Amusements

I took this photograph last summer at a fair in Lewiston, NY- but it looks so retro- like it could have been taken in 1952.  I like it.

Last week was my birthday, and on Friday, we went to Kennywood.  The historic amusement park in Pittsburgh.  We rode most of the roller coasters and screamed in joy and terror.  I ate a corn dog for the first time in my life.  It was disgusting and delicious simultaneously!   By the end of the day we were withered and exhausted from all the fun. 

Spotlight on...Justine Reyes

Untitled, Vanitas, 2009, C-Print

You have done a lot of traveling throughout the world- and have been doing so since college, are there certain places that have affected you and your creativity above others?

My time in Italy and traveling throughout Africa has had a profound effect on me. I love seeking out craft and artisan specialties when I’m traveling. I relearned how to crochet from my Amai in Zimbabwe and was encouraged to really learn new patterns and techniques by my friend’s stepmother in Tanzania. I studied weaving, batik and soft sculpture at Fuji Studios in Florence in 1998 and 2000. It was there that I began thinking about ways to use traditional crafts in my contemporary art making practice.

Can you talk about your travels in general- and what traveling means to you?
Traveling is figuring out the world and figuring out my place in it.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a few new bodies of work. I began a still life series while in residence at the Center for Photography at Woodstock this fall. This series is inspired by Dutch Vanitas paintings and incorporates personal objects of my own as well as objects that belonged to my grandmother. Pairing these objects together speaks to memory and the legacy that one leaves behind. Both the decomposition of the natural (rotting fruit and wilting flowers) and the break down of the man-made objects, reference the physical body and mortality. These objects bear witness to a spiritual trace or imprint that is left behind or residual.

I am also continuing my Away from Home series where I photograph my Mom and Uncle in hotel rooms around the world and I’m still shooting my Guayabera Series and will be crocheting my installation until this war finally ends.

Al, Barcelona, Away From Home, 2008, C-Print

You have worked on a few different bodies of work--images of different objects, your Uncle's t-shirts, the suitcases, how does one project transition into the next? What is your train of thought while you are making your work?
My process is very intuitive and each project builds organically. Much of my work demonstrates the power of objects to bear witness to intangible ideas and emotional truths and employs the iconography and symbols of common everyday objects as a means of communicating shared
experiences. The death of my uncle profoundly impacted me and has in large part brought me to my most current bodies of work, many of which include my family, the idea of leaving and returning home, and the longing to hold on to things that are ephemeral and transitory in nature.

What Remains, 2007, C-Print

What is your dream project?
I’d really like to be able to take my Mom and Uncle Al all over the world for my Away from Home series. This year we are planning to go to Morocco. Time and money are the biggest obstacles but I’m excited to see this work grow and develop over time.

Do you collect source materials? and If so, what?
I collect everything. Seriously. I have a collection of candy wrappers and boxes and even have some framed in shadow boxes. I really like packaging, especially things from foreign countries. I also have binders of images that I tear from Art Forum, Art in America and other magazines of work that I love. Linda Connor actually had us do this in school and it really helps me remember the names and work of other artists.

Untitled, Vanitas, 2009, C-Print

How does your art practice fit into your daily life? or how do you balance your art and your life?
It seems like everything I do is art related or at least 95%. Its good to have a job you love so you don’t feel bad when you’re working all the time. Finding balance is an endless goal.

How do you get through artist's block?
I am always working on projects simultaneously so I usually have too many ideas and not enough time but if I get blocked I would read more and revisit art history for inspiration or go running.

Mom, Barcelona, Away From Home, 2008, C-Print

What words and/or philosophy do you live by?
I don’t have a personal philosophy. I’m just living, making mistakes and trying to learn and grow.

Thank you Justine!!

Justine Reyes lives and works in New York. Reyes' work revolves around issues of identity, history and time; and our relationship to these themes in a post 9/11 world. Using photography and installation, she examines family, the idea of leaving and returning home, and the longing to hold on to things that are ephemeral and transitory in nature. she received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2004 and her BFA from Syracuse University in 2000.

Reyes’s recent work: Guayabera Series was included in Queens International 4 at The Queens Museum of Art. She was also recently awarded the Individual Artist Initiative (IAI) from the Queens Council on the Arts.

Spotlight on....Julia Pogodina

How did your career in fashion photography unfold?
On July 15th, 2006 I quit my job as a foreign associate at Sidley Austin law firm in NY and started doing photography full-time.

