Philadelphia Local News

Here in the greatest city in the world, Philadelphia, PA, we have a hardcore obsession with local news and newscasters. My dear friend BVSC posted this amazing set of trading cards? head shots? of the Eye on Philadelphia team that you can enjoy by clicking the above link.

Worth noting is the inclusion of Jerry Penacoli, who was actually forced out of Philadelphia following the endless rumors that he had been brought to the emergency room with a gerbil in his rectum. It was an amazing urban legend, right up there with Mikey dying from pop rocks.

Also, Ray Murray is included in this set and I love Ray Murray. I have nothing but great things to say about Ray Murray. My family lived on the same block as Ray Murray for many years and he is a really nice, smart and engaging guy. Totally serious.

Ray was the host of Evening Magazine which is still greatly missed 20 years later.

ICA Update Part II

Here's the list of projected images at the ICA. There are fewer images in this projection- that's in keeping with a tighter theme using desire as the hub. And working with the turnaround wall between the floors, which won't be all that dark, lends to photos that don't have to be studied. It's a different feel because it's a transitional space where people won't be hanging out watching the changing photos. Each photo will projected for 4 seconds each, with a 3 second transition between images.



1. We Will Win (Las Vegas, NV)
2. E----- at Home (Philadelphia, PA)
3. Frank Sinatra Mirror (Philadelphia, PA)
4. Save (Philadelphia, PA)
5. West Philly Mattresses (Philadelphia, PA)
6. TV on Second Floor (Gulfport, MS)
7. Mummers Kissing Top hat (Philadelphia, PA)
8. Spelling Achievement Award (Gulfport, MS)

9. Money Drying (Biloxi, MS)

10. Giant Mouth Pleasures (Las Vegas, NV)
11. Lights at Phillies Game (Philadelphia, PA)
12. All Americans (Monmouth, NJ)
13. New Phenom Penn (Philadelphia, PA)
14. North Philly Horses (Philadelphia, PA)
15. I---- Smoking (Philadelphia, PA)
16. Divine Loraine (Philadelphia, PA)
17. Troubled? (Philadelphia, PA)
18. Circus Circus Lights (Las Vegas, NV)
19. Man Reclining Nude on Bed (Las Vegas, NV)
20. Coal Billboard (Near Ellengowan, PA)
21. I Love You (Philadelphia, PA)
22. Fluorescent Light (Philadelphia, PA)
23. Alarm Calls Police (Asbury Park, NJ)
24. Coffee Spill Prevention Point (Philadelphia, PA)
25. Camden Crack (Camden, NJ)
26. Value City (Near Pottsville, PA)
27. Kid in Black Face (Philadelphia, PA)
28. Camden Vent (Camden, NJ)
29. Melissa’s Handstand (Philadelphia, PA)
30. Ice on Stairs in Tasker Projects (Philadelphia, PA)
31. Titanic (Philadelphia, PA)
32. Your Future Starts Here (Las Vegas, NV)
33. Woman Throwing Box Out of Window
34. Christmas Decorations on Lawn (Near Jim Thorpe, PA)
35. Fishtown Memorial (Philadelphia, PA)
36. El Cortez (Las Vegas, NV)
37. Everything Is Name Brand (Philadelphia, PA)
38. Nina (Philadelphia, PA)
39. Asbury Matinee (Asbury Park, NJ)
40. Mummers Kissing (Philadelphia, PA)
41. Metropolitan Hospital (Philadelphia, PA)
42. Lake Photo at Art and Diane’s (Crystal, NV)
43. Daddy Tattoo (Philadelphia, PA)
44. Stardust (Las Vegas, NV)
45. Pepsi Painted Over (Philadelphia, PA)
46. Mummers Exposing Penises (Philadelphia, PA)
47. Dolls (Las Vegas, NV)

