I love you.

Women in Photography: WIPNYC

Philadelphia Photo Arts Center

"The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the study, practice, and appreciation of photography in the Philadelphia region. The organization fulfills this mission by offering educational programs, photographic exhibitions, lectures by practicing artists, and affordable access to high-end digital equipment for the creation of photographs. PPAC is a resource for both practicing artists as well as individuals interested in learning about all aspects of contemporary photography. PPAC provides needed technical services and instruction and promotes the relationships and connections that will lead to a more vibrant photography community."

I am so thrilled and proud about the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center... congratulations and thanks to Sarah Stolfa for her vision and hard work.

All my email from today was lost... please resend if you sent me something!

NYT Once Again Talking About the Greatness of Philadelphia Arts with Some Food Thrown In

Love Letter

Flirtin' With Disaster

Earl "The Fucking Pearl" works at JR's tattoos and after a long conversation he told me that he grew up with Molly Hatchet and played with them. Then he showed me photos of him and Molly Hatchet this year in Sturgis. Then he got out a guitar and played all of Flirtin' With Disaster.



You want a good time? Try Neet's on Market St. between 51st and 52nd and then get a tattoo from Earl or Brian at Jr's Tattoo & Body Piercing 6110 Market St. Good Night.

Holy shit! Next week I'll be en España! If only I spoke Spanish!

Pressing Question of the Day

Seriously, why do heterosexual men have such an insane thing for women's breasts? It never ceases to amaze me.

Thanks to all at Neet's for a great time.

RIP Ted Kennedy... sorry you didn't get to see universal health care enacted.

"The cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."

Working on La Casa Encendida workshop... it's going to be amazing. I am forever grateful to all those at the Centre de Photographie de Lectoure for hooking me up with such an amazing experience in France last year. I'm particularly grateful to Oliver for introducing me to the Lectoure folks, to Pierre Leoutre, and, of course, François Saint Pierre who suggested the "Windows on the Avenue" project which was defining moment in seeing how my work translates with no description.

Woodmere coming up, postcards gettin' mailed, Love Letters cracking.

Bob, if you're reading this, I swear right after Spain I'll finish my back tax info.

Serge Bielanko, he's a brilliant writer.

Indefinable Qualities of Images

Here's an image of water ice in a cup. Now, while it's suitable for a description of summer in West Philadelphia to document some of the love letters stuff, I missed the shot. This image is lacking the vulgarity I was looking for. But how can you describe an abstract image as vulgar? And how can I know with certainty that this image is removed from what I want to show? Because I most certainly do know. When I was making it, I was looking to show something disconcerting in the image, which in and of it's self is fucking nuts because it's a cup of water ice. While the image could be seen as visually engaging, it's completely benign. I try to keep a big part of my working self unconscious, but at the same time I'm fascinated by what abstraction says to me, and how I know when it's done and is doing it's job.

A New Gender Agenda: Interview With Hillary Clinton About State Dept Role in Addressing Global Women’s Issues

I saw Billy yesterday and told him if I lecture, I often talk about running into to him and I show the photo of his tattoo and the photo of him and his brother-in-law. He was super into it and I was thrilled... thanks and love Billy.

Love Letters

I think the bottom one.

Dear "Health Care Town-Meeting" Assholes,

Everyone deserves healthcare. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Earlier this year, Jonathan Phelps died. Doctors guessed he had an issue with his gallbladder but he didn't have health insurance and couldn't afford the tests to be sure. Because he couldn't afford testing, his physician suggested that he wait until he got health insurance and then have his gallbladder removed. Well, it wasn't his gallbladder and he became acutely ill and died within 3 weeks of falling sick. So there you go.

Below is Jonathan working at I-95 with Savannah and Charday. Jonathan was a long time friend to our good friend Christine Settino. He was accomplished dancer and choreographer and danced for years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.



What the fuck is wrong with the Obama administration? We need health care. Fucking get it done.