But I guess it all started much earlier. As a child, I stayed up all night with my Dad in our homemade darkroom watching him develop b&w pictures from our family trips to the Black sea. Then it was my first camera, a 35mm Lomo compact that I received for my 8th birthday. And lots of art books in my parents library, weekly trips to the museums and exhibitions with my parents, beautiful art pieces & pictures on the wall of our apartment in St.Peterbsurg where I grew up. My parents always encouraged my artistic beginnings (my Dad himself is an antique restorer & jeweler) but the harsh reality of post-Soviet Russia didn’t allow the luxury to pursue your inclinations when it was time to choose where to go to school. Instead, stable income and prestige were the criteria in choosing your future career. The latter together with my excellent grades in school brought me to St. Peteresburg Law school at the age of 18. It took me 9 years to realize that it was a mistake. Without regretting the past I moved on to a very uncertain future and started a new career, fresh, without proper education, at the age of 27.

Honestly, there was no smooth transition between being a corporate lawyer and becoming a fashion photographer. I guess there couldn’t be. It was abrupt, unexpected, scary, and very exciting. I’m not sure I’d be able to do it again if I had to... It takes not only guts but also some kind of blind fearlessness, courage and sense of adventure. It’s like jumping with the parachute for the first time. I loved it! But I would be very cautious to recommend anyone to repeat this path.
2.5 years later everything is different now starting with my self. The way I look, the way I spend my day, my circle of friends and acquaintances, the place where I live. Elegant suits and high heels were replaced by jeans and converse sneakers. My tiny studio in a fancy building in the West Village was abandoned for a spacious loft in East Williamsburg. But the biggest changes happened in my head. Living your dream is a difficult thing. Dreaming about being an artist is easier then becoming one. It is not an overnight process and I still have a long and exciting journey ahead.


Can you talk about collaborating with stylists, makeup artists, models, etc. Each designer has a task but you are all working together to create a look, how does this collaboration work?
In fashion photography – opposite to fine art photography, for example, - team is a key. A glossy picture that you see in a magazine is always a collaborative effort – of an art director, photographer, model, stylist, set designer, make-up artists, hair stylist, photo retoucher, layout designer, etc, etc. It’s a huge production, and each level of it is crucial.
I personally always liked that part. I love working with creative people and this is one of the reasons I’m in this industry. It’s different from the type of team work people talk about in the offices – here it’s not as technical. It is a mix of creativity & different personalities. Magical in a way, and very powerful. Sometimes you feel that you have no control over it; this is when beautiful things are happening – when each team member is in love with the project and you see everybody’s unique touch in the final outcome.

There are no rules in this process, I believe. With my team I’m usually the one throwing initial ideas on the table. Some inspiration, a couple of reference pictures, a short description of a concept. Then each member of the team starts working on his own part. Here I usually give complete freedom and always encourage them to experiment and create something unique. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but at the end it’s all a learning curve, where an ultimate goal is to find and express yourself.

What inspires you?
Lots of things. The people around me. The places I used to live or visit. My childhood memories. Literature. Movies. Exhibitions. Music. Sometimes inspiration is very directional, for example, I can watch the Pillow book by Peter Greenaway and my head starts spinning with ideas about a fashion shoot inspired by the style of the film. But usually it’s more complex. Ideas come as a mix of experiences and aftertastes, dreams and fears, sounds and quotes, flashbacks of emotions.
What photographers, artists, books, fashion designers, or mentors, etc. have influenced you creatively?
If I ever need to write down all the acknowledgements that will constitute a whole book which will be interesting only for those mentioned in it. And this list continues growing every day.

I am blessed to be surrounded by incredibly talented, wise, creative, big-hearted people who always inspire and encourage me. At first it was my Dad who taught me to draw way before I could read and write; my childhood was filled with color pencils, watercolor sets, and canvas paper. My Mom was the one who cultivated a taste in fashion in me; she was the one sewing all my clothes since I was little, and always making me “the-best-dressed” girl in high school. Then it was FTV channel – one of the first foreign channels in post-Soviet Russia along with MTV. I was 16 and I was addicted. I could watch show after show all day long (skipping classes in school, of course). I knew all of the designers and their collections by heart year after year. The first fashion photographer I met was Andrey Borichevskii, my good old friend from St.Petersburg. He was the one who introduced me to names like Mario Testino and Nick Knight. He also showed me Italian Vogue for the first time. There were many others later on: photographers, artists and friends, each of whom added his or her little touch & inspiration to forming this passion in me .
As of now I’m breathing editorials and ad work by Steven Meisel & Steven Klein, Craig McDean, Marcus & Piggot. They are my virtual mentors when it comes to style and quality in fashion photography.

