A Temporary Halt on Pictures

I've had my new digital camera for less than a week, and it's already "broken" to the point of stumping the entire staff at a local camera store:

Me: Hi, yeah, I've had my camera for about five days, and now the battery is stuck inside. Can you please help?
Camera Dude (CD): Whooo-eee! That's an interesting problem! Have you just tried whacking it a few times.
Me: Yes. But I'm also afraid I'll break it, or give it mechanical whiplash or something. I have no clue what happened.
CD: Ok, well, let me see what I can do.
(CD carefully hides behind a display so I can't see him. I could care less, I'm too busy caught up reading an interesting article about how Bush may or may not be the worst president in history.)
Ten minutes later....
CD: It's stuck.
Me: That's not an acceptable answer. See, that's why I'm here...

So, no pictures for a while. It's actually a good time for a broken camera (if there is one) because all my models are in finals season, and are too busy to get naked anyway.

CD did recommend a camera repair place called Strauss' or something. So, anyone know anything about them, or know of a good place to go? I'm going to call the place where I got the camera to see if that have any preferences as to how I take care of this so they can't later accuse me of breaking it and forcing me to pay another $2000 i don't really have to buy another camera.

Camera Question

Anyone have any ideas as to how to get the battery out of my digital camera? It seems to be stuck.

I Popped my D200 Cherry

From a shoot today, taken on my new camera. I think I need more practice using it.

You know, I keep forgetting to metion this....

Yes, I'm moving to San Francisco, but I'm not moving until August. Many months away. Sorry 'bout that.

San Francisco

So, I've muttered about this a few times, but I thought I should make an official announcement: I'm moving to San Francisco. Or, rather, my boyfriend and I are moving to San Francisco. We did the LDR deal for four years, and it'll be nice to be on the same coast for once. He already has his gig(s) (we're moving to Berkeley in another year) set up, but I, alas, do not. I'm attempting to reserach the art scene, doing my homework, etc. But....

....Anyone have any recommendations? Know any good SF online resources (like DC Art News)? Stories? Favorite art places?

Reminder: Annie Sprinkle @ AU

Annie Sprinkle, sexpert, artist, former porn star, and nifty lady, will be lecturing tonight in the Battelle Atrium at American University. It starts at 7pm, and it's free. For more info on Madame Sprinkle, go to her website here. For directions to AU, etc., email me. AU hasn't listed this even ANYWHERE on their website. It's like they don't want you to know sex happens.....

My friend Jenn and I are going. We'll be the two tall, crazy chicks who will figuratively throw our panties at Ms. Sprinkle.

Digital Cameras

I'm finally going digital--I'm getting the Nikon D200. Sexy. I want to name it, and I want to find people to christen it with.

This also means you'll be seeing a lot more pictures, and many different kinds of pictures. Dirty, portraits, travel, all of it. I'm very excited.

New Book

"Reciprocation" has been chosen to be the cover art for "Best Women's Erotica '07" from Cleis Press. I'm very excited. It's my first book. This is the mark-up for the cover:


The true test will be if my mother feels comfortable enough going to Barnes and Noble and buying a few copies....

New Work

I had a shoot yesterday. The couple was FANTASTIC. But even though the shoot was two and a half hours long, and I used 17 rolls of film, I really only came out with five decent shots. But they've agreed to model again, so there should be more shots in the future.

Obviously, I was channeling Tony Ward with these.

Monday Art Deal

"Hand", 2002
8"x12" digital archival print, signed
Matted with acid-free white mat and framed with a black wood flat frame to be 16"x20"
Won "Best in Show" at the 2004 National Juried Show at the Washington Gallery of Photography, juried by Michael Cunningham (photographer who took the "Crowns" series)
$250

I'm not religious. Technically, I'm Jewish, but I don't practice, and I'm fairly agnostic these days. So please don't read anything into the shot--I took it for a friend for a project of hers during freshman year. But it's still a pretty picture, and it should be with someone who would appreciate it more than me.

It feels wrong, and yet, so right....

I came across a bunch of talking President action figures. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Reagan, and......W. Would it be wrong to use them in more doll photos?

Oh. Hell. Yes.

Oh my God......these are fantastic. I stopped the doll pictures because they started to bore me, but I HAVE to start again because of these. Are they still for kids? I mean, it's Barbie, but it's "Barbie Collector." Oh who cares--I bet I can freak some people out with these.

How did I not get a grant for these? Poo.

Don't Cha Wish These had Bendable Joints?

Hasbro will release mini-doll versions of the Pussycat Dolls. Rumor has it they will be marketed to six-year olds. Whatever, can't be bothered with that right now. I sense a rebirth of the "doll project." Anyone know if there are Britney/Jessica/random celebrity airhead dolls out, and if they have bendable joints?

Annie Sprinkle @ AU

Annie Sprinkle, artist, sexpert, and porn afficionado, will be lecturing at American University on Monday, April 24 at 8pm in Ward 1, and Tuesday, April 25 at 7pm in the Battelle Atrium. I'm going, and I'm dragging friends with me. It's free, so you don't have an excuse not to be there. But leave the kids at home.

For more info, go to www.anniesprinkle.org.

