and so a plan was hatched hastily. In spite of my incorrigible last-minute ways, it's all coming together beautifully. The lovely people at Crown Point Press are hosting, and I couldn't think of a better spot for collectors to converge. Here are the details: Who: Jen Bekman, 20x200 collectors, friends + fans What: A 20x200 Party! When: Wednesday July 23rd | 6pm-8pm Where: Crown Point Press | 20 Hawthorne St. SF, CA Why: Because art's for everyone. RSVPs are encouraged and appreciated — we want to be sure to have enough vino for everyone! So, if you're planning on coming, let us know via our Facebook event page or over on Upcoming.org. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of you this Wednesday evening! Super Extra Special Thanks to our Host: Crown Point has an incredible inventory gorgeous and affordable prints. Their Summer Choices group exhibition, which you'll see on Wednesday, features a wide array of artists including Anne Appleby, Robert Bechtle, Francesco Clemente, Mary Heilman, Richard Tuttle and William T. Wiley. Also, July is a big month for Crown Point's Seasons Club members. Prints in inventory from 2003 or earlier can be purchased for half their normal price. With so much amazing work in their inventory, this is definitely a club worth joining.]]>

AA, 2007 By Jacob Magraw

No. 6. 8/6/2005 (plane), by William Lamson

Sophie by Jacob Escobedo

Untitled #5, by Kent Rogowski

Edition Announcement #86 - William Lamson

2008-07-16T14:28:10Z

Wednesday Edition: William Lamson

Greetings collectors! We've got a double dose of photo goodness for you today from the ascendant art star William Lamson, who's apparently the Hemingway of video according to this week's Village Voice. (Whoa.) 13. 3/11/2006 (plane lifted by men) and No. 6. 8/6/2005 (plane) are from Will's series Sublunar which explores the enduring human fascination with flight. Aerodynamic aspirations aside, for me, these photos embody the imagined world that accompanies childhood play. It's not just the paper airplanes that put me back in classrooms where I made trouble; the gathering of individuals with a shared goal of making something fantastical reminds me of hours-long games when we imagined ourselves to be astronauts. (Or in my case, because I was a total dork, a panda in space.) A sense of play, absurdity and fearlessness is present in much of Will's work; I admire his ability to embrace these instincts that are so often tamped down by the obligations of adulthood and propriety, employing them to explore some very grown up themes like identity, ambition and heroism. It's a delicate balance, one that he strikes successfully over and over again. And now, it's time for me to take off and tend to the busy days ahead. I'll be speaking at the PSFK SF conference tomorrow and I've also got a party to plan. A 20x200 party, in fact! The fine folks at Crown Point Press are hosting a reception for 20x200 collectors next week. We are still ironing out the details, including the very major one of whether it will be on Tuesday or Wednesday. As soon as I've got the game plan figured out, I'll post about it on our blog. I can't wait to meet Bay Area collectors in person!]]>

No. 6. 8/6/2005 (plane), by William Lamson

Edition Announcement #85 - Jacob Escobedo

2008-07-14T23:12:39Z

Tuesday Edition: Jacob Escobedo

Tuesday greetings from the West Coast, collectors! I am currently caffeinating at Ritual Roasters in San Francisco, sipping on a cup of coffee as big as my head and delighting in the cool foggy weather. Today's edition, our second from Jacob Escobedo, is entitled Sophie. Jacob started his animal drawings in 2007, naming each one for the friend who cited the depicted beast as their favorite. Sophie is a stranger to me, but I share her affection for pachyderms. The elephant is my current favorite animal, having dethroned my childhood champion the panda by virtue of their intelligent, social and emotional nature. Jacob's intricate, organic textures speak to my aesthetic penchant for the faux bois making this edition particularly irresistible to me. Sophie is a fine addition to the growing 20x200 menagerie — all those birds need a place to perch after all! Speaking of which, our Ornithology editions are far from finished; we've got several feathered friends to add to the flock, but we're not quite ready to hatch them yet. My plans have me on the left coast for the balance of the month, attending and speaking at a variety of conferences and events. This is a most excellent strategy considering how grouchy NYC Summer weather makes me. The JBP crew is minding the shop most ably, and 20x200 editions will continue apace throughout the month. In fact, I'll be back tomorrow with a photograph that features an airborne but inanimate subject. See you then!]]> detail:

