There Is No Why Here: Fragments of the Holocaust

When Italian chemist Primo Levi arrived at Auschwitz, after a winter train ride jammed into unheated box cars with 650 other Jews, he was thirsty. Hanging from the eave of a building were icicles. Levi asked a guard if he could have one. The guard said, “No”. Levi asked why. The guard responded, “There is no why here.”  Levi survived Auschwitz along with only 20 of the 650 Jews who arrived there with him. Millions more were murdered in the death camps. As the magnitude of the Holocaust became clear, Winston Churchill said, “We are in the presence of a crime without a name.” The word genocide resulted from Churchill's comment.

Art often doesn't need a name or a word to explain something.  Seventy years later there is still no “why” in the remains of the Nazi extermination camps. Artist Karl Koenig's photography stands as haunting, evocative portrayals of the senseless evil. Over a span of ten years, from 1994-2004, he photographed what was left of the camps and turned those photographs into unique art works that give viewers a glimpse, a fragment, of what the camps were.

Koenig was a New Mexico artist of international renown. That fame rested, in large part, on the decade of work he spent photographing the remnants of ten Nazi death camps. He was haunted by the questions raised by the Holocaust and sought answers through his art.

Beginning with straight photographs, Koenig developed them into majestic, harrowing works of art using a unique printing process he invented and perfected. The end result was a transformational body of art that explores the pure evil of the camps. The resulting gumoil prints, each of which took several weeks to produce, are powerful photographs of the remains of Holocaust concentration camps.  

His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums all over the world but, never before, in his native New Mexico. Now his photographs are coming home to New Mexico. You can see them for yourself at the Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery from August 16th through September 30th; the opening reception is August 16th; 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

In addition to the original prints, shown at the Houston Holocaust Museum exhibition, a few original gumoil prints from the series will be available for purchase as will copies of Koenig's book, Fragments: Architecture of the Holocaust, An Artist's Journey Through the Camps.

The Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery is located in Albuquerque's Old Town at 303 Romero Street. You'll find it on the second floor, in the Northeast corner of Don Luis Plaza, across the street to the west of the church. (There is an elevator on the south side of the building.)  The gallery will be open during the exhibition every day from 10 A.M. until 6 P.M. Further information is available at the gallery's website: http://www.abqphotographersgallery.com/

Meet the Artist: Urey Lemen

As a member since the gallery's inception, Urey is APG's longest standing member. Best known for his breathtaking landscapes, Urey's use and understanding of light and his technical precision in image capture results in a portrayal of classic Southwestern themes in an unparalleled fashion. You can find Urey at various shows throughout the year, particularly those associated with the CSA/New Mexico Artists' Market, in addition to year-round at APG.

I spoke a bit with Urey regarding his history in photography. Here's what he had to say:

How did you come to love photography?

“I have loved photography since I was a child. My father took slides and super 8 movies. I picked it up from him, though I didn’t get really serious until after I retired.”

Did the work of anyone in particular inspire you?

“Like a lot of photographers, I really loved the work of Ansel Adams. I had my own little darkroom and did all of my own developing and printing of black and white images.”

What's your favorite subject to photograph?

“I’m lucky to live in the Southwest. I love the landscapes here, both grand and close up. Red rocks, mountains, waterfalls, Indian ruins, flowers; the Southwest has it all.”

Do you do a lot of planning for a shoot, or are you more of an opportunist?

“I’m probably mostly an opportunistic shooter. As an avid outdoorsman, I am out camping and fishing a lot. I always have a camera with me. That said, I take a few trips each year that are planned around photography.”

Describe your creative process.

“I love capturing images. Frankly, I have never been great about working on them. I have boxes and boxes of slides and digital images that never see the light of day. I need to work on what I already have more.”

It sounds like we have a lot to look forward to where Urey's work is concerned!  You can find the images included here and many more at APG. Check out Urey's webpage as well as his page at APG for other examples of his work!

Christmas Luminaries

Christmas Luminaries

Whether you call them luminaries or farolitos these bags with candles are a Christmas Eve tradition in New Mexico.  Traditionally they were meant to help guide the Christ child to your home.

 

This image was taken at the 17th century ruin of the San Jose de Los Jemez Mission Church in Jemez Springs, New Mexico.  Moon light provided some nice fill light for me.  ISO 1600, f/13, 30 sec exposure

 

 

 

Meet the Artist: Robert Crespin

Robert Crespin has been with APG for three years now, and the gallery truly wouldn't be the same without him.  A prolific and award winning artist, you can always count on Roberto's wall to have something new and different when you come into the gallery.  You may have seen his work this past year at the New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair, The Contemporary Hispanic Market, or in the Albuquerque Water Utility Authority 2013 Calendar.

Here's a little more about the artist, straight from the source.