Yours,
Zoe Strauss

Can anyone recommend a great electrician in Philadelphia? Let a lady know. info (at) zoestrauss (dot) com or comment here.

Thanks!

Love Letters

Lucifer: Morning Star

Tripod Theft Averted

I was in the subway and someone stole my tripod... I was lugging it around to shoot some of the Love Letters stuff on the el. So I put it down for about a minute to make a few photos of the Daily News cover "Hide Your Dogs" and I turned around and it was gone. I had to guess which direction it went... where I was standing it could have gone down to the subway or up to the el. I picked the right way, westbound el, and grabbed it from this guy making off with it.



I was about to punch this guy dead in the fucking face when I pulled it from his hand, I mean I was going to fucking clock whoever stole it... but I just started laughing. I mean, look at this guy. So we rode the el together to 40th St. and when I asked him about whether he was going to use the tripod or sell it, he answered with a long rambling story of how he was a photographer 40 years ago and something about how he delivered weapons and food on a bicycle in Vietnam. Oh, Christ.



Sad to say, I didn't get any good photos from this meeting even though I made him let me take 10 photos of him as reperations.

Class at La Casa Encendida

Here's a description of the workshop I'll be conducting at La Casa Encendida. Unfortunately for me it's in en Espanol solamente. I can only get about 3 of 10 words. Language is no deterrent, I will be ready to nail it in Madrid. After all, ¡El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!


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Taller de fotografía, con Zoe Strauss

Se realiza con el objetivo de “comisariar”, producir y organizar una exposición fotográfica, la cual se celebrará el próximo 19 de septiembre, durante La Noche en Blanco, con un “tour fotográfico” que arranca en La Casa Encendida y continua en el exterior, involucrando a los vecinos del barrio: escaparates, espacios públicos y privados, proyecciones al aire libre… todo podrá ser considerado para definir el espacio de exposición.


La profesora
“La mirada de la señora Strauss es compasiva, pero su dureza, su fuerza, es como un puñetazo en la cara.” The New York Times Zoe Strauss no estudió Arte, y sólo se interesó por la fotografía tras comprarse una cámara de 35 mm con el dinero que recibió en su 30 cumpleaños. Suele hacer fotografías en el sur de Filadelfia, donde nació y creció. Su activismo militante la llevó a fundar el Philadelphia Public Art Project, y su trabajo forma parte de la colección permanente del Museo de Arte de Filadelfia. (www.zoestrauss.com)
Provocadora, solidaria y reivindicativa, es una artista conceptual que lleva nueve años desarrollando el proyecto visual I-95, que culmina cada año en una exposición efímera celebrada bajo la autopista interestatal I95 al sur de Filadelfia, “de camino al supermercado”. Su trabajo se ha expuesto en la Bienal de Whitney 2006, en el Museo de Arte de Filadelfia y en la Bruce Silverstein Gallery en Nueva York. Su primer monográfico, América, se publicó en 2008 por AMMO books. Su obra ha sido publicada en el número 9 de la C International Photo Magazine (www.ivorypress.com).

Más información
Duration: 07.09.09 - 18.09.09 Time: 17.00 - 20.00
Repeated: Cada dia Category: Cultura Prices: 45 € seats:20 seats:

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Here's how my Spanish is going...

Please Meet the G-ddaughter

Grace Elizabeth Raffaele Shemeley

In Loving Memory of Bruce Flannery

Bruce was a good friend to my mom and my whole family. He will be missed by all of us.
Love you, Bruce.

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Bruce Flannery, a passionate and greatly respected advocate tackling the needs of people suffering from HIV/AIDS and those lacking access to healthcare, died at age 54, from complications following open heart surgery on August 14th in West Chester, PA.

His friends will remember his humor, love of conversation over a great meal, and caring soul enveloping all that was Bruce.

His beloved life partner, Otto Perrone, along with Otto's parents and siblings in Rio de Janeiro and a circle of dear friends have been blessed with his life.
Mr. Perrone has asked those who would like to acknowledge Bruce’s memory to do so through the charity of their choice.