Edition Announcement #84 - Beth Dow

2008-07-08T07:24:00Z

Wednesday Edition: Beth Dow

Greetings, collectors! I say it all the time, but today is off-the-hook, insane busy here at JBHQ. We just announced the winners of the first edition of Hey, Hot Shot! 2008 and there are about a million other things going on AND I am getting on a plane tomorrow morning, kicking off my epic tour of the west coast. (More on all that next week.) You're not reading anymore are you? If you are stop, click and buy before the fabulous Beth Dow's photograph, Clearing, Wakehurst Place is gone. It's a beauty, isn't it? The whole In The Garden series is full of one gem after another, all surreal, lush and just gorgeous. I've been in love with the work since last Fall, and I still am. Aren't you? I can barely catch my breath today, so short and sweet will have to do. I leave you to tend to your gardens, and will report back soonest with tales to tell from the other coast.

Edition Announcement #83 - Jacob Magraw

2008-07-08T06:37:16Z

Tuesday Edition: Jacob Magraw

Sweltering Summer Tuesday greetings, collectors. I hope you all had weekends full of poolside barbeques and beach bumming good times. It can be tough to get back to the day-to-day after living the life of leisure, so I'm hoping that some refreshing art from a 20x200 favorite will brighten your day. AA is our second edition from the talented and 20x200-super-connected Jacob Magraw. As a reader of last week's Grand Finale, you already know that Jacob is married to Rachell Sumpter. There's even more interconnectedness beyond what I previously mentioned, if you can believe it. Rachell and Jacob are working on a book together, to be published by the fine folks at McSweeney's in the very near future. Which brings us to 20x200 artists who've done work with McSweeney's, like Echo Eggebrecht, Wendy Heldmann and Jason Polan. And speaking of Jason, he's got all kinds of things upcoming with both McSweeney's and 20x200, and there's some other interconnectedness there that I can't even talk about yet. Suffice to say that we've got big plans, which we further refined over strawberry ice cream yesterday evening. (Yes, making plans with Jason Polan while sitting on a bench on East 10th during a warm but not too hot Summer evening was as fun as it sounds.) It's also worth noting that while Rachell's Finale was gone in a flash, our archives are full of hidden gems, including a few Cave Dwellers from her previous edition along with many other goodies from the talented clan of 20x200 artists. A 20x200 treasure hunt should tide you over till this week's photo edition blossoms in your inboxes at approximately this time tomorrow. There's a garden of earthly delights in store, rain or shine. See you then!]]> Detail:

Edition Announcement #82 - Rachell Sumpter

2008-07-03T17:54:51Z

Special Edition: Rachell Sumpter

Hi there, yes, it's me again, back with a bonus edition for all you faithful 20x200 collectors. I thought I'd drop in on list subscribers a little on the early side, seeing as how lots of you probably have one foot out the door and are heading towards a weekend of summer fun. This week's Grand Finale is our second edition from the talented Rachell Sumpter. I am pretty smitten with its seasonal appropriateness, not to mention its adorable yet enigmatic little people. Plus it's a fitting finale indeed for the week behind us, which included Colin's more modest pyrotechnic display and Lamar's avian pyromaniac. We are on fire! Rachell's art career: also white hot. She's currently got work on view just around the corner from JBHQ at Sunday, a gallery most friendly and most fine. Echo Eggebrecht also has work in the show, titled Tenderly. You need to act fast if you want to see it though, since today is the very last day of the exhibition. Rachell's 20x200 intersections hardly stop at that — she's married to Jacob Magraw and both of them show at Richard Heller Gallery in LA, which hosted an exhibition of Lamar's new works just a few short months ago. That's a whole lot of interconnectedness to contemplate, and I will leave you to do just that. Hopefully you're planning on unplugging soon though, just like we are. Team 20x200 is getting the weekend party started right with a field trip to Shake Shack. I'll be back on Tuesday, rested and ready, with additional editions that are sure to delight. Until then, bon weekend to all of you! ]]> detail:

