Quintessence

My Granddaughter!

2012-01-10T20:35:00.005-05:00

My granddaughter, Julia Shaw Klasing, has arrived! I'm ecstatic! I'm heading to St. Louis Saturday to see her (and her parents) -- and of course, to photograph her!

Shri

2012-01-01T20:54:00.013-05:00

untitled (from the series 'aila,' 2004), © Rinko Kawauchi

I've just discovered the photography of Rinko Kawauchi (love it!) and have ordered her latest book, Illuminance. Interestingly, the Sanskrit word "Shri" has the root meaning of radiance, or diffusing light, much like the English word "illuminate." Lately I have been making a conscious point of seeing beauty ("shri") every day--in the light on the trees, in the birds in my back yard, in the ordinary things of this world. Here's what Kawauchi says about beauty: “The world is connected by what we cannot see. In times of despair if we hold on to the things we believe are beautiful in life, that energy will change and affect the world in a positive way.” How true!

I like this photograph for its suggestion of the beginning of a new year and also of my granddaughter who is due to arrive any day!!!

Just Like Santa?

2011-12-26T10:42:00.001-05:00

“There’s security in being a brand; there’s certainty in being a brand,” Cee Lo said. “McDonald’s is a brand. And when you get your fix for a Big Mac, where do you go? There’s only one place you can go for a Big Mac, and that’s big McDonald’s. But my brand has a broader horizon, because my brand is, ‘Whatever you think you want, I just may be able to give it to you.’ ”

Joyeux Noël

2011-12-25T21:30:00.024-05:00

© Jesse Rieser

The title of this post, "Joyeux Noël," just popped into my mind, and it wasn't until I checked the spelling that I discovered it is also the title of a film based on the true stories of a World War I Christmas truce along the Western Front. I'd like to think that such moments of peace can still occur. Perhaps my feeling such hope results from having spent a strange and wonderful Christmas home alone, waiting to travel to St. Louis until after the arrival of my first granddaughter who should be appearing in the world any day now. I can't imagine a more splendid Christmas present, and I'll have a chance to celebrate with my family then. Meanwhile, I awoke to an e-mail from a friend who gave me a most generous and unexpected gift for helping his daughter with her college essays. I opened an Amazon gift card from my daughter and son-in-law, a pair of amber earrings from a friend, and a clothing hook in the shape of a letter "E" from my aunt and uncle. My cottage is decorated with a small wreath outside the door and a little burlap snowman hanging from the doorknob. Two of my orchids burst into bloom yesterday, more today. The birds seemed to know it was Christmas; there were dozens of them at the feeders in my back yard -- blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, doves, sparrows, waxwings, and others. I worked most of the day and then took a long walk with my dog.

It's remarkably quiet and still, overcast, no cars on the road near my house. None of the excess, none of the tension. Just a sublime peacefulness and deeply felt gratitude. I'm remembering when I was young and my father, brother, and I trekked through the snow one cold Wisconsin winter to find the perfect tree. Not too thick or thin, branches even on all sides, no bare spots, tall enough but not too tall. We walked a long way, and when we finally found the right one, we took turns sawing until it fell, then hauled it back to the house to decorate, commenting for days about how alive it still was. That time out in the silent woods, the sparkling sun, that smell of fresh cut pine, the simple task done joyfully together -- that's the sort of Christmas I hold in my heart.

Recently I happened on the work of Jesse Rieser whose project, "Christmas in America,Happy Birthday, Jesus," shows another side to the holiday. You can read more about it on Jane Fulton Alt's excellent blog.

So Beautiful!

2011-11-25T20:30:00.009-05:00

Murmuration from ©Sophie Windsor Clive

Ah, not to be cut off,
not through the slightest partition
shut out from the law of the stars.
The inner—what is it?
if not intensified sky,
hurled through with birds and deep
with the winds of homecoming.
–Rainer Maria Rilke

Fraction Magazine Holiday Print Sale

2011-11-25T10:42:00.012-05:00

Blackbirds, © Kathleen Rowe

T-Shirt, © Suzanne Révy

This is Nowhere, #12, © Dawn Roe

Forget this Black Friday nonsense and click HERE to go to the Fraction Magazine Holiday print sale. I've already ordered Kathleen Robbins' "Blackbirds" and Dawn Roe's "This is Nowhere, #12." Such beautiful work! And don't overlook the silver gelatin prints, like my friend Suzanne Révy's "T-shirt," which I already own (thank you, Suzanne).

NPR Blog

2011-11-09T16:14:00.004-05:00

I'm thrilled to have my work featured on NPR's blog, "The Picture Show." I'm especially interested in the comments that are being written in response (on the NPR blog, that is), so if you have time and the inclination to post, please do!!!

Collect.give

2011-11-08T07:40:00.008-05:00

I'm pleased to have had one of my photographs offered on collect.give, a charity-based online photography gallery that has donated over $28,000 for a variety of charitable organizations. That image (sold out in the 8x10 edition but available in larger sizes) is now included in this book celebrating the project's first 50 photographers. The book includes photographs by, among others, Jane Fulton Alt, Jonathan Blaustein, Mark Brautigam, Katrina d'Autremont, Matt Eich, Dave Jordano, Shane Lavalette, Colleen Plumb, Susana Raab, Dalton Rooney, Manjari Sharma, Emily Shur, Aline Smithson, and Susan Worsham. At only $22.00, this book is a great deal and sure to please your photo-lovin' friends. Proceeds go to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a charity chosen by the designer, Heidi Romano. To purchase or preview the book, click here.

My new job

2011-11-07T22:31:00.002-05:00

Review: Animals are Outside Today

2011-11-07T17:18:00.002-05:00

You can read my review of Colleen Plumb's book, Animals are Outside Today, here, on the photo-eye blog.

Owl

2011-11-07T17:14:00.004-05:00

An hour ago when I was walking my dog, I saw an owl perched in a tree just to the left of the path. I stopped; we watched each other for a while, then he flew over me and perched in a tree to the right of the path. Once again we stopped and looked at each other for a while. It was, I'm sure, a Barred Owl; its eyes were distinctive and large and dark. I've seen owls before but never had an encounter like this one. It was quite wonderful.

Here's what my book on animal totems has to say on the subject: Owl medicine is symbolically associated with clairvoyance, astral projection, and magic. Owl people can see that which others cannot; where others are deceived, Owl sees and knows what is there. Owl medicine people may be a little frightening to be around, since so many people have ulterior motives which Owl people see right through. Owl medicine people know more about an individual's inner life than that person knows about herself or himself. Owl also brings messages in the night through dreams or meditation, signals or omens.

Still Here

2011-10-29T23:06:00.014-04:00

To my handful of loyal readers -- apologies for my temporary disappearing act. I'm teaching an extra course this fall, and the additional work has put a serious crimp in my blogging. But here I am! The phoenix rises from the ashes! So, first, a mention of a publication of one of my images, Resting, in the June edition of a German magazine, Profifoto, which happened as a result of being part of the Photographers: Network 2011.

Next, my work will be exhibited at Panopticon Gallery at the Hotel Commonwealth with an opening reception on November 4, from 5:30-7:30 pm, so if you're in Boston, be sure to check it out. It will be up through December 5.

So for now, that's all, folks.

Review of Tent Life: Haiti

2011-08-11T09:40:00.003-04:00

Check out my review of Wyatt Gallery's Tent Life: Haiti and while you're at it, take a good look at this month's Fraction Magazine -- as always David Bram dishes up some delectable photographs.

Review: Robert Frank's Pangnirtung

2011-06-28T22:35:00.004-04:00

One reason I love writing reviews is that it means I actually study the books I write about, thinking more than I would otherwise about various aspects of how they're put together, including layout, cover, sequencing, text, font, design, paper stock, etc., and, of course, the photographs themselves. As an English teacher, I know that great literature can be read again and again without getting stale; it also demands something from the reader (in a good way). So it was a pleasure to review Robert Frank's Pangnirtung for photo-eye magazine because each time I perused it, I saw something new; things that didn't quite make sense the first time through started to acquire more and more meaning. I also found that my writing naturally bent to fit the style of the book (or so I'd like to think). I hope you'll take the time to read my review!

