Centrifuga, 2011 by Rafael Barrios © Gabriella Radujko

Photographs Not Taken

There are the photographs not taken

An aged, elegant couple
sitting on a 5th Avenue park bench just north of the Met
matching blue-tinted eyeglasses
serenity in their long couple-hood
a “biopic” of quiet seated before the volta

A widow living in a tenement built by Mussolini
tending to a crude distillery housed in a Mussolini granted garage
the quiet drip drip drip of slivovica welcoming visitors to sit
in the deplaned seats of the now defunct Jugoslavenski Aerotransport
Wearing a stained, but clean apron
this simple, yet noble woman, is unknowingly part of an image
solely recorded by grey matter

A recently slaughtered calf hangs from a hook on the ceiling of a farmer’s work room
slowly dripping its blood in anticipation of the butchering
Tiny raised glasses of herb-infused liqueurs toast the beast
foreshadowing the soon to be prepared tripe, stews and soups

And the pic formed by a talented, but short-sighted gallerist in a town house gallery
standing before walls once rioted with iconoclastic works
most resting in storage now, unseen, unaccompanied, and increasingly
unremarkable with their exile
Clean white crew neck T-shirt over standard Levi blue jeans
a nod to basic good taste and handsomeness
minus the scarred belly clothes would later hide

Untaken photographs, but photographs nonetheless.

Gabriella Radujko

http://modernartswriting.wordpress.com/

What do Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe, Brigette Bardot and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor have in common? The answer is jumpology, the scientific art captured by photographer Philippe Halsman, now on view at the Laurence Miller Gallery show “Jump” through May 28, 2010.  It is the first time the series has been exhibited in New York.

In addition to the 101 Life magazine covers to his credit, Latvian-born Halsman boasts a 37 year collaboration with Salvador Dali which is captured in the 1949 Popcorn Nude, one of the show’s most gravity-defying images featuring popcorn, nude model, and baguette in mid-air, Dali himself propelling the explosion of popcorn by kicking a bread warmer.  The innocence and spontaneity of the shot is contraindicated by Halsman’s demand of all of his subjects, namely, JUMP!

Artcards learned that Halsman hired his future wife, Yvonne Halsman, who printed many of the works shown, as an apprentice in an attempt to get rid of the competition, “by hiring them” according to one of Halsman’s daughters, Irene,  who was present at the opening.  Additionally, she noted that Einstein and President Roosevelt’s wife played critical roles in helping Halsman immigrate to the States. 

“Capturing the essence of his subjects’ character” is what Halsman’s daughter  was most intent on highlighting as the significance of her father’s work.  While Halsman indicated that “the jump denotes a lack of ambition and sensuality”, it’s a characterization that is more a reflection of his singular ability to persuade the most conservative of adults to show the camera what inhibition or joy looks like.

El Museo del Barrio hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday, 3/10 as tribute to the conclusion of BBBP, the Bronx Blue Bedroom Project.

Many participating artists attended, including Matthew Burcaw, who also wore a curatorial hat during the two years the Blue Bedroom served as an unconventional community art space.

The robin blue “space” was the bedroom of Mexican-American artist Blanka Amezkua who made her bed scarce when receiving visitors coming to see the art installations, which changed each month. Through the use of such an intimate place, she accomplished two goals simultaneously. First, she created a haven for artists to exhibit their completed work or create site-specific work for the immediate, surrounding community, better known as neighbors. Secondly, she gave artists with no previous show experience the encouragement, AND the opportunity to present their work to the public for the first time.

As measured by the packed house and enthusiasm of the audience, BBBD successfully crossed multiple cultural boundaries to create an impact on a community. Moving forward, Ms. Amezkua expressed an interest in getting out of the bedroom and taking her project to the street. Given her huge success in the Bronx, crowd control may be an issue next time around.

Read more on the closing of the project, known as “Blue Was Never My Color, Anyway!”