Edition Announcement #81 - Colin Blakely

2008-07-02T17:58:52Z

Wednesday Edition: Colin Blakely

Wednesday that feels like Thursday greetings, collectors! Things are already winding down for the long weekend here in NYC. Ollie and I saw many beachward-bound citizens on our morning walk today. (The flip-flops and Le Sportsac weekend totes are a dead giveaway.) We're staying put however, which means that we'll have time for a special holiday bonus 20x200 tomorrow. And while I do suggest that you don't stop thinking about tomorrow, it's time to get on with the business of today. Recollection of the Battles Fought Maintaining the Home Front is our second edition from the verbose and talented Colin Blakely. A fitting image for the season, wouldn't you say? When I was a kid, my grandfather always managed to scare up a good assortment of firecrackers for the 4th. Nothing too too crazy - mostly the little guys and some sparklers, which were plenty. Being a New York City family, we were content to leave the major pyrotechnics in the hands of the the experts. Virtuosic East River displays aside, blowing stuff up is cool when you're young and bored, so my grandfather's resourcefulness was met with great enthusiasm by my brother and me. As a grown-up I usually prefer to get outta dodge on the holidays that involve a lot of public revelry, but since I'm gearing up for an epic West Coast trip, it seemed best to stay in town for the weekend. Fortunately, I'm not alone and am looking forward to some local backyard grilling and rooftop fireworks watching. Like I said though, I'll be back tomorrow to launch another explosive 20x200 edition, so look for me then.

Special Edition - Keith Taylor

2008-06-26T14:47:44Z

Special Edition: Keith Taylor

Bonus edition greetings, collectors. I am both exhausted and aglow from last night's festivities. The show came together beautifully, with admirers just flocking to the opening, craning their necks to take in all the avian goodness. As I poetically foreshadowed yesterday, today's edition is the delicate and delightful Bird's Nest by talented photographer (and master printer) Keith Taylor. Our 20x200 edition is an archival pigment print based on an original hand-printed photogravure that's in the Ornithology exhibition. Keith is an amazing craftsman, specializing in these increasingly rare and labor-intensive processes. He's generous with his talents too - he teaches these techniques and also prints for many amazing photographers, including our own Beth Dow. He created the amazing platinum palladium prints for her Fieldwork exhibition at the gallery last Fall, which included Bags, one of our earliest 20x200 editions. When announcing Beth's edition, I described what gorgeous, precious and increasingly rare objects these prints are. And then, as now, one of the biggest thrills about 20x200 for me is being able to offer a beautiful yet affordable reproduction to a larger audience of collectors. And offered it is, but you'd better move quick. We've had a busy week here at 20x200; editions are moving faster than ever, breaking hearts the world over. Tuesday's Carrie Marill edition was gone in minutes flat — curatorial assistant Sarah didn't even have a chance to snap one up in time. Of course, Sarah is one busy woman - her days are filled with sorting out the logistics of future editions, which is good news for everyone. We're all hard at work, planning ever more art for your growing collections. In fact, we've got at least two more great pieces headed your way next week, I'll be back on Tuesday with the first treat of the week. See you then!

Edition Announcement #79 - Bert Teunissen

2008-06-18T17:51:44Z

Wednesday Edition: Bert Teunissen

Greetings collectors, old and new In NYC, looking for something to do? Tonight's the night for Ornithology Featuring photos and pictures, the highest of quality Familiar as you are with my avian tastes You're bound to enjoy all these birds in their place And, as promised, for collectors further afield We've got related editions here as part of the deal Today's a new photo from Teunissen (Bert) An edition you can own without losing your shirt I'm happy to present you Saugnac et Muret #1, 27/12/2005 11:27 (A second print from Bert? It's like manna from heaven.) Fair warning to you, collectors beloved Since when editions sell out, you often feel horrid In the morrow, search the Inbox with your eagle eyes, Which will find nested there a 20x200 surprise. And now I will bid you a most fond adieu On this day, more than others, there's so much to do.