What else? What next?

2011-06-11T12:48:00.009-04:00

And Still We Gather With Infinite Momentum 1, © Justin James King

Excerpted from Letters to Olga, by Václav Havel, a Czech playwright, essayist, and politician.

In short, the more wonderful the moment, the more clearly the telltale question arises: And then what? What more? What else? What next?. . . It is, I would say, an experience of the limits of the finite; you have approached the outermost limits of the meaning that your finite, worldly existence can offer you, and for this very reason, you are suddenly given a glimpse into the abyss of the infinite, of uncertainty, of mystery. There is simply nowhere else to go -- except into emptiness, into the abyss itself. . .

This vague anxiety, this breath of infinite nonfulfillment emanating from an experience of the greatest fulfillment, this sensation of terrifying incomprehensibility that blooms in a moment of firmest comprehension, can always be brushed aside like a bothersome piece of fluff. You may wait till the cloud temporarily covering the sun passes by and go on living in peace and delight without asking troublesome questions. But you may also do the opposite: forget about all the "spontaneous meaningfulness" that gave you such intense pleasure, forget about the answer given before the question was posed, and stop precisely at the point where the cold air from the abyss struck you most powerfully -- when you felt most intensely that in fact you have nothing, know nothing, and, worst of all, do not even know what you want -- and bravely confront the question that comes to mind in such moments. That is, the genuine, profound, and essentially metaphysical question of the meaning of life.

Old Friends

2011-05-31T11:03:00.003-04:00

I just got back from my 35th Princeton reunion. I had an amazing time; it was awesome to see old friends and make new ones, dance until 3 a.m., see great theater, march in the P-rade, etc. Thanks to Charlie Stone for this photo of Sandy, Kendall, and me... When he walked up, we really were standing there more or less like that, adding each other's phone numbers so we could stay in touch.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T06:56:00.009-04:00

Gretchen and the Weber Grill, Oak Park, Illinois, c. 1970 © Ellen Rennard

When I was in high school, already consciously making pictures, I photographed my mom wielding tongs and cigarette (simultaneously) while cooking on the Weber grill on our back patio. She must've been around 36 at the time. I remember lying on our concrete bench to get the funky angle for this image, made with our family's Brownie camera.

Vesosolex

2011-05-01T19:24:00.004-04:00

Okay, I have been hankering for something like a moped or electric bicycle or Vespa for some time now, and then I discovered the Velosolex and I want one!!! They go about 20 mph and get about 100 mpg and cost about $1800. Steve McQueen rode one...what other reason do I need?!

Publish Your Photography Book

2011-05-01T08:26:00.002-04:00

Check out my book review of Darius Himes' and Mary Virginia Swanson's Publish Your Photography Book in the Third Anniversary Issue of Fraction Magazine!

Forward Thinking Museum

2011-04-26T14:13:00.004-04:00

I'm a runner-up in the Forward Thinking Museum's quarterly photography contest and am truly humbled to be in the company of absolutely amazing photographers like Robin Schwartz and Lisa Kereszi, among others.

Chip Thomas

2011-04-10T09:16:00.021-04:00

© Chip Thomas

I'm a wanderer at heart, and since teaching at Groton School keeps me tethered for nine months of the year (except during winter and spring breaks), I find myself traveling virtually, making any number of seemingly random discoveries and friends along the way. One such trip, ostensibly in search of an image to post along with my March 27 entry about hózhó, led me to the cyber-doorstep of Chip Thomas, a doctor-photographer who has worked for Indian Health in the indescribably remote town of Shonto, Arizona, for many years.

Chip studied with Eugene Richards and James Nachtwey, two of my photographic heroes, and these influences are visible. Chip has his photographs blown up and then, using wheat paste, affixes them to the side of buildings, walls, water tanks, and other structures that sparsely dot the landscape of the Navajo nation. He has also done installation projects in Flagstaff, Albuquerque, and currently, in San Francisco. His hope is that the work will inspire conversations and build community. I especially like the way he allows the elements to have their way with his work. It is, as he writes on his blog, yo mama!, not only about letting go but also about accepting change.

What I love, besides the great portraits--environmental in every sense--as well as Chip's philosophical approach, is the way he brings together the influences of Navajo culture and urban street art to the wide open spaces of Arizona. I'm hoping to see some of the work for myself this summer when I'm in the area. As Chip put it in an e-mail to me, "i think the images have more impact when you're in the midst of a long drive across the rez and the scenery is starting to look the same, the desolation and poverty of the homes starts to become pervasive and pow! you drive past one of the big images in a most unlikely location." Let the road trip begin.

You can read more about Chip and see more of his work in interviews here and here.

Something's Wrong With This Picture

2011-03-30T22:55:00.006-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I love clothes, and sometimes I probably spend more than I should on a pair of shoes or whatever, but I cannot comprehend how anyone could pay $550 for this (or any) pair of jeans, when more than 1 in 5 American kids live in poverty.

Billy

2011-03-29T22:25:00.003-04:00

So very nice of Colleen Plumb to send me this photo of my photograph of Billy (the jockey with the X on his silks) which resides on her mantel. I know how much I enjoy the photographs I have in my house (including one of Colleen's); art is indeed a beautiful thing. :)

Hózhó

2011-03-27T08:17:00.021-04:00

79 Moons From Flickr - 51 Visible, © Penelope Umbrico

This morning as I drank my coffee and considered the disarray in my house, I noticed one of my refrigerator magnets that says: "Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." (Einstein) That quotation led me to consideration of the meaning of the word "harmony," which I have long associated with the Dineh (Navajo) word "hózhó." I have read that hózhó describes an inner state, and that it is female (hence Umbrico's moon assemblage, above).

But I've been on the lookout for a more thorough explanation of the meaning of "hózhó" for some time, and in my search for harmony, both concrete and abstract, I encountered an interesting discussion of the idea in a chapter from a book by Gary Witherspoon. (You would be correct if you deduced that writing this post was my way of delaying the clean-up operation.)

It is clear that Einstein's notion of "harmony" is vastly different from "hózhó." Witherspoon explains that the Western ontological paradigm focuses on a "seemingly never-ending search for the most elemental, the least divisible building blocks of the universe." (Think of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein...) This Western emphasis on analysis, on dissection, is fundamentally "atomistic," Witherspoon concludes, whereas the Dineh focus is "holistic," leading toward synthesis and integration as a means of expressing the nature of existence. (In splitting the atom, Einstein took a Western approach.)

The implications of the Dineh ontolological perspective for social relationships also differ from the Western idea that puts the individual at the center. For the Dineh, Witherspoon explains, "No individual, no partial group, either a majority or a minority, was invested with the right or power to impose its will on the whole," so leaders relied on the power of persuasion to build consensus. Existence is in community, in relationship, in kinship. Having worked in institutions that departmentalize learning and that yield to majority rather than consensus views, I have long chafed against the limitations of the Western ontological perspective. But back to Witherspoons explanation of "hózhó":

"'Hózhó' means 'beauty' or 'beautiful conditions.' But this is a term that means much more than beauty. For the Navajo, hózhó expresses the intellectual notion of order, the emotional state of happiness, the physical state of health, the moral condition of good, and the aesthetic dimension of harmony.

The Navajo do not look for beauty; they normally find themselves engulfed in it. When it is disrupted, they restore it; when it is lost or diminished, they renew it; when it is present, they celebrate it...The Navajo express and celebrate this "beauty" in speech and prayer, in song and dance, in myth and ritual, and in their daily lives and activities, as well as in their graphic arts. Art, therefore, is not divorced from subsistence, science, philosophy, or theology, but is an integral part of both common activities and cosmic schemes. This integration is best expressed in a common Navajo prayer/poem:

With beauty (hózhó) before me, I walk.
With beauty behind me, I walk.
With beauty above me, I walk.
With beauty below me, I walk.