48. Rainbow Video (Atlanta,GA)
49. 20th St. Houses (Philadelphia, PA)
50. Pilgrims (Monmouth, NJ)
51. Woman Walking Under El (Philadelphia, PA)
52. We Love Centralia (Centralia, PA)
53. Abandoned Homes at Naval Yard (Philadelphia, PA)
54. Michael Myers (Philadelphia, PA)
55. Deer on Lawn (Limerick, PA)
56. Sophie (Philadelphia, PA)
57. Dynasty Hair Salon (Philadelphia, PA)
58. Half House Vert (Philadelphia, PA)
59. Mummers Urinating (Philadelphia, PA)
60. Paula’s Union Hall (Philadelphia, PA)
61. Appliances Under El (Philadelphia, PA)
62. Beth (Camden, NJ)
63. Photo Mural With Fire Alarm (Las Vegas, NV)
64. Kate (Philadelphia, PA)
65. American Appliance (Philadelphia, PA)
66. Bunny (Philadelphia, PA)
67. Shot Appliances (Pahrump, NV)
68. Camden Mattresses (Camden, NJ)

69. 3 Smokestacks from Train

70. Victoria’s Hysterectomy Scar (Philadelphia, PA)
71. Covered Highway Graffiti (Near Philadelphia, PA)
72. Casino (Las Vegas, NV)
73. E----- Smoking (Philadelphia, PA)
74. Blue Building with Grass (Near Philadelphia, PA)
75. Mom Were OK (Biloxi, MS)

76. Slag (Near Ellengowan, PA)

77. Making Out (Philadelphia, PA)
78. Noise (Philadelphia, PA)
79. Burned Apartment Building (Las Vegas, NV)
80. Corner Woman (Philadelphia, PA)
81. Shirt and Pants Hanging (Biloxi, MS)
82. If You Break the Skin (Philadelphia, PA)
83. 3 Men Storefront (Philadelphia, PA)
84. Blank Billboard (Near Reading, PA)
85. Forever Eddie (Philadelphia, PA)

86. Bail Bonds (Camden, NJ)
87. Camden Card Trick (Camden, NJ)
88. Wedding Arch (Las Vegas, NV)
89. Lifting Shirt (Camden, NJ)
90. Pennsport Caterers (Philadelphia, PA)

91. Mask on Back of Head (Philadelphia, PA)
92. Equitable (Atlanta, GA)
93. Howard Johnson Couple Asbury (Camden, NJ)
94. Everyone Deserves a Second Chance (Philadelphia, PA)
95. Bushes in Front of Door (Near Philadelphia, PA)
96. Citizen Restaurant (Richmond, VA)

97. Leo’s Mantle with Medications (Philadelphia, PA)

98. Clothes in Lot (Gulfport, MS)

99. Motel Deadly Quiet (Las Vegas, NV)

100. Alzheimer’s (Philadelphia, PA)
101. Swimming Pool (Coatesville, PA)
102. Marines Billboard (Philadelphia, PA)
103. Drive In (Near Reading, PA)
104. Fist With Cash Pawn (Gulfport, MS)
105. Camden Teardrop (Camden, NJ)
106. Phillies Imprint Removed (Philadelphia, PA)
107. Mummer Drinking Bud (Philadelphia, PA)
108. Asbury the City (Asbury Park, NJ)
109. Fireworks (Pahrump, NV)
110. Woman Under El (Philadelphia, PA)
111. Lights In Chinatown (Philadelphia, PA)
112. Asbury Tillie (Asbury Park, NJ)
113. Ah So Sexy (Crystal, NV)
114. Star (Wynnewood, PA)
115. Counterfeit (Wildwood, NJ)
116. Benny Krass Jokes (Philadelphia, PA)