Edition Announcement #78 - Carrie Marill

2008-06-18T17:40:03Z

Tuesday Edition: Carrie Marill

Greetings collectors, on this unbelievably gorgeous New York City day. I'm sitting in the gallery where many a bird has come to roost for Ornithology, which opens tomorrow at 6pm. That all these birds are currently roosting on the floor rather than the walls is cause for some concern, but my guess is that the place will be transformed by no later than 5:55pm tomorrow. So, no worries! Like I said last week, Ornithology's presence will be felt here on 20x200 for the duration of the exhibition. The reverse is true too — we've got several 20x200 originals in the exhibition, including original paintings by Echo Eggebrecht, Laura Levine and Christina Muraczewski, plus exclusive photography editions from the likes of Bert Teunissen and Luke Stephenson. It's good stuff, I tell ya! I'm pretty sure that I'm speaking into the void at this stage, because you've probably clicked off to snap up today's edition, A Dream World Glimmers in the Background of the Soul by the insanely talented Carrie Marill. The even-more-stunning-in-person painting is just about to go up on the wall here, and a detail of it is the image on the postcard for the show, so it seemed a fitting edition with which to get this party started. Right? Right. Speaking of parties, the install party awaits my input, so I am taking off till tomorrow, when I'll be back with this week's photography edition. I look forward to typing to all of you then.]]> detail:

Edition Announcement #77 - James Rajotte

2008-06-17T07:04:42Z

Wednesday Edition: James Rajotte

Wednesday greetings, collectors. School's out for the summer in lots of places, and about to be in others. I'm pretty sure that the NYC public schools are powering through next week, which seems just about right according to my memory. I remember fidgeting and sweating in classrooms well into late June year after year after year. Today's Auditorium by Hot Shot James Rajotte is a perfect symbol of the eerie emptiness of schools in summertime, or even say, just after classes have let out. (If you look closely you'll notice that the clock's at just about 3pm.) This photo, which James first exhibited at the gallery as part of the Summer 2006 edition of Hey, Hot Shot! is from a series called High School. Schools provide the perfect foil for his interest "in spaces that have an inherent tension between objects." As a viewer, I admit that they create a bit of tension and turmoil for me (I was not a star student, alas.) The tension is balanced out by the irresistible pull of nostalgia, and the undeniable beauty of the images that he constructs. And what is art for, if not to stir up emotion and memory? This brings me to the other thing I love about this photo, and others in the series, which is the storytelling they inspire. When the photo was hanging in the gallery, people would come in and launch into their own high school tales unprompted. That kind of interaction is one of my most valued standards for a successful show. I want all kinds of people to be able to connect with and respond to work, and I try to create an environment where they feel comfortable enough to say it all out loud. James makes the kind of photographs that do exactly that. And now, if you will, imagine a school bell ringing. 20x200 art school is out for the week. If you want to keep up on your studies between now and next Tuesday, browse our archives or catch up with the blog. As I mentioned, Ornithology is opening at the gallery on Wednesday June 24th. It's shaped up to be an amazing line-up; there are many names on the roster who will be familiar to gallery goers and 20x200 collectors alike, and we've got some great new artists in the mix as well. And naturally, since synergy is my middle name (or something) you can expect plenty of ornithological goodness to make its way into 20x200's curatorial program in the coming month. To stay up to date on matters related to Ornithology specifically, and the gallery in general, I suggest signing up for the gallery's very low volume mailing list.

