Lauren E. Simonutti

admission

Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?

lauren e. simonutti, born in NJ, currently residing in Baltimore, MD

 

biding time

 

What is it that you do? What media do you use?

I am a traditionalist.  I shoot large format, (4x5, 5x7, and 8x10).  As to film I will shoot any black and white film; whatever is available, whatever is most affordable.

Confinement

 

What do you think sets your work apart?

That is not for me to say.  I shoot from my own perspective, how it is interpreted is up to the viewer.

Confounded by Time

 

How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a “big break?”

I first started showing my work in 1987.  I sought shows fairly regularly up until about 2000 when I simply lost interest in that aspect of it.  I stopped seeking shows and just worked.  After a time I started posting my work on the web.

My break came in 2009 on two fronts.  I was selected to be an international featured exhibitor for the Ballarat Biennale in Australia.  They flew me out there, gave me an auditorium to give a lecture, and a gallery space and a very large audience in people who attended the festival.  I am still actively involved in Australia, including lecturing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology whenever I can get down there.  I aspire to go every year.  On the home front and at the same time Catherine Edelman of Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago saw some of my work online, it was a link to an online interview I did with an organization called LensCulture based in Paris.  She contacted me and asked if I would like representation.  She had actually refused my work in 2006 when I submitted it to her gallery, which was just about the best thing that could have happened, in the three years that followed my work improved tremendously.  By the time she found me, I was ready, the work was ready.  I could  not have hoped for better.

Contemplating Daybreak

 

What are some things that have inspired you?

 try to look at everything.  I am inspired by what I read- Paul Auster, Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick; I am tremendously influenced by Surrealism, DaDa, Bauhaus, individuals such as Bellmer, Remedios Varo, Goya, Vesalius, Bacon, Odd Nerdrum.  I spend a great deal of time looking at paintings and as well as primitive and pan-Pacific ancient art.

Insomnia

 

What have you been working on recently?

I have been working continuously over the past several years shooting exclusively in my home which due to circumstance I seldom leave.  Isolation records well on film.  My current project, begun with the new year is called 'No such thing as silence' which is a reflection of my bipolar with schizoaffective disorder, one side affect of which is that I hear voices and have since March 28, 2006.  I am aware of the fact that they are not real, but that does not mean I do not still hear them.  Since that day there has never been a day of silence for me.

Mobile

Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?

No.  I only listen to music when I am printing or souping film, never when shooting.

 

Pincushion

Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?

I am a bookbinder as well.  I make books as objects in their own right as well as vessels to contain various series of photographs.

Self Portrait

What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

I am hesitant to offer advice.  What works for one does not necessarily work for others.  My decision to withdraw my photographs from public exhibition yielded in the strongest work I have ever done, but that was an extreme and not for everyone.  I do caution people to carefully vet their choices; many calls for submission are simply vehicles to raise revenue.  I do not advise people to pay to show their work.

Tinder

 

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?

I have no exhibitions planned at the moment.

 

Trial and Error

 

Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

www.edelmangallery.com

www.eyemazingeditions.com

www.lauren-rabbit.deviantart.com

www.flickr.com/photos/laurensimonutti/

 

 Writer's Block

Danielle Ezzo

Who are you?  Where are you from and where do you live now?

Danielle Ezzo, artist and curator. I grew up all over New Jersey, spent some time going to school in Georgia, and now I've been living in Brooklyn for six years. Actually, I just had my six year anniversary on the 21st.

What is it that you do?  What media do you use?

Technically, I'm a mixed media artist, but most all my work begins with photography. Specifically, with historic processes such as cyanotypes and salt prints. I layer these works with paint and ink.

What do you think sets your work apart?

There are very few people utilizing alternative processes anymore it seems. People are getting out of the darkroom and into digital space, which I can understand, mostly because these older processes are so nuanced and slow. In my experience, the photography community shies away from photographers who add other media to their work, who aren't purists. Maybe photography, and its subsequent practitioners, are still uncomfortable with embracing the medium as a fine art. It didn’t start out that way though, an art form. Maybe people are still hung up on that a little. Nonetheless, I think it's just a matter of staying true your intent. If adding other media to an image is part of the overall concept and process, I say, go for it. I enjoy facing the challenges of combining a variety of elements.

How long have you been showing your work for?  Did you have a “big break?”

I've been showing my work since 2005, and so far its been a steady slope of increased exposure. I'm not sure if I’ve experienced that 'big break' feeling yet; however, I think the curating I've done over the past couple years has only pushed my work further and vice versa. It's like they play off of each other.

What are some things that have inspired you?

