We are feverishly preparing for the opening of Photographs from the New World, which opens tomorrow @ 6pm. The real world work is looking fantastic. The prints are absolutely yummy. James and I just spent a few hours tearing each other’s throats out debating the best way to hang the show and the final result is going to be awesome.

In other news, thanks to huge efforts by Nic Musolino and our Second Life hero, Cyrus Bryan Campen we’ll have a jen bekman gallery in SL too. We’re still putting the finishing touches on it, but it’ll be live in time for the opening tomorrow. Cool? So cool.

The image above is the most recent version, and it looks an awful lot like the gallery does in person, exposed brick and all.

See you all tomorrow Wednesday November 1st, from 6pm – 8pm:

jen bekman
6 Spring Street
(between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012
Phone: +1.212.219.0166
Email: info AT jenbekman DOT com

I’m very excited about this exhibition which is opening next Wednesday.. You can go to the gallery website to view images, or you can read the press release if you click the “read on” button at the bottom of this post.

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE NEW WORLD 
November 1 – December 9, 2006

NEW YORK, NY – jen bekman is pleased to present Photographs from the New World, an exhibition of new work by James Deavin. The exhibition will be on view from November 1 – December 9, 2006, at jen bekman, located at 6 Spring Street, between Elizabeth and Bowery, New York, 10012.
Photographs from the New World documents user-generated landscapes in the online, virtual world Second Life.
Jen Bekman will host an opening reception for the artist on Wednesday, November 1, from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the gallery.
From being featured recently in Rob Walker’s ‘Consumed’ market trendspotting column in The New York Times Magazine to the surprising success of insider web sites devoted to the virtual world and its inhabitants, Second Life has begun to attract the sort of real world fervor that its fans experience when they log in and assume their alter egos. A real life corporate presence is emerging there – companies like Starwood, Intel, American Apparel and Penguin Books UK are getting in on the action building virtual versions of their businesses in SL.
Deavin says, “Second Life is a place where people can live out their dreams. Some people’s dreams are to have a bigger version of what they already have. Others’ fondest wish is to be a talking elephant from Mars. Second Life is not a ‘game’ – there is no ‘next level,’ no ‘level boss,’ there is no winning or losing. Rather, characters enter into complex relationships, build things, earn and spend money. In fact, the world turns over ten million dollars a month. This money is spent in the market place and certain consumer products have become ubiquitous: grand pianos, waterfalls, boats, Japanese gardens. If money were no object, is this how real life would look?”
Gallery director Jen Bekman observes, “I am naturally inclined to be interested in a visualization of a virtual world. I have been involved in virtual communities since the early nineties and it remains a big part of my everyday life, but only as text. Many of the photographers I work with create the fantastical from the mundane. In these photographs James is documenting other people’s manifestations of fantasy and uncovering their interpretations of what physical trappings provide happiness and comfort and/or signify success.”
About the Artist

James was born in 1973 in London in the UK. He graduated from King’s College in 1995, with a bachelor’s degree in Classics. His earliest assignment was traveling to Bosnia at the time of the ceasefire in 1995 with an aid convoy. Since then he has had documentary and portrait work published in magazines including the London Times, Sunday Review, W, Harper’s, Photoworks, 125 and Next Level. He has exhibited in various group shows including the inaugural Brighton Photo Biennial, Art and Commerce Emerging Photographers, and at jen bekman.
Photographs from the New World at jen bekman, 6 Spring Street.
Hours: Wednesday — Saturday, noon – 6pm or by private appointment.
For images or more information, please contact Lauren Cerand: 917.533.0103 or press@jenbekman.com.

Holly’s critically acclaimed exhibition Solid Ground closes this Saturday.
Tomorrow evening (Thursday) we’re hosting a Q+A with Holly and critic Paddy Johnson, she of Art Fag City fame. The gallery is wee, so please let us know if you’re planning on coming: rsvp AT jenbekman DOT com.

