Greetings from AIPAD!

(A panoramic view of John Cleary Gallery's booth, courtesy of Dan Burkholder -- click to see full image)

AIPAD is in full swing, and I've barely had time to sit down and catch my breath! After a slightly horrendous day of travel (including three standby flights and detour to Baltimore), I finally made it to New York and set up our fabulous booth, which features Mitch Dobrowner, Jessica Somers, Dan Burkholder, Charles Grogg, Maggie Taylor, and books by 21st Editions on the walls.

People have been steadily pouring into the booth since the show opened Wednesday night -- which has left all of us exhausted but is great for busines. Many of the prints in bins and on walls have sold, sold, sold!

Hard at work!

(from left) Katie Kelly and Catherine Couturier with John Cleary Gallery, and Lance Speer and Crissy Welzen with 21st Editions

I've also been able to catch up with friends from other galleries, collectors I don't get to see often, and a few of my favorite artists.

Artist Dan Burkholder with gallery owner Catherine Couturier

 

Artist Charles Grogg, who will have a show in our gallery from March 27 to April 24

Artist Michael Donner with his print "Dreaming Tree"

Artist Isa Leshko with "Dangling Legs" from her new series

Catherine Couturier with artist Jessica Somers

Unfortunately, Maggie Taylor and Jerry Uelsmann, Elliott Erwitt, and Keily Anderson-Staley stopped by before we thought of taking pictures, but I had a great time catching up with all of them in person.

There's an hour left in the day, so we're kind of at that point. I "borrowed" one of the Lucie awards from 21st Editions to practice my acceptance speech for "World's Best Gallery Owner."

If you haven't had the chance to come out yet, tomorrow is the final day: Sunday March 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Visit and say hello!

AIPAD, Kellner Booksigning, and Fiorese Film

I leave for Aipad (booth 118) tomorrow morning and am sad that I will miss all the fun at the gallery this Saturday, March 20, from 6 - 8 p.m. Thomas Kellner will be signing copies of his newest book, Mauro Fiorese will be showing his mockumentary based on his U.Ph.O series, and the Fotofest buses will be arriving for the last day of the Jefferson Hayman exhibition!

Come one and come all!

Fotofest So Far

Even though I'm completely and totally exhausted (and leave painfully early in the morning for New York for Aipad), I have to admit that March is a really exciting month here at John Cleary Gallery. Fotofest opened Friday, and I had a great day reviewing the artists with whom I was lucky enough to be matched. I found some work that was great (but not right for my gallery) and some work that was great (AND right for my gallery). Two artists with whom I'm friendly from Fotofests past (Catherine Cameron and Oyvind Hjelmen) asked me if I love my job. I admitted that my favorite part was looking at fine art photography all day, and Fotofest definitely fills that bill.

The best part of Fotofest for me this year is that each and every artist with whom I've met (both at The Meeting Place and at the gallery) has been completely ready for the review experience, i.e., listening to what each reviewer has to say with an open mind. One artist, Deborah Samuels is a mentee of Jeffrey Becom and his charming wife Sally Aberg. Monica Cheon, with whom I met two years ago, is still making beautiful work. Rania Matar and Natan Divir are planning to combine their series of youths into a joint project that promises to be enlightening. I could go on and on and on and on, but then you'd have no reason to come to the gallery in July for my "Found" show that will highlight all the fabulous work I've... well... found, this weekend.

Saturday was a very busy day at the gallery. I met with artists and tried to ready myself for AIPAD while Eric, Morgan, and Mauro set up the installation of Mauro Firoese's "mockumentary." I was so pleased to have a great crowd for the event that I'm going to show the work again this Saturday! If you missed it last week, be sure and get to the gallery on Saturday, March 20 from 6-8 p.m. to see the film (featuring the likes of Duane Michaels, Maggie Taylor, Jerry Ueslmann, Michael Kenna, Keith Carter, and a certain gallery owner who shall remain nameless due to her complete lack of acting ability), the Jefferson Hayman exhibition, and snag a signed book by Thomas Kellner.

For those of you in the greater New York City area, I'll see you all week at the Park Avenue Armory for AIPAD: The Photography Show in booth 118!

AIPAD The Photography Show

The Association of Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) will hold its annual art fair, The Photography Show, Thursday, March 18 - Sunday, March 21 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. We will be exhibiting along with 90 of the best photography galleries and private dealers from around the world. This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of this prestigious organization! Happy Birthday, AIPAD!