Art @ Large

"Cattus Interruptus" will be in "Going Underground", a show at Art @ Large in NYC from June 15-July 1. Gives me a good excuse to take a long weekend in New York.

CL

craigslist makes me hate myself just a little....

Question

Art historically speaking, it wasn't uncommon for male artists who attempted to "document" (interpret) a woman's identity, sexual or otherwise, to portray her the way he wanted to see her rather than how she saw herself; his fantasy over her reality. That's just how the [stupid] game was played. But now we have more women artists and more women who are comfortable talking about sex, so has this changed the situation at all? Idealistically, I'd like to think that because sex, gender, and sexuality have been discussed more openly, honestly, and intellectually from ALL sides (it's not a binary) in recent decades that people today are generally more educated in such matters--that is, if they're willing to be educated. Maybe that's just a reflection of my own generation, but I think there's a glimmer of truth to that statement. But then again, identity is both fluid and unique. You can't make a sweeping statement about a group of people and have it apply to everyone, someone will inevitably been excluded. In which case, everything stated earlier is bunk. So:

Can men and women interpret each other's sexuality without thrusting their own ideals/fantasies onto their subject? Can men and women interpret each other's sexuality, period?

On a related note, for the record, this is exactly why I HATE (hate hate hate hate hate) traditional black and white nude photography--naked, skinny, big-breasted women lying oh-so-gracefully on boulders in the sun, or galavanting in wheat fields, or rolling around on the sand, taken by men. It seems like the last bastion of that archaic man/woman, artist/model, superior/inferior binary hierarchy. Women don't do this in real life, and chances are, we wouldn't make another woman do it because we know how uncomfortable and unrealistic it is. I mean, if you wake up in the morning, and you just have this overwhelming hankering to force your back into an unnatural parabola over some sharp rocks, that's one thing, but I think it's safe to say most people don't. But I've seen some women photographers take comparable images of men in the same way--naked, muscle-y men with man-boobs bigger than mine, coated liberally with baby oil, glistening in the sun. Here's a little quiz, and there are no wrong answers. Are these photos:
a.) mocking traditional black and white nude photography (men taking pictures of women), which makes a sort of social statement, and therefore has a little more intellectual merit than just saying "I think the female form is the most beautiful thing in existence?"
b.) irrelevant, because even if it was commentary, what makes what a woman says any more valid or valuable than a man?
c.) important, because it "evens the playing field"--now men and women are both guilty of objectifying the other.
d.) important, because regardless of what the artist says, these pictures partially dismantle that aforementioned man/woman, artist/model, superior/inferior traditional hierarchies and shake things up a bit.
e.) some combination of above.
f.) all of the above.
g.) none of the above.

Monday Art Deal

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures. I just...love it. I actually have two framed copies, but I'm only selling one because I'm keeping the other for myself and my new apartment (assuming my boyfriend is ok with pictures of naked people hanging around, which I think he is). It just came back from the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, so obviously, someone thought it was a good picture. Anyway, because it is such a favorite, the price is a little higher on this one than others. But here are the stats:

"Scratched" 2005
8"x12" digital archive print, signed
Matted with acid-free white mat, framed with a black wood box frame
Final image size is 16"x20"
$250

Mini-article: Doll photos on Duclerck.com

There's a small ditty on me at Duclerck. They approached me, asked about the doll photos, and what's posted is my response. Hope that clears up any questions about those pictures.

One last fling with the DC art scene before I move...

I will officially be the new Development Intern for the National Museum for Women in the Arts, summer 2006. Except that I start in May and end in July, thanks to my funky moving schedule.

But yay!

Artist Plug (Kinky...)

Matthew Langley is a fan of low cost, high/no edition art, as am I. In snooty art historian speak, "it attempts to dismantle the socioeconommic hierarchy perpetuated by the art world". Translation: makes the art a bit more accessable to everyone. Anyway, he's gotten into the habit of posting weekly art deals on his blog, Matthew Langley Artblog.

A few days ago, he posted this:

The Boneyard, 2005

They will be 4.75"x4.75" prints, matted to be 11"x14", and sold for $100 each. It is an open edition. If it weren't for the fact that I'm supposed to be saving all my money for The Move (i.e. move to San Francisco), I'd get one myself. So go buy one for yourself, and let me live vicariously through you. While you're at it, you could *ahem* buy a piece from me, too. All I'm sayin'....

Art Sale of the Week

"Licked", 2005

I actually have two copies of this one. Same deal, first come, first served.

1. Digital archive print from Chrome
8"x12" image, double matted (front and back) on acid-free white mat to 16"x20"
Both print and mat are signed.
$75

2. Digital archive print from Chrome
8"x12" image, matted with acid-free white mat, with black wood box frame, ready for hanging
Final size is 16"x20"
Both print and mat are signed.
(Also, a personal favorite)
$200

Engineers Without Borders Art Auction

The UMCP chapter of Engineers Without Borders will be having an art auction fundraiser tomorrow night at the Leland Community Center in Bethesda. I went to high school with Xiah Kragie, who's worked her tush off on this thing, and if people could come, that would be fantastic. There will be food and music, plus lots and lots of art. Plus, I'm told, hot science college chicks. And maybe me.