117. Lurch Pecker Out (Philadelphia, PA)

118. Pardon Our Dust (Philadelphia, PA)
119. Camden Factory (Camden, NJ)
120. Everything (Philadelphia, PA)
121. Woman in Red Leopard Shirt (Camden, NJ)
122. Basketball Hoop (Philadelphia, PA)
123. Hope Not Dope (Philadelphia, PA)
124. Mummer Yelling (Philadelphia, PA)
125. Why Not Coal? (Near Ellengowan, PA)
126. Angel (Philadelphia, PA)
127. Call Unto Me (Philadelphia, PA)
128. Yellow Flea Market Curtain (Philadelphia, PA)

April 1 down the Whitney

Two years ago, my lady surprised me with an overnight trip to NY for my birthday. So last birthday I was at the Whitney and two years later I'm in the Biennial. WHAATTTTTTTTTT!?!?!

I really don't know how I can make this into more of a story. It's unbelievable.

April 1 2006

This event will be great and it's my birthday.



Saturday, April 1 6pm

This evening's three conversations take up the twilight character of Day for Night, the sense of artists "working," as Biennial curator Philippe Vergne has described, "in a space between day and night, between the history of forms and the forms of history. . .[where] many things are called into question or obscured."

One: Gedi Sibony, Jordan Wolfson, Momus
Two: Carolina Caycedo, Lori Cheatle and Daisy Wright, Zoe Strauss
Three: Jutta Koether and Reena Spaulings

Admission to all programs, unless otherwise noted: $8; members, senior citizens, and students with valid ID $6. Advance sales are strongly recommended, as seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased at the Museum Admissions Desk or by visiting www.whitney.org; reservation inquiries at (212) 570-7715 or

public_programs@whitney.org.

Roberta Fallon's Philadelphia Weekly Whitney Biennial Review

This review makes me very happy and proud.

You can also check it out on the ever moving and shaking amazing
ArtBlog!


I can't say enough about ArtBlog's
contribution to the Philadelphia arts community.

ICA Update

I am on the move! The ordering for the projection is done. The covering for the 3 windows is on it's way and I am cooking with nuclear fission.

WHAT THE FUCK?

Ok, there's been another shooting close to my home. Earlier this week a 14 year old kid was killed while he was sweeping up the playground. Today there was a shooting at 22nd and Snyder where bullets were sprayed and 2 people just standing around outside their house were shot.

We can't keep living like this. A culture of callousness to murder is becoming ever present and that is absolutely terrifying. I mean the news that a fucking shootout happened at 22nd and Snyder should be shocking, that some kid is murdered in the middle of day in the Wharton St. playground, we should all be running out of our homes and into the street trying to work this shit out and out of our minds that this happened. Seriously, what are we going to do?

Writers, start writing about photography

Friends, exposure is looking for some smart contributors to do some smart writing about photography. exposure is the journal of the Society for Photographic Education and is edited by the amazingly brilliant and beyond fabulous CARLA WILLIAMS.


"exposure is a peer-reviewed journal of photographic education. exposure welcomes
submissions from photographers, historians, critics, writers, professors, instructors, and
students. Preference is given to SPE members but membership is not required for publication in
exposure. All primary contributors receive a small honorarium."

So start cranking out the writing, folks.

I am honored to have an interview in this coming issue. I was interviewed by none other than Philadelphia's own photo maven, Kate Ware. Ms. Ware is beloved by me, my lady, Christine Settino, my mother and my sister to just name a few of her most ardent admirers.





cover image: Susannah Slocum, Lauren White and Lauren Brown, 2005

O Capt'n!

I have revised O' Captain to reflect the greatness of P. Cronan. Gone are the parts where the Captain lies "cold and dead" or
whatever. Instead it now tells the story it was meant to tell, the story of a very classy dagger.


O CAPT'N! my Capt'n! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
Daggers rejoice! She's here waxing her board in the sun.

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, :
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring
Some dagglicious outfit she's wearing

O Capt'n! my Capt'n! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you a lady jags off—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;


For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning
The ways of a number 1 classy dagger they're learning

Artist to Watch: Jennifer MacDonald

Folks, Jen MacDonald is awesome. If you ever get a chance to check out her work, DO IT!