From the East beauty has been renewed.
From the South beauty has been renewed.
From the West beauty has been renewed.
From the North beauty has been renewed.
From the zenith in the sky beauty has been renewed.
From the nadir of Earth beauty has been renewed.
From all around me beauty has been renewed."

Time to renew hózhó in my house.

Home on the Range

2011-03-26T08:58:00.002-04:00

I just got back from the best vacation in ages -- a week at a small dude ranch in Yucca, Arizona. A down to earth place run by nice folks. My horse for the week, a little quarter horse aptly named Bullet. If I could've fit him in my suitcase, I would've brought him home with me. While I was there, I wrote the draft of the essay for my book -- about 8000 words. And now I'm back in Massachusetts, looking out the window at the patches of snow, waiting for spring.

T for Terlingua, Texas

2011-03-11T08:47:00.006-05:00

© Tony Cenicola for the NY Times

I can't get this funky place in Terlingua, Texas, out of my mind. It has to be beautiful, as it sits between Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, 100 miles from Marfa, a town brought to my attention by my friend David Bram, who says I have to go there, and which the Times article (see below) says is home to "art world pilgrims." I don't know why I'm thinking about hot desert places, living in a shack, and escaping the so-called civilized world, but I am. Probably just a momentary thing. A recurring momentary thing. Anyway, you can read more about John Wells's Southwest Texas Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living Field Laboratory in the NY Times and also on his blog, The Field Lab, linked to the right in my (much in need of revision) list of "blogs I read."

Animals are Alive Today

2011-03-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

© Colleen Plumb

A book by my friend Colleen Plumb has just been released by Radius. She and I swapped prints a while back (mine of Billy for hers, above), and I had the pleasure of seeing her book dummy a while back, so its exciting to see her vision realized. Can't wait to get my copy!

Lord of Misrule

2011-03-09T19:07:00.006-05:00

Spring break has started, and I'm hip deep in Jaimy Gordon's racetrack novel Lord of Misrule, a 2010 National Book Award Winner (for whatever that's worth). Note: A few days later, and I'm still slogging through to the end. Unless you're a racetrack afficionado, I don't recommend this book.

El Secreto de Sus Ojos

2011-03-05T22:51:00.006-05:00

How did I miss this film? An Oscar winner for best foreign language film in 2010, El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) is part thriller, part long lost love story, part cold case mystery, all set in Argentina. A recently retired criminal court investigator decides to write a novel based on an unresolved rape and murder case which still haunts him, as does his unreciprocated love with his superior. The plot twists and turns, goes back and forth from present to past, and I promise, the ending will surprise you. But the movie is really about moving from fear to love, as the missing "A" reveals. Available on Netflix for instant viewing.

Book Review: One Block

2011-03-02T13:44:00.004-05:00

It's a week for my book reviews to hit cyberspace: this one is about Dave Anderson's One Block and can be found here, at photo-eye magazine.

Princeton 35th Reunion

2011-03-01T07:17:00.003-05:00

Princeton Reunion, 1980, © Rosalind Solomon

I've only been back for one college reunion (my 25th), but this May I'm heading back for another, this time with camera in hand, taking inspiration from one of my favorite photographers, Rosalind Solomon.

Review of Descendants

2011-03-01T07:13:00.004-05:00

Concord Art Association - THANK YOU!!!

2011-02-13T23:01:00.008-05:00

That's me in the middle, receiving my award. Happy!

Deedee, 2008, © Ellen Rennard

I was happy to learn that both of the images I submitted (Resting and Deedee) were accepted for the Concord Art Association's Members' Exhibition II (as were two by my good friend, Suzanne Révy). The juror was Karen Haas, Curator of the Lane Collection at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The opening will be on February 17th at the Concord Art Association from 6-8 p.m., and I'll be there for the first bit at least -- so if you're in the area, stop by! The exhibition will be up through March 13th.

p.s. I just got back from the reception where I was one of the artists who received a generous award -- hooray! And here's what Karen Haas said about my work: "Ellen Rennard's stunning large-scale black-and-white photographs have a clarity and immediacy that draw the viewer in and make one want to linger over every inch of their silvery surfaces." Thank you Karen!

New Work

2011-02-09T19:06:00.003-05:00

Master's Halter, 2010, © Ellen Rennard

Lest you think I'm merely lounging on the sofa watching movies and reading novels, as the two most recent posts suggest, here is a new image from last summer's work at The Downs at Albuquerque. More in progress.

Remains of the Day

2011-02-09T18:53:00.003-05:00

I'm re-reading Ishiguro's Remains of the Day and came upon this paragraph, which offers a pretty plausible explanation as to why I'm not a butler: I'm Celtic.

"It is sometimes said that butlers only truly exist in England. Other countries, whatever title is actually used, have only manservants. I tend to believe this is true. Continentals are unable to be butlers because they are as a breed incapable of the emotional restraint which only the English race are capable of. Continentals -- and by and large the Celts, as you will no doubt agree -- are as a rule unable to control themselves in moments of strong emotion, and are thus unable to maintain a professional demeanour other than in the least challenging of situations. If I may return to my earlier metaphor -- you will excuse my putting it so coarsely -- they are like a man who will, at the slightest provocation, tear off his suit and his shirt and run about screaming. In a word, 'dignity' is beyond such persons. We English have an important advantage over foreigners in this respect and it is for this reason that when you think of a great butler, he is bound, almost by definition, to be an Englishman."

Miss Stubbs

2011-02-07T17:05:00.011-05:00

I've been hit by a dreadful virus; the northeast is buried in snow and ice--so what better time to drink a hot toddy and watch a movie? Over the weekend I cued up An Education, available instantly on Netflix. What a gem. It's a coming of age story about a teenage girl, Jenny, played by Carey Mulligan, set in the 1960s in suburban London. Jenny's plan to attend Oxford nearly derails when she falls for David, a playboy nearly twice her age. There's a good enough review of it written by David Denby for The New Yorker (although I don't agree with his take on David--I thought he was a creep, more smarmy than "reassuring," as Denby would have it). But my favorite character in the film was neither Jenny nor David but rather Miss Stubbs, the English teacher (of course!) played by Olivia Williams. Forthright and no-nonsense, Miss Stubbs tells Jenny she shouldn't waste her future by leaving school to marry, and that she needs to go to Oxford "no matter what." (Jenny is smahht and, when she's not under David's spell, wants to "read English.") Although Miss Stubbs could easily fall into the category of the lonely spinster schoolteacher seen in scores of films, she doesn't, thank goodness. Instead, in just a few short scenes Williams lets us know that Miss Stubbs genuinely cares for Jenny, that she has a discerning eye, acute intelligence, and a well-developed conscience--not to mention a really cool, bohemian apartment and a pair of glasses that I now absolutely must have. Don't miss this film!

Houston Center for Photography Auction

2011-01-24T18:08:00.008-05:00

Untitled (ocean), © John Mann

Wow, I have been terrible about posting on my blog! Sorry, fans! Winter really slammed me this year--not enough daylight. Thankfully, we've passed my tipping point--the day when there are just enough hours of sunlight for me to feel like I'm no longer asleep in a dark cave. I suppose I should get some of those special lights, but those of you who know me well realize that anything involving sitting in one place for more than a few minutes is not a good option. There are piles of snow everywhere, the temperature is 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and no, I don't like winter in New England. If you do, I highly recommend Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome for a reality check. As for me, I'm dreaming of Tucson, Arizona, where it's sunny and 65.

Meanwhile, let's see -- what's new?! I have a photograph up for auction at the Houston Center for Photography, where you'll find lots of amazing work. If I win big on a scratch-off lottery ticket, I've got my eye on John Mann's "Untitled (ocean)" which I've featured on this post. More information on the auction here.