Artists, unless otherwise noted, get 25% of the proceeds, and the other 75% is tax deductable.

The art:

"The Tee Shirt"
8"x12" image, matted and framed to be 16"x20"
Acid free white mat, black wood box frame
Starting bid: $150
Note: This was my first really good photo, the one that made me think I might actually be decent at taking pictures


"Hand"
8"x12" image, matted and framed to be 16"x20"
Acid free white mat, black wood box frame
Starting bid: $150
Note: Won "Best in Show" at the 2005 National Juried Show at the Washington Gallery of Photography, juried my Michael Cunningham (photographer who did the "Crowns" series, the photos of African-American women in their hats)


"Meredith with Blanket"
8"x12" image, matted and framed to be 16"x20"
Acid free white mat, black wood box frame
Starting bid: $150
Note: Won "Honorable Mention" at the 2005 National Juried Show at the Washington Gallery of Photography, juried my Michael Cunningham (photographer who did the "Crowns" series, the photos of African-American women in their hats)




"Her Eye" and "Her Neck" (sold as a set)
8"x12" images, matted and framed to be 11"x14" each
Acid free white mat, black wood box frame
Starting bid: $200 for the set
Note: "Her Eye" was featured in the 3rd Annual International Photography Competition at the Fraser Gallery.

Lenny Campello will also have a large painting there, so if you're not a fan of my work, at least go to see his.

The skinny:
Who: Me, Lenny, Xiah Kragie, hot science chicks, some other artists
What: Engineers Without Borders Art Auction Fundraiser
Where: Leland Community Center, Bethesda (at the end of the street next to that women's farmer's market on Wisc. Ave.)
When: Saturday, April 8, 5-8pm
Why: Cool art, low prices, and 75% of the proceeds go towards rebuilding communities in third-world countries.

Airing my dirty laundry

Once upon a time, I got approached to publish my doll pictures in Penthouse. I asked to see a contract, any contract, before I sent them pictures. That was nearly a month ago. Today, I find out through a friend (and not the editor I spoke with) that said editor was offended that I had asked to see a contract, and therefore didn't want anything to do with me.

Aside from the blatant lack of professionalism that comes from not returning any of my phone calls or emails, not to mention that this editor lacked the courage to tell me he "just wasn't that into me" personally, this strikes me as odd. I would have published photos that would have almost guaranteed me a lawsuit with Mattel. As far as I know, asking to see a contract wasn't just good business practice, it was a way to cover my butt. I'm satisfied with what happened (if not HOW it happened). But am I wrong? Are photographers no longer expected to look at contracts before publication?

HEAD Magazine

The April issue of HEAD, in which I'm featured, is now up. It can be seen here.

Spring Cleaning/Moving Sale

I'm moving. I can't disclose the specifics just yet (long story), but I do know I'm moving to the west coast sometime between mid-August and mid-September. I have a lot of art that I can't take with me, so I'm hoping it can be "adopted". So here's the skinny: every Monday until I move, I will be posting one specific piece of art that will be for sale, to be sold on a first come, first served basis. This week it's this:


"Modern Odalisque" 2005
digital archive print
8"x12" image, matted to be 16"x20"
double matted (front and back) on acid-free white board
both print and mat are signed, so all you need is a frame, and you're good to go!
$75

if interested, email me at samantha at his dot com.

Because I'm still pissed at the art world

Photographer Tracy Lee posted this:

"National Deadline: April 10, 2006 - This national exhibition is a celebration of the multiple dimensions of women. Open to US based women artists. We are seeking artworks that explore the diversity of womanhood. Earth Mother - Wise Woman - Mother / Daughter -Goddess - Spirited Souls.

As women our lives are often challenging - yet we flourish. We are culturally diverse. We seek to be proud. Through art we blossom.

Special conditions of Entry:
No sexual, violent or disturbing images."

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

First, you complain that "as women, our lives are often challenging", then you turn around and suggest clicheéd, restrictive, gendered roles that we need to embrace in order to be considered women in your screwed up show? And, as Lee pointed out, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE SEXUAL?! See, if you deny this woman her sexuality, she will get very, very violent towards you, and the results will be very disturbing. AND I'll take pictures of it and call it art. DAMN IT. Now I need a whole new wardrobe to fit this new role you want me to play. I don't own nearly enough pinafores and bloomers to really be a true woman.

Say it loud, say it proud: I am a woman, and I love sex. So sue me.

Please consider this to be my official boycott of women-only shows.

Silly me, being so young, I completely missed how special and poignant this was supposed to be.

http://cds.aas.duke.edu/books/25transitions.html

Oh I get it--because people under 25 are in that oh-so-difficult time of transition and being "in flux", we'd be experts in capturing that on film. Because it's also such a beautiful thing to convey in photography, what with the anxiety, the amigbuity, apathy, and/or the existential crises. Just gorgeous; so, so moving. Hey, I have a novel idea! Lets move away from trying to encourage the youngins' to hide behind their age, which, if I understand correctly, WILL CHANGE.

Fuck this. I'm gonna be 36 until the day I die.