What does the medium of photography mean to you - and why did you choose it?
I like photography for its immediate and true results. I’m not fascinated by the process of depicting a subject (for example in painting) but instead by the subject itself. In my case, it’s beautiful people - and the moment they live in. In a way it’s all about pre-production – my team and I are spending days prepping for the shoot and hours creating a look for the camera. This look usually lives for just a couple of minutes. The camera gives me a chance to capture it imminently, intimately, as I see it - and deliver the message to the viewer later on. I think only video can compete with that, but that’s a different story.

What is the most difficult part of what you do? What do you like best about what you do or create?
The most difficult part is the people. This is also the part I like the most. This is the only part of the job that is always unpredictable, always out of control. It makes it challenging and magical.

What do you like to do when you're not shooting photographs?
Sleep. Read. Watch movies. Travel. Cook. In random order.

What is your dream project?
My dream project is to shoot the Pirelli calendar. Or to travel on assignment from Vogue to an exotic location – like Africa or Iceland – with my team.

What words or philosophy do you live by?
The sky is the limit!

Julia Pogodina moved from Moscow to New York in 2005 to pursue her dream. After 7 years of being a corporate lawyer she quit her office job and became a freelance fashion/beauty photographer. Her pictures stand out for their saturated colors, dynamic compositions, profound lighting and dreamy locations. Julia's commercial and editorial work, along with a list of publications can be seen at http://www.nymfea.com/.

Thanks Julia!

Spotlight on.....Nancy J. Parisi

In this interview, I talk to multi-talented Nancy J. Parisi about photography, her annual Red Dinner and her positively radiant personality!

(photo at right: Self Portrait by Nancy J. Parisi)

You make your living as a commercial photographer and you also make photographs as your art. Do you approach the commercial work in a different way than your artwork?
I approach both my commercial and art work in the same way, with a sense of discovery and openness to possibility, you should never presuppose that you have all the answers to a situation. You’re carrying into any portrait/event/art situation a set of tools and knowledge, but there might be something in the room that can be used as a prop, or something there that’s unexpected. I balance knowledge with curiosity, a goal with chance.
How do you balance the two?That’s the great challenge of my world, trying to balance being a commercial photographer and artist. I usually find that artwork is last on my list. I get to a point when I know I must make some artmaking time, without that I can get very frustrated. A lot of what I do is documenting the accomplishments of others, that’s a talent that I have, but I have to remind myself sometimes that I’m an artist too.

How did you get your start in photography?
I fell in love with photography when I was very young, at seven years old. I would make photographs with my father’s camera, until I received my own camera. When I was a young teenager I took a photography class with an artist at a neighborhood community center with a neighbor who was also interested in photography. My friend had a great interest, and not that much passion for the craft. Later, when I was 17 and entering University at Buffalo, that artist was teaching a couple of classes at UB and encouraged me to continue with it, and I did. It was her prompting that got me going – I thanked her years later for her encouragement. I borrowed my neighbor’s father’s old 35mm rangefinder, a beauty, a Zeiss from the 40s. After that I worked to save my money to buy my first 35mm camera, a sturdy and dependable (and inexpensive) Pentax K1000. I wish I still had it, I’m not sure what happened to it. After that camera I became an ardent Nikon user. I’ve collected other, non-Nikon cameras along the way. I’m an equipment geek.

What are your other interests?
I’m also a writer, a journalist. Gardening is a lifelong passion. I love to watch westerns. I'm a Francophile, I love Japan/Japanese culture/art. I like to read biographies, even shorter pieces about historical figures, or celebrities - politicians moreso than pop culture people. I do like to read about rock lore, too. I follow political events, political work is one of my specialties and I love to be immersed in political events.


What is the annual Red Dinner all about?
I started my annual Red Dinner as a sit-down dinner party for a large group of friends. Since I’ve lived on my own I’ve always loved holding parties and feeding people. I sought to, with Red Dinner, make Valentine’s Day a festive occasion for everyone, turning it into a big event rather than a romantic couple’s holiday. I started Red Dinner in 1997, at least that’s the earliest I started documenting the party. I cook all-red food, guests come dressed in red, and I have all-red utensils, plates, and lighting in my home. It’s gotten much bigger over the years, this year I sent out about 100 invitations. This is also the time of year when there’s not that much going on socially – the holidays are a dim memory and everyone is eager for winter to be finished. I hear from people throughout the year that they’re anxious for the party, and have acquired something new and red to wear to it. One thing I always make for the party are my nearly-famous Red Deviled Eggs: deviled eggs mixed with red caviar. It turns the egg yolks a vivid pink and they’re absolutely delicious.