Artist Talk/Closing Reception
Thursday Oct 26 | 6pm-8pm
jen bekman
6 Spring St (between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012
+1.212.219.0166

Check out more installation views of Holly’s exhibition, shot by the estimable Joseph O. Holmes.

The excellent Vince Aletti writes about Holly Lynton’s exhibition Solid Ground in this week’s edition of The New Yorker.

HOLLY LYNTON
Exploring the possibilities for fantasy in her own back yard, Lynton turns it into a wild kingdom for a series of color photographs that assume the point of view of a playful and inquisitive child. Lynton’s nearly naked little girl and a bare-chested friend take on a fairy-tale presence in a landscape rendered mysterious by worm’s-eye-view closeups. He’s a giant seen through a scrim of leaves; she’s a sprite, crouching to catch a sprinkler’s spray in her mouth. But some of the most intriguing images are unpopulated: a tunnel in the snow; a bird caught behind the netting on a raspberry bush; leaves, petals, dead bees, and dry ice floating in a plastic pool. Through Oct. 28. (Bekman, 6 Spring St. 212-219-0166.)

We’ll be hosting a Q+A between Holly and Paddy Johnson of Art Fag City on Thursday October 26 from 6pm – 8pm. (There will be wine + beer, the talk starts around 7ish.)

Space is very limited, so please RSVP: rsvp AT jenbekman DOT com.

The show remains on view through Saturday October 28, and the gallery is open Wednesday – Sunday from noon – 6pm or by appointment.

As I’ve discussed extensively with the talented, gorgeous and awesome La Lux, it is a time of Bold Tings.

Over on Personism, I’ve been pretty fired up lately about the under-representation of women in tech, in art and um, rather broadly speaking creativity. Rather than pointlessly bluster, I started (you have to start somewhere) with a List of Women Speakers for Your Conference.

In other news: we’ve got a whole new crop of excellent interns here at the jb. Be on the look out for their blogging debuts. (Alice Wells made her debut on the Hey, Hot Shot! blog just the other day.)

Speaking of HHS, as previously announced: we’re accepting entries for the Fall Edition of Hey, Hot Shot! The deadline is Tuesday November 7th @ 6pm, but why wait? Apply now.

Special guest panelists this season include Amit Gupta of Photojojo fame and Joerg Colberg who writes the must-read fine-art photography blog Conscientious.

The last edition got some terrific press:

Kate Bingaman was featured on Cool Hunting.

Rob Walker of my most favoriteist NYT Sunday Magazine column, Consumed gave Ernie Button a shout-out on his blog Murketing. (Did you know he has a blog? He does and it’s good.)

Paddy Johson, of Art Fag City fame, stopped by and liked what she saw.

This is the last season of HHS for the year – we’ll be announcing the Ultras in December and their group show will open in January.

Regarding our current exhibition, Solid Ground:

On Thursday October 26 I’ll be hosting an artist talk with Holly Lynton. She’ll talk about her current exhibition, Solid Ground and we’ll ply you with booze. Not to be missed! Reception from 6pm – 8pm, artist talk at 7.

You can stay up to date on gallery related events by subscribing to our email list.

NEW YORK, NY – jen bekman is pleased to present Solid Ground, an exhibition of new photographs by Holly Lynton. The exhibition will be on view from September 13 – October 28, 2006, at jen bekman, located at 6 Spring Street, between Elizabeth and Bowery, New York, 10012.

Solid Ground is comprised of fifteen c-print photographs. Titles such as Emberizidae, Supernal, and I Love Monday span the celestial to the mundane, much like the photos themselves, where commonplace elements are transformed into chimerical tableaus.

Jen Bekman will host an opening reception for the artist on Wednesday, September 13, from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the gallery.

