Pause, to Begin photographer Sonja Thomsen is showing two new works: hole 2008 (fall, winter, spring, summer) and petroleum 2008 from September 5 – October 18, 2008, at the David Weinberg Gallery in Chicago.

hole (spring) 2008 © Sonja Thomsen

Who Gets What: a political show

Artists: The Franks, David Opdyke, Michael Ratulowski, Lisa Solomon, Sonja Thomsen, Krista Wortendyke

Running: September 5 – October 18, 2008

David Weinberg Gallery

300 West Superior, Suite 203, Chicago, IL 60654.

holes 2008 installation view courtesy David Weinberg Gallery.

petroleum 2008 installation view courtesy David Weinberg Gallery.

Tom Dey and Coliena Rentmeester (a.k.a. Tom + Coliena) have produced a wonderful film titled “Autumn Album 5 Days in Prague” that highlights J.Crew’s 2008 fall clothing line.I find this short film interesting because of how well the locations, cinematography, and music work together.Prague is the location and includes numerous cafes, train stations, automobiles, vintage cameras, balloons, and of course, beautiful clothing. The cinematography is romantic, soft, and playful, and the music (Leona Naess‘ “Sunny Sunday”) is kind, loving, and youthful.Next week I will begin piecing together the Pause, to Begin trailer to be released on October 6th.Like Tom + Coliena did with their J.Crew film, Ethan and I are focused on specific tone and feeling for the Pause, to Begin trailer. We’ll be using footage for the trailer from our 10,000 mile road trip we made in May, 2008 to see the selected 15 photographers. Stay tuned.

Alan Winslow and Morrigan (Mo) McCarthy, two great friends of Pause, to Begin, are about to embark on a journey called Project Tandem that will take them bicycling across 10,000 miles of the American landscape over the course of 1 year.

Alan and Mo are not only traveling 10,000 miles to see the American landscape at 15 m.p.h., but more importantly to seek out, meet, interview, and publish unique stories about people in local communities doing eco-friendly things overlooked and unpublished by the mainstream media.

Both documentary photographers, Alan and Mo started Project Tandem because they “…believe that sharing the stories of everyday people stepping up to help the environment will bring awareness to the issue in a new way. You always hear stories in the news of people doing huge, amazing things for the planet, but we think that even the small actions need to be celebrated.”

What will undoubtedly be a nationally recognized endeavour, Project Tandem has already received sponsors from notable companies such as Smith Optics, PhotoShelter, Ortlieb, LaCie, B&H, Klean Kanteen, and Adventure Cycling Association.

But Project Tandem still needs your help.

Donate to Project Tandem.

Spread the word about Project Tandem.

Stay updated at the Project Tandem Blog.

I had the privilege of meeting Allison V. Smith a few weeks ago in Maine as our paths crossed at the Maine Media Workshops.

The amazing thing about meeting Allison was that as soon as I saw her work I realized that she had applied for Pause, to Begin. Take a look at her work, and you will realize just how difficult it was to select only 15 photographers for Pause, to Begin. I particularly enjoy her photographs from summers spent in Maine with her family.

You can find Allison’s frequently updated flickr here.
Her personal blog here.
You can also buy the wonderful book (Reflection of a Man: The Photographs of Stanley Marcus) of her grandfather’s photographs that she and her mother put together here. The book will remind you how great Kodachrome was.

Pause, to Begin photographer Tealia Ellis-Ritter begins showing work tonight at Co-Prosperity Sphere gallery in Chicago.

From Tealia:

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

Phone: 773.837.0145

The opening is July 18th at 7pm.

Some links to info on the show.

http://reubenkincaid.blogspot.com/2008/07/hic-et-nunc.html

http://www.lumpen.com/CPS/location.html

Tealia Ellis-Ritter © After the Break Up

Tealia Ellis-Ritter © Fallen

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!

© Brea Souders

© Hin Chua

I have been listening to “Heartbeats” by the Knife over and over. I recommend you do, too.

May 31, 2008

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

May 30, 2008

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.

May 29, 2008

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.

May 26, 2008

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.