We are so proud to be a member of this amazing organization that fosters a community of knowledge, friendship, and passion in the world of photography. We hope you will be able to visit us in booth 118, where we will be featuring new works by Mitch Dobrowner, Maggie Taylor, Jessica Somers, Dan Burkholder, and Charles Grogg, along with historic works by such luminaries as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau. For the first time, we will also be showcasing the beautiful books of 21st Editions. I think it will be our best art fair yet, and I cannot wait to see my many friends in the business.

$1 off for anyone who mentions this blog! Just kidding. $5 off.

21st Editions

I am very excited to announce that John Cleary Gallery is the exclusive Texas dealer for 21ST Editions! I have worked with Lance Speer and Steve Albahari many times through the years, and I am looking forward to representing their beautiful publications on a larger scale.


If you are not familiar with 21ST Editions, I invite you to visit their website at http://www.21stphotography.com/ to read about the handcrafted bindings, letterpress printing, and stunning platinum and silver gelatin prints that go into books of incomparable beauty and quality. I will be featuring the one-of-a-kind Journal Plate Set and the 21ST Editions Master Collection at AIPAD. The Master Collection is each and every book and portfolio created by 21ST Editions over the last 12 years (33 fine press books and 116 signed free-standing prints). It is unsurpassed in its craftsmanship, artistry and, of course, subject, with artists ranging from Joel-Peter Witkin to (our current exhibiting artist) Jefferson Hayman, Sally Mann to ParkeHarrison. Many of the volumes are avaieffersonlable individually, though a large number are sold out - the most recent 21ST Editions publication, Jerry Uelsmann’s Moth and Bonelight, which included ten original signed 16x20 silver prints mounted on 20x24 removable aluminum “pages,” sold out in just 24 hours!



The works of art 21ST Editions creates are not just for collectors of books - these pieces are for anyone who loves fine art photography. Please let me know if you’d like more information on any of the titles listed on the 21ST Editions web site, and stop by and see me at booth 118 at the Park Avenue Armory March 18-21 for AIPAD to view the work for yourself.

One Night Only! Mauro Fiorese's "mockumentary"

Please join us this Saturday, March 13, from 7-9 p.m. for a one night only exhibition of Italian artist, Mauro Fiorese's, U.Ph.O. photographs and film. It will represent the first film exhibition at John Cleary Gallery and the first time this work has been seen in the U.S.

About the series:

Knowing how to transcend the visual information we meet up with every day, using photography as a pretext to delve deeper in order to know new worlds: this was the spirit that has led Mauro Fiorese to document places and situations on the borderline between reality and fiction for almost twelve years around our Planet.

After a long period of iconographic research both in amateurs on-line archives as well as in official State archives recently opened up to the public, the photographer took countless trips to remote sites on Earth with the intent of producing the first official Archive of Unidentified Photographic Subjects.

This Project was carried out in twelve years along the lines of the great territorial documentary campaigns, like those of F.S.A. or Alinari photographers, whose far-flung activity produced an immense catalogue of images throughout the years.

View the work here

These pictures tell us about presence as well as absence: the photographic subject is always real, for it was “found” and existing in front of the photographer when he clicked the shutter, but it always and mysteriously remains difficult to identify.

The final work takes on the significance of a photographic evidence, in a almost scientific and forensic sense of the term, of a specific moment, only chronologically and geographically denied.

Every print is supplied with an X-File number that makes consultation possible, with the curiosity of observing something indefinable and with the desire to possess something that is much more than a simple fantasy.

Parallel to his photographic work, the author decided to document this long-term project with a video diary, edited in a unique, surreal mockumentary.

This is a 12’ long fiction film, produced in the same spirit and supporting the photographic project, where paradoxical situation are mixed with live breaking news and street interviews to both local friends and colleagues as well as internationally recognized artists, such as Duane Michals, Michael Kenna, Keith Carter, Jerry Uelsmann and Maggie Taylor among others.

The U.Pho.S. Project has been awarded with the following grants:

International Art Prize ARTE LAGUNA 2009 – Venice, Italy
Kaunas Photo 2008 – Kaunas, Lituania
Backlight 2008 “Tickle Attack” – WOLKERSDORF, Austria
International Photography Awards 2008 Competition (finalist) – New York, U.S.A.

John Cleary Gallery is proud to present this innovative Project for the first time in the U.S. on Saturday, March 13 2010 for a unique one-night Show.
The artist will be in attendance.