Correction: It's not clear that I have the right John Mann image--this is the one that was in the PDF but another one is listed elsewhere. Whatever. I like this one.

Kodachrome, R.I.P.

2010-12-30T08:48:00.001-05:00

The best slide and movie film in history is now officially retired. Kodachrome: 1935-2010.

Very Tempting

2010-12-15T19:34:00.004-05:00

A Wakhi Mother, 2010, © Benjamin Rasmussen

I like this print a lot, and it's up for auction at igavel. To bid or not to bid, that is the question. What do you think???

Infidel

2010-12-15T17:18:00.004-05:00

If you are even mildly interested in the topic of war in general, or in war photography, or in the Afghanistan conflict, then be sure to shake the trees to get yourself a copy of Tim Hetherington's amazing book, Infidel, with an introduction by Sebastian Junger, published by Chris Boot. You can read my complete review of the book on the photo-eye blog. There's also a film, Restrepo, that I'm hoping to watch over my Christmas break.

Constructed

2010-12-13T15:47:00.007-05:00

Maggie and Orbs, 2001, © Elijah Gowin

Memory, © Lori Vrba

I'm a fan of Light Work, and if you like to collect photographs, it's a great place to buy affordable work while contributing to an organization that does a lot to support photography. I first saw Maggie and Orbs on that site, and later in the wonderful book Maggie, which also includes photographs by Elijah's well-known father, Emmet Gowin, who taught photography at Princeton when I was a student there. This particular image reminds me in some ways of another by Lori Vrba, titled Memory. I guess it's just the stuff on the clothesline. But I'm always intrigued by such constructed images, particularly by what we don't see -- the artist's process, where the work comes from, the source of inspiration.

Views from the Reservation Review

2010-12-08T19:29:00.005-05:00

You can read my review of John Willis's Views from the Reservation on photo-eye magazine . I'm very happy to be writing reviews for both photo-eye and Fraction Magazine!

Puns for Educated Minds

2010-12-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: "You stay here; I'll go on a head."
13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: "Keep off the Grass."
15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
17. A backward poet writes inverse.
18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.
21. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, "Dam!"
23. Two Inuit sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, "I've lost my electron." The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies, "Yes, I'm positive."
25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Houston Center for Photography

2010-12-03T23:05:00.004-05:00

I was zooming around the internet and found this photograph (which can be seen larger on the HCP site) of Sonja Thomsen and me at the opening reception for the Houston Center for Photography's 27th Annual Membership Exhibition. HCP is a terrific organization that has a number of great opportunities for photographers -- check it out!

Friends of Friends Photography Auction

2010-12-03T21:23:00.008-05:00

One of the wonderful benefits of being a photographer is that I've been able to make more contributions to worthy causes than ever before. One such opportunity came my way when Jason Landry of Panopticon Gallery asked if I'd be interested in donating my print, Sharpshooter, to the Friends of Friends Photography Auction, which will benefit Angkor Hospital for Children. (Of course I said yes!)

The silent and live auctions will take place in New York City on Tuesday, December 7th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, 5th floor, The Level. If you can't participate, you can still buy one of the beautifully printed catalogues, which includes all of the work in both auctions. Lots of great work here -- take a look!

Hayden's Ferry Review

2010-12-03T21:03:00.002-05:00

If you had told me a decade ago that I would someday have work in the Fall/Winter issue of Hayden's Ferry Review, a literary/art magazine published by The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University, I would have thought you meant my creative writing, so it's a pleasant surprise to me, even now, that it's not my writing but two of my photographs which appear in this beautiful magazine along with work by Julie Blackmon, Hellen van Meene, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Michael Chelbin, Jocelyn Lee, Claudia Doury, Rena Effendi, and Susan Worsham.

Collect.give

2010-12-03T18:10:00.008-05:00

If you still have some Christmas shopping to do, check out the offerings on Collectdotgive. It's a terrific opportunity to buy art and do good at the same time. My print on Collectdotgive has sold out, allowing me to donate a whopping $800 to a great charity, the Animal Welfare Institute, but you can find another one of my very affordable silver gelatin prints from The Downs at Albuquerque at Fraction Magazine's holiday gift sale (as well as lots of other wonderful, affordable art). I do very much appreciate the generosity of all of you who have purchased my work. It it is your support that helps me to continue with my photography. Thank you!!!!!

Everlasting Moments

2010-11-13T23:41:00.009-05:00

Maria Heiskanen in Everlasting Moments

I don't know why it has taken me so long to see this film, which was released in 2008, but finally, on a Saturday night with nothing too pressing to do, I found it on the "watch instantly" list on Netflix, so I did just that. Swedish director Jan Troell serves up a complicated story, with lovely cinematography, focusing on a woman named Maria, who lives what is mostly a hard life with her husband, Sigge, and their numerous offspring. Maria wins a camera in a lottery, and, through the kindness of a stranger named Sebastian, begins to make pictures. No, she doesn't leave her drunken husband, run off with Sebastian, and become a famous photographer, but her inner life is entirely transformed by discovering that she has artistic talent.

At one point, upset by the way photography seems to be turning her into someone else, she goes to Sebastian's studio, intending to quit. He asks, "What do you see as you look through the camera, Maria?" When she hesitates, he continues: "You see a world, there to explore...to preserve, to describe. Those who've seen it. . .They cannot merely close their eyes. You can't turn back."

How true.

Winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

2010-11-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

Huntress with Buck from the series Hunters, © David Chancellor

What a stunning photograph. Shot with Kodak 160 VC 120 film and a Mamiya 7ii camera. Wish I could see it in person at the National Portrait Gallery, where it will be exhibited, along with 59 other selected photographs, Nov. 11-Feb. 20.

My Dad's Halloween Costume

2010-11-01T18:06:00.005-04:00

My mom called me and told me she was thinking of buying this Santa outfit for my dad's Halloween costume. I said yes! Do it! He's 81 now, and his short term memory is zilch, although he's otherwise sharp as a tack for a man his age. I think he's lucky to have my mom around -- she takes great care of him and has, as always, a great sense of fun. And do you think that little girl was surprised to encounter Santa on Halloween???!!! Thanks to my sister for sending the snaps.

Collect.give

2010-11-01T17:59:00.002-04:00

I was thrilled when Kevin Miyazaki invited me to participate in collect.give, a wonderful opportunity for photographers to donate to charities by selling prints through a website Kevin has put together for this purpose. I would never be able to donate as much money as was made possible through the generosity of those who purchased my prints. Much gratitude to Kevin and to all who made my gift to the Animal Welfare Institute possible. My prints sold out fast, so if you didn't get a chance but are still interested in owning one, contact one of my representatives -- Panopticon or Kevin Longino (easily linked from my blog or website).

In the Places of the Spirits

2010-11-01T07:29:00.005-04:00

In case you're wondering what I've been up to and why I've been writing so little here, I have a book review of David Grant Noble's In the Places of the Spirits in the new issue of Fraction Magazine, which is aptly titled "Not Safe for Work." I hope you'll take the time to check out this great on-line 'zine and to read the reviews!

my birthday party

2010-10-22T22:12:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Brandon for this photo of my birthday party crew! Summertime seems so far away now...

Tibetan Sand Painting?

2010-10-20T19:10:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite photographs of myself at a very young age. Whatever I was doing was very important, it seems.

Review of Black and White Exhibition

2010-10-08T17:29:00.004-04:00

Resting, 2008, © Rennard

A nice review of the Black and White Exhibition at Mpls, juried by George Slade, in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune. One of my images, Resting, is included and mentioned (read to the very end!). This photograph is currently exhibited in Minneapolis and also near Lexington, Kentucky, at Asbury University. It will be included in the Houston Center for Photography's forthcoming auction as well.

