Category Archives: Photography
Dark Matter
Dark Matter, a recent exhibit of my photography along with a few additional pieces. This exhibit took place at the Zoller Gallery in University Park, PA from December 1-8, 2009.
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Also posted in Dark Matter, Exhibitions
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AmericaLand
Welcome to Americaland! Where everything is Made Better®. This fall I went to New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut to see for myself what was happening at Ground Zero of the American Financial Crisis. This failure of a system that we have seen sweep across the globe has had an interesting impact that literally caught some developers so off guard, that what we find are some examples that range from Edward Scissorhands-like of Mansions, with overgrown unkempt landscaping to apocalyptic (The Happening) sort of frozen construction sites. The photos you see of the build sites are all taken during work days and I was amazed to see either little activity or yellow tape and plastic sheeting to close up the jobs, unfinished.
Americaland, it’s like your town only Made Better®!
Also posted in AmericaLand, Architecture, Field Research
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Sara Meltzer Show
Curating an MFA show is like herding cats: very challenging to do and visually arresting when done. In Prequel, there is no theme or common thread except that all twenty-two artists chose and were chosen by the same university. They’ve shared space and ideas, but each artist is wholly unique. Instead of imposing one theme or implying an artificial common interest, the work is allowed to exist as a cross-section of the ideas being explored by young artists today. Communication, identity, nostalgia, technology, interconnectedness, relationships, space, abstraction and uncertainty are addressed in a wide variety of media. Anyone who has participated in an MFA program knows that during those two short years time is condensed. Ideas move at warp speed because the artists are entirely immersed in both practice and feedback. Therefore, when any MFA group exhibition opens, it is, with any luck, already outdated—a precursor to the current narrative. This show represents a moment in time for each of the artists—a snapshot of the recent past and a hopeful indicator of the future.
—Heather Darcy, Curator
ArtCat – Chelsea – Sara Meltzer Gallery – Prequel
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Also posted in Design, Exhibitions, iSurvive, Projects, Sculptural
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El Chorrillo 2.0
Last Spring I was able to revisit the community of El Chorrillo to re-photograph the resident built structures that were the source of my 2006 research in conjunction with the Penn State Architecture department. The photographs below are all represented in my earlier research, some with moderate changes and some with remarkable changes. These images directly challenge the assumptions made about this poor community in Panama City, Panama. The assumption is that the members of this community are violent and don’t care about their community. Yet most of these homes are designed or altered with such care that it would seem that one would think that the existence of these structures alone would suggest otherwise. This collection is meant to accompany the previous work, supporting the fact that the community members of El Chorrillo hope for a safer place for future generations.
Also posted in Architecture, El Chorrillo, Field Research, Panama, Projects
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Despedida de Panamá
Needless to say, the U Texas students had a blast on their last 2 nights in Panama. They all did quite well on their projects and unlike many other college students, these kids pulled 16 hour days of hard work to help out some folks in need from Coclé to Centro Madrono for 10 days of what is usually a festival of 24 hour debauchery (spring break). I know they had their share of good times along the way, but they worked their butts off and I’m glad I got to work with some of them and hang out with the rest.
I’m glad I let Tom know I was coming to Panama a few months ago. I got to take care of my own project and take on some volunteer work with a promising new organization called Global Business Brigades. I’m packing up all my things right now and making my last post before I hop on a Copa flight to Orlando later this evening. I forgot how much I really loved Panama the last time I was here. Panama, from a gringo perspective (or mine anyways), is a mix of frustration when dealing with some of the local businesses and absolute joy when it comes to the kindness of the local community in the Casco that I feel very close to. Panama is an exercise in patience and a lesson in recognizing the things we value in life. I can’t wait to get home but I hate to leave. I can’t think of a better way to feel after a week and a half of working, playing, swimming, climbing, hiking, negotiating, eating, drinking and most of all, being. Thank Tom for the great opportunity and help with my own project as well. Peace.
Also posted in Business Brigades, Panama, Projects
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The times they are a changin’
Today was a great day for us in Casco Viejo. We started with a breakfast at “Super Gourmet Deli” which looks like a new your boutique deli straight out of Union Square in NYC. After breakfast we sent the students out to the two businesses that we are working with in the Casco, a tourist souvenir shop and a cobbler who is making shoes with Mola Patterns on them as well as purses, both with a leather foundation (pictures to come). We met with a sign maker for the tourist shop and the students spent a fair amount of time brainstorming business ideas and marketing strategies including store layout concepts and store fixture ideas.
For the tourist shop whose owner also has a fairly succesful t-shirt line, we are focusing in on some basic needs. Ricardo, one of two brothers owns a t-shirt line called Panama Collections. The designs are single color and very clean, and as far as I’m concerned, the only t-shirts worth buying in Panama. His design is basically the same as the classic Hawaiian t-shirt with the band of hibiscus across the chest, but with mola patterns instead. Like I said, very clean, very nice. We get the sign quote in the morning and we will have pricing on store fixtures tomorrow by noon. Our budget for the city group, (because we only have 5 students) is only $500, which even in Panama isn’t quite enough to do much with 2 clients. Because of this limited budget, we’re prioritizing the tourist shop sign over other things for them and supplies to make samples for the cobbler.
Oh and one more thing…So I’m supposed to go to Chorrillo in the morning to take photos with the police in tow and one of the members of the organization called Darma who is a supporter of the work our students are doing with an orphanage about 2 hours away from Panama City. After meeting the folks from Darma on Sunday afternoon I told Tom that I really wished I could do some more work with them (meaning Global Business Brigades) and he said, “well, I’m coming back Wednesday, so get your work done and come back to the orphanage with me”. So Wednesday I leave for the orphanage to take photographs there and then Friday we head to Costa Esmeralda which is East of us here in Panama City and only about a half hour from El Valle where the orphanage is. As a famous dude once said, “life moves pretty fast…”
Casco Viejo – Home away from home for the next 10 days.
If you notice the bottom left quadrant in the image, you’ll see a trapezoid shape in the water with Mangroves growing into the water. Directly above that trapezoid and one block to the right is where we’ll be staying. Hospedaje Casco Viejo is the hostel where we stayed last time and it’s such an easy going and relatively nice place that I decided to go again. I’m not looking forward to a week of cold showers again, but sometimes you just gotta bite your lip and take it.
Also posted in Field Research, Panama, Travel
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