Here is a beautiful piece by Ms. Macdonald










And this is a still from hand painted animation piece by Jen.

New York

Seriously, I can not be any less cool.
A. I will never know where I'm going in New York. This is how I feel every time I get off the train.

B. I love Science Fiction
3. I have no interest in fashion for myself at all. Someone I know who doesn't want to be named rocks it out with really nice clothes and always looks great and I wear one of 3 different brown sweatshirts almost every day.
D. I am often excited about things and I'm also super sensitive to criticism and don't have the social skills to appear aloof or even contained when others are a little more lowkey than me.
E. I'm not a hater.

Friends!

I am caught up until March 14th emails and hope to be all the way up to date by Mon. Wish me luck!

911

A few years ago my lady had a dream that she called 911 and when the call was picked up, she had to listen to a short commercial until she was connected to the police. I think of this dream often and wonder how long until it's possible that her dream could be true.

Links Are Back!

The links on the left dissapeared when my blog was down yesterday. I'm working on getting them back.

In Loving Memory of Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler was an amazing sci fi author. She was one of my all time favorites.



NY Times Obituary

Octavia Butler

St. Patrick's Day Parade Philadelphia

Prague Shmague!

My sister, the world's greatest sister, will be going to Prague for an extended visit up to 6 months to teach English.

I know she will love it, but honestly I hope she's like, "This Blows" and comes right home because I love her so much and will miss her every second that she's gone.

Zoe Strauss Gallery Representation

Several people have asked me about my gallery representation, so let me point you in the right direction...

I am represented by the Philadelphia Public Art Project.



Please contact the executive director of PAP, ok, that's actually me, for information on my work.
Beginning on May 13th the Philadelphia Public Art Project gallery at 838 Cantrell St. will be open 2 days a week and by appointment.

Please contact Zoe Strauss, executive director, at info@zoestrauss.com

838 Cantrell

SATURDAYS 2pm-7pm
WEDNESDAYS 6pm-9pm

and by appointment

Photo West Gallery

I encourage all to stop by Photo West Gallery in West Philly. Run by Laurence Salzmann, it supports my assertion that Philadelphia is photography capital of the world.

Love and Respect

South Philly Represents.
Dawn Staley will have to hold it down now that the greatest college basketball coach is retiring. I know she will, but John Chaney will be sorely missed.

Marilyn Minter

This is one of my favorites in the Biennial. If you live in or are visiting NY city, check out her billboards.


For the month of March, Marilyn Minter's seductive and hyperrealistic photographs tower over the art galleries in Chelsea on four spectacular billboards.

SHIT-KICKER, 23rd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues
SPLISH SPLASH and RUNS, 23rd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues
MUD BATH, 10th Avenue, between 17th and 18th Streets, above The Park restaurant

Photos by Chris Jordan from down New Orleans

Chris Jordan is a Seattle-based photographic artist.

"My hope is that these images might encourage reflection about personal responsibility in our unchecked consumer culture. I fear that if we continue down the path of avoidance and denial of the roles we play in global warming, more tragedies like Katrina could occur -- and we all may risk losing something more profound than we ever imagined possible."

With thanks to Ms. Kate Ware

Hometown Girl Makes Good

Art | A noisy biennial at the Whitney
By Edward J. Sozanski

Who You Gonna Call

Photo Credit- Savannah Roberts
A highlight of the stay in New York was staying so close to the "Ghostbusters" library where Harold Ramis managed to come up with some city saving paranormal information!

Hi Res Photos of I-95?

I totally missed out on asking this in my last photo of the week email because I was so worked up about Oprah, but does anyone have ANY hi res images of the I-95 shows? If so, please email me asap. info@zoestrauss.com
Thanks!