Lynton says:

In my new series, Solid Ground, I photographed a series of events in my small back yard. My back yard is hardly the Serengeti, but after a trip to Tanzania, I became convinced there existed within it hints of the same beauty and danger. Instead of vultures eating a lion’s discards, we have sparrows eating raspberries. Instead of green mamba snakes, we have slugs, but there is a jungle at grass level from the slug’s point of view. In the image entitled Limax slugs climb over the tangled grass to occupy the glasses of sugary mojitos that have been left outside. I limit the visual information in each situation and remove the story or the context for an action, so that a fragmented narrative remains.

Gallery director Jen Bekman observes:

Lynton’s work is intimate without being sentimental. The most mundane elements of our daily lives – children at play, a suburban backyard- are woven into an otherworldly existence without employing artifice or fanfare.

About the Artist

Holly Lynton received her BA from Yale University, and a MFA from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College. Her work has been exhibited at jen bekman, Mixed Greens, Wooster Projects, Lennon Weinberg Gallery, and Margaret Thatcher Projects all in New York: and at Ambrosino Gallery and Rocket Projects in Miami, the Jersey City Museum, and in London, England. She recently completed Emerge 8 at Aljira in Newark, NJ. Her photography has been published in The New Yorker, GQ, and New York, and her work has been reviewed in The Village Voice, NY Arts, and The New York Times.

Solid Ground at jen bekman, 6 Spring Street.
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 6pm or by private appointment.
For images or more information, please contact Lauren Cerand: 917.533.0103 or press@jenbekman.com.
To download this release as a PDF, click here.

Photography by Kate Bingaman

T-minus 3 hours until the Summer edition of Hey, Hot Shot opening reception! The reception will be from 6-8pm and refreshments will be provided by the awesome people over at Crumpler.

The showcase will be on view until September 10, 2006 so be sure to come on by and support these great photographers.

Empty Kmart on 27th Street by Kate Bingaman

The time has come to announce the finalists for this Summer edition’s Hey, Hot Shot competition!

The Summer Edition Showcase will open with a reception for the artists on the evening of Wednesday September 6, 2006, from 6-8pm. The showcase will be on view Thursday September 7 will remain on view through Sunday September 10, 2006.

Without further ado, we present to you the Summer 2006 Hot Shots:

Kate Bingaman
Ernie Button
Kara Canal
Sam Gezari
Brandon Herman
Matthew Kime
Sara Macel
Matthew Nighswander
James Rajotte
Nadia Sablin

We’ve compiled a Flickr set of all the images submitted by our Hot Shot Winners!

Special thanks go to our awesome, fabulous and excellent panel for their insight humor and hard work, as well as our special guest panelists Jay DeFoore and Amit Gupta. And the other people who help make it happen: Jeff Kirsch for his research and technical prowess, Jesse Chan-Norris for hosting our panel meetings, Lauren Cerand for PR support, and also just for being her amazing self and last but not least the fabulous intern, Jane Tam for doing double duty being editor for both Hey, Hot Shot! blog and jen bekman News blog.

It’s always tough to narrow it down to the final ten, so we’re also happy to include a list of great photographers in our honorable mentions category:

Barbara Salinas, Shannon Taggart, Erika Larsen, Marc McAndrews, Juliana Beasley, Don Simon, Orrie King, Nayan Sthankiya, Katie Watson, Michelle Vitiello, Jessica Roberts, Mathew Spolin, Jonathan Feinstein, Brett Bell, Aaron Hraba, , Michael Bühler-Rose, Tania Camille Nasser, Travis Huggett, Danelle Manthey, Jay Parkinson, Jason Lazarus, Duane Dugas, Joan Cuenco, Derek Powazek, Beth Fladung, Svetlana Bahchevanova, Sesthasak Boonchai, Maureen Drennan, Jane Noel, Travis Ruse, Liz Danahey, Mikael Kennedy, and Sarah Madsen.

Thank you to all that participated in this competition!

Hey there jb lovers. Today is the last day to check out Meditations in an Emergency! Stop by and take a gander!