As a native New Mexican, I have lived among the Western Cowboy, Pueblo Indian, and Northern New Mexico Hispanic cultures of my state. I grew up watching my mother painting landscapes and flowers, and was inspired to see her use of light, shadows, and colors, and her understanding of the beauty of the world. I strive to capture these elements in my photography.

The Land of Enchantment’s striking landscapes and diverse cultures create a special environment for artists. New Mexico’s unique lighting is something artists have been inspired by for decades.  Every day I work on perfecting my skills, and I enjoy creating fine art that will stir a feeling, tickle a sense, or inspire you to create something within you. I hope you enjoy what I have captured through my lens.

Gracias y Bienvenidos,

Robert Crespin

Nature is man’s teacher.  She unfolds her treasures to his search.  Unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; An influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence.  

-Alfred Billings Street

Bisti Wonderland

The Bisti Badlands are in Northwest New Mexico.  It is a wonderland of weird formations and visas.  This image was taken in an area commonly called the "egg factory".  My name for this image however is "On the Half Shell".  If you are ever in the area be sure to give the Bisti a look.  The badlands are on BLM land.  Most of the nicer formations are about a mile hike from the parking lot.
Urey Lemen

Added Incentive

We now have another great reason why you should come to the gallery this Friday, 6-9 PM, for the opening reception of Lee Marmon: "The Acoma Collection".

1)  You'll really want to meet the very personable artist and hear his many stories.

2)  You also don't want to miss seeing his amazing photographs.

And now:

3)  High Noon Restaurant & Saloon has graciously offered to provide a selection of mouthwatering hors d'oeuvres for the reception. Check out their facebook page for more information about the restaurant and to see some photos of their tempting food.

Lee Marmon: "The Acoma Collection"

His photos — historic and unique — are as diverse as the life he has lived. Best known for his iconic photograph “White Man's Moccasins”, which embodies the clash of two cultures, Laguna Pueblo photographer Lee Marmon has chronicled the history of his people for more than six decades.

Beginning on March 1st through April 30th, the Albuquerque Photographers’ Gallery presents “Lee Marmon, The Acoma Collection”, with a reception for the artist on Friday, March 1st, from 6 to 9 pm.

Lee Marmon embarked on his extraordinary career after serving in World War II when he started photographing tribal elders at the suggestion of his father. From that beginning, his work took him to Hollywood, the White House, Acoma Pueblo and back home to Laguna. Along the way he photographed presidents, celebrities, tribal elders, dancers, and sacred landscapes of the Southwest. His work is a unique visual record of American life and has garnered many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Santa Fe Indian Market and The Czech Republic's Kantuta humanitarian award.

Marmon's work has been widely shown in galleries and museums throughout the world. Some are in the permanent collection at the White House. In 2009, the University of New Mexico acquired Marmon's collection of more than 40,000
negatives and many of his last silver gelatin prints now belong to Acoma Pueblo. Through a special arrangement with Acoma, Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery in Old Town is thrilled to show and offer for sale these rare works of art that are among the last of his personally printed and signed photographs. The gallery will also offer works from Marmon's personal collection, including original silver gelatin prints of “White Man's Moccasins”, as well as several high quality posters. And now, some of his work is available for purchase on our website.

His daughter, the writer Leslie Marmon-Silko, once wrote of her father that he served, “the most ancient of Pueblo imperatives: to honor all beings, but especially our beloved ones, gone before us”. These are not snapshots, she added, but “lively plays between sunlight and shadow to reveal the precious and beloved outside of time”.

The Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery is located at 303 Romero Street, NW in Old Town Albuquerque and is New Mexico's preeminent gallery of contemporary photography. More information is available from the gallery's website, http://www.abqphotographersgallery.com/

 

 

Reception

 

Don't forget, coming up this Friday.  



Three of our photographers, Bill d'Ellis, Elsa d'Ellis and Robert Crespin are among the photographrs whose work is featured in "Rio Vistas," a 2013 Water Conservation Calendar. This free calendar, which includes Bill d'Ellis' photo, below,

 

Rio Grande Sandbars
 

 

 

was produced by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority. 

 

 

 

To celebrate, the Water Utility Authority will host a reception at our gallery on Friday, January 18th, 5 - 7 PM. All of the featured photographers will have work on display. 

 

Refreshments will be served.

 

We hope you can come! You can pick up your free calendar while you're there.

 

 

Black & White or Color?

Which do you prefer? There are arguments on both sides. Many "purists" make the blanket statement that they like black and white over color for everything. Others only shoot color. One answer to the question would be "It depends". The important thing is to consider your answer carefully and know why you've chosen one way or another. Remember, this choice is a storytelling tool like anything else.