Frank Gohlke

2010-10-06T07:14:00.003-04:00

Aerial View, Downed Forest Near Elk Rock, Approximately Ten Miles Northwest of Mount St. Helens, Washington, 1981, © Frank Gohlke

"There is something peculiar about the way we attribute the clarity of some photographs to the world itself. I try to reinforce that paradox by making photographs that convince the viewer that those revelations, that order, that potential for meaning, are coming from the world and not the photograph." -Frank Gohlke

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

2010-10-05T07:04:00.004-04:00

Mt. Kilimanjaro, © Ulrich Doering

Although I don't think Hemingway knew how to breathe life into his female characters, in every other way he was a brilliant short story writer, and his stories set in Africa, including "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" are my favorites, probably partly because after visiting Tanzania, I'm completely smitten with the place. It's weird to think that the actual snow on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro is predicted to be gone completely within two decades. Although nobody can know with complete certainty exactly what is going to happen to the earth, or when, it seems obvious to me that global warming, water shortages, pollution, the devastation of wetlands and rainforests -- the environmental problems created by humankind -- are the most pressing issues on the planet. I'd like to think that someday we'll understand the folly of our relentless quest to dig and drill and strip the earth of her resources. Otherwise, we won't be alive to understand anything at all.

Griffin Museum Focus Awards and Gala

2010-09-26T19:05:00.003-04:00

(left to right) Holly Lynton, Ellen Rennard, David Bram, Suzanne Révy, Meg Birnbaum © Mary Virginia Swanson

I had a blast last night at the Griffin's Focus Award ceremony, where my friend David Bram received the Rising Star award for his awesome work with Fraction Magazine, Alan Taylor, creator of the Big Picture Blog won the New England Beacon, and James K. Colton won the Life Time Achievement award. Afterwards was the gala, where Suzanne Révy and Meg Birnbaum joined me in the photo booth in between dive bombing tables laden with plentiful food, visiting with other friends -- Mary Virginia Swanson, Paula Tognarelli, Frances Jakubek, Stella Johnson, Mr. Bram of course, and others. All of this while surrounded by photographs by Chris Rauschenberg, entertained by music, drinking glasses of whatever...let the good times roll! Thanks to Paula and her staff for yet another in a series of amazing gatherings.

New Work

2010-09-19T23:09:00.005-04:00

In the Paddock, from The Downs at Albuquerque, 2010, © Rennard

I'm just now starting to scan negs from the summer's shoot at the racetrack -- not all the film is processed yet -- but, so far, it's looking good. I'm optimistic that I'll have enough to complete my book -- or very close -- close enough so that if I need to, I can add a handful of images during the week or so when I go back in March on spring break to give out pictures to my subjects. A good thing, since The Downs is moving the racing meet from summer to spring, so that next summer, nothing much will be going on. Plus, I'm just about out of the film I use (TXP 320) and Kodak doesn't make it any more. Clearly, the last page is turning! I'm looking forward to getting all my scans organized, thinking about the book as a whole, sequencing, and then writing the text. With school in full swing, I expect only to be able to chip away at it for the coming months, but by the time summer comes around again, I should be finished with the layout, and then will be able to sink in to the writing. Unless I get it all done sooner, which would be great!

Meanwhile I've started something new -- just barely -- but -- who knows where it will take me!

New Toy

2010-09-09T07:27:00.004-04:00

I just happened to look on e-bay for an SX-70 23 minutes before the end of an auction for one that looked to be in good shape. Only $75 so what the heck. With 11 other bidders, I figured someone would swoop in and outbid me at the last minute (I've only gotten a couple of things on e-bay, ever), but no! So now I'll have to order some film so I can play with my new toy.

Off to School

2010-09-04T19:13:00.001-04:00

Live as if you die tomorrow.
Learn as if you live forever.

Mahatma Gandhi

Wow!

2010-09-04T09:13:00.020-04:00

After a Winning Race, from The Downs at Albuquerque, © Rennard

I've been awfully busy lately in the best of ways. I just got back from almost three weeks in Albuquerque, photographing for my book project at the Downs at Albuquerque racetrack. The weather was great, with several overcast days and some cooler temperatures. I rose at 5:40 a.m. every morning, headed to Starbucks for a Venti latte, then made a beeline for the backside. After changing from flip flops to tennis shoes, I'd walk from the infield parking lot to a picnic table in front of the Racing Secretary's trailer, where "Whiskers," the subject of one of my portraits, would usually be sitting with his coffee and a cat.

Once I finished my latte, heard the latest backside gossip, and got my camera out of the bag, the sun would be nearing the top of the peaks of the Sandia Mountains on the east side of town, and there'd be just about enough light to photograph, so I'd start my work, walking along the shed rows to see what I would see, stopping to make pictures and to visit with people I've come to know over the years that I've been working on this project. Then in the afternoons on racing days, I'd go watch the races and photograph on the front side.

Since I've been home, I've been flooded with great news about photographs being accepted to various exhibitions, and I wanted to share the info with those of you who read my blog. I have work at PCNW (Seattle) and MPLS (Minneapolis), so if you're in or near these cities, I hope you'll check out these exhibitions. The details (including dates) can be linked easily in the "news" section on my blog. (I have five images at PCNW, and it closes soon, so if you're interested, don't delay!) Of course, if you live in the Boston area, you can always see my work at the Panopticon Gallery.

In addition, I'll have two photographs exhibited at Asbury University near Lexington, Kentucky; two images at the Tubac Center for the Arts in Tubac, Arizona; one image at the A Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas (TPS International); and, four at the Blue Star Lab Gallery in San Antonio, Texas (TPS Captivar La Luz). (Links for all of these exhibitions can be found in the "news" section.)

I'm very grateful to all of the jurors who've chosen my work for these exhibitions: Denise Wolff, George Slade, Kate Ware, Ken Rosenthal, Kathy Vargas, and Linda Stratford, as well as to the various people and institutions who've provided support and inspiration along the way: Groton School, my mom, Jordan Kessler (my amazing printer), Suzanne Révy, David Bram, my teachers, especially Shelby Lee Adams, and many others.

The Wife Doesn't Know

2010-09-01T19:13:00.003-04:00

I'm back from the racetrack and wanted to share this clip of a very funny race...

Off to the Races

2010-08-12T00:36:00.002-04:00

Ellen at the Downs at Albuquerque, © David Bram

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-08-09T15:00:00.001-04:00

from Leaves of Grass

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their
parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death.

Creeds and schools in abeyance,
Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,
I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,
Nature without check with original energy.

-Walt Whitman

p.s. Okay, I'm not thirty-seven years old...

The Truest Meaning of Pictures

2010-08-06T11:00:00.010-04:00

Deedee, 2008, © Rennard

This morning I got a call from a woman I met last summer on the backside of the racetrack. She told me that Deedee had passed away recently and wondered if I would make small prints for her and a couple other people because, she explained, my picture showed who Deedee really was, and they didn't have one of her without the sunglasses, caps, cowboy hats, or sweatshirt hoods she usually wore. (Of course I said yes.) It took me three years before Deedee would let me photograph her this way because she felt she was no longer a beautiful woman. I thought otherwise. It's the second time one of my subjects has passed away since I started working on this project in 2003, and I have to say that giving photographs to their families and friends has meant a great deal to me.

Manjari's Shower

2010-08-05T18:54:00.009-04:00

© Manjari Sharma

After seeing images from Manjari Sharma's shower series, and then meeting her at Review Santa Fe, during which we had a most memorable few minutes oohing and ahhing as we watched the last light of the day make miracles during our walk to a restaurant near the train station, I couldn't resist suggesting that she might want to include some...um...older people in her series and......um...I mentioned that...um...I was planning to be in New York and...um... So Manjari took my none too subtle hint and invited me into her shower. Let me tell you, it was a little bit more like baptism by immersion than a spa treatment, but I had a lot of fun, especially since my pal Suzanne Révy was there to assist by holding the reflector. Manji and me in the shower, Suzanne wedged in by the sink, steam everywhere, water in my nose, etc. Good times! After I dried off, Manjari served Suzanne and me some hot tea and delicacies from India that were so scrumptious! I'm glad I'll be in Albuquerque in time for her exhibition at the Richard Levy Gallery. I'm looking forward to seeing her work on the walls and hope to meet up with her again before long. She's a radiant being and a terrific photographer.