One Power Packed Sentence in Oprah Mag

Report on inaugural “coffee talk”

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Whitney artist's coffee talk series. I love the idea of the Whitney coffee talk, coffee talk being a group of about 25 people who can come and talk to an artist who is participating in the biennial. Coming up are unbelievable artists that you can actually ask questions of and get answers!





Whatever, because the highlights were the 2 surprise visitors that appeared at the talk...

Aunt Jane "Triple 3s" Roberts




and
Greg "Super Great" Mungan


The Triple 3s actually lives in NY, so albeit a great surprise, it wasn't an impossible scenario to imagine. But GREG MUNGAN?!
That was beyond. I've been friends with Greg for many years, I've known him since I was a teenager. One of the hardest things right now is how I haven't seen friends for months or even years because of my insane work level, and sadly, as much as I love having Greg as my friend, I hardly get a chance to talk to him. Greg is one of my favorite people ever and having him be there was beautiful and amazing.

You're the best, GM.


And what about the power behind the throne at the Whitney...the education department?


As one can see from this candid photo, Margie and Frank are hard at work discussing ways to create challenging but accessible, insightful and informative, fun but filled with post-postmodern theory educational programming at the Whitney.

I have many suggestions for them including...

Poker night at the Whitney. Why not "cash in" on this poker craze with an artstar celebrity challenge? It could really be the start of something. I suggest the museum aquire 2 Donald Judd stacks for the sole purpose of using them as the poker chips. A "full house" of deconstruction!

Train Route

I have been taking Amtrak to NY, and let me tell you, it's awesome. I love it.

Here's the train route from 30th St.

Through West Philly behind the zoo
Through North Philly over Broad St.
Through Kensington
Through Torresdale and Bridesburg

Possibly the greatest thing about taking the train is seeing so much of the city from a path I can’t walk or drive.

The train tracks provide a view of the inaccessible side of commercial corridors that I know fairly well and commercial corridors that are geared toward railroad commerce that I don’t know at all.

And it once again prompted me to think that there’s probably no one else on earth that loves to see as much as me. What’s better than vision? Nothing.


Past the Princeton Ave. entrance to 95 aka Home Sweet Home.





Along State Rd. (Notable for Joe Baker’s Automatic Transmissions and also the stretch when I learned to drive as taught by Joe Baker)
Past Holmesburg Prison


Out of Philadelphia and through Bristol known for the Bristol Stomp
















To Trenton…Trenton Makes The World Takes is one of the world’s hottest signs.




It’s lit in red at night, beautiful.


Actually, I was in Trenton for the first time this year and became very interested in the city. I was struck by Trenton’s distinct architecture, in both the residential neighborhoods and the buildings in the commercial sections.

Following this I don’t know any of the areas until New York, and, of course, I don’t know New York at all. Really, “take me to the Whitney” sounds all romantic and all but it’s really because I have no idea where the hell I am anytime I’m in New York.

3 of my favorite things in the world.

1. Early work from Cosmo Baker, Jabba the Hut with Salacious Crumb, circa 1982, glazed clay
from the collection of Zoe Strauss and Lynn Bloom
2. Early work from Walker Roberts, “G-dzilla” from the Monsol Series, circa 1988, ink on paper
whereabouts unknown
3. Early work from Savannah Roberts, “America” circa 1994, mixed media on paper
last owned by Walker Roberts

Important notice from “up-and-comer” Zoe Strauss

Why not pick up O, “The Oprah Magazine,” for the inclusion of the “Bankruptcy Divorce” photo and the power packed sentence about me on page 56? Oprah fucking magazine. OH MY GOD, WHAT IS GOING ON? I AM BLOWING UP! HOLY FUCK! OPRAH!








The placement of this page couldn't be better. It's right before this heavy card stock Chanel perfume ad, so you OPEN RIGHT TO A PAGE ABOUT THE WHITNEY BIENNIAL! WHOOOOO!





Look, it might be time for a write in campaign to get me on the Oprah show. I really think it’s time for Oprah to have more conceptual artists as guests.