Here are some examples to make the point about how color or lack of it can make a difference in the message a photograph imparts:

One of the biggest arguments for using black and white for people pictures is that it strips away colors that could distract from the emotion of the moment. Instead of your eye being drawn to the green trees or the yellow lettering in the t-shirt, it is drawn into the tortured expression on the faces and the body language. Perhaps since this picture has fairly subdued colors to begin with you could argue the other side, but imagine if the shirt was red.

This picture cries out for color for practical reasons as well as the fact that it just makes a prettier image. The plight of the Kentucky player is made much more dramatic and obvious by the fact that he is surrounded by a towering mass of orange. In the B&W version the viewer has to work harder to figure out what is going on.

When I started out in news photography, we shot slide film and B&W film. We didn't use color negative and convert later so we had to decide on the spot which to use. Each kind of film used a different approach--a different kind of thought process in order to do each justice. I think you can begin to see why in these examples.

-Janet Worne

Mary Ellen Mark Quote

"The difficulty with color is to go beyond the fact that it's color – to have it be not just a colorful picture but really be a picture about something. It's difficult. So often color gets caught up in color, and it becomes merely decorative. Some photographers use [ it ] brilliantly to make visual statements combining color and content; otherwise it is empty."

-Mary Ellen Mark

APG Workshops

The Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery is now offering workshops for photographers of all experience levels, starting with "Personal Vision: Taking Control of the Creative Process" on September 12th, 6-8 PM.

A camera can calculate mathematically the right exposure and focus the lens for you but it has no idea what feelings or messages you are trying to communicate in your image. What if you decided to take control and make the creative decisions based on what vision you have in your head?

"Personal Vision" offers 10 tools to help you make better and more creative images. These tools are not expensive and are not found in the latest high tech equipment or software. Remember, the most important piece of photographic equipment in the world is your brain—and you already own it.

This two-hour class is geared toward advanced beginners— those who are familiar with their own cameras and want to move beyond snapshots, or photographers at any level who want a little extra inspiration. Attendees may bring one of their own photos (either a print or a jpeg on a flash drive) for critique, depending on the available time at the end of the class.

Instructor:
Janet Worne has been a professional photographer for over 30 years, most of that time as a photojournalist. While working for newspapers in three states, she has covered a wide variety of subjects, including sports, news, features, and art. She has won numerous awards from ANMPAS, Associated Press and the National Press Photographers Association, among others. Some of her work is in the permanent collection at The National Museum for Women in the Arts in DC. She has taught college level photography and served as a mentor for NPPA. Janet currently lives in New Mexico, pursuing fine art photography.

Check our website, we will soon have details and updates on this or any other future workshops.

Aaron Siskind

“….as the language or vocabulary of photography has been extended, the emphasis of meaning has shifted—shifted from what the world looks like to what we feel about the world and what we want the world to mean.”

-Aaron Siskind

Theory of Asymmetry

 

Part of a photographer’s job is to calm and distract the subject while taking their picture. This is not always easy, especially when they say, “I look terrible in photos” or “I might break your camera”. One solution is to describe the Theory of Asymmetry. It not only explains away some of their fears, but talking while you work distracts them from getting nervous. It goes like this:

Everyone’s face is asymmetrical. We are used to seeing ourselves in a mirror, which of course, gives us a flipped image of what we really look like. What we see in a photograph is what everyone else is used to but it is the exact opposite of our own reality.

This theory, admittedly, is my own creation and does not stem from any scientific research. I use it merely to assuage the common affliction that I call: Fear of Having Your Picture Taken.

Look at these two pictures. You can see quite a difference. When I see myself in a picture or a double mirror image, I think my smile looks crooked. In a mirror, or when I flop the picture, I think I look normal. I comfort myself by realizing that nobody else sees what I see.

The picture on the right is the flopped image.

~Janet Worne

William Albert Allard Quote

"What's really important is to simplify. The work of most photographers would be improved immensely if they could do one thing: get rid of the extraneous. If you strive for simplicity, you are more likely to reach the viewer."

-William Albert Allard

Auld Reekie

Historic Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, was at one time nicknamed “Auld Reekie” because of the open sewers and smoke from thousands of chimneys. Chimney Sweeps had thriving businesses, often employing young boys—known as “climbing boys”—to climb up into the narrow chimneys until legislation in the 1800’s put an end to child labor.

By the mid-twentieth century, electric and gas-fired heating systems replaced most of the old coal and wood fires used previously. In the last few years, however, homeowners have been re-opening the old chimneys to bring back the beauty of real fires.

On a recent trip to that historic and beautiful city, I was visually attracted to the thousands of chimney pots that crowded the skyline. The rooftops reminded me of my favorite childhood movie—Mary Poppins. The clay pots were varied and anthropomorphic. On some buildings they were identical and lined up like soldiers marching to war. Others were mismatched and comical. The other movie I was reminded of from my childhood was “Alice in Wonderland”, where the flowers took on human characteristics.

