Sunday, September 13, 2009

Residual Reality Reaction

I really enjoyed the “Residual Reality” show. Joyce Neimanas’ art caught my eye right away upon entering. Her “Book Spine” piece was one of my overall favorites in the show. It reminded me a lot of my family who loves to read. I also loved her “Chorographical Footage” on the big screen. I really related to that because I danced for several years.

After walking around and observing more pieces, I had the privilege of speaking with both Danny Kaufmann and Ken Josephson. Both artists were incredibly kind and open in sharing about their lives and art.

Danny Kaufman told me that his favorite piece of his at the show was “From House to Home” from Series #5. He explained that the images were “photographic samples” and take about a year to create. He described his pieces as playful. Even from my brief conversation with Mr. Kaufman, I could really tell that he loves creating art.

Ken Josephson created the postcard pieces. My friends and I thought these pieces were really unique and creative, so talking to Josephson was very exciting for us. All of the pieces at the show were from Chicago, but Josephson told me that he had done similar pieces in Buffalo, St. Louis, and a variety of other places. He explained that his inspiration came from photographs that were taken in the same place at various times. I asked him about the time difference in the art he had layered. In the leftmost picture, the black and white shot was from about 1970, and the postcard was from about 1950. The greyhound picture had about 10 years difference.

1 comment:

  1. I thought the purpose of the exhibit was to connect people with the ideas and potential that photography has. I found it interesting to go to this show because for so long I only thought of photography as being within the boundaries of taking a picture and that was most of the process. I didn't realize until the exhibit that it can take on so many other forms. I felt this experience was very worthwhile and I learned a lot not just by showing up and seeing the show, but having a chance to talk with the artists themselves was a rewarding experience. I got a chance to speak with Daniel Kaufman and he felt that the best part of the exhibit was that it will get people to "open up their views on photography".
    I enjoyed seeing all the different images that were created by the artists. Each one had it's own uniqueness and I especially appreciated the work of Ken Josephson. His post cards were very beautiful and alluring. I was glad I got the chance to talk with him also about his work. The postcards in the exhibit were made in Chicago and I learned that Chicago is a place that means a lot to him. He also got to travel other places to review art and gain inspiration. He mentioned that travel is very captivating and exciting as it helps him conjure up new ideas for future projects. Josephson also noted that Europe was a favorite place for him to visit because of the appreciation they have for history and the art that surrounds the people in those countries. Some of the postcards he's created have actually been published. My favorite was the one of the Grey Hound Bus Station. I loved the way the photo was layered so precisely. It was like looking at two different moments in time, that still fit together.

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