Px3 People's Choice

2010-07-22T21:46:00.011-04:00

I happened on the Px3 People's Choice Awards and discovered that I had won in two different categories, book and documentary photography. Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. Or aunt, I guess I should say. It's kind of nice to know that people like my work. Thanks for your votes, whoever you are!

Outstanding Opportunity for Women Photographers!

2010-07-05T16:46:00.001-04:00

Wisconsin

2010-07-05T13:00:00.005-04:00

© Rennard

I'm heading to Wisconsin to haunt the places my family used to live. Taking film and camera, of course. Looking forward to a road trip, a dip in the lake, and some Stevens Point Special beer. Maybe even a little time to sit in a chair...

Silver Eye Center for Photography

2010-07-03T08:59:00.005-04:00

© Susan Hayre Thelwell

I'm honored to have my work currently shown in the Silver Eye Center for Photography's New Works Gallery Online alongside three outstanding photographers: Tom Chambers, Susan Hayre Thelwell, and Jon Orlando.

Fraction Magazine Issue 16

2010-07-01T17:17:00.005-04:00

I was lucky enough to have a chance to review Twin Palms re-issue of Danny Lyon's book, Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement, for Fraction Magazine's latest issue. (Follow the link to read the whole review.) I'm a huge fan of Danny Lyon's photographs, and this book makes an important contribution not only as a document of a seminal moment in American history but also as a template for effecting real social change.

Orion Magazine

2010-06-29T23:25:00.004-04:00

cover image courtesy of SFMoma, Penelope Umbrico, and LMAKprojects NY

This post is another in a series of shameless plugs, but even though I'm mentioning Orion magazine's July/August issue because it contains one of my photographs, I want to encourage everyone to grab a copy of this fabulous magazine to read the articles, which include one by Barry Lopez, one of my favorite authors, and to look at the rest of the art. Orion, as the header on the website explains, "takes major causes -- the environment, political, and spiritual -- and folds them into one, human cause." It's a fabulous magazine--you might want to subscribe. Or you can find Orion at many book stores, Whole Foods, etc.

Shots Magazine #108

2010-06-22T16:36:00.004-04:00

I'm pleased to have a photo in Shots Magazine, vol. 108. I'm not telling which image--you'll just have to get a copy to see! My friend Susan Berger also has a photograph in this issue, one from her series, "Private Memories in Public Places." Susan and I met at a photography workshop at Anderson Ranch, taught by Shelby Lee Adams, in the summer of 2000--seems to me being published in Shots is a great way to celebrate ten years later!

The Martin Museum of Art

2010-06-22T15:55:00.002-04:00

I'm honored to have a photograph in the Texas Photographic Society's Members' Only Exhibition at The Martin Museum of Art at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The website looks good, and I wish I could see the exhibition--it's up through July 10.

Liu Xiaofang

2010-06-21T13:50:00.004-04:00

I Remember -05, © Liu Xiaofang

Every now and then I see an image that I fall madly in love with. Like this one by Liu Xiaofang.

NY, NY

2010-06-21T08:52:00.008-04:00

My friend Suzanne Révy and I descended upon NYC for a couple days of museum and gallery hopping--specifically, the fabulous Cartier-Bresson exhibition at the MoMA, a talk by Elaine Duigenan at Klompching, and Big Bambú on the top of the Met (accompanied by a Big Bambú martini, which, as you might guess, I enjoyed prior to communing with the statue pictured above). We also visited the famous shower of Manjari Sharma--stay tuned for more about that in a later post.

For a more detailed account and more photos of our excellent adventure, go to Suzanne's blog, A Grain of Sand.

Here Comes the Bride

2010-06-10T06:57:00.003-04:00

Emily, Practicing for the Big Day, © Rennard

I'm heading to St. Louis for my daughter's wedding! She's marrying a great guy, and I'm looking forward to the big day!

Review Santa Fe

2010-06-09T04:15:00.004-04:00

Children Have a Place in Horse Racing

2010-05-25T15:51:00.004-04:00

Her Uncle's Racing Goggles, © Rennard

Good article in The Rail, the NYTimes horse racing blog, on kids at horse races. One of the reasons I like going to the track is that betting is a complex and interesting game, one I learned from my parents when they would take our whole family to Arlington Park. I wasn't old enough to bet, but I was given $2 a race, an adult would place my bet for me, and I got to keep my winnings. Then and now, I love the way you have to consider so many variables--post position, past performance, times, jockey's record, etc.--and then also factor in the immediate impression--what is the track condition, how does the horse look, and so on. I'd rather go to a good horse race than a movie any day, and when luck is with me, I can pay for my ticket and my popcorn. The next time you're thinking about spending money on taking your kids to a bad movie, consider the races instead. A great way to teach math, to spend a day outdoors instead of cooped up in a dark building, to walk around instead of sitting in a chair, to enjoy the beautiful horses...

From Friends of Irony

2010-05-17T13:57:00.005-04:00

The Artist's Valentine

2010-05-06T12:33:00.005-04:00

Sharpshooter, 2007, from The Downs at Albuquerque, © Ellen Rennard

I am pleased to have won a $200 grant from The Artist's Valentine, a wonderful local arts organization that holds an annual sale of valentines made by artists, then uses the proceeds to fund a juried grant competition. This was my first time as a participant, and I am very grateful to the Artist Valentine Board for this opportunity and to this year's juror, Christina Lanzl from Urban ARTS, for selecting me as one of the eleven artists to receive an award. Christina wrote that she especially liked my high contrast, straight on portraits, and added so many kind words about my work I blush to write them but will just mention the one that meant the most: she found my work to be "formally incredibly beautiful." I really have to give a lot of credit to my teachers, especially Douglas Kent Hall, Joyce Tenneson, and Shelby Lee Adams, for having taught me much of what I know about light and composition.

Texas Photographic Society 24th Members' Only Show

2010-05-02T09:24:00.005-04:00

© Ponce, 2007, from The Downs at Albuquerque

Ponce won Third Place in the Texas Photographic Society Members' Only Show. This image is particularly special for me because the summer I made it, I had seen Ponce on the exercise track every morning for a couple of weeks and knew I wanted to photograph him, but even though I looked all over the backside for him, I finally had to ask which barn he rode for, and where they were, and then I had to wait for him to come back from his last ride of the morning. The grooms were making fun of him, asking me why would I want to take a picture of Ponce's ugly face, and I said, because his face is full of stories. Ponce doesn't speak a lot of English, but he understood. Now, when I go back to the Downs and Ponce sees me lugging around my heavy camera gear in the heat of an Albuquerque summer, he tells me I need to go on a vacation at the beach in Mexico. I'm inclined to think he's right.