Love Letters Power Moves

Love letters
I Love You

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I took a photo of this woman in front of the "Id Be Home Now" mural on June 26. She lives right around the corner from where that mural went up.




Here's one of the images I sent to Steve from that day... This one was my favorite, the embodiment of the project presenting itself at the start of the painting.




Steve cropped the image, slightly altered it to make if more legible, and Steve and the Love Letters crew painted it in view of the 60th St el stop.

Beautiful.

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Last Comment on the Eagles

Resign Brian Dawkins? No.

Allow Dan Leone to say he's disapointed in Brian Dawkins being let go? No.

"A Facebook post criticizing his employer, the Philadelphia Eagles, cost a stadium operations worker his job, according to a story in Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Dan Leone was unhappy the team let Brian Dawkins sign with the Denver Broncos in free agency. According to the newspaper, Leone posted the following on his Facebook page: "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver ... Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

Despite deleting the comment, Leone told the Inquirer the Eagles fired him by phone days later.

"I shouldn't have put it up there," Leone said, according to the Inquirer. "I was ticked off, and I let my emotions go, but I didn't offend any one person or target a specific individual. I was just upset that we lost such a great guy. Dawkins was one of my favorite players. I made a mistake."

Leone said he was shocked to lose his job of six years.

"I apologized for it," Leone said, according to the paper. "I apologized 20 million times. I never bad-mouthed the organization before. I made one mistake and they terminate me? And they couldn't even bring me into the office to talk to me? They had to do it over the phone? At least look me in the eye. To get done dirty like this, I can't believe it. I'm devastated."

The Eagles confirmed that Leone was a part-time staff member, but didn't comment further."


Hire Michael Vick? Yes!

Working on documenting Steve Powers Love Letters project. I love Steve and I love this project.

The enactment of the project is a little dude heavy. It seems to be all men working on this. I am really not a separatist by any stretch, but at the end of the day I felt like I wanted to drive to the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival and stay for the duration. I've never been, but I think I want to go next year.

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Check out Welcome Home: Building the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival by photographer Angela Jimenez.



Welcome Home
Pages 24-25

For Fuck's Sake, Eagles... Michael Vick?!?!

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick to a 2 year deal. While there can be debate about Michael Vick's seemingly excessive sentence and how when one has served their "debt" they can come back into the world, I know I am not alone in thinking that a person who ran a dog fighting operation for 6 years is a dick. Michael Vick should be allowed to return to his job... but I don't want a total dick on the team that I love.

However, I would take Michael “Ron Mexico aka I gave that woman herpes" Vick over any of the current and former NFL assholes listed below...

Ray Lewis
Tim Barnett
Cornelius Bennett
Sebastian Janikowski
Keith Henderson
Christian Peter
Patrick Bates
O.J. Simpson
Rae Carruth
Barret Robbins
Hubert D. Thompson
Lawrence Phillips
Lewis Billups
Donte Stallworth
Dextor Clinkscale
Jim Dunaway
Tommy Kane

But I wouldn't take Michael Vick either. Really? MICHAEL VICK?

Fuck you, Eagles. And I LOVE the Eagles. LOVE THEM. But why the fuck would you sign Michael Vick? Obviously, my Phillies and Sixers gear will be in full effect now through football season.

And I'm still pissed off at the Phillies for not suspending and getting rid of Brett Myers. Damn my conflicting "love of professional sports" and "lesbian feminist ideals!" Damn it!

What’s a Big City Without a Newspaper? by Michael Sokoove

Many thanks to all who were there that great night... Kelli, Betsy, Brian, Myra, Kate, Colleen and Ian.



Many, many thanks to Brian for capturing this masterpiece.

Keeping off the computer for a few more days to prevent the scenario below.



Canceling Germany was actually great. Yes, it would have been great to go but I seriously would have had to "go take a cure" if I don't slow down.

Off the blog for a few days.