An artist must utilize every moment or opportunity to find inspiration, even the most mundane things can be thought provoking. Often, just talking with other artists, sharing the struggles and the triumphs, is most beneficial to me.

What have you been working on recently?

This body of work called, Kindred Systems, of mixed media salt prints. Reanalyzing and contextualizing the term “kinship system” based on the shift in how people define "family" and its ever growing inter-connectivity. 

Do you listen to music while you create your work?  If so, would you give some examples?

Absolutely. It ranges depending on my mood, but Etta James, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Morphine, Mazzy Star, Jolie Holland, Iron & Wine, Francoise Hardy, Edith Piaf, Lovage, and whatever else that is slow and sultry.  

Do you do work in any other media?  Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?

I've been playing around with super 8 video and I hope to get more into video in general at some point. Sculpture excites me, but I’m horrible in three dimensions. I curate, as I mentioned before, which is an art form all to itself.

What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

Meet people and have confidence in your work. I've met some pretty amazing people in the city by just sending an email, chatting at art openings, and generally just being a curious and open person. 

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?

Right now, I'm making a push to finish Kindred Systems. Once that's done, I'm working on possibility of a solo show, but no details yet. I’m also curating an auction for Daniel Cooney Fine Art April 1, called Shades of Grey: A Cross Section of Modern Sexual Identity.

Where can people see more of your work on the internet? 

My website, of course: www.danielleezzo.com

I also have two blogs: a photo diary: danielleezzo.tumblr.com and an art blog: dezzoster.tumblr.com

You can also buy limited edition prints of my work here: http://aceditions.com/artists/danielle-ezzo

David Hochbaum

Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born in NYC in 1972. I grew up right outside the city in Rockland County. My pops had an apartment in the east village in the 80's so I spent a lot of time as a kid running around downtown NYC. This sparked my romance with this city here and I am sure this had a profound impact on the direction my life took.
I moved back to Manhattan after finishing school up in Boston in 95 and I have been living in the East Village for the past 15 years.


What is it that you do? What media do you use?
My work has many different media and approaches. I love the darkroom for black and white silver printing and painting. I also make sculpture and love to plan installation projects. I love wood, plaster, video, music. I have no intention of being reliant on a single media to satisfy my need to create.

What do you think sets your work apart?
Apart? From other art? I am not sure except that I can only be sure of my personal vision and execution of these ideas. I do not spend too much time considering my differences, better or worse, these are pointless and narcissistic distractions. I have been banging on the door in my head for the past 20 years and I am still hoping that I am developing. I have many influences and places that haunt my memory which reaches into my work. Its not so important to me to a different thing. I will repeat others as I repeat myself at times. Emulation and homage comes into play with so many types of art and behavior. I enjoy the similarities in the sense if a collective unconsciousness.

How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a “big break?”
I believe my first exhibit I participated in was in 1993. There have been several different sized breaks on my journey so far. Each one having its highlights and disasters. I do try to learn of course from all of them. But it comes down to a chemistry between myself and the people I work with. One of the greatest boosts to my work and personal relationship with my work was when I started to work collaboratively with a greater intensity in 2005. This was when the collaboration group The Goldmine Shithouse started with myself, Colin Burns and Travis Lindquist. This was one of the greatest learning expiriences. But there were so many others along this road that played huge parts for me.
Working with Les Baraney for years, working with the Corey Helford Gallery in LA, having the Strychnin Gallery in Berlin take me under their wing and introduce me to a demographic that I would not have been able to reach without them.

What are some things that have inspired you?
The need to survive is a big fire under my ass. The passion in my peers, lovers. The people I live with who are great artist like Marcus Poston and Patrick Wood. And the people I have had in my life for the past 20 years who have also been through so much in their search to realize their dreams.


What have you been working on recently?
I recently got back from a 3 week residency in Japan which the Strychnin Gallery set up for me. I mentioned a year ago to them that I wanted to do a series about Japanese ghosts, legends and spirits. They set it up so I could go and photograph people there and have the chance to absorb some of the culture first hand. Now I am preparing the works to be shown in June next year in Berlin.

Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?
Almost always. There is just so much. Depending on the work I am doing and the mood which helps, I can go with the Melvins, the Fall, Telescopes, Hawkwind, Echo and the Bunnymen, Roxy Music, Pink Floyd, Nick Cave, Einstürzende Neubauten, i love old ska, roots, chamber music and jazz.

Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?
Yes As I said before, I do like to sculpt. And although the energy put into these projects is different the ideas and pieces seem to spawn from the same well as the paintings and collages.


