Obscura, a non-profit organization I co-founded, was officially launched this May with a celebratory photography show at Asymmetrick Arts in Rockland, Maine. Obscura’s mission is to support artists at all levels through scholarships, grants, and publishing. Initially we had intended to create a quarterly printed publication for the organization, but as our vision evolved we decided on an online publication instead. This idea became Obscuraweb.org, which was launched on May 27. In addition to the launch of the site we have also announced the publishing of a softcover edition of The Blue Poet Dreams, the first book published by Obscura. May was a big month! We have a lot more in store for our organization… including the announcement of our first scholarship, as well as the launch of a store on our site to aid in the fundraising.

Be sure to visit our new site: www.ObscuraWeb.org

I will have two new images included in the CAPTURE: 50 Photographic Artists show at the new Maine Museum of Photographic Arts near Portland. The opening will be on April 2 from 5:00 - 7:0 pm, and features work from artists such as Cig Harvey, Jonathan Laurence, Brenton Hamilton, Matt Bagwell, William Wegman, and Joyce Tenneson, to name a few. The work I will be showing is from a new series which I will be revealing in it’s entirety soon, most likely with a 2011 show at Asymmetrick Arts. So stop by the MMPA for a sneak peak! Or just take a look at the two images I’m posting below…

The MMPA is launching itself with the CAPTURE show. The gallery itself has begun a fundraising campaign for their website and other startup expenses which I would encourage any Maine photographer to contribute to. Maine is a state with a great community of photographers and artists, and it will be nice to have another serious venue for photography.

I will be speaking at the Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City with Mike Barash from Blurb on January 22. We will be presenting a short talk on designing and publishing books, with a Q&A following the presentation. Blurb will also be hosting a “happy hour” to meet and mingle on Friday night…  come join us!

I will be presenting at the B&H event space in New York on January 28. The class, Self-Promotion for Photographers: Representing Yourself Online and in Print, will cover the various methods of self promotion that photographers can use. We will discuss printed materials such as business cards, mailers and books, as well as digital materials like websites, blogs, newsletters and eblasts.

There will be two sessions of the class, one from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, and another from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. The later session is already at full attendance, so sign up quick for the early session!

www.bhphotovideo.com/find/eventDetails.jsp/id/597

David Brommer has just released his book Seattle Suspects, and also launched a new website, both of which I designed. The book has already gotten some great press, including a nice feature on the Blurb blog including an interview with David about the project.

David is offering the book for $60, with a limited edition set that includes a silver gelatin print for $200. Check them out!

After months of work, I am proud to announce that The Blue Poet Dreams by Brenton Hamilton has been released. The book contains a beautiful selection of Brenton’s work, representing over a decade of his mysterious and fascinating approach to image making, and was designed by yours truly.

The first edition of the book is limited to 25 signed and numbered copies, each containing a unique cyanotype  (printed exclusively for this edition). Copies are $500 each and can be purchased here. This book also represents an exciting step forward for Obscura, a new publishing venture that I am a part of, and it’s subsidiary, The Obscura Press. Look for lots more to come on these projects!

A new show just opened at Asymmetrick Arts in Rockland that I was included in. The show, Option, featured a lively mix of work that was simply up to each artist to provide. I decided on a new piece called Memorial I, check out the Asymmetrick site for photos of the work in the show. Jon Laurence, one of the artists included in the show, had a fun piece that appeared to rely solely on audience participation. I can’t say for sure, as I couldn’t make the opening, but he posted a time-lapse video on his blog that shows the creation of the work. Take a look..  while there, take a look at his slideshow of the opening to see some photos of Memorial I and the rest of the work included in the Option show.

Memorial I will be on display during the Option show at Asymetrick Arts in Rockland, Maine from May 29 – June 20. The closing reception, which I will hopefully be attending, will be Wednesday, June 17 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm.

Trophy I and Souvenirs IV-VI will be on display at the Creatures exhibition at Aarhus Gallery in Belfast, Maine. The show will run from April 30 to May 31 with an opening reception on Friday May 1st. Be sure to stop by if you are in the area… martinis at Three Tides will almost certainly follow the reception.

Trophy I (deer skull, gold leaf, 36″x18″) © Mat Thorne 2008

Heart in the Wound, a multimedia piece that I edited, will be screened at the Boston International Film Festival on Monday, the 19th. The project was shot and directed by Lisa Kessler, and centers on the clergy abuse scandal in Boston.

Here is the write-up from the festival:
Heart in the Wound is a gripping odyssey through the clergy sexual abuse crisis, as seen through the lens of photographer Lisa Kessler and the voices of three survivors. This short film weaves behind-the-scenes imagery of Cardinal Law, church insiders, lay people, protesters, victim-survivors and the media into a psychological tableau, revealing the forces of power and shame at the heart of sexual abuse, and the transforming potential of speaking truth to power. Often the focus is on the abuse of young boys, but as we experience from the story of Kathy, the lives of women have been greatly affected.

Heart in the Wound will be screened on Monday, April 20th at 3:30 pm during the Boston International Film Festival. The screening will be held at the AMC/Loews Boston Common at 175 Tremont Street. Click here to buy tickets.

Art Fair season is among us! Unfortunately I will be heading back to West Virginia tomorrow to begin a new project, so I won’t be able to make it to all the shows, but I did get a chance to see the Pulse show at pier 40. Sally just happened to be working there, so not only did I get an exclusive tour, but some VIP espresso as well!

The work on display was extremely varied and overwhelming, with 101 exhibitors representing artists from 26 countries. There was far too much to take in on a quick visit, and certainly too much to write about. I would like to mention that some of Curtis Mann’s work was on display at the Kusseneers Gallery area. Curtis and I worked together my very first summer at the Workshops in Maine and he has remained a good friend. His work involves taking found photographs and running them through a process that combines enamel clear-coat and bleach to selectively remove areas of the image. The resultant images transform the original photographs from specific situations and moments into fantastic and otherworldly scenarios. The humans in the photos become lost in this new and unsettling space, bringing further attention to their original places in landscapes scarred by war and conflict, which they also don’t belong in.

Curtis’s work is featured at Kusseneers Gallery’s space: Booth G-07. Pulse is taking place at Pier 40 on West Houston Street, and will be going on until March 8. Tickets are $20.

Curtis Mann, Attempt, connection (somewhere, Israel series), 2007
acrylic varnish and graphite on bleached found photographs

Curtis Mann, Wanderings - DETAIL, 2008