There are some great young Chicago photographers being featured and I’m happy to have my work included. I know some of you are out of town or out of state but I hope a few of you will be able to come to the opening…it would be nice to see some familiar faces.
The Co-Prosperity Sphere is located at…
3219-21 South Morgan Street
Chicago, IL
60608
Although we’ve been quiet on the blog, we’re going strong with Pause, to Begin and will have a selection of major updates to announce during the coming weeks.
This week Ethan is assisting our wonderful juror and fantastic photographer, Cig Harvey, at the Maine Media Workshops. As well, I am assisting one of our phenomenal advisors, John Paul Caponigro, during his Print II workshop class.
During the coming weekend, Ethan and I will be speaking via Skype with two Pause, to Begin selected photographers, Brea Souders and Hin Chua. Hin lives in London and Brea was ill while we were on the road, so we’re looking forward to catching up!
Ethan and I are in the process of moving into new homes and starting back to our jobs, but stay tuned for Pause, to Begin updates and more regular blog posts during the coming weeks.
Sigur Ros’ new song, “Gobbledigook”, off of their forthcoming album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English: With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), sums up my excitement quite well regarding the coming weeks and months ahead. A long time listener and believer in the music Sigur Ros makes, it is fascinating to see them debut a song that is so different, yet so welcoming, from their previous creations.
It is hard to believe we have been on the road for a month. Everything has passed us by so quickly and I look forward to taking the coming weeks and months to digest it all. Rather than elaborate on the trip at this moment, I will share a note that I received in the mail from my father.
Timothy Briner made the above photograph of Ethan and I while in California. We are big fans of it as it reminds of us of the Nixon sister photographs.
Nicholas Nixon, Brown Sisters, Gelatin Silver Print, 1975, Yossi Milo Gallery
We head into Manhattan. It is a beautiful day. We check out the Philippe Gronon show at Yossi Milo with our friend, Tom Starkweather. The show is excellent. The installation of the Philippe’s work is brilliant and the prints themselves are reproduced beautifully; Yossi Milo does it again. The picture below does not do the show justice.
In the afternoon we catch up with Tom Prior at his Brooklyn apartment. It is sweltering. Fortunately, Tom has an A.C. unit right in his room.
We speak with Tom about his work and he presents us with a great, sound interview. Everything is super mellow and we enjoy every minute of it. After, we head out for coffee with Tom at the local cafe and call it an afternoon.
Thanks for catching up with us, Tom. It was a pleasure to meet you.
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Unfortunately, we were not able to meet up with Brea Souders in Manhattan due to her illness but we look forward to catching up with her soon.
Our last night on the road. We see old friends, think about everything we have seen and heard during the past month, and soak in the city before heading North and back to Maine.
We hit the road and make our way back to D.C. Ethan has a chance to catch up with his folks for a brief bit and I catch up with my older brother, Ray. Perfect.
Ethan’s parents photographed in Maine, 2007, Ethan Aaro Jones
Ray, Grand Lake Stream, Maine, 2007, David Wright
We make our way to the city thereafter and get stuck in endless amounts of traffic. Welcome to New York.
Upon arriving in New York we hit the Surf Bar for a selection of seafood and then the Levee Bar for refreshments. Exhaustion sets in and we pass out a short while later.
We wake up at 7AM and interview Shannon about her series of photographs based on her family. She presents us with strong insight toward her photographic process and family, and we appreciate her willingness to be open about such a personal subject. Thank you, Shannon.
We arrive at Erika Larsen’s parents home in Chester, Maryland around 6:30PM and follow Erika to a shoot she’s doing a short ways down the road. The light, road, and grasses are beautiful.
We head to a local diner after, get a bite to eat, and then make our way back to Erika’s parents home.
Like all of the photographers we have met so far, Erika is a true joy to speak with and anything I write here simply cannot explain the unbelievable interview we have with her. Thank you so much, Erika.
Our plan was to leave Savannah in the early morning hours but due to the new tires needing to be put on, we are not able to leave until after 1:30PM or so.
We arrive in Cary around 8PM and Shannon Johnstone, our next photographer, is having a birthday party for her significant other, Anthony. Veggies, fruits, and beers are shared and a good, relaxing time is had by all. We also have the pleasure of meeting Lia Newman, Director of Programs and Exhibitions at the Artspace Visual Art Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
We depart Tallahassee around morning time (7AM) and drive on I-10 East into the sunrise. The day is a beautiful one; blue skies, warm temps, welcoming air; a feeling of summer.
Matthew Gamber is the photographer we’re visiting this afternoon. He speaks well about his work and is an all-around good guy.
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After our interview, Matthew returns to where he teaches, the Savannah College of Art and Design, for his class’s final critique.
We realize that there is a small but unsafe tear and bubble in the right passenger-side tire of Ethan’s car. We stop at a Firestone Tire and they tell us the tire needs to be replaced but that they do not have the specific tire, a 195 - 50 - 16, in stock.
Not able to wait a day or two for the tires to come in, we call around town and thankfully Tires Plus has 4 of the specific tires in their warehouse that can be put on tomorrow morning.
We head back to SCAD after Matthew’s critique finishes and he gives us a tour of the college’s modern facilities.
We catch up in the evening with two good friends, Joos and Hayley, who Ethan and I met at the Maine Media Workshops. Joos is finishing his MFA thesis at SCAD and Hayley is finishing her BFA. We eat pizza, laugh a whole lot, talk about our trip and Joos’ epic t-shirts, and sleep at their amazingly-styled apartment. Thanks for having us, guys.
We wake up around 9AM and pile into the car for the 6 or so hour drive to Tallahassee to meet our next photographer, John Mann.
Before arriving at John’s house, we see a motorcyclist riding with his dog in his lap while smoking a cigarette.
Around 4PM we arrive at John’s home and both he and his wife, Christina, are warm and welcoming.
John, Ethan, Potato Pancake (dog), and I head out for a walk at a local wilderness area where pine trees are being studying, specifically to find out how often they can be harvested, and how often they need to be burned in order to replenish the soil. It’s interesting. As an Eagle Scout and an avid outdoor lover, I have a great appreciation and interest for everything nature-related.
7PM rolls around and Christina presents us with a terrific, homemade dinner: slow-cooked pork with tortillas, rice, salsa, a mix of corn and veggies, and a phenomenal dessert whose name I am forgetting. A little help, John or Christina?
We speak with John about his work and like all the photographers we have visited thus far, he is well spoken and undeniably passionate about his work and the photographic medium.
Thank you John, Christina, and Pancake Potato for having us in your home and a very enjoyable visit.