Another Derby Day

2010-05-01T19:31:00.012-04:00

© New York Times, Morry Gash/Associated Press

Today I cooked up some St. Louis style ribs (well, to be honest, I just heated up the ribs I had bought at my favorite deli) and went the whole nine yards with making a mint julep--mixing a sugar syrup, soaking mint leaves in Maker's Mark (Kentucky of course) bourbon, crushing ice, and even chilling my old mint julep glasses. I watched all the pre-race TV on ESPN, called a couple of friends to see who they were picking, then settled down to figure out which horse to "bet" on. (I didn't really bet, since I was lounging on my off-track sofa.) About an hour before the race, my mom called to say she liked Super Saver, but I waited to see how the horses looked in the paddock, especially because of the slop, which can throw everything off. I always like a horse that has its ears pricked forward, one that looks eager and awake but isn't going bonkers, plus I like a big horse in the mud. ("Big feet are good," says a friend.) When I saw Paddy-O Prado, he had all that going on, but I agreed that Super Saver was a good pick--Calvin Borel is a great jockey, and he has a knack for steering through the crowded field that always makes the Derby such a wild ride. I'd looked at a couple other races earlier in the day at Churchill, but except for General Quarters in the Turf Classic (gorgeous!), I kept hitting the show horse, and I figured I'd probably wind up picking the show horse in the Derby because that's what I'd been doing all day. So I e-mailed a friend and said I liked Super Saver and Paddy O-Prado. And sure enough, Paddy O was the show horse, and Super Saver won it. (Let's face it, Todd Pletcher was way overdue for a Derby win.) But my favorite moments (besides everything that had anything to do with the horses) were those that focused on the guy who won a chance to bet $100,000 and picked Super Saver (for a $900K take), and the 25 ordinary people who co-own Noble's Promise, one of whom hit the button when he said he couldn't believe that his horse was racing against a horse that belongs to "a guy who owns a whole country." I don't know what it is about the Derby, but one of the top trainers--it might have been Nick Zito--said that winning it was like sitting in God's living room, if only just for a little while. And that's where I was too this afternoon, if only at a distance, and only for a little while.

Fraction Magazine

2010-05-01T11:40:00.005-04:00

© Hollis Bennett

David Bram's Fraction Magazine just keeps getting better all the time. David has a great eye and pulls together images that speak to each other in interesting ways. There is always work I haven't seen before, and I'm always pleasantly surprised. In Issue 14, which just came out today, I especially love this image, by Hollis Bennett--but there are so many more, you'll have to follow the link and see for yourself. Book reviews and interviews too. My hope is that some day Fraction will be a published magazine (or book), since I find myself going back again and again to look at past issues of Fraction (and no, I'm not just talking about my own work in Issue 10!).

Fainting Goats

2010-05-01T10:15:00.019-04:00

When I first ran across this hilarious video, it was preceded by an ad for Perdue chicken, which I found not a little ironic considering the horrible way Perdue chickens are raised. (Just watch the great documentary, Food, Inc., and you'll see what I mean.) The ways we raise food in America are worth investigating, and when practices disrespect the plants and animals of this world, you can vote with your wallet by buying free range, grass fed, local, organic, non-GMO, etc. As for fainting goats, well, I'm inclined to agree with the Kenyans; I wouldn't want to eat a "white man crazy goat"!

Husk of Time: Fundraising by Hopi Photographer

2010-04-26T15:55:00.007-04:00

An old friend of mine, Victor Masayesva, Jr., is part of the Hopi clan responsible for taking care of the kiva (an underground ceremonial structure) at Hotevilla, on 2nd mesa, and in order to help Victor raise needed funds for restoration, I am offering a limited number of copies of his hardcover book, Husk of Time, published by the University of Arizona press. You can buy this hardcover edition, new, signed by the artist, for only $20, plus $5.00 shipping and handling, or, if you'd like to donate more, anything over and above that amount would be appreciated. The good karma and the book will be yours. The text and photographs are Victor's. (He is represented by Andrew Smith in Santa Fe.) E-mail me to arrange payment and shipping.

Aline Smithson

2010-04-22T23:41:00.006-04:00

from the series Arrangements in Green and Black, Portraits of the Photographer's Mother © Aline Smithson

Tonight I went to the opening reception for Aline Smithson's exhibition at the Griffin Museum's Atelier Gallery at the Stoneham Theater. I find looking at the details in these images to be so much fun--like discovering treasures at garage sales--where Aline actually did find some of the objects that appear in the photographs. It was great to catch up with Aline and a number of Boston area photographer friends.

My Neighbor and the Burning Bush

2010-04-20T14:33:00.002-04:00

I'm in my studio working downwind of my neighbor's burning brush pile...

At the Cat Show

2010-04-18T15:04:00.006-04:00

the world as it is

2010-04-18T07:52:00.006-04:00

Los Angeles, 1960, © Cartier-Bresson

via guardian: "Paul Graham, one of the few whose work has made it from the street into the gallery – last year he won photography's prestigious Deutsche Börse prize – recently responded to a critic who dismissed photographers who specialized in "just snapping their surroundings." On Americansuburbx.com he wrote, '...there remains a sizeable part of the art world that simply does not get photography. They get artists who use photography to illustrate their ideas, installations, performances and concepts, who deploy the medium as one of a range of artistic strategies to complete their work. But photography for and of itself – photographs taken from the world as it is – are misunderstood as a collection of random observations and lucky moments, or muddled up with photojournalism, or tarred with a semi-derogatory 'documentary' tag.'"

Maybe the recent Robert Frank exhibition at the Met, combined with the Cartier-Bresson exhibition at MoMA, will help...

New Profile Pic

2010-04-15T20:33:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Suzanne Révy for my new profile image--in my leather jacket with my mad face and Ozzy Osborne glasses...replaces one from about ten years ago...

Suffolk Downs

2010-04-13T21:35:00.006-04:00

Crowd at Suffolk Downs Racetrack, 1939, © Leslie Jones

Last year, for the first time, for economic reasons, Suffolk Downs, a racetrack near Boston, canceled its biggest race, the Mass Cap, and today in my e-mail came a request from Chip Tuttle, the CEO of Suffolk Downs, to support the initiative for expanded gaming and entertainment in Massachusetts, which is what it will take to keep racing alive at Suffolk Downs. Here is a portion of Chip Tuttle's e-mail:

"Should the Legislature and Governor approve expanded entertainment and gaming developments in the state and should Suffolk Downs be one of the facilities chosen for this, we look forward to both preserving the jobs of our existing dedicated employees and creating 1,500 construction jobs and 2-3,000 new permanent jobs with health insurance and good benefits.

On behalf of the family of workers here at Suffolk Downs, we thank you for the support and consideration that you have given us over the years. Many of you have asked us how you can help our current cause. We encourage you to visit www.jobsandgrowthtoday.com, where you can write to your legislator or send a letter to the editor of a newspaper in your area."

Tuttle does not mention what will happen not only to the people but also to the horses if Suffolk Downs were to close. While it's true that in some ways wedding horseracing to casinos is a deal with the devil, at the present it's the most viable option for keeping the track open. The problem is, the industry is ignoring all the people who used to crowd the stands (just look at the photograph!) and who might be drawn to racing if only the industry had a clue of how to market the sport and to clean up its tarnished image. In spite of real problems (horses breaking down, steroid use, questionable training practices, etc.), there are still good people in horseracing, those who are in it for the horses and not for the money or for themselves, and I hope Suffolk Downs can stay open for their sake, and for the sake of the horses, the loyal fans, and the sport itself.

Headless Horsemen

2010-04-12T18:54:00.004-04:00

I just finished reading Jim Squires' book, Headless Horsemen--everyone who gives a hoot about racing should read it. I also listened to an interview of Squires on Youtube (from a radio interview). He said something I've been thinking for a couple of years as I've been working on my long-term photography project at The Downs at Albuquerque. He said that horseracing is a microcosm for American society. I've had the same thought. The reasons for the decline of racing are complex (and detailed in his book), but what is most interesting to me is his prediction that, unless something is done to save the failing industry, it will become again the sport of kings, "where fewer people race for less money or perhaps even only for the thrill of it." Squires explains:

"Even the most committed lovers of the game and those most hopeful for its future believe the current business model of more than fifty thousand races a year. . .is doomed." He goes on to describe a proposal that "would conduct both a major league and minor league of racing, much like that of organized baseball, with the highly profitable top level helping to subsidize the lower. It is the horse industry equivalent to a policy designed to preserve the middle class" (228) (my emphasis). However, that such a policy will come to pass is highly unlikely.

Squires, of course, sits, relatively speaking, at the higher end of the game on a horse farm in Versailles, Kentucky, but he has come to many of the same conclusions I've reached by listening to grooms and trainers and owners and exercise riders on the backside of the lower end: The Downs at Albuquerque. Everything in Squires' book, and everything I've seen and heard, points to the end of horseracing as it is today, the end of the American dream story of the little guy with talent and a good eye, the honest horseman who loves the animals s/he trains or rides or grooms or owns, who works hard, and who, with luck, is rewarded with the horse that wins the big race. It's only a matter of time, and the ending is not a happy one, unless you are a king or sheikh.