I feel like you have a lot of Buffalo love! Does Buffalo have a starring role in your pictures? Would you live anywhere else?
One ongoing body of artwork is the images that I make of and around grain elevators that are near where my building is located. I never made images of the grain elevators or Buffalo’s industrial landscape until I lived down in the part of the city. I documented the iron bridges before they were demolished, and HO Oats before that was torn down to make way for the inner-city casino. So, yes, Buffalo does have a bit of a starring role. I’ve made work in New York City, when I was in graduate school at Parsons School of Design, and I think it’s easier to make work in Buffalo in some ways. In Buffalo there’s more of a feeling of possibility, there are fewer parameters. But in NY there are more opportunities to be inspired daily, by the energy on the streets, and the amount of arts events. I was between NYC and Buffalo for about four years which seems to have confused some people in Buffalo who knew I’d gone to NYC for school. There was a lot of presumption that I’d relocate to NYC. I was drawn back into Buffalo full-time because of my work in Buffalo, my friends, and family.


What projects are you working on right now?
I’m always working on two photo series – of Buffalo’s industrial spaces, exteriors, as well as a body of still life work. That latter work happens in my studio and in many instances involves small objects that I find out in the city, as well as organic forms that I acquire for the shoots, like flowers of certain significance. I’m also entering this next incarnation of Beyond/In Western New York, which has a theme this year. I’m also always making work for various members’ shows and for arts organizations’ benefit parties like Artists & Models, and Squeaky Wheels’ Peep Show. Those are interactive pieces that involve revelers, and are more complex. But those public interactive works are approached just like any other arts project – with a set of goals that are very intricately thought through but again I’ll be open to change or having to modify an idea if the space or situation necessitates it.


What is a typical week like in your life?
Hectic.

What is your creative process?
I do a lot of sketching of ideas, I also love to draw. If I can’t get to the studio to make some artwork I’ll make sketches so I won’t forget ideas that popped into my mind.

What inspires you?
I’m always looking at artwork by other people. I take frequent trips to NY to get inspired, it’s a must for me, to spend days going from show to show and I take notes on what I see as well as what ideas come to me when looking at others’ work. I get ideas when I’m walking, looking through magazines, and talking to people.

What books, teachers, other photographers, mentors, etc., have had the most influence on you as a photographer?
All of my photo teachers, profs have inspired me. I studied at UB with Marion Faller, Tyrone Georgiou, Nathan Lyons. At Parsons I was most inspired and encouraged by my mentor Jim Ramer. I like to share thoughts with some other artists as well as photojournalists. Sometimes I’m more excited to speak to other photojournalists, we share ideas and tips more readily, as well as exchange information about VIPs, venues, and situations that we were in.

I have always experienced you as an exuberant and positive person, do you have a philosophy of good living you can share?
I think it’s important to embrace gratitude, gratitude for oneself, one’s talents, friends and family. I wake up every day and say to myself “Attack the day with joy.” I’ve had hard and dark times but am even grateful for them as they made me stronger and tested who I am. I believe it’s better to give than to receive, my nature is to be joyful and generous. I have learned to spend more time with those who are positive and loving, it doesn’t make sense not to do that because life is precious and brief. I’m always feeling that I need to do more, that I need to accomplish more, and push myself more. I like to always talk to people because I believe everyone has a story to tell. There isn’t enough listening in the world.

What is your dream project?
I’m happiest when I’m on the move, my dream project would be to be commissioned to make portraits of people in a historically or politically charged or changing place. A place that needed to be documented to help with a cause. And to be asked to document because someone recognized my talent and would be hands-off about letting me tell the story. I’ve done a bit of this type of project but would like to do more: shooting and writing while traveling.

What does photography mean to you?
I believe photography is one of the most important human inventions, and I think it’s magical in the way that it works (analogue and digital), and the power that it has. Given a choice, I’d always prefer to look at photographs over any other medium.

Nancy J. Parisi has been a practicing, full-time photojournalist, and journalist for over two decades, specializing in events, political work, and portraits. She’s a regular contributor to Buffalo Spree magazine and writes biographical and lifestyle features. Nancy attended University at Buffalo where she crafted an arts management curriculum via Black Mountain College II, while earning an Honors English Department B.A. and an unofficial photography minor. In 2005 she completed a Masters of Fine Arts degree at Parsons School of Design (a division of New School University in Manhattan), as part of their first-ever class earning that degree at the school. For fifteen years, Nancy created a photo essay column, What Has Happened, centering on Buffalo’s cultural life, for Artvoice, where she was photo editor. When not working on deadlines, Nancy works on three ongoing bodies of work: green spaces in Manhattan, the industrial landscape of Buffalo, N.Y., and intimate studio portraits of lush organic objects with or without models. She also draws, and writes poetry.