Academy Revisited

So, I did that coffee talk which was awesome, but I was kind of hoping for a little more "theory" if you feel me. It prompted me to write this abstract of a non-existent article about my own work and pass it off as if someone else wrote it. Is that so wrong?


La Petite Morte: the influence of Monique Wittig and Eugene Atget on the works of Zoe Strauss


or


Freedom Fries: Reading Zoe Strauss's work through the filter of Eugene Atget, Berenice Abbott and Monique Wittig.



Abstract:

Looking at the juxtaposition of "everyday" moments placed alongside formal architectural photos and landscapes in Zoe Strauss's photos, it becomes evident that Zoe Strauss is influenced by the "raw" photos and composition seen in Atget's photos, as well as the radical idea presented by Monique Wittig, who believed that language itself must be reinvented to better serve the experience of women.

Although Ms. Strauss does not regard her work as documentary, Atget's labor of love in photographing Paris is unconsciously mirrored in Zoe Strauss's expansive grouping of photos from her native city, Philadelphia, PA. One can see there is no question that within the context of the I-95 project, Ms. Strauss is also referencing the work of Berenice Abbott, who championed the work of Atget and cited him as a strong influence on her own work. Ms. Abbott produced strong and singular images that referenced Atget while exhibiting a distinct street photography style unique to Ms Abbott's work. Ms. Strauss seems to be alluding to the female gaze while reaching back to Atget. Ms Strauss includes images reminiscent of Ms. Abbott's work, eg. the inversion of perspective from Abbott's "El at Columbus Avenue and Broadway" as seen in Strauss's "North Philadelphia Horses" can be read as a subversive referencing of the expansive female gaze.






Berenice Abbott
El at Columbus Avenue and Broadway
c. 1935-39





















Zoe Strauss
North Philly Horses


Citing the work of Monique Witting along side of the marked references to Berenice Abbott, one can see that Ms. Strauss approaches image making as a way of projecting the queer female gaze into the public sphere. Reading image as language is a keystone in Ms. Strauss's work, as seen by her contextual placement of photos, in addition to the numerous text based photos included in her sprawling installation, "Under I-95".

Ms. Strauss's image choices and placement allude to an idea put forth in Monique Wittig's, The Lesbian Body. In The Lesbian Body, the personal pronouns are "split." In French, for example, je became j/e and tu, t/u. The English translators put I in italics and write m/y to achieve a similar effect. Wittig puts forth the idea that no person is a coherent, self-sustaining element. We are all internally divided and made up of many dissimilar characteristics. This can be seen in Ms. Strauss's work
on many levels. I propose that Ms. Strauss's photos can and should be read as a "'lesbian body' of work."


Coming up next on fake articles about Zoe Strauss, written by Zoe Strauss...


Archetype Architecture; Recurring Themes within the I-95 Project

and

((recon)(text)ualizing) imag(in)ed: Words in the Works of Zoe Strauss


P.S. This is joke.

half house on boulevard

This is one I have tended to use



but this is also good.

Linda

Academy Award Critique

Now seriously, why are there 7000 skits and montages and the people winning the awards get about 17 seconds to give their speech? They're winning an ACADEMY AWARD! They should get more time! Jesus H. Christ!

And why is music playing while they give their speech?

More time for the winners!

#1 dress color of the night...Jennifer Lopez.

And please cut your hair Tom Hanks! And stop squinting in your acting!

3 6 Mafia's speech is the winner for the night!

Ang Lee's speech comes in second.

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Liz Bonaventura.

Wait, the real photo of the week

It's been pretty difficult to chose between this one with a very little bit of sky in the top corners and the one posted below with no sky.

Photo of the Week

I posted this a little over a month ago, but wasn't sure if it was strong enough to be in considered for the 95 show. Even during the insanity of the Whitney stuff this image would pop up in my mind and so now I'm sure it's in the running.