The last two days I was there I must have missed many interesting sights because I was too busy looking up with my camera.

--Janet Worne

Bill Brandt Quote

“Most photographers would feel a certain embarrassment in admitting publicly that they carried within them a sense of wonder, yet without it they would not produce the work they do, whatever their particular field.”

--Bill Brandt

Lessons From Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a wonderland of geysers, hot springs and, of course, wildlife. The park, established in 1872, is “the core of one of the last, nearly intact natural ecosystems in the Earth’s temperate zone.” On the Mammoth Hot Springs Terrace, travertine formations grow rapidly to create an ever-changing scene that looks like an icy moonscape thanks to a chalky white material leaching from the limestone by the hot water.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in Yellowstone at a time when it is possible to see more wildlife than people—early March. We stayed in Gardner Montana, near the north entrance at Mammoth Hot Springs. The 'Snow Coach' excursions had ceased and the only way to get anywhere was by car on the road between Mammoth and Cooke City, about 60 miles of east-west road through the Lamar Valley. Although relatively short in length, that stretch of highway might be one of the most ecologically diverse and scenic 60 miles in the United States. We drove it every day for a week, and it was an adventure that I never tired of.

Of course, my primary focus for the trip was photography and I had my DSLR, a wide selection of lenses, a tripod, filters, etc., whenever we hit the road. I soon discovered that I was constantly switching between 'landscape' and 'wildlife' shooting modes as opportunities presented themselves. In many respects, these two modes require opposite techniques, camera settings, and equipment. Not being blessed with two camera bodies, the switching soon became an issue, especially in the case of fleeting and unpredictable wildlife sightings, as well as changing light conditions. Experience is a great teacher, but sometimes it takes a while, and opportunities missed are a harsh way to learn. So here are a few tips to keep in mind if you find yourself in a similar situation.

As you travel, whether hiking or in a vehicle, have your camera and lens ready for wildlife - it more often requires quick response and if you are in 'landscape' mode the chance may pass before you can switch. This means: a long lens mounted with no polarizer or Neutral Density filter attached, higher than normal ISO (400), aperture priority at wide open or close to it, continuous autofocus, high speed continuous shooting mode, and spot metering. All of the above allow for faster response time and increases the chance of sharp images - especially if the subject is moving. Other settings that I sometimes use for landscape mode will ruin that elusive wildlife shot. Such as 'exposure delay', or HDR auto-bracketing mode. The former reduces mirror vibration, but makes a DLSR act like a point and shoot with a huge shutter lag time. The later will just get you a lot of improperly exposed images. Also, if the light is poor, use a higher ISO than you might like. A noisy picture is better than a blurry one.

In low light or harsh sunlight/shadow conditions, consider using a 'flash extender' to bring out the details of those critters. They consist of a plastic fresnel lens attached to a bracket on your flash unit to focus the light. While they are inexpensive and do work up to a certain point, they are also bulky when added to your flash unit. But I sure wished I had mine attached when wolves crossed the road 100 yards from me early one morning!

Finally, and most importantly, after taking that idyllic landscape shot, and before you begin to move on to another location, reset your camera to 'wildlife' settings so you are ready for that once in a lifetime opportunity.

--Tom Spross

Ansel Adams Quote

"To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity which live or are latent in all things."

-Ansel Adams

Rhythm in Photography

Rhythm permeates our world. Music tempts us to move with the flow of notes and the pacing of words on a page encourages us to stay up late to finish a favorite book. Our bodies pulse with the constant rhythmic beating of our hearts, a comforting reminder that we live. Rhythm is alive in the visual arts as well.

Rhythm is “a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement and sound”, according to the Oxford American Dictionary. In his book, Photography & the Art of Seeing, Freeman Patterson says: “Rhythm is a way to use pattern. A pattern may be repeated at random, but if it is repeated at regular intervals, we speak of rhythm.”
If rhythm is movement within repeated patterns, then photography is fertile ground in which to harness that flow. The patterns can be lines, shapes or color, and the positioning of the repetitions can lead the eye in the direction of the photographer’s choosing and influence the tone or feel of the image. In the examples shown here, black lines bending into progressively smaller and smaller triangles sweep us up the stairwell, and repeated colors and shapes of boats march the viewer diagonally across the page in rows. Notice how each rhythm may have a different pace, sometimes dynamic, sometimes plodding.

We can break it down to the step-by-step technique and use it consciously or we can let it flow without thought from that place deep inside us where inspiration is born. You know you have succeeded when you look at it and it feels right in your gut.

-Janet Worne

Henri Cartier-Bresson Quote

“Photography implies the recognition of a rhythm in the world of real things.”

-Henri Cartier-Bresson