Thanks Nancy!

Spotlight on.....Mika Johnson

I'm pleased to present an interview with film-maker, Mika Johnson.

Mika is currently working on a feature film, Amerika: a notebook in three parts. We have never met, but I've heard great things about him and his creative work from our mutual friend and collaborator, Honey Lapcharoen.

Can you tell me about your interests?

I’m an avid fan of the cinema, devoted mainly to the poets and visionaries. I also have a strong interest in photography, mostly for works that blur the distinction between truth and illusion or fantasy and reality. I like real scenes that appear artificial or set ups that appear real. Other interests include miniatures, optical illusions, and collages, all of which relate to my love for Surrealism. I’m more interested in making music than in listening to it and I enjoy reading books, mainly fiction but also history, psychology, and spirituality. I’m very interested in ritual, synchronicity, dreams, and time.

Can you talk about your travels and living abroad? How did those experiences shape your vision as an artist/film person?
After college I spent five years living in Japan, Germany, and the Czech Republic. I left two days before 9/11, and this gave me an outsider’s perspective on America and everything that happened afterward. Were it not for that experience, I wouldn’t have written my first feature, which in the end was my attempt to both understand America and re-mythologize it from a foreigner’s perspective.

As an artist, living abroad was a struggle, but a fruitful one. I went from teaching English, to supporting myself in Tokyo, to completing two short films and landing a job at Barrandov Studios, Prague. I spent all my free time either scriptwriting or studying European Cinema, un-enrolled at FAMU - a film school where some of my favorite directors attended, including Milos Forman, Vera Chytilova, and Jan Nemec. Since European schools tend to treat film making as an art form, I saw in their cinema a mirror of my own desire to make films that tackle philosophical and spiritual questions. During the three years between Prague and Berlin, I also completed two music albums with the Berlin-based group VOCO. I sang and played guitar.

I want to make sophisticated films, with artistic integrity, in America rather than Europe, where even independent cinema is entrenched in the values of commercialism. Not wanting to compromise this vision, my solution was to create a production company, based on the model of non-profits, and to make films that could be self-distributed over the Internet. I started
Arcanum Productions with these goals in mind. In November Arcanum uploaded a 20-minute short film that I directed and photographed in the Czech Republic titled “Yonder,” which viewers can now watch for free on our site.

What is a typical week in your life like?
I work as a freelance photographer, videographer, and editor; everything depends on the work that comes my way. When I have free time, I’m always working on the promotional aspect of trying to launch a feature film. I also love to spend time at photo libraries, like the International Center for Photography, or the image library at the Mid-Manhattan library. In the evening, I watch films with my wife Kaori and our two cats. Or I play the guitar. If it’s Friday we go out to a museum.

You are currently in the midst of developing a feature film... Can you talk about it? How did it come into being? Where are you in the process, what happens next?
AMERIKA: a notebook in three parts begins with a young Japanese woman named Kat, who is trapped in her job as a hostess in Tokyo. To escape, she leaves for America. This character grew out of my wife’s experiences, and conversations I transcribed in 2004. Kaori temporarily worked as a hostess and had intimate knowledge of that world. Imagine a situation where a man pays $500 to $2,000 to sit down, drink alcohol, and talk to beautiful women. That would almost never happen in America, unless it included sex. Something very different was at play in these Tokyo clubs that combined wealth, fantasy, and a psychological exchange. It never occurred to me that a Japanese hostess would make an interesting protagonist until Kaori described how these women often lost their identities through decadence and self-destruction. I regarded this self-destruction as a mirror of the commentary I wanted to make on American identity, history, and culture.

(Kat in Ohio still from Part II of AMERIKA: a notebook in three parts. Photo: Mika Johnson)

After Kat leaves Japan, her journey begins to overlap with America’s historical evolution, as she heads west and finds herself on this multi-dimensional road-trip; all the archetypal energies of America’s history rapidly unfold like a bizarre dream spiraling toward an apocalyptic conclusion. Kat eventually makes a sacrifice that symbolically turns back the clock. It’s an event of rebirth and reversals. I refer to this as “re-mythologizing.”

All our principle actors are cast and we have a solid crew of international artists from America, China, Japan, Iceland, and Germany. We also have our locations scouted and recently sparked a collaboration with Colleen, a French composer whose music resonates with the dream-like quality of our story. Now we’re waiting for an angel to step in and say, “I’m here to fund your film.”

