Blog
Casa del Cine Almeria
A long-awaited film museum in Almeria, Spain, is finally set to open January 15. The city spent 5 years renovating a nineteenth century manor house which itself has an intriguing history. As I’ve blogged about previously, John Lennon spent three months there during the filming of How I Won the War in 1966. Below is a recent image from the tourism office of the museum lobby along with a photograph I took before the renovation on the second floor.
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Abandoned Architecture: Borderstan Profile
Local DC blog Borderstan posted a thoughtful profile on my photographs of abandoned architecture. They’ve offered great coverage of artists in the mid city area in recent weeks, showcasing the diversity of artists in the neighborhood.
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Caochangdi and 798
On recent trip to China, I visited two of Beijing’s arts districts. A good map and a working knowledge of Mandarin go a long ways in navigating these reclaimed industrial zones. I had neither. I showed the taxi driver a piece of paper with the words “798 arts district” written out in Chinese. After making our way out of the center and onto the airport road, he stopped next to a pedestrian bridge and motioned for me to get out of the car. All I saw was an enormous electronics store, but around back was the start of the arts […]
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Pictorialism and Truth
“We very much fear that … photography … has been degraded to the level of a mere sport, and many take it up as they do lawn tennis, merely for an amusement, without a thought of the grand and elevating possibilities it opens up to them.” As the tools of photography became widely accessible in the late-19th century, some artistically-inclined photographers worried that the medium would be diluted by hordes of amateur picture makers who reduced the creative process to the mere click of a button. The pictorialists sought to save photography from this fate by elevating it to the […]
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The Neighborhood Network
Along with a dozen Mid City Artists, I’ll be participating in the Social Network in the Neighborhood exhibit at the new DC Loft Gallery. I have three prints in the show from the Icon in Miami and Algarrobico in Almeria, Spain. Both are newly-constructed luxury real estate developments that have been left uninhabited (or uninhabitable) amid the real estate crisis. Unfortunately, I’ll miss the opening reception, but there are plans for an artist talk evening in December. The new space is near 14th and U streets, above Domino’s Pizza at 1926B 14th Street.
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Miami Marine Stadium
The Miami Marine Stadium was built in 1964 at a cost of $2 million. Designed by Cuban-American architect Hilario Candela, the grandstand seats 6,566 under a “hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure” made entriely of poured concrete. It is a dramatic piece of architecture. The stadium was originally used for power boat and hydroplane races, but became a site for concerts and other events over the years. However, the site was closed in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew. While the structure was deemed sound, repairs estimated at $1 million were never made by the City. Since then, the stadium has remained unused and […]
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Mid City Artists Open Studios: November 6 & 7
Plan your visits in advance by flipping through the artists’ pages online @ http://www.midcityartists.com/ to see what you like, who is new, and who is participating. Download the map to guide you along. Please visit our business supporters — they are gems to support our efforts. Download Handy PDF Map Now at http://www.midcityartists.com/!
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City Paper Picks for this week: Cult Show
Louis Jacobson has a nice write-up in this week’s City Paper about the Cult of Frank Van Riper photography exhibit an the Gallery@Social. The back story removes some of the mystery about the group’s origin. And my “image of a ramshackle facade” (above), showing a now-demolished structure on Belmont street, gets a mention.
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Cult: 10/29
Friday, October 29 at 6:00pm till Midnight The Gallery at Social 1400 Meridian St. NW (Columbia Heights Metro) Join The Dunes and the Gallery at Social as we kick off Halloween weekend with the opening of Cult: 10/29, featuring photographs from 18 members of the Cult of Frank Van Riper — an underground DC-based photography group. This art event will merge photography of diverse perspectives with music, food and body art. Later in the evening, the opening will roll into a full-fledged Halloween party on all three floors of Social. Music b…y DJs Adrian Loving and Soul Call PaulDesigner […]
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Buckner Building, Whittier, Alaska
Following World War II, the town of Whittier, Alaska, became the site for a major military installation. The Buckner Building, an enormous complex built in 1953, housed most of the population and included, under one roof, a theater, industrial kitchens, and medical clinics and laboratories. The complex was isolated from the outside world, accessible only by boat or airplane. Today the Buckner building is still standing. The presence of asbestos has thwarted efforts to demolish it. The site is easily accessible and has become a hangout for local youth and grafitti artists. However, its condition is rapidly deteriorating due […]
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