Tech Support

2010-04-12T17:24:00.006-04:00

Like many of my colleagues in the English department, I have to admit that I'm not very good at solving tech problems. I upgraded my operating system, and now my Epson flatbed scanner won't scan film, just prints. My e-mail sent to ellen@ellenrennard.com comes in but won't go out. You get the idea.

Amazing Grace

2010-04-10T13:42:00.011-04:00

Fourth of July #2, Independence, Missouri, © Mike Sinclair

My students at Groton School continually renew my sense of optimism and hopefulness, in part because they are, as a friend of mine puts it, wicked smaht. This morning one of the seniors in my short fiction elective handed me this amazing sentence (the assignment was to write one sentence of 150 words or more):

"The dark of nighttime is coming quickly and the anticipation among the people is rising so much that they are spreading like ants over the puzzle piece picnic blankets covering the Town Center Field next to the bandstand, where the brass band plays for the people, the people of Pepperell: there are the Mahoneys to the left with two grills covered with assorted meats at their station which is marked with a pink and green blanket; the Shanleys with two blankets over to the right and a cooler of Bud Light which pins down the corner of the Hardy's and the Callahan's sections of blankets that are dotted with dozens of glow-sticks and glow wands for each of their many children; farther up, closer to the speaker system, the Clearys sit around in white lawn chairs chatting with the clan of neighboring Kellys, all of them already waiting for the moment when they can arch their necks back to look at the great starry July sky, where the little pins of colored light will burst and crackle into different designs of willow trees and stars and hula-hoop rings, designs which will melt in the sky and rain down invisibly over the watchers--and suddenly, the band begins to play "The Star Spangled Banner," which sends the crowds in an excited hurry, crossing the big lawn dodging blankets and chairs and children darting in and out, shouting gleefully to one another and everything comes to a halt when the first firework flames upward; people freeze in their steps, freeze their conversations, and, silence falling, look to the heavens in awe as the red rocket soars up and up and up to its final height where it dismembers in a faint whistle and a louder pop--and explosion of color and shape and the voices are back, louder this time, cheering to the sky for the rockets, for the country, for the summer, and for the people."

Biscochitos

2010-04-05T22:38:00.009-04:00

Biscochitos, © Sarah Karnasiewicz

For anyone who loves food, photos, and words as I do, Sarah Karnasiewicz's blog, 365 Kitchen, is a must read. Sarah is a writer, reader, photographer, and cook--we met when she was teaching photography and I was frequenting the darkroom at Albuquerque Academy (where I taught English). Although Sarah lives in NY now (and I in Massachusetts), one of her recent posts mentions the way New Mexico has followed her across the country by way of various mementos, including a red and yellow Bernalillo license plate. (I kept mine too.) An appreciation for biscochitos has traveled with us as well. Here's her recipe, verbatim (and yes, you have to use lard). Thanks for sharing this one, Sarah!!!

1 lb lard
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons crushed anise seed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
5 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup orange juice

for cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
3 sticks cinnamon, ground

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream lard and sugar together until fluffy (It’s hard work, but you may as well grab a wooden spoon and do this by hand, because the lard tends to gunk up a hand mixer.) Next, beat in the yolks and the anise seed and ginger.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Then alternating with drizzles of the orange juice, incorporate the flour mixture into the lard and sugar. Finally, as it all starts to come together, use your hands to knead the mixture into a pliant dough. You want the dough to be stiff enough for rolling but not so dry that it crumbles.

3. Divide the dough into 4 large balls. Working in batches, flatten each ball on a floured countertop and roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Then, use small cookie cutter of your choice to press shapes from the sheet of dough (note: if you want to stick to the rules, geometric shapes like stars, diamonds, or a fleur de lis motif are most traditional). With a thin spatula, transfer cut-outs to prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Sprinkle cookies generously with cinnamon sugar, and lightly press the sugar into the dough. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until cookies are light golden and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire track to cool, and repeat with remaining balls of dough.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T23:35:00.005-04:00

Oolong, from In Almost Every Picture #8, collected & edited by Erik Kessels, © Hironori Akutagawa

My Easter involved no eggs or bunnies, just fruit with my mom, a waffle with my daughter, a flight from St. Louis to Manchester, NH, and, at the end of it all, a cold Negra Modelo. But, in the spirit of the day, or at least, in the spirit of my day, I'm posting this rabbit, found via a link from Alec Soth's inspiring and whimsical blog, Little Brown Mushroom, to a book called In Almost Every Picture #8.

Tea Party: Pleez Lern to Spel

2010-04-01T12:13:00.030-04:00

Signs from a Tea Party Flicker Site

If you can't spell (and hey, some people just can't), fine, then find someone who can to help you make your sign. Look the words up in a dictionary. While you're at it, educate yourself about communism, socialism, and fascism. It seems American schools aren't doing even half of what's needed to educate voters to think logically and to distinguish fact from fiction, much less to spell correctly. Meanwhile Fox News and Sarah Palin and their ilk are manipulating unthinking people like puppets, playing on their fears, their ignorance, and their naiveté. In fact, freedom isn't free; the price is, we have to learn to discern good information from good propaganda; to think and not just to react. We have a responsibility to become educated voters.

Calls for Entry

2010-03-30T22:29:00.003-04:00

A word about my postings of calls for entry. I generally list the ones I think might be of interest to those who read my blog. I consider a number of variables: Who is the juror? What sort of work does the juror tend to like? What is the cost to enter? What sort of recognition or award might result? I am less inclined to list those competitions which result only in the opportunity to participate in a group exhibition (in which the photographer bears the cost for printing, framing, and shipping), although there are exceptions. I welcome input from my readers regarding any of these (or other) opportunities.

Quintessence

My Granddaughter!

Shri

Just Like Santa?

Joyeux Noël

So Beautiful!

Fraction Magazine Holiday Print Sale

NPR Blog

Collect.give

My new job

Review: Animals are Outside Today

Owl

Still Here

Review of Tent Life: Haiti

Review: Robert Frank's Pangnirtung

What else? What next?

Old Friends

Happy Mother's Day!

Vesosolex

Publish Your Photography Book

Forward Thinking Museum

Chip Thomas

Something's Wrong With This Picture

Billy

Hózhó

Home on the Range

T for Terlingua, Texas

Animals are Alive Today

Lord of Misrule

El Secreto de Sus Ojos

Book Review: One Block

Princeton 35th Reunion

Review of Descendants

Concord Art Association - THANK YOU!!!

New Work

Remains of the Day

Miss Stubbs

Houston Center for Photography Auction

Kodachrome, R.I.P.

Very Tempting

Infidel

Constructed

Views from the Reservation Review

Puns for Educated Minds

Houston Center for Photography

Friends of Friends Photography Auction

Hayden's Ferry Review

Collect.give

Everlasting Moments

Winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

My Dad's Halloween Costume

Collect.give

In the Places of the Spirits

my birthday party

Tibetan Sand Painting?

Review of Black and White Exhibition

Frank Gohlke

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Griffin Museum Focus Awards and Gala

New Work

New Toy

Off to School

Live as if you die tomorrow. Learn as if you live forever. Mahatma Gandhi

Wow!

The Wife Doesn't Know

Off to the Races

Happy Birthday to Me!

The Truest Meaning of Pictures

Manjari's Shower

Px3 People's Choice

Outstanding Opportunity for Women Photographers!

Wisconsin

Silver Eye Center for Photography

Fraction Magazine Issue 16

Orion Magazine

Shots Magazine #108

The Martin Museum of Art

Liu Xiaofang

NY, NY

Here Comes the Bride

Live as if you die tomorrow.
Learn as if you live forever.

Mahatma Gandhi