How did you become interested in film?
When I was 13, my father got me a job at a local store, which also rented movies. Besides my meager pay, I could borrow movies for free. In junior high, my brother bought a video camera and we started making short films. But it wasn’t until I started college, and saw the films of Andrei Tarkovsky, that I really felt the drive to be a filmmaker. From that moment on I wanted to be a filmmaker and create poetic films with spiritual themes. Ten years later, I still feel the same way.

What is your creative process?
It’s always different. AMERIKA began as a script, which I began writing in cafes in Berlin. I needed that social environment. When we moved to Prague, I began collecting hundreds of images from photo books at FAMU that I would copy, print out, and hang up on the wall, where they began to tell the story from a visual perspective. I began casting and recording actors. My goal was to integrate each person’s real identity with the character on the page. When I began collaborating with writer Honey Lapcharoen, we tightened the narrative by removing what didn’t need to be there and adding things that were missing. It was all very organic. By the time I began taking promotional photographs for our website’s gallery, the vision completed itself.

(Kat's notebook from Part I of AMERIKA: a notebook in three parts. Photo: Mika Johnson )

What books, mentors, teachers, films, etc. have had the most influence on your development as a creative person?
It all started with my father, who is a natural performer. I was more talented behind the camera. When I think of the people who’ve influenced my development as a creative person, there are really a few that stand out: my former professor, Tim Scholl, who continues to teach and inspire me; my friends Bonnie Huie and Peter Hlinka, who I made my first short films with; and then there are those people in my life right now, who continually support, inspire, and push me to develop. These include my friends Robbie Schneider, Honey Lapcharoen, and Kaori. I’ve taken most of my lessons from my favorite filmmakers, such as Andrei Tarkovsky, Ingmar Bergman, Luis Bunuel, Sergei Parajanov, Hiroshi Teshigahara, Federico Fellini, Aleksandr Sokurov, and Bela Tarr. These are the people I study.

What are you currently reading?
The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky. It’s good, especially in the bathtub.

What inspires you?
My wife’s drawings. Our cats. Recently, archival films. And for the last two years, the museums here in New York City, especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My favorite sections are the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas and a reconstructed room, in the American Wing, which I know to be haunted.

What is your dream project?
I am currently completing my second feature script, which combines the genres of classic noir and sci-fi, as it follows a detective who is attempting to solve a bizarre murder in a dystopic version of America, where pharmaceutical drug companies have come to control consciousness. My dream project would be to make this film interactive, so that viewers could choose their way through the story, like a narrative labyrinth. I can foresee multiple endings, hidden scenes or texts within scenes, etc.

What words do you live?
“A sincere belief that anything is so, will make it so.” William Blake

“Wishes are recollections coming from the future.” Rainer Maria Rilke

How do you get through artist's block?
I find that working on multiple projects helps. When one isn’t flowing, I turn my attention to another. In time they all grow up.

Ohio native Mika Johnson is an accomplished filmmaker/photographer and holds a B.A. in Film and Religious studies from Oberlin College. Having already directed a documentary (Lake Street USA) and two independent short films while living in Japan and the Czech Republic (The Mountain of Signs, Yonder), Mika anticipates directing his first feature length motion picture AMERIKA: a notebook in three parts, a film loosely based on his wife and collaborator Kaori Mitsushima. He currently lives and works in New York City as a photographer, videographer, and video editor.

Thanks Mika!

Spotlight on.....Amy Meza Luraschi

Laundry, Photo by Amy Meza Luraschi.

I am very excited because some of my interviewee's answers are now starting to roll in to my inbox! Here is an interview with my friend Amy Luraschi: talented photographer, teaching artist and friend since high school. Amy and I spent countless hours in Mr. Morris's Photography class and hanging out in the darkroom and studio during study hall and after school. We lost touch for awhile but the craziness that is Facebook put us back in touch with each other-- and I am so thankful for that!!

How has your career in photography and teaching unfolded? or How did you get to where you are today?
I have always been fascinated with art ever since I was a little girl. One of my earliest memories was sitting at my grandparents’ desk for hours with a box of crayons and scrap paper. They were very encouraging of my artistic side and proudly displayed my scribbled creations on the refrigerator door. I like to think of this as my first official gallery showing! In high school, I took a photography class on a whim and so began my love affair with it. I was drawn to how empowering a camera can be. It gave me a voice and enabled me the ability to express myself through images. My teacher had a huge influence on me. He was really passionate about photography and encouraged us to explore our ideas to the fullest. He taught me that photographs are so much more than pretty pictures. They can have meaning and tell a story.