What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?
Investigate for places you want to show, which seem to showcase the feeling that is conducive to your own works and engage them. Go to their openings, meet the directors and artist who show their. In the end the best places to show are where you can form a productive relationship with the directors and curators.
Work along side other artist if you can. Push yourself to experiment in other media, take advice sometimes and give it back. Do what you can to help others and learn.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?
I will be showing the first couple of works from my Japan Obake project in October at Art 21 in Cologne, Germany.
My next gallery show will be in 2011 in Berlin at Strychnin Gallery.

Where can people see more of your work on the internet?
Well there is www.davidhochbaum.com, www.goldmineshithouse.com, http://www.111ladders.blogspot.com/
and the galleries which I work with...
http://www.strychnin.com/_new/_html/fs_cont.html
http://www.yashayoung.com/
http://www.coreyhelfordgallery.com/

Erin Frost

Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m Erin Frost, I grew up in Montana, and currently live in Seattle, Washington.

What is it that you do? What media do you use?

My main body of work, and what I keep coming back to, is self-portraits. Film, cameras, and darkroom.

What do you think sets your work apart?

I suppose that I am the very thing that sets my work apart; my exposure makes the work accessible and intimate. That’s what I find so intriguing about self-portraits; it’s an intuitive process that relies on the intangible combination of vulnerability and that which remains concealed.

How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a “big break?”

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a big break. But I definitely feel fortunate for some of the opportunities I’ve had/people I’ve met along the way.  I’ve been showing my work for about the past six years across the country as well as internationally.

What are some things that have inspired you?

My  primary inspiration is the process of transformation. I’m interested in the psychology of sexuality; ideas of power and lust. Visually I find inspiration in everything from vintage magazine ads to things I collect, props, odds and ends that seem to have a life of their own.

What have you been working on recently?

Some of my recent work has been playing with a more cinematic scope.

(see #8)

Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?

I prefer no music while I’m shooting; it’s easier to get lost that way. I like to get rid of the distractions that can pull me out of the moment. But there’s definitely music when I sit down to work on other projects, or am in the darkroom. Honestly, my taste in music varies as much as the personalities I adopt.

Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?

I’ve been really interested in printmaking recently. I’m learning the art of letterpress, and absolutely love it. And just finished a 3’x5’ linocut that was printed via steamroller.

What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

Patience. Persistence. This is advice I give myself.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?

I’m in a group show in Seattle, coming up next month. And beyond that, I really want to flesh out some new ideas/processes before committing to another solo exhibit.

Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

www.erinfrostphotography.com 

Ellen Jane Rogers

Who are you?  Where are you from and where do you live now?Hello I am Ellen Jane Rogers, I live and work in London, I am from Norfolk, alongside very cold and bizarre beaches. 

What is it that you do?  What media do you use?
I am a fine art/ fashion photographer, it is my full time job and I use a multitude of analogue cameras and films in order to experiment, but on the whole my media or medium is the darkroom. 

What do you think sets your work apart?
Well, very little sets me apart from other experimental analogue photographers, but in the fashion industry there are not so people using film so it’s more down to the arena I’m in that makes me stand out, I think.

How long have you been showing your work for?  Did you have a “big break?”
I’m still waiting for the fabled ‘big break’ as it stands, I refuse to shoot bands or celebrity, despite being asked more than I would like, but to answer your first question I have been doing editorials in fashion rags for about 2 years, or since I left ‘art school’, I hate that term, sorry to use it

What are some things that have inspired you?

Believe it or not, there are some video games that have left a lasting impression on me, and many many comics, comics by David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz, Simon Bisley, Arthur Ranson , Yoshitaka Amano and so on.  

  

 

What have you been working on recently? 

I have three stories I just shot for various September issues in fashion magazines. So really I have been meeting deadlines. Other than that I was working on a project with my partner, you can see it here http://thedissolution.prizme.co.uk/. 

 

 

Do you listen to music while you create your work?  If so, would you give some examples? 

My boyfriend and I share a studio space, we mainly listen to Magma whilst we work, it is kind of good to send you into a trance like state. 

 

 

Do you do work in any other media?  Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work? 

Yeah I use super 8 to make my films, so far my films have been pretty personal, although they are arguably connected to my main body of work.  

 

 

What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work? 

That is a tricky one, although I’m convinced that online presence is one of the most important things you can master in order to display your work to the fullest audience, I certainly don’t underestimate the power good bloggers have. 

 

 

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention? 

As soon as the funding for mine and Prizme's collaborative project comes through we hope to do a couple of shows with the original artwork. But it doesn’t look like it will be on the cards in the near future.

 

Where can people see more of your work on the internet? 

www.ellenrogers.co.uk = my main site 

www.satanicdrugthing.blogspot.com = my personal blog 

www.flickr.com/beep_peep