Edition Announcement #76 - Michelle Weinberg

2008-06-16T18:37:12Z

Tuesday Edition: Michelle Weinberg

Busy Tuesday greetings, my collector friends. Lazy days of Summer are nothing but a fond wish so far this year at JBHQ. We're in a frenzy of preparation for next week's big events and this week's deadlines, 20x200 and otherwise. More on all that after a few words on today's fine art edition. Cul de Sac is an archival pigment print, created from an original gouache on paper painting by artist Michelle Weinberg. Using her Miami Beach environs as her inspiration and subject, Michelle contrasts its unique Deco-Pop color and charm with the city grit you find in any large metropolis. In her statement she describes how she employs the pulse of pattern and the poetry of pasted words to create invented worlds. While much of her palette and geometry are distinctively deco, the painted plywood and the structures rising behind them also remind me of New York's constantly evolving skyline. Last night, bedeviled by insomnia, I was composing today's newsletter in my head as I dug through the archives of Poetry. Using the The New York School as my point of departure, I came across An Urban Convalescence, a distinctively New York poem of a certain time (1962) by James Merrill. Locale and era aside, his musings on the impermanence of urban architecture struck me as a fitting accompaniment to this painting, and I set it aside for today's use: It is not even as though the new Buildings did very much for architecture. Suppose they did. The sickness of our time requires That these as well be blasted in their prime. You would think the simple fact of having lasted Threatened our cities like mysterious fires. As the saying goes, the more things change they stay the same — in art, in poetry and in life. Now I'm off to attend to today's other to-dos. Tonight's Hey, Hot Shot! deadline is mere hours away, which means we're fielding lots of queries from anxious photographers. Once the clock strikes 8, we'll turn our attentions to preparing for next Tuesday's panelist review of entries, which will be followed on Wednesday by an opening reception at the gallery for Ornithology. (You can count on seeing the fruits of these labors here on 20x200 in the coming weeks as well.) I'll be back tomorrow with this week's photography edition - see you then!

Edition Announcement #75- Kent Rogowski

2008-06-13T15:51:09Z

Collect LES Art Crawl Tonight + Special Edition from Kent Rogowski

This is your last chance to check out Love = Love, a collection of collages and photographs by Kent Rogowski at Jen Bekman Gallery. We're open tonight till 9:30 in conjunction with Artlog's Collect LES event, giving you a few extra hours to see the show, drink some wine and meet the artist himself. Tomorrow we're there for our regular hours, noon-6pm, on Saturday. Don't miss it! We've got all kinds of good stuff queued up for our Summer program. If you want to keep up (or at least try to) join our mailing list for announcements and updates. In other exciting Kent Rogowski news, we've got a second edition of his puzzle prints for 20x200 collectors. Untitled #5 is available in three sizes right now. You might remember that his first edition, Untitled #9, sold out within hours of being announced, so now is a fine time to take advantage of the fact that you're in front of your computer while some other people are sitting in traffic on the LIE. Go ahead and buy one now while there is one to be bought. Neither Kent nor I have any beachy weekend plans, so we'll both be at the gallery tonight for the Collect LES festivities. Join us for a glass of wine, and set aside some extra time to check out our friendly neighbors who are also participating in the Artlog Crawl. If not tonight, then next week for sure - I'll be back on Tuesday with a fresh edition. Tuesday also happens to be the deadline for entries for this year's first edition of the new! improved! ever more exciting! Hey, Hot Shot!. Read on for details about the competition.

Hey, Hot Shot! 2008 | Submission Deadline: Tuesday June 17 @ 8pm The deadline for this year's first edition of Hey, Hot Shot! is upon us! Photographers have until Tuesday June 17 @ 8pm to enter the competition. Unlike previous editions, it's important to know that this is the final deadline, we won't be offering any extensions or accepting late entries, which is just one of many big changes we've made to this year's competition: fewer hot shots + longer exhibitions = more exposure Our panelists will select five Hot Shots to exhibit their work in biannual two-week showcases @ Jen Bekman Gallery. cold hard cash All winning photographers will be awarded a $500 honorarium. ultras go solo At year's end, two Ultras will be selected from 2008's 10 Hot Shots. The Ultras will be represented by Jen Bekman and slated for solo exhibitions at the gallery. Visit Hey, Hot Shot! to read up on all the details or go right ahead and apply now.

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Untitled #5, by Kent Rogowski