March 20th, 2012
Congratulations to our friend Alex Prager, who was chosen last week as the winner of the Foam Paul Huf Award 2012 by an international jury. This annual prize given to a photography talent under 35 years consists of € 20.000 and an exhibition in Foam Amsterdam. Prager’s work will be on show in Foam from August 31st to October 14th, 2012.
Prager – whose work we featured in Corduroy Issue 8 – was cited by the jury for her impressive body of work, which jury members described as “original, intelligent and seductive.”
“In our unanimous choice of winner, Alex Prager,” the statement continues, “the jury recognizes work that draws brilliantly on different but complementary threads in the photographic tradition, but that nevertheless results in a fresh and distinct voice in photography today.
This is the 6th year The Foam Paul Huf Award has been organized. This year’s event saw more than 100 nominees submit portfolios from all over the world. Find out more about the award at www.foam.org.
As for Prager, those in the U.S. can look forward to “Compulsion” – an exhibition of new work by the artist. Opening next month, the exhibition will feature a selection of color photographs, as well as the artist’s new short film, La Petite Mort, with accompanying film stills. The exhibition will be shown simultaneously in Los Angeles, New York and London.
Here’s what Prager had to write about the new work: “Inspired by the photography of Weegee and Enrique Metinides and films such as Metropolis and Un Chien Andalou, Compulsion confirms Prager’s vivid cinematic aesthetic. Unlike her previous work, however, the protagonists now remain anonymous and distant. Prager’s new series investigates the complexity of observation within a society inundated by compulsive spectators, as well as the recurrent discourse in photography — that “meaning” is often derived from a multiplicity of gazes.”
Compulsion runs from April 7th through May 12th, with an opening reception on April 7th at M+B in Los Angeles. More details on the flyer at left.
Tags: Alex Prager, Los Angeles, M+B
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March 13th, 2012
Virginia-based artist Eric Standley creates intricately stunning works of art using hundreds of sheets of laser-cut paper. Each piece begins with Stanley drawing out the intricate design, then laser cutting the complex pattern into multiple layers. The painstaking drawing process can take months, while the laser cutting involves hours of meticulous precision. The final result is a work which resembles a labyrinthine 3-D stained glass window.
The piece seen above (and in detail below) is entitled “Arch 3.3.” and was Standley’s first work with multiple floating areas. It incorporates 118 layers of paper. Though difficult to capture through the photographs here, this piece actually measures 1.75″ deep from the top surface to the center. As Standley describes it, the center consists of “drawings on top of drawings, with space between the two. Compositional goals are shared between these layers but are simultaneously unique.” Another word he uses to describe this piece: “obsessive.”
Standley’s work is informed by the ornate geometry of Gothic and Islamic architecture of the 12th century. However, the work is fundamentally a paradox as he appropriates the architectural aesthetic from the permanence of stone to the fragility of his chosen medium, paper. What’s more, Standley’s work harkens back to the twelfth century aesthetic while also epitomizing the pervasiveness of modern technology, as shown through the artist’s contemporary technique. It’s this contrarian philosophy and Standley’s strong artistic principles that ultimately make his work so stunning.
- James Lavapie
Tags: Eric Standley, James Lavapie
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March 12th, 2012
Congrats to our good friend (and Corduroy contributor) Ina Jang, whose work will be part of the “ICONS OF TOMORROW” show taking place later this month at the Christophe Guye Galerie in Zurich, Switzerland. The show, which gathers the best talents in contemporary fashion photography will feature the work of such greats as Guy Bourdin, along with names like David LaChapelle, Miles Aldridge and Terry Richardson.
Jang, who has been working in New York and Paris as of late, will have six of her pieces on display at the show, which runs from March 29th until June 2nd. The opening reception takes place a night earlier, on March 28th from 6-8 pm.
In addition to participating in this show, Jang has also been busy shooting for the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie à Hyères. Directed by Jean-Pierre Blanc since its creation 20 years ago, the festival spotlights ten young fashion designers and ten young photographers each year, under the patronage of an international jury. Jang was a finalist in 2011 and has been commissioned to showcase her work in an exhibition setting this year. Find out more about the exhibition at christopheguye.com. You’ll also be able to see some of Jang’s new work in the upcoming spring/summer issue of Corduroy!
Tags: corduroy magazine, Ina Jang
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March 8th, 2012
New York-based sculptor Barry X Ball seeks to reinvent classical notions of sculpture with his exquisitely carved works. The artist takes advantage of imperfections in the stone to enhance the overall impact of each sculpture. What would have been a simple Carrara marble bust is now a dizzying mass of veination and colour under Ball’s artistic direction.
Employing non-conventional stones such as onyx and calcite, Ball uses materials that simultaneously work to highlight and camouflage each sculpture’s meticulous complexity. The lighting and pedestals are also part of the finished product; intentionally designed to enhance the overall effect of the work, rather than translating as a crude afterthought.
Our favorite pieces are the Romanesque busts and portraits of women (photo at right) cloaked with translucent veils. They may explicitly hearken back to 19th century classicism, but there is also an overt sense of modernity to this work, as with all of Ball’s creations. The artist wants his work to spark inquiry as much as it dictates truth. But the appeal of Ball’s work is that his truth is ultimately subjective.
Barry X Ball’s work is currently part of the group exhibition, “Marble Sculpture from 350 B.C. to last week” at the Sperone Westwater Gallery in New York. He will also have a one-person show at Galerie Nathalie Obadia in Paris, that runs from March 17 to May 16, 2012.
- James Lavapie
Tags: Barry X Ball, James Lavapie
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March 6th, 2012
The Armory Show kicks off this weekend in New York and Corduroy will be there! We’re happy to be one of the media sponsors of the event and we’ll also have a booth there with copies of the magazine.
The Armory Show is one of the most important annual art events in New York, showcasing leading international contemporary and modern work from an international roster of galleries, artists, critics, collectors and major art-world figures. It’s a chance to have access not only to the newest developments in the art world, but also to the masterpieces that heralded them, while meeting the movers and shakers behind this ever changing industry.
This year’s Armory Show will feature the work of the 2012 Commissioned Artist Theaster Gates and the vibrant art of the Nordic Countries in Armory Focus. In total, 30 counties will be represented. The Armory Show–Modern, a section dedicated to international dealers specializing in historically significant Modern art, will present 71 exhibitors representing nine counties. The year’s edition of the Armory Show will also inaugurate three exciting programming initiatives. “Armory Film,” curated by the Moving Image Fair, will feature an international selection of contemporary video and experimental films; “Solo Projects,” a section dedicated to single artist presentations, will debut on Pier 94 featuring eleven leading young dealers from around the world; and the fair will launch its new Media Lounge where on-site programs including Armory Film, Open Forum, the lively talk series, and Armory Performance will take place.
The show – which celebrates its 14th anniversary this year – runs from March 8th – 11th at Piers 92 & 94 in Manhattan. For more information about tickets and programs, visit TheArmoryShow.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @corduroymag for all our updates and sneak peeks from the event. See you this weekend.
Tags: corduroy magazine, New York City, The Armory Show
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