© 2009 bridget batch
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Really Digging In
Something nice about hanging out in one place... you get to concentrate and focus more on your work. I shot a lot last year, and disappointingly little in the last month. But I've hardly had a chance to really look at and consider what I've been doing, so I think it is good that I am sedating the shutter clicking mechanism for the moment.
For the first time ever, I signed up for a portfolio review on Sunday, at powerHouse Books -- what an experience! I met with five people, including three gallerists, and although much of the critique was a more little vague than I would like, some of it contradictory and a little of it frustrating, there were also amazing moments and statements of encouragement. I honestly felt the reviewers were gracious and sincere, genuinely interested in offering honest and intelligent commentary on my work. The general consensus, at least among the art dealers, was that the Spirit series needs something more, which is precisely where I am at. But everyone seemed very into at least some of the images, and I received especially positive feedback from one of the photo editors at The New Yorker -- Jessie Wender. This feels like I scored a coup, like I am leaping into something higher and more elevated than my previous world. That feels amazing. Yeah, I am excited about this.
The reviewers I was privileged to meet:
Jessie Wender, from The New Yorker
Rachel Been, independent photographer and editor
Caroline Wall, Director of Robert Mann Gallery
Sasha Wolf, Sasha Wolf Gallery
Michael Foley, Michael Foley Gallery
The review was expensive, something that has prohibited me from doing it previously. In perfect Capitalist tradition, however, money needs to go where your mouth is. I needed to make that extra commitment (and I am privileged). I needed to also "finalize" the work for it to really gain from the feedback. Emotionally, bringing that sense of engagement into my work, and making decent prints of some of the new photographs for the first time, made the expense worth it.
Well, sort of. I am dying for results too.
I am truly grateful to all of them for the experience and the feedback. I am really happy with it. I probably should write powerHouse a note, eh?
For the first time ever, I signed up for a portfolio review on Sunday, at powerHouse Books -- what an experience! I met with five people, including three gallerists, and although much of the critique was a more little vague than I would like, some of it contradictory and a little of it frustrating, there were also amazing moments and statements of encouragement. I honestly felt the reviewers were gracious and sincere, genuinely interested in offering honest and intelligent commentary on my work. The general consensus, at least among the art dealers, was that the Spirit series needs something more, which is precisely where I am at. But everyone seemed very into at least some of the images, and I received especially positive feedback from one of the photo editors at The New Yorker -- Jessie Wender. This feels like I scored a coup, like I am leaping into something higher and more elevated than my previous world. That feels amazing. Yeah, I am excited about this.
The reviewers I was privileged to meet:
Jessie Wender, from The New Yorker
Rachel Been, independent photographer and editor
Caroline Wall, Director of Robert Mann Gallery
Sasha Wolf, Sasha Wolf Gallery
Michael Foley, Michael Foley Gallery
The review was expensive, something that has prohibited me from doing it previously. In perfect Capitalist tradition, however, money needs to go where your mouth is. I needed to make that extra commitment (and I am privileged). I needed to also "finalize" the work for it to really gain from the feedback. Emotionally, bringing that sense of engagement into my work, and making decent prints of some of the new photographs for the first time, made the expense worth it.
Well, sort of. I am dying for results too.
I am truly grateful to all of them for the experience and the feedback. I am really happy with it. I probably should write powerHouse a note, eh?
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