Also, we only have 5 days left until the deadline for the Summer Hey, Hot Shot competition! Be sure to check the blog everyday because I’ll be updating it with submissions I like and enjoy.

The 3rd Ward, located in Brooklyn, will be showing two peices by Tema Stauffer in a group show. “Strange Instrument” opens this Friday, August 4, from 6-9pm and will be up through September 9. The 3rd Ward has also invited Tema to teach a class on Tuesdays beginning September 5th. Her class “Photographing at Night” will be offered to both members and nonmembers of The 3rd Ward. Check the website for more details.

The Morning News also interviewed Tema awhile back on her trip to New Orleans. Her interest in the American landscape and the American experience was heightened by the news coverage of the devastating hurricanes. While some of her photographs did not scream New Orleans, they did speak together in providing some eerie and mysterious feelings about the hurricanes and all that it left behind.

Remember that Tema also has some work shown right now in “Meditations in an Emergency“. So be sure to check it because Friday will be your last day to see the exhibition.

Top Center photography by Holly Lynton, “Cheerios”.
Botton center polaroid by Addie Juell, “O”.
Right side paintings by Jeffrey Teuton.

The two days of crazy heat has moved on over so you might as well make a trip to the gallery to see the current exhibit, Meditations in an Emergency. It will be up until August 4th so make use of that free summer time. Here are some photos on flickr of the installation for those who aren’t able to make it out here.

Keep those submissions going for the Summer edition of Hey, Hot Shot!

Video Still from Sunday in the Country with Larry Rivers by John Glassie

It’s not that I’m curious. On the contrary, I am bored but it’s my duty to be attentive, I am needed by things as the sky must be above the earth. And lately, so great has their anxiety become, I can spare myself little sleep.
— Frank O’Hara, Meditations in an Emergency

NEW YORK, NY — jen bekman is pleased to present Meditations in an Emergency, a group exhibition of work in various mediums inspired by and interpreting Frank O’Hara’s poem of the same name. The exhibition will be on view from June 20 – August 4, 2006, at jen bekman, located at 6 Spring Street, between Elizabeth and Bowery, New York, 10012.

Jen Bekman will host an opening reception for the artists, all represented by the gallery, on Tuesday, June 20, from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the gallery.

From salad days at the Museum of Modern Art’s front desk to curating exhibitions and writing criticism later in life, Frank O’Hara (1926 – 1966) was a controversial figure in his time as today for both the content of his work and his refusal to draw formal distinctions between mediums. O’Hara was a pivotal figure during the particularly vibrant and creative era of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s; he was a prominent poet of the New York School and collaborated with many of the leading New York School painters as well. O’Hara’s synergetic spirit carried across media and genre and impacted a number of artistic realms.

Gallery director Jen Bekman originally planned on curating an exhibition of art interpreting Lunch Poems, probably O’Hara’s best-known collection, but ultimately decided that Meditations in an Emergency was most meaningful given the current political climate. Says Bekman, “The tenor of our culture now is that we’re in a constant state of panic and alarm and I like the idea of art and creativity providing calm in chaos or helping us to maintain composure in an unsteady moment. During the curatorial process I’ve really enjoyed the dialogue with each artist; seeing which part of the poem each artist responds to is fascinating. And of course there’s my obsession with O’Hara and the fact that he’s been a source of inspiration to me since my poetry-writing college days.”

Participating artists include Agnes Barley, Mara Bodis-Wollner, Christine Callahan, Christine Collins, Benjamin Donaldson, John Glassie, Anne Hall, Addie Juell, Holly Lynton, Dana Miller, Katie Murray, Leon Reid, Eliot Shepard, Tema Stauffer and Jeffrey Teuton.

Meditations in an Emergency at jen bekman, 6 Spring Street.
Hours: Wednesday, Friday & Saturday, noon – 6pm and Thursday noon – 8pm, or by private appointment.