I went on to get my BFA in photography and then moved to Chicago. I worked at an art store there for 4 years. I loved working there because I got to meet a lot of creative people. It was fun to help customers with their art projects. However, I started feeling really restless. I knew I didn’t want to work at the art store for the rest of my life. I wanted to start developing a career. That job helped me realize how much I liked working with people one-on-one and that I wanted to become an art teacher. This way, art could still remain an essential part of my life. I wanted to motivate and inspire people just like my high school photography teacher did. I decided to go to graduate school for Art Education and get my teacher certification. After I graduated, I ended up coming back to Buffalo and got involved with CEPA Gallery and MUSE, Inc. I worked at both organizations as a teaching artist. I’d go into public schools and do photography and video projects with kids ranging from 5th grade to high school. Now, 3 years later, I’m the Lead Teaching Artist at CEPA. I do in-school residencies, after-school and summer programs and I absolutely love it! I get to work with kids from all over the city and introduce them to the magic of a camera. It is constantly inspiring. I am always so amazed at the images my kids create. I think it’s so important for them to have a voice and an outlet to express what it feels like to be growing up in the current state of the world. I couldn’t be happier with my career right now!

What photographers, other artists, mentors, teachers, books, artworks, etc. had an influence on your creative development?
The writings of Albert Camou and Rainer Marie Rilke, the music of Jason Molina and Songs:Ohia, and films by Woody Allen and Jean-Luc Godard. The photographers that have inspired my work the most are Cindy Sherman, Nikki S. Lee, Nan Goldin, Adrian Piper, Francesca Woodman, and Lee Friedlander.

How do you get through artist's block?
I try to have a variety of creative projects going on at once. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming to work nonstop on a body of work. I never want it to be forced, so I always welcome the opportunity to do something crafty. I love crocheting, embroidery and sewing. Sometimes, I use these processes in my work. I was obsessed with clouds for a while started making crocheted sculptures. I also embroidered song lyrics about love onto the pockets of sweaters and shirts. Something I’ve found to be really important to avoiding artist’s block is trying to take pictures every day. I’ve been using my cell phone as a way of documenting my daily experiences. For example, I was walking down Elmwood Ave and saw a heart-shaped puddle on the sidewalk. I like how easy and accessible a cell phone camera can be. It’s like having a tape recorder in my pocket,
recording my daily encounters.

What's on your reading list right now?
I’ve been reading J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey.

What artists or artworks are you currently looking at?
I am currently enthralled with the work of Francesca Woodman. Her self-portraits are absolutely stunning and haunting. Her story is tragic because she committed suicide when she was in her early 20’s. Her images always depict her merged into her surroundings.

(Photo: Self Portrait by Francesca Woodman)

What inspires you?
Honestly, my students are the biggest inspiration to me! I am always so amazed at the images they create with black and white disposable cameras. For many of them, it’s their first time using a camera and they want to document every aspect of their life. It’s very inspiring to see through their eyes! My favorite part about teaching is hearing why they took the pictures they did. There is always a sense of genuine pride and excitement.

You just had an exhibit, Apt. Noir, at Big Orbit, how did it go? Did you come away with new insights or feedback on your work?
The show went better than I could have ever imagined! I was so humbled by the turn out at the opening and the number of people that went during the time the show was up. What I enjoyed most about the experience was hearing people’s interpretations of the work. That made the work a success to me. People found humor in the images and others felt it was very emotional. I like that such a duality exists in the work. One of the most interesting comments I heard was that the images seemed provocative and lured the viewer in for more, but they were only allowed in so close before the figure in the image (me), stopped them.

The work you are currently making turns the camera on you as a subject. What are the challenges of making this kind of work?
It is a very vulnerable position to put yourself in. I think that was one of the original reasons why I cropped my head out. Technically, it was difficult because I used a self-timer and had to run back and forth between the camera and my place in the image. I have always been a believer in the happy accident and definitely think chance played a role in these images.

What is your dream project??
Recently, I have had an opportunity to do some curatorial projects. I would love to do more projects like this. I have a friend that takes phenomenal pictures on his walk to work every morning. He sends them periodically and that is as far as they go –my inbox. It would be so exciting to make prints of his work and have them on display or invite others to participate in the same morning ritual that he does. I’m working on trying to make this dream project a reality. Stay tuned!

What are you working on now?
In Apt.Noir, I am in the safe confines of my apartment. Now, it’s time for me to go outside into the world… It’s a gradual submersion for me, so blending into my surroundings seems like the natural next step. Recently, I was inspired by the lyrics in an Iron and Wine song (Love and Some Verses), “May I be weaved in your hair”. I began shooting hairscapes (this is definitely a working title). In these scapes, I have enlisted friends to photograph my hair in various landscapes (The ocean, snow, on concrete steps)… I like the idea of trying to blend in to or becoming a part of the ground.

Do you prefer working with film or digital photography?
For a long time, I would have answered film… I’ve always felt that before you can start making abstract paintings, you must first learn the fundamentals of drawing. Beginning with how to hold a pencil. This enables you to make lines of varied density and thickness. I think the same applies to photography. Before you can really explore the medium, it’s important to learn the process: the history of how it came to be and also the chemical process of how an image is captured on film and how to enlarge a print in the darkroom. I will admit that I am working primarily in digital now because it’s more convenient and accessible, but I am definitely adamant about the importance of teaching black and white film photography.

What is your creative process?
I am always doodling in notebooks or jotting down ideas on scraps of paper. This is usually how my work originates. An important part of my process comes form sharing experiences, bouncing ideas and generating discussions with my friends. I am grateful to have a lot of creative people in my life, especially my boyfriend who is also an artist and teacher. He has been a huge support of my creative endeavors this past year.

Amy Meza Luraschi is a native Buffalonian who received her BFA from the University of Buffalo and her MAT from Columbia College in Chicago. She is currently pursuing her MFA in the Visual Studies Department at the University of Buffalo. Amy is a certified Art teacher for grades K-12 and has taught in Buffalo and Chicago Public Schools. She has also served as adjunct faculty at Niagara University and the University of Buffalo. Amy currently lives in the city and is the Lead Teaching Artist for CEPA Gallery's Education Programs.

Thanks Amy!!!!

hello. Yesterday, D and I spent a glorious day driving out to Ohiopyle State Park and renting bicycles. We then rode our rented bicycles 10 miles to Confluence, PA and a cute little B & B where all the bikers had lunch before the trek back. When we arrived, I realized I had left my wallet in the car and D had to leave his credit card for the bike rental. We were so sad because we wanted to eat at the River Front Cafe as it was called. We went in to refill our water bottles and freshen up and luckily we ran into the owner who said, "please stay and eat whatever you would like and mail us a check when you get home." They were so nice and we had a lovely lunch outside on the porch overlooking a pretty garden. It was a perfect day and such fun and we rode a total of 20 miles which is awesome but my ass hurts a little!

New Work

Hello, here is a sneak peek at a new project I'm working on. It's in the beginning stages....but something I have wanted to start for a looooong time.
I have been looking at a lot of design websites- especially design*sponge. It has led me to all sorts of interesting diy types, which interests me.
I've been pretty inspired while visiting the burgh-- Today, D and I went to Lulu's Noodles for lunch and then to this really cute Crepe Parisiennes-- they don't have a website or I would link it. We ate a dark chocolate crepe topped with whipped cream and walnuts. It was divine. We also had delicious coffee -very rich. I made some changes in my website-- so please check those out too!

keeping busy on a cold winter's day

Here are pictures I took around my neighborhood in Buffalo. I've been trying to do more photographing of late, whether it's on a fieldtrip or setting something up at home.

I guess every person whose life is creative in nature has a struggle with his or her art, some more than others. Sometimes, I have a lot of fun doing what I do and other times, I really start to doubt myself usually thinking that a. I have no technique, or b. that what I'm working on is stupid. Often, I really wish I had a mentor that could lend a guiding, reinforcing hand. I also wish I had a wealthy patron to float me financially so that I don't have to work at a day job. But, these are the dreams of all artists, right. Two nights ago, Douglas and I watched a DVD about the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. It was really a wonderful, inspiring film. All the dancers who are still alive gave interviews and were incredibly good looking and glamorous well into their eighties! The film documented the ups and downs, travels, and dancers of the company throughout the years. I highly recommend!

Meanwhile, I have been busy with art projects, knitting a dress, and yesterday I had a delightful afternoon cooking. I made vegetable soup. For dinner, I made tilapia in a butter, olive oil, garlic and ginger sauce with a sweet potato and green beans on the side. Who knew, there is a little domestic goddess a la Nigella Lawson in me.
I like this picture of Chapin Park during the ice storm. Each tree is encapsulated in a layer of ice and it just looked so symmetrical and beautiful even though it was a gray day. The trees looked topped off by the October storm we had. The weight of all the snow snapped the branches like toothpicks. It is snowing in Pittsburgh right now, Douglas is practicing on the piano. and I'm trying to stay warm by laying my palms on the laptop which is nice and toasty.



I have some good news.
I will be participating in Music is Art Live for the second time, on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007. I'm very excited about that. Also in the works